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October 2025

  • Year Group Updates - Years 4 & 6

    Published 24/10/25

    Year 4 Update

    Year 4 have been learning about Remembrance Day linked with WW1 over the last couple of weeks in English. Through their learning, they have looked at poetic features and written a poem based on Remembrance. The top 6 poems in Year 4 will be entered into a competition through Harrow Council.

    The children have been working hard in Maths to complete their learning on addition and subtraction. They have developed their skills to be able to estimate with numbers and check calculations.

    In DT, the children have started to investigate how to make packaging stronger, moving on to designing their biscuit package and making them as the week continues.

    The engagement and progress on Oxford Reading Buddy, TTRS and Edhsed has improved as the term has progressed, so thank you for your continued support at home with your child’s learning.

     

    Year 6 Update

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    Non-Chronological Reports - The Vikings

    Year 6 have been busy writing and publishing their own non-chronological reports. They began by researching the Vikings, gathering fascinating facts and organising their information clearly. Using the key features of non-chronological reports – such as subheadings, technical vocabulary, and formal language – the children produced well- structured and engaging pieces of writing. Their final published reports showcased not only excellent writing skills but also impressive research and presentation, resulting in work they can be truly proud of.

    Just One Tree Day – Celebrating Nature and Creativity

    Last Friday, Year 6 joined schools across the country in celebrating Just One Tree Day, a special event that raises awareness of how small actions can make a big difference to our planet. Everyone came to school dressed in green to show their support for protecting our environment and to remind us of the vital role trees play in looking after our world. As part of the day, the children took part in a creative activity making leaf animals. They gathered a variety of fallen leaves and used their imagination to turn them into wonderful creatures – from fluttering birds to jungle animals and woodland friends. It was a fantastic way to connect with nature, express creativity, and reflect on how we can all make a positive impact on the planet – one tree at a time.

    Science - Circulatory System

    In our Science lessons, year 6 pupils explored the fascinating world of the human circulatory system. They learned about the different components of blood — including red blood cells that carry oxygen, white blood cells that fight infection, platelets that help blood to clot and plasma that transports nutrients around the body. The children also discovered how the heart works to pump oxygenated and deoxygenated blood through our bodies. To finish, we discussed how a balanced diet and regular exercise help keep our hearts strong and healthy. These informative and engaging lessons really got everyone’s hearts racing — in a good way.

    BHM

    This month, Year 6 have been celebrating Black History Month under the inspiring theme “Standing Firm in Power and Pride.” This theme reminds us that everyone has inner strength, and that people from Black communities have shown incredible courage, pride, and resilience throughout history. Our reading lessons have focused on the lives of influential figures such as Maya Angelou, Martin Luther King Jr., Marcus Rashford, Rosa Parks, and Nelson Mandela. On Wednesday, pupils continued their learning by exploring the meanings behind some of these figures’ most iconic quotes, reflecting on how their words still inspire change today. To finish, the class created stunning artwork using watercolours and silhouette cut-outs, celebrating both the individuals we studied and the power and pride within themselves.

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  • Year Group Updates - Years 1, 3 & 5

    Published 17/10/25
    Year 1 Update

    Year 1 have learnt all about toys from the past. We have compared old and new toys and discussed their differences, including the materials used.

    We learnt about old fashioned peg dolls which many children made during the war as toy factories and shops were closed.

    In class we designed and made our own peg dolls using different papers, fabrics and pipe cleaners.

    Several peg dolls made by year 1Several peg dolls made by year 1

     

     

    Several peg dolls made by year 1

    Several peg dolls made by year 1

     

     

    For Black History Month, we have read the book 'Coming to England' by Floella Benjamin. Children have enjoyed hearing Floella's story of moving to England from Trinidad when she was a young girl. Children discussed the journey which Floella made on a big ship and we designed our own characters to travel with her on her journey. We then wrote lists of items which Floella would need for her journey to the much colder climate in the UK.

