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Today, Year 6 were visited by PC Jasper and a PCSO from Leamington Police Station who came to talk to pupils about anti-social behaviour (ASB) and keeping safe online as the children make their transition to secondary schools.

“I know that online sometimes people can pretend they know you but are actually strangers. We shouldn’t speak to people we don’t know.” Grace

“Anti-social behaviour (ASB) is rude, bad manners.” Ovi

“Vandalism, including graffiti, and breaking things is ASB.” Finley

“We should be respectful for example on trains there’s quiet zones and we should respect that by being quiet.” Lara B

“If you see ASB you should tell an adult if you can’t see a police officer.” Lara M

“If I feel unsafe online, I’ll talk to my parents or a trusted adult who can block the person.” Olivia

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6.7.26 L.I. To understand how and why tuned percussion instruments can be used in calypso music

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6.7.26 L.I. To understand how and why tuned percussion instruments can be used in calypso music

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This term’s music for Year 6 is calypso music from the Caribbean and links with our learning about the Windrush generation in History.

“I learnt about a new genre of music called calypso and that it originated in the Caribbean.” (Adrian)

“Calypso music came from the Caribbean and was made to spread news and tell stories around the different islands.” (Matilda)

“In this lesson, I learned what calypso is and I built on my prior music knowledge about the names of some of the notes, such as a quaver.” (Valentina)

“I learned that the quaver is 1/2 of a beaten a crotchet is a whole beat; a minim is two beats and a semi-breve is four beats.” (Farhana)

“I learnt about calypso music and its Caribbean history. I also learnt how to read music and how there are four beats to each bar in this song which can be made from notes of different lengths.” (Ovi)

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Transition to secondary school Cross Teach at church 26.6.26

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Transition to secondary school Cross Teach at church 26.6.26

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Year Six were invited to St Margaret’s Church as part of their preparation to moving to secondary school in September. In this drama activity, the children met a teacher (Mrs Jones) who was worried about starting a new job and needed help to navigate this change. They visited three Bible zones before giving Mrs Jones her advice.

“The Gideon and Jericho zone taught us that God will give us bravery in the most unexpected times and ways.” Finley

“In the story about Barnabas and Saul, we learnt that Saul went through a big change when God found him. I learnt that even though people might be bad, God can help them through a change.” Ovi

“The story of Moses and the burning bush, shows us that change can be wonderful if we listen to God.” Arjun

“The experience was really fun and it eased of all the pressure of going to Secondary School. It made us realise that change is a good thing that helps you grow and learn new things with God’s help.” Avani

“It was really exciting and interactive and it made me realise that changes aren’t scary and more of a fun experience. We are all very lucky to have the chance to talk about change and how God can help.” Lara

“At church today, I learnt that change isn’t just something different happening, but it can also help you grow as a person.” Finlay

At the end, the children told Mrs Jones that change is good and not something to be scared of. They also said that the change would get easier and God would be with her.

With all this advice the children reflected on things they are looking forward to in the future, like making new friends, subjects with specialist rooms like art and DT, extra-curricular clubs and trips!

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LI : To recognise ordnance survey map symbols

Today, the children were given an ordnance map of the local area and tried to recognise different symbols found on a map. The children also learnt about contour lines which explain how steep a piece of land is.

THEO : I have learnt that the closer the contour lines the steeper the hill is. I have also learnt many symbols on a map that I didn’t know before.

MATILDA : The different places of worship are marked by different symbols as to what they are. Some have towers (with a box under a cross) and some have a dome or spire (marked with a circle under the cross instead)

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Year 6 had a fantastic morning learning about microbes both good and bad! Dr Morris took time out from her work at Oxford University to lead some very informative sessions. As part of our Classification topic we have learned about bacteria and viruses; today's practical session really secured our knowledge and understanding.

I loved the yeast experiment. We put yeast in two bottles. One bottle just had cold water, the other had warm water and sugar. We then put a balloon over the mouth of each bottle. The yeast that had warm water and sugar grew which created a gas and inflated the balloon. It was fascinating. Charlie

I really enjoyed looking at all the photos of microbes - the shapes and sizes were so varied and it was really interesting making our own models with clay . It made me develop my skill of creativity. Tegan

I enjoyed the way Dr Morris ran around the room with post-it notes to see just how quickly we can spread germs - Dylan

I enjoyed learning about bacteria and the conditions needed for growth through the balloon experiment.....it was a fun and creative way to learn. Lara

Dr Morris was inspirational because she told us what each type of scientist does and she made it sound fun and interesting. Loki and Poppy

She showed us how bacteria can spread and we can help prevent that by washing our hands and using tissues if we need to sneeze. Millie and Adrian

Bacteria abd viruses can only be seen under a microscope as they are microscopic. Some are good but some are bad and could make us ill. Valentina

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9.6.26 L.I. To explore how Caribbean culture influenced Britain

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9.6.26 L.I. To explore how Caribbean culture influenced Britain

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In today’s Windrush History lesson, Year 6 learnt about the Notting Hill Carnival and the Caribbean influences it haS had on Britain.

