In art this week, the Reception children have been exploring colour mixing and shading. The children used their imaginations to create the different shades of blue for the background, be it with paint or colouring pens and pencils, before producing their own artwork using Van Gogh’s famous starry night painting as inspiration. The children displayed a keen understanding of an artistic process in which they have also been investigating which colours can be mixed together to create new colours.

Natasha Jacklin, Reception Class Teacher

Year 1 have this week been learning about minibeasts in literacy. Pondering little creatures such as ants and worms and the different roles they play in our natural environment, the children headed up to forest school to make bug hotels. It was wonderful to see Year 1 working so effectively in small groups to consider different habitats and what features their bug hotels may need to help and protect small insects, as well as their ability to listen to each other’s ideas and share resources.

Jessie Millsom, Year 1 Class Teacher

In DT this term, Year 2 have been immersed in a project to make a simple wheeled vehicle. Having got to grips with understanding the basic elements of a wheeled vehicle, using words such as axle, chassis and bearing, the children called upon their drawing and design skills to chart on paper plans for their vehicle of choice. Getting hands on, Year 2 learnt to cut wood using a saw and to mark out and cut corrugated card with tin snips. It was great to see the children communicate their ideas through planning and design and develop and overcome obstacles as their models progressed.

Kim Martin, Year 2 DT Teacher

As part of their outdoor learning, Year 3 explored measurement and length. With a partner, the children picked two objects and had to decide whether to measure in centimetres or metres, being careful to line up the end of the object with the zero. When comparing the lengths, the children were encouraged to think carefully about whether they had measured the object correctly by comparing the relative heights of other things. Was the pole in the playground really the same height as the Year 3 fire escape? This enabled the children to check their findings, discover any inaccuracies and make the necessary adjustments.

Henrietta Platt, Year 3 Class Teacher

Year 5 have begun a new topic in Spanish, which will teach them how to talk about what is in their local town, key tourist information, and how to give directions. This week’s lesson was predominantly a vocabulary introduction and speaking skills were in full swing. But this particular lesson also opened up lots of opportunities to talk about the geography, culture and history of Spain. The children really engaged with this and approached the lesson with curiosity, asking lots of questions which led us down a range of fascinating rabbit holes. At home, you might like to talk about the works of Gaudi, the different languages spoken throughout Spain or its rocky political history to build on the children’s wonderful enthusiasm.

Jo Longshaw, Head of Modern Foreign Languages

Reworking a scene from one of Shakespeare’s best-loved plays was the challenge put to Year 6 in English this week. Working in pairs, the children put their vocabulary and knowledge of the Bard’s work to the test to create new dialogue in a scene from the tragic tale of Romeo and Juliet. The children then took their work a step further by recreating their new scene in front of their peers, speaking confidently and fluently with more than just a hint of dramatic expression.

Simon Gunn, Year 6 Form Teacher

In history, Year 7 were tasked with analysing the opinions of the Aksumite Empire, using evidence and specifically focusing on the opinion of German philosopher Friedrich Hegel. The children showed real maturity as they took on board other people’s opinions and offered up evidence for theories of their own. Year 7 engaged in a positive discussion about the benefits and fortune of the modern day compared to 1831 (when Hegel published his racist opinions) and how the treatment of people of all races, genders, sexual orientations and abilities has greatly improved.

Ed Elgood, Year 7 History Teacher

This year’s annual book fair, which school librarian Dr Whitfield runs in conjunction with Haslemere Bookshop, coincided with our World Book Day celebrations. In both prep and pre-prep, children had the chance to browse a wide selection of fiction and non-fiction titles before picking one to take home. Year 8 had much to choose from, including a prequel to The Hunger Games trilogy, which is still a favourite with our older children. There was something for everyone, and many of the children used the fair as an opportunity to find a book to read as part of the reading certificate folders they will complete next term.

Katy Warner, Head of English