    Drawing made by year 1 of Floella Benjamin on a ship

     
    Year 3 Update

    It’s been a busy and exciting week in Year 3!

    English:

    We finished writing our diary entries last week from the perspective of the boy in The First Drawing, the children did a fantastic job stepping into character! We are now beginning to write our own narratives based on the story, building on the skills we’ve been practising, including fronted adverbials and expanded noun phrases.

    Maths:

    We have now wrapped up our place value topic and moved on to addition and subtraction. This week, we’ve been focusing on adding and subtracting 1s, 10s, and 100s, a great foundation as we begin to introduce the column method.

    Reading:

    In our reading lessons, we’ve been enjoying Spud Murphy by Eoin Colfer. The children have been working on key reading skills, particularly retrieval and inference, to deepen their comprehension. Alongside this, we’ve been exploring non-fiction texts twice a week, giving pupils experience with a range of text types and information sources.

    History:

    Our Stone Age topic has been a big hit! The children have been fascinated by life in prehistoric times and have engaged brilliantly with all the learning. We continued our journey through time and moved on to the Bronze Age. Next week we will be exploring the Iron Age, looking into the hillforts.

    Science:

    Our topic this half term has been Rocks and Soils. This week, we investigated different soil types, sand, silt, and clay, through a fun experiment that helped us understand their unique features. The children showed great curiosity and scientific thinking throughout.

     

    Year 5 Update

    Year 5 visit The Science Museum

     

     

     

    Year 5 enjoyed an exciting and educational trip to the Science Museum on Wednesday. Children explored the fascinating exhibits and took part in a interactive workshop. It was a fun filled day that sparked curiosity.

    Some year 5 children next to a space capsule

    Some year 5 children around a giant Mars map

    Year 5 children listening to a presentation about rocket science

    Some year 5 children next to a rocket boosterSome year 5 children next to a rocket booster

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Science

    This week Y5 visited the science museum as part of our work on space. We looked around the space exhibit but also took part in a workshop on Space that helped use to reinforce what we have learnt in class. The children were all really behaved and enjoyed the trip but also gained a lot from the experience. Thank you to the parents and carers who came with us on a trip.

    Maths

    This week has been all about addition and subtraction. We have practised our written methods for subtraction but also learnt about how to use the inverse to check calculations. We have also used our written methods to solve problems. Last week is the last week on this unit but we will continue to practise our methods in arithmetic.

    Geography

    This week we have continued our work on learning about Planet Earth. We have learnt about why we have time zones and why time is different around the world. We have related this to our knowledge of the rotation of the Earth and what we have learnt about day and night. We will continue our work on latitude and longitude in the spring and summer terms.

    Art

    We have spent this week working on our sketch books for our class artist ready to display in our Y5 corridor. The children are rightly proudly of their work they have produced.

    It has been a great half term in y5 and we have really enjoyed getting to know the children. Thank you to all the parents who came to parent and carer evening yesterday – if you were not able to make it please see your teacher to make an appointment in the next week.

    A Year 5 child's art work of a girl

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  • Year Group Updates – Years 2, 4, 5&6

    Published 10/10/25

    Year 2 Update

    Year 2 have had a busy and exciting few weeks of learning! In Maths, we have been focusing on our 2, 5, and 10 times tables, exploring patterns and relationships on our hundred squares. The children have enjoyed spotting number sequences and using their knowledge to solve quick-fire challenges. To keep this momentum going, please encourage your child to continue practising their times tables at home — little and often really helps. Don’t forget, children who reach the top three on Numbots each week are awarded certificates in Monday’s assembly.

    In English, we have started exploring different forms of factual writing, with a focus on non- chronological reports. The children have been looking closely at how leaflets are structured and presented, as we will soon be creating our own fact-filled leaflets all about wolves. To support this learning at home, you could look at leaflets or information posters together and discuss how they share facts — for example, at a museum, zoo, or visitor centre.

