In maths this week, the Reception children have been exploring 2D shapes. They have learnt to identify the properties and name the shapes through simple songs. In addition, they have been introduced to the concept of composing and decomposing shapes, working effectively in small groups to combine simple shapes to form new ones.

Rosie Snagge, Reception Class Teacher

This term in Digital Literacy, Year 1 have been navigating their way around keyboards. Despite being more used to touch-screen devices, the children proved very adept at locating the letters and weaving their way round the ‘qwerty’ keyboards. Armed with their new-found skills, Year 1 were tasked with producing a ‘missing teddy’ poster, using capital letters to begin sentences and exploring the toolbar to add bold type, to underline key words and highlight text.

Kathleen Salusbury, Year 1 Class Teacher

With their final concert of the academic year fast approaching, Year 2 have been working hard on their ensemble skills. Following successful recorder taster lessons, the children worked to perfect their performance of Brian Boro’s March, followed by their vocal and percussion arrangement of Sky Full of Stars inspired by the version in Sing 2. Cementing their musical understanding of rhythm and dynamics, the children have enjoyed the effect that whole-class performance can provide.

Jess Harman, Year 2 Music Teacher

Year 3 took part in an exhilarating orienteering expedition around Queen Elizabeth Country Park, where they worked together to navigate an ordnance survey map. Deciding which path to take, as they climbed up the steep hill and into the enticing forest near Petersfield, gave the children a valuable opportunity to work as a team and develop their leadership skills. After lunch, the children recapped their prior learning in Science when they participated in a range of engaging seed-dispersal activities, emulating explosions, droppings and the wind.

Henrietta Platt, Year 3 Class Teacher

In Topic this week, Year 5 explored the island of St Lucia in the Caribbean. Tying in nicely with their English class text Windrush Child, the children were tasked with finding similarities and differences between the island nations of the Caribbean and the UK. Using classroom resources and personal knowledge, the children worked together to answer specific questions relating to the island of St Lucia, focusing on industry, weather, climate, geography, culture and diversity in order to make direct comparisons with life in the UK. Year 5 are adept at using their atlases and can identify physical and political maps and know which to use for specific tasks.

Steph Turner, Year 5 Class Teacher

Year 6 this week ventured to Flatford Mill in Suffolk, engaging in fieldwork to embellish their theoretical knowledge with practical application. From pond dipping and searching for wildlife to navigating around the local area, the children were brilliant ambassadors of Highfield and Brookham over the three days and gained some amazing practical geographical experience to underpin their work in the classroom. Night walks and campfires were also big highlights for Year 6, who showed great maturity and spirit throughout their fascinating trip to East Anglia.

Simon Gunn, Year 6 Class Teacher

The exam and revision period can feel very daunting for some children and requires them to call on all their positivity and self-belief in their ability to achieve. As a result, it can be hard to know where to start with revision, especially in a language where there is seemingly so much to learn. But, as Year 7 discovered, games and songs are great way forward in the quest for knowledge. This week in French, the young linguists requested ‘head, shoulders, knees and toes’ as well as ‘Simon Says’ to revise the body parts. For a more general vocabulary revision game, Year 7 played a version of the old TV show Going for Gold, which some of you will doubtless remember. The children loved it; digging deep and picking out words safely stored in the back of their minds while discovering which areas need a little more attention.

Jo Longshaw, Head of Modern Foreign Languages

This week has seen our top year group complete their academic journeys at Highfield and Brookham, as the majority sat their final exams. Throughout the week, Year 8 were exemplary in their efforts, and their determination to produce yet more evidence of the progress that they have made throughout their time with us. Their resilience to battle through a busy week was commendable but the togetherness the group showed this week has been a pleasure to observe. While there have surely been some nerves, these were rarely seen, and the positive outlook by the cohort has been amazing. We are hugely proud of their efforts and now they have a short wait to discover the results of their endeavours. Now the focus turns to the children’s residential trip to Pembrokeshire and the highly-anticipated Year 8 production.