The Reception children thrived in the outdoor area this week by engaging in activities that tested their problem-solving skills, such as figuring out how to build a sturdy sandcastle or transporting water to make a mud cake. They showed real desire to succeed by sharing ideas and working together to overcome challenges. Constantly curious, the children even poured a little water onto the ground to see what would happen and worked out how they could divert the stream of water to create different patterns.

Natasha Jacklin, Reception Class Teacher

Excited about their forthcoming summer term topic ‘where does our food come from?’, Year 1 headed to the Rural Life Living Museum at Tilford. The children were enthralled by the wonderful volunteers at the open-air museum of country life who told them tales of the past. They then got the chance to get hands-on, working together to turn over the soil before planting potatoes and beans, and taking turns to milk the cows. It was an amazing voyage of discovery for Year 1, who will get to add to their new-found knowledge on food and farming after the Easter break.

Hannah Feery, Year 1 Class Teacher

Rounding off their spring term work, Year 2 took a close look at the Easter story and Christian beliefs. Reading with Mrs Hunter, the children learned that Easter is a key Christian festival which commemorates Jesus’ resurrection from the dead three days after his crucifixion, signifying victory over death and offering hope for eternal life. Working in pairs, Year 2 followed the story in their own children’s bibles before asking intelligent questions at the end. They rounded off their work by designing some amazing Easter eggs filled with love which they dedicated to their families and friends.

Charlie Millsom, Head of Year 2

As part of the learning journey surrounding nutrition and the importance of looking after our bodies, Year 3 invited their parents to join in with some ‘morning movement’. Choosing between an invigorating yoga session or an energetic run the children happily took the initiative, doubtless empowered by the family affair. And how did Year 3 feel afterwards? Ready to approach their day with calm energy and determined focus.

Rosie Statham, Head of Year 3

In PSHE this week, Year 5 were challenged to learn to recognise gender stereotypes, and the problems associated with them. The children discussed key questions such as whether labelling toys ‘for boys’ or ‘for girls’ put them off playing with them and who a particular advert was aimed at and why, and they were challenged to consider why they made certain assumptions. After maturely sharing their views and taking on board the opinions of their classmates, Year 5 designed a poster to appeal to both boys and girls as they explored gender stereotypes.

Robert Grech, Year 5 PSHE Teacher

Year 6 this week took a deep dive into their latest maths assessment, highlighting any areas that they felt they needed a little extra help with. It also gave them the opportunity to set some mathematical targets for the summer term. The children will be working on percentages when they come back after Easter and were encouraged to get a head start on the topic during the holidays.

For the last English lesson of the term, 8A settled in the library to enjoy some well-earned reading time. Year 8 are close to completing their two-year reading certificates and are now at the stage where they have to challenge themselves to read widely and outside their usual comfort zones. This week, the children were tasked with working independently to select books to fill in any gaps in their folders. They also know the importance of maintaining the habit of reading for pleasure in the holidays despite the pressures of exam revision, so this gave them a moment of peace to enjoy a good book in the hectic environment of the last few days of term.

Katy Warner, Year 8 English Teacher