Construction hats, wheelbarrows, brushes, baskets and funnels were the order of the day as Reception eagerly took their child-initiated learning into their exciting new outdoor area. With so many opportunities to explore, the children worked together to build houses, towers and castles, used containers and pipes to move water from one tray to another, weighed items in the gardening area, and discussed what ingredients were needed to make ‘cakes’ in the mud kitchen. The question now is, where will the children’s imaginations and explorations take them next?

Rosie Snagge, Reception Class Teacher

Year 1 had a productive first trip to the art room, recognising primary colours and how to mix them to produce secondary colours. The children showed excellent knowledge of the colours that were created when two particular primaries were mixed together, for example orange being produced by mixing together red and yellow. They were then tasked to be creative and take their knowledge a step further by producing and then naming their very own new shades from the colours at their disposal.

Kim Martin, Year 1 Art Teacher

In maths, Year 2 were tasked with counting in whole tens to a given number while linking back to their ten times tables. Presenting the children with something new to think about, the task gave them the opportunity to take another step forward in their learning. And if it became a little challenging at times, the children knew that they could use an array of practical resources to help them through.

Charlie Millsom, Head of Year 2

Year 3 headed to Butser Ancient Farm, near Petersfield, as part of their Stone Age topic. Sitting around a fire inside a roundhouse, the children marvelled at the wall art, roof structure and cooking appliances on show as they took a step back in time. A spot of archaeology followed as Year 3 used trowels to dig up ancient objects that provided clues to life in the Stone Age; discovering pottery, farm tools, and flint used for cutting and hunting. They then left their mark on the special historic site by building a layer of wall using chalk daub which will be a permanent reminder of their inspirational and insightful visit.

Rosie Statham, Head of Year 3

In geography, Year 5 focused on identifying and locating continents and oceans. Working effectively in pairs, the children made good use of available resources, consulting globes and atlases to work out where the oceans flow and where continents begin. It followed a discussion on how the children could differentiate between atlases and maps, seas and oceans, and countries and continents. The children now have an appreciation of how many oceans and continents there are and where to find them. They can also use an atlas efficiently to locate social and geographical features such as rivers and capital cities. And, just as importantly, they have started to understand how they can achieve better results by working together.

Stephanie Turner, Year 5 Class Teacher

With the children back in class for the new school year, Year 6 took some time to consider staying safe in the science labs. They thought about possible hazards and came up with some lab rules of their own before consulting the ‘official’ list which is designed to keep everybody safe. Time was then spent using Bunsen burners, moving around the laboratory with lit spills and managing hot apparatus safely. Year 6 can now look forward to a great – and safe – year of scientific inquiry and experimentation in our fantastic laboratories.

Peter Hesselmann, Y6 Science Teacher

Year 7’s over-arching topic for the autumn term in French is travel and holidays. This week, the children were challenged to find out which famous landmarks in Paris hosted events during this summer’s Olympic and Paralympic Games and to unearth some interesting information on those sites and monuments. They will then have the chance to get creative by producing a colourful and factual display which, once complete, will adorn the walls of their language classroom.

Jo Longshaw, Head of Modern Foreign Languages

In English, Year 8’s theme this term is the condition of refugees and outsiders who have to make it on their own. 8A’s class novel is ‘In the Sea There Are Crocodiles’ by Fabio Geda, the extraordinary and uplifting true story of a child refugee from Afghanistan. The learning objective of this week’s lesson was to get to know the narrator and the children considered the quality of their discourse as they discussed each chapter in detail, recognising the strength of character of the little boy and the experiences he had to endure. Year 8’s talk focused on the reality of life controlled by the Taliban and we were left keen to find out whether he would manage to escape.

Katy Warner, Head of English