    In Science, we have continued our topic on materials. The children have loved taking part in hands-on investigations, describing and comparing the properties of different materials through touch, observation, and discussion. They’ve shown fantastic curiosity and used great scientific vocabulary when talking about what they discovered.

    However, we have noticed that a number of children are not reading regularly at home, either with their reading books or on our online reading platforms. Reading every day, even for just ten minutes, makes a huge difference to children’s progress, confidence, and enjoyment. Please make it part of your daily routine to listen to your child read, talk about the story, and record this in their reading record. Your support really does make a lasting impact.

    Drawing of a mitten Child drawing a hand puppet

    Pictures arranged to tell a story Child showing their work

     

    Year 4 Update

    Year 4 have had a productive week with their learning. They have settled into the Year 4 routines well and are playing well together at playtime and lunches.

    In Maths the children have learnt to add numbers including numbers where they had to make more than one exchange.

    In English the children have completed their research on either Walter Tull or Harriet Tubman as two key figures for Black History Month and written reports on them. They are also starting to research the Windrush generation including how and why people were invited over to the UK.

    In Geography, the children have been continuing their work on river and comparing rivers from around the world.

    Within their PSHE topics, children have been learning about actions and consequences as well as making good decisions. This has led to many conversations around doing their homework and the rewards of this, not immediately, but later on in life and in their future.

    Year 4 child's literacy work

     

    Year 5 Update

    This week in Year 5 we have been consolidating our maths work on addition and subtraction using written methods to support. The children have solved a range of problems using different methods and learnt new mental methods to help them solve problems.

    In Geography we have continued to learn about our planet and have used atlases to find countries on the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn as well as learning about different climates around the world.

    We are continuing to read Friend of Foe in reading lessons but we are also now starting to focus our reading to support work for Black History Month. We will be reading poems by the late Benjamin Zephaniah and learning about different people of colour who helped to change history.

    Science work is still all about space and we have been learning about why we have days and years. The children who did not go on the residential complete some fantastic artwork around space travel in the future.

    Finally, our writing has focused on descriptive writing. We will be writing a description of the beginning of the narrative poem: The Highwayman. We have studied the poem and created images to support our descriptions. The children have been creating similes, metaphor and alliteration that they can use in their writing.

    We are looking forward to our trip to the Science Museum and still need some parents and carers to support this trip. If you are able to come please let your class teacher know.

    A piece of Year 5 artwork

    A piece of Year 5 artworkA piece of Year 5 artwork of the highwayman

    A piece of Year 5 artwork of the highwayman

    Writing display board of the highwayman

    Year 5 art work of rocket ships

     

    Year 6 Update

    Being Active in Year 6

    Our Year 6 pupils have kicked off the School Walking Challenge with great enthusiasm! Each month, at Elmgrove we will be monitoring the number of pupils who walk to school. This initiative ties in with our School Travel Plan and our commitment as a school to make healthy choices for ourselves and our planet. Classes 6L, 6B, 6K, and 6O are going head-to- head to see who can earn the most active travel ticks and take home the coveted Golden Boot award. We’re encouraging everyone to get involved—whether it’s walking, cycling, scooting, or even doing a ‘park and stride’ for those who live a bit further away. Every active journey counts, and it’s a fun way to stay healthy, reduce traffic, and show our school spirit. Let’s see which Year 6 class will stride ahead to victory!

    6B's walk to school wallchart

    English

    This week in English, we’ve been building up to writing our non-chronological reports on the Vikings. The children have been exploring the key features of report writing, including how to organise information clearly and use formal language effectively. We have also focused on using colons for lists and clauses, and distinguishing between active and passive voice to make our writing more varied and engaging. Everyone is looking forward to applying these skills in their final Viking reports next week.

    Some Year 6 English work Some Year 6 English work

    Display board of Year 6 English work

    PSHE

    This week in our PSHE lessons, we have been exploring the theme “Being Me in My World.” Together, we discussed some important questions, such as:

    • How might our choices affect others – both in our local community and across the world?
    • Why is it important to empathise with others?
    • How can empathy influence the choices we make?

