During child-initiated learning, Reception have been busy exploring their creative sides and given free rein to their imaginations. Teamwork, negotiation and problem solving were delightfully evident as the happy children built models in the construction area, dressed up for role play and used an array of arty resources at their disposal to draw, colour and paint wonderful pictures and creations.

Natasha Jacklin, Reception Class Teacher

Year 1 took to the netball court this week in PE to continue their look at the key role movement plays in team sports. Split into small-sided teams, the children honed their skills through evasion game play – or making space to field a pass from a teammate – while also practising ball handling and shooting. Relishing the task and playing with great enthusiasm, the children also explored the basic principles of attacking and defending in a game-play situation.

Jo Gordon, Year 1 PE Teacher

In music, Year 2 have been learning two key skills – making sure their singing was “never louder than lovely” and holding the finishing positions in songs, things which will be put to the test during their forthcoming Christmas performance. This week, Year 2 also played an entertaining game of Rhythm Detective which, while great fun, supports the children’s transferable skills of leadership, problem solving and creative thinking and has a huge impact on the children’s effort and attainment.

Jess Harman, Year 2 Music Teacher

Year 3 have been developing their presentation skills, researching explorer Rob Swan’s impressive feats in reaching both the north and south poles and then creating a simple presentation and accompanying cue cards. The children were challenged to create a one-slide PowerPoint, with as few words on it as possible, and to use the cue cards to remind them of key facts and figures.

Rosie Statham, Year 3 Class Teacher

Year 5 have been studying dissolution this week in science. Having learnt in the classroom the vocabulary associated with dissolving, the children took to the laboratory to see what it looks like when soluble substances dissolve and insoluble substances don’t. Year 5 experimented with carbon powder (an element) and salt (a compound) to see which, if either, dissolved in water. The findings were then carefully recorded in the children’s work books. As part of this work, Year 5 are also learning about producing scientific diagrams of their experiments.

Peter Hesselmann, Year 5 Science Teacher

Year 6 have been honing their fine motor skills in DT this week. The children have thrown themselves wholeheartedly into making a steady hand game, complete with bendy wire, power source, and obligatory buzzer. To do so, the children tackled the crucial element of soldering, a process that joins two or more metal surfaces together using a filler metal called solder. The process gave Year 6 a better understanding of soldering techniques, as well as the use of computer-aided design which they used to personalise their games and make them more visually appealing.

Year 7’s focus on flooding has come just at the right time of the academic year, as plenty of examples have already been seen in the surrounding area. While looking at the general causes, effects and responses to flooding, the children also took time to look at specific case studies and examples of these, at times, catastrophic events and the impact they have on communities. After a fascinating whole-class debate on flooding based on personal experiences, Year 7 combined their thematic learning with their map work skills as they use OS maps as resources to support their ideas as to why areas might have flooded in the past.

James Figgis, Head of Geography

As part of their PRE topic covering punishment and forgiveness, Year 8 have been looking at the key aims of punishment and considering the strengths and weaknesses of each. This culminated in a debate on capital punishment and whether it should be allowed. The children put forward compelling arguments for and against, complete with relevant explanations, evidence and examples. Year 8 also considered the ‘sanctity of life’ defence – a religious and ethical principle that states that life is sacred and should be protected – and what this might mean for an atheist. You could really hear the cogs whirring as they grappled with this complex and controversial topic to begin reaching their own conclusions.

Zoe Thesiger-Pratt, Head of PRE