Maple Class

In English, we have been focusing on 'Cosmic' by Frank Cottrell-Boyce. We have completed descriptive writing adding in adjectives, adverbs and modal verbs while putting ourselves into the shoes of the main character Liam Digby. We have enjoyed adding drama in too!

Our Maths studies in Maple Class have enabled us to learn more about number and place value followed by addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. We use concrete manipulatives before we move on to using pictorial and abstract representations.

This term’s topic has had a Geography theme of rivers. We have learnt about the features of rivers from source to mouth; our local rivers and worldwide rivers too. In art, we have been practising our pointillism concentrating on the artist George Seurat.

Our Science learning (with Mr Dalton) focused on Forces. We have looked at air resistance (running around creating drag with bags), gravity, friction and buoyancy. We really enjoy the practical nature of Science.

During autumn 2, Maple Class were just as busy.  In English, we shared the amazing non-fiction book, ‘Survivors’, which focuses on real life stories of people who survived in extreme circumstances.  Our writing challenges included writing in role, using direct speech and linking paragraphs. We also shared the story of ‘The Christmas Truce’, during which we wrote in the first person as a character in the story, combining all of the skills we have practiced this year so far. In Maths we have been tackling maths relating to fractions and in Science, we have learnt more about light, including reflecting and refracting.
Our topic, ‘Extreme Earth’, has continued, as we have been studying features of an earthquake and to understand how they occur and how they effect people.  In our Design and Technology we have actually been making volcanoes. PE has continued to focus on swimming – we have also been learning more about team games, by developing and improving our football skills.
In our RE learning we have been learning more about All Saints and All Souls, a unit of work entitled ‘Followers of Christ’ and also Advent, as we prepare for the wonderful season of Christmas. Our Music unit of work is entitled ‘The Ghost Brigade’, during which we have been using chime bars and singing; we have also taken part in lots of Christmas carol singing, including singing at local care homes and in the village, during the Broadway late night shopping event.

After starting the year refreshing our knowledge and understanding of British Values, spring in Maple is going to be very Victorian themed! Everything (well nearly!) will be linked to our history unit. 

Our topic lessons will be history-based, looking at the changes that the Victorian Era brought upon our country. We will be looking at Queen Victoria, the Industrial Revolution and the impact that the era has had upon us now. Our art and D&T will be linked to the period too; with silhouettes and portraiture being studied and moving Victorian themed toys in DT. 

Of course, if you are studying the Victorians, 'Street Child' by Berlie Doherty is the obvious choice for our class text. We will ill look at writing in the first person- as Jim- and concentrate on our descriptive writing, adding in the more complex punctuation that we are learning. 

In Maths this term Year Fives and Sixes will be focusing on different skills, with some crossovers. The Year Fives start with multiplication and division, whereas the Year Sixes have ratio and algebra to challenge them. Both year groups will look at decimals and percentages; perimeter and area and statistics. 

After completing our Physics based topics, this term Science is more biology based as we look at the Year 6 unit of living things and their habitats. 

PE, with our sports coach Mr Hibbard, will be gymnastics while on a Friday with Mrs Bayliss will concentrate on dance and fitness. 

In our RE learning, after completing our Christmas unit, we will focus on the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation, before commencing our learning about Lent just before half term. 

The second part of the Spring term is once again busy for our class.

We will be off on our much-anticipated retreat to Alton Castle for part of the second week; the Year Fives can't wait! We will be cycling, trekking, learning survival techniques and completing low rope courses, all while continuing our spiritual learning too.

We will still be continuing with our historical focus of the Victorian Era and reflecting on life for children during that time. In our DT lessons we will be making a moving toy and painting a portrait of Queen Victoria in Art too.

Science will conclude our work on living things and move more specifically on to examining out human body.

After completing our work on ‘Street Child’, we will be moving onto looking at Shakespearean texts as we have The Globe Theatre company coming to complete a workshop with Key Stage Two towards the end of the term.

Our RE units will follow the liturgical calendar with Lent and then Holy week, while walking the Stations of the Cross at school too in our final week before Easter.

The last, and busiest term is upon us! For some of us, the summer term marks the end of their St Mary's journey as they move onto to secondary school. Luckily, we have lots of memorable moments ahead of us!

We start the term with ‘Bikeability’, where we will be completing our level 1 and 2 certificates in cycling proficiency and we end the half term with enrichment activities for the Year Sixes who are completing their SATs in May.

Our topic for the term is Ancient Greece where we will be learning about the history of the Greek empire and also the geography of Greece. This topic we will also link to our English work as we will study the Greek myths of Theseus and the Minotaur and Pandora's box. We will be further developing our oracy skills this term by completing some debates on these myths.

In RE, we will continue following the liturgical calendar, studying units on Easter and Pentecost. In May we will take time to reflect upon Our Lady and her life, before then developing our understanding of prayer.

Science will have a biology focus, with us studying our body and the benefits of healthy lifestyles too.

 We have been fortunate to receive the BBC microbits so we will be developing our coding and learning about how to use the microcomputers this term. We are very excited and can't wait!

Our final term is upon us and as we prepare to say a teary goodbye to our leavers we continue to make memorable learning experiences. After the excellent way that our Year 6's handled the pressure of SATS, it was great to let of steam with our fantastic activity week trips in the last week of Summer 1.

Summer 2 will see us continuing with our Topic of Ancient Greeks which incorporates History and Geography. We will be looking at the architecture and making our own models of Greek temples, learning more about their society and culture. In English, we will be studying the book "Who let the Gods out?" which will link back to our Ancient Greek topic work too. 

Our science continues with a biology focus with us looking at evolution and inheritance and completing some BBC investigative lessons. 

In our religious education we will be studying what it means to be part of a church community and also celebrating the life of Mary and the saints.

With it being an Olympic year everyone in school will be spending the last two weeks of term having a focus on the Paris Olympics. We will link this to the French language, food and geography as well as the history of the Olympic games going back to the Greek times.

It will be a busy few weeks, with trips and sporting activities too, but we will make time to ensure that we say a fond farewell to our leavers and they are ready for their next step on their school journey.