    As a class, we also agreed to follow the Jigsaw Charter to help us learn in a calm, respectful environment where everyone feels confident to share their thoughts and ideas.

    The Jigsaw Charter

    Maths

    Mastering the Four Operations

    In maths, we have been focusing on the four operations. The children have been recapping, revising, and learning new strategies to help them solve problems involving addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. They have been practising how to use formal written methods to support their calculations and have worked hard to improve both their speed and accuracy. We have used methods such as the column method, short multiplication, long multiplication, and short division to solve a range of problems.

    Some Year 6 maths work

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  • Year 6 Ofili Class Assembly

    Published 08/10/25

    This week, 6 Ofili’s class presented a thoughtful and inspiring assembly on Mahatma Gandhi. The students beautifully shared Gandhi’s life story, highlighting his values of truth, peace, and non-violence. 6O linked his values to our own Golden Values, showing how they remain just as relevant today. The assembly reminded us all of the power of kindness, courage, and standing up for what is right.

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  • Year 5&6 Residential Updates

    Published 03/10/25

    Last updated 2:20pm on 3.10.25

    Wednesday 1st October

    2pm

    After a long journey, we arrived safely at the Pioneer Centre. Everyone is currently settling in and will be jumping into their first activity shortly.

    5pm

    We have settled in and done our first activities. We have done a high wire course, wall climbing, leap of faith and some of us had fencing, which we all thoroughly enjoyed and are all feeling proud of our achievements. We will have dinner soon and then onto the next activity, campfire!

    Girl standing on leap of faith pole about to jumpGirl grabbing leap of faith bar after jumping off

    Boy on high wire courseGirl on climbing wall

     

    Child climbing up leap of faith poleGroup of children helping pull up classmate who is climbing the wall

    Gril near the top of the climbing wallBoy walking along wooden beam 10 meters in the air.

    Girl about to jump off leap of faith poleGroup of children fencing

     

    8pm

    We ate lots of food at dinner and enjoyed some singing and games around a campfire.

    Group of children singing around a campfire

    Group of children sat around a campfire

    Group of children sat around a campfireGroup of children singing around a campfire

    Group of children playing games around a campfire

     

    Thursday 2nd October

    12pm

    We had great fun this morning building rafts and testing them out. Some of us got a bit wet!

    Some children tying knots to build a raft

    Some children tying knots to build a raft

    Some children tying knots to build a raft

    Some children moving raft into the water

    Some children moving raft into the waterSome children on a raft in the water

    Some children on a raft in the water

    Some children on a raft in the waterSome children on a raft in the water

    Some children on a raft in the waterSome children on a raft in the water

    Some children on a raft in the waterSome children in the water

    Some children falling in the waterSome children falling in the water

    Some children in the water

     

    4pm

    We had a break for lunch and then some of us had abseiling, zip wire and fencing. Some of us even tried the high rope course blindfolded!

    Mixed group of children in a line smiling for a photo in front of the zip wire tower

    Mixed group of children waving from on top of the zip wire towerChild going down the zip wire

    Two starting to come down abseiling wallTwo children part way down abseiling wall

    Two starting to come down abseiling wallTwo children part way down abseiling wall

    child on high wire coursechild on high wire course

    child on high wire coursesmall group of children on high wire course

    Group of children practicing fencing techniques

    Group of children practicing fencing techniques Group of children practicing fencing techniques

    Group of children fencingGroup of children fencing

     

    9pm

    We enjoyed an evening of board games while watching a film. We also visited the tuck shop to get some sweets and souvenirs. 

    Friday 3rd October

    11am

    Here are a few photos of this morning's activities...

    Girl on high rope courseTwo boys with smiles and thumbs up on the high rope course

    Child on high rope courseChild on high rope course

    Child whizzing down the zip wireChild whizzing down the zip wire

     

    12pm

    We have started our journey back to school and are due back at the end of the school day.

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October 2025