In their ballet lesson this week, the Reception children learned of the importance of having strong core muscles. We discussed which muscles make up our core and how we can engage them in physical activity. The children then experimented with a range of challenges involving bean bags to help them recognise the importance of a strong core in relation to balance, a key element of ballet. The children were asked to balance the bags on different parts of their body; for example, on their heads while they walked, on their backs while they bear crawled, and on their tummies while they crab walked. These types of discussions and experiments at an early age are key to developing good body awareness and understanding how skills transfer across activities.

Jess Oecken, Head of Pre-Prep Sport

In English, Year 1 were tasked with hot writing, or using their story map picture plans to write their own version of their class text about a picnic that turned into quite an adventure. The children were able to create different scenarios for their stories and express in words what popped into their heads, changing the characters, the setting and the friends they met along the way to the picnic. Keen to create their very own books to share with friends and family, the children even used resources that they had created themselves, such as colourful spelling sheets.

Kathleen Salusbury, Year 1 Class Teacher

Young musicians in Year 2 have this week continued with their instrumental taster programme, where each child receives several free sessions on cello, recorder and violin with our specialist instrumental staff during their weekly music lessons. The children have really embraced the new instruments and have taken real pleasure in the progress they have made. Back in the music room, pupils increased their score reading and writing skills by creating their own recorder piece as well as rehearsing the inspirational song ‘Power in Me’ ahead of next week’s pre-prep concert.

Jess Harman, Year 2 Music Teacher

In DT this week, Year 3 put their knowledge of class text ‘Alba, The Hundred Year Old Fish’ to good use by learning how to make a 3D shape using a net. The children showed that they could generate ideas when given a clear brief as they considered the design of their 3D fish, which would form part of a class mobile. They also had to pay attention to precise instructions as they were tasked with carefully marking out a piece of wood and drilling a hole through which string could be threaded. Once complete, the children worked together to hang their colourful fish to finish the mobile.

Kim Martin, Year 3 DT Teacher

Year 5 have been learning about conduction, convection and radiation in science. These tricky concepts can be hard to grasp, so all manner of creative strategies are employed to help. As a result, the children turned to a clever twist on family favourite board game Snakes and Ladders to learn the key facets of such scientific words and phrases, with handy hints written within the boxes on the game board. On the throw of the dice, the children found themselves steaming up pipes and radiating through clouds. Never has physics been so much fun!

Steph Turner, Year 5 Class Teacher

In topic, Year 6 have been researching the effects of palm oil on the environment. Working in pairs, the children investigated which companies use palm oil in their products and how this contributes to climate change. They then had a brain-storming session in order to create a campaign poster in a bid to prick the conscience of their chosen companies and convince them to stop using harmful palm oil in their products. It’s amazing to see the children take such an active part in the fight against climate change.

Eleanor Ingamells, Year 6 Class Teacher

In maths this week, Year 7 built on past knowledge of coordinates to plot their way through a series of complex problems. Having previously explored the topic in Year 6, the children pooled their resources to calculate missing coordinates in many different shapes and patterns. Their resourcefulness and ability to successfully negotiate the task sets up the children perfectly as they prepare to move on to an exciting new challenge: working with straight lines that are not strictly horizontal or vertical. This will be a first for the class, and we are eager to see how they apply their newly-refined skills to this concept.

Lewis Campbell, Year 7 Maths Teacher

As our Year 8 pupils head into their final few PSHE lessons of the term, they have the responsibility of choosing the lesson content. This week, there was a request to recap puberty and menstruation, which paved the way for questions, information and discussion considering different menstruation products, the range of choice, and also the environmental impact. The latter part of the lesson focused on period poverty and proved to be a real eye opener for the children as they dissected and discussed staggering figures from around the world of women and girls who don’t have access to any sanitary products at all.

Zoe Thesiger-Pratt, Head of PSHE