Well, the warm weather has arrived...what a difference a week-off makes!  The blossom is out, a couple of daffs have opened up and it won't be long before the frogs spawn in the pond (it was the first week in March last year).  

In Lower School, children have been learning about the impact of humans on the planet and will be exploring this further through the book 'Greta and the Giants (GATG)'.  

As a starter to their session, LS children were challenged to make a sculpture of one of 16 animals in a tray...their peers had to guess what the animal was - children had to be observant of the features of the animals and resourceful in finding natural resources to represent these features.  

Following this, we had four challenges: bird-feeder making (bowsaws, sheath-knives and drills needed here); drama linked to a playscript adaptation of GATG (English links here); animal habitat creation (supporting Science and themes in GATG); National Grid exploration and modelling (linked to work on the climatic impact of energy generation).  

Upper School children have started their sessions by exploring 16 photos and pictures which all had a common theme...they were taught strategies to analyse the pictures and had to discuss their thoughts with a partner and then with another group.  

The common theme was Empire / Colonisation, and this supported their classroom topic, The Maya.  

Following their starter and a HC, we then undertook a challenge to map and model the ancient Maya city of Tulum, and another to design and make our own Maya sword, the macuahuitl - here we learned about Maya art and employed the DT skills of marking, measuring and cutting using a coping-saw.  

Today, the children in Team Endurance have been putting their animation skills into practice as a culmination to their art topic. They had great fun learning about just how difficult and time-consuming the process of animation can be whilst telling their own stories in moving images.   

We've been like piggi-wiggies slopping round in the mud this week, but it's been slip-tastic fun - also an excellent opportunity to develop the balance part of our interoception (we had a few fall over mind so more mud and practice needed!).  

Lower School have started their sessions this week with a measuring challenge - our aim was to find the Lower School MEASUREMISTER - a highly sought after accolade which comes with the coveted golden ruler award (GRA!).  

After honing skills with some 2D measuring challenges, children had to search the wood for items that needed to be measured to the nearest mm (this supported work back in the classroom in maths).  

Following their hot chocky and story, they then undertook the alternate challenge from last week, namely African mask hairation and the Ghanian animal hunt.  

Upper School children have used their final session of the term to complete picture frames, make animal traps or complete HMS Beagle watercolours.  Additionally, Endeavour and Endurance have undertaken a challenge to draw and identify a range of tropical animal footprints.  

Well done to the boys and girls who received certificate and awards in today's Achievement Assembly. You have continued to work hard and demonstrate the skills and qualities we try to develop in our pupils.

A wet week outside but the weather in school has once again been sunny and bright.

After an amazing, exciting and informative visit from Steve the Animal Man from DWAEC, the children in Upper School have been writing their own information texts about animals they met.

In class, we begun by all writing about Tigers as part of our shared writing. In Team Equality, the children were allowed to choose which animal they wanted to research using their fact finder sheets and then write about. I'm sure you'll agree that the writing they have produced is absolutely fantastic! The children worked incredibly hard to include their chosen success criteria and show off what they knew whilst writing to inform. Well done!