“Caribbean culture has brought different foods to Britain such as jerk chicken, rice and peas and curried goat! All of these foods can be found at Notting Hill Carnival.” Harrison, SM12

“Instruments such as steel pans came to Britain from the Caribbean. These are played at the Notting Hill Carnival and many children now learn to play them too.” Logan, SM12

“If I went to Notting Hill Carnival (started by Claudia Jones in 1959), I would see people wearing vibrant outfits and costumes, often with feathers, as part of their celebrations of the Caribbean culture.” Jacob, SM12

“If I went to the Notting Hill Carnival, I would see colourful people with amazing costumes hear lots of Caribbean music like samba and steel pans and smell amazing food.” Sophie, SM10

“I would love to go to Notting Hill Carnival because I love to see people’s true energy, taste the food and admire the dance, music and costumes.” Melee, SM10

“I would love to go to the carnival because I would like to hear Caribbean music and see the wonderful costumes. I would also like to dance and have a laugh with friends as well as trying all the different foods.” Alva, SM10

“The Notting Hill Carnival is influenced by the Windrush Generation. The festival brings the community together with its music and is a good example of the Caribbean culture,” Grace, SM11

“The Notting Hill Carnival is a great way of expressing culture in the community.” Ruhanni, SM11

“This amazing and diverse carnival is still running 65 years after it started. Despite the Windrush Generation’s challenges when they arrived in Britain, this ongoing festival shows that their culture has had a big impact on Britain.” Tegan, SM11

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8.5.26 L.I. To develop power, control and technique when throwing for distance

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8.5.26 L.I. To develop power, control and technique when throwing for distance

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In PE this week, Year 6 were introduced to throwing events. The children used coins as a discus. The aim was to get the quoit to fly through the air flat whilst trying to get it to travel a long distance. The children persevered learning a new skill and identified areas for improvement.

“To get power in our swing for a discus throw, we learnt back on our back leg and then moved our weight forward to the front leg.” Olivia

“To get the quoit flying a good distance, we had to have a side-on stance and feet apart.” Logan

“We had to swing our arms, in a controlled way, to get a good distance with our throws.” Corin

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6.5.26 L.I. To select and apply skills to keep a continuous rally going

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6.5.26 L.I. To select and apply skills to keep a continuous rally going

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This week, children used their dig and set shots to try and keep a rally going. The children communicated with others to achieve their target and considered improvements they could make to develop.

“I have improved at the dig and set because I could not pass the ball to my partner using those skills at first but now I can.” Ovi, SM10

“I improved with my set because I kept moving my hands out of position but now I can do it.” Oliver, SM10

“I have improved by being able to do a rally and listening to advice from my friends.” Matilda, SM10

“We used teamwork when passing the ball using the dig method. It was hard but we persevered.” Poppy, SM11

“In PE today we learned about teamwork and resilience. We practised our dig and set shots in rallies.” Finn, SM11

“To improve, I had to practise watching the ball carefully to time my shots right.” Avani, SM12

“We have had to practise getting the ball up high with our dig and set shots to get the ball over the net for a rally.” Olivia, SM12

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1.5.26 L.I. To measure and draw angles accurately

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1.5.26 L.I. To measure and draw angles accurately

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Today, Year 6 have been revising the skills of measuring and drawing angles correctly playing Angle Battleships!

“We had to use a protractor to accurately measure the angle we wanted to aim at and that our opponent aimed at.” Corin

“We used the inner scale and carefully lined up the axis on our panels to make sure the measurement was correct.” Avani

“When we aimed, we had to draw a line on our attacking panel so that we knew which angles we had already tried.” Archie

“It was a fun way to revise angles ready for SATs. The winner was the person who sunk all of their opponent’s ships first!” Violet

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One of the excellent Classification keys created by Year 6.

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14.04.2026 L.I To create classification keys

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14.04.2026 L.I To create classification keys

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Year 6 have been learning about how to classifying living things based on shared characteristics, focusing on grouping microorganisms, plants, and animals, including vertebrates and invertebrates. Pupils have learned about the Five Kingdoms, the Linnaean taxonomic system (Kingdom to Species), and how to use and create classification keys to identify organisms.

This week, the classes had a chance to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding by creating their own classification keys to group sweets.

You have to begin by thinking of a 'yes or no' question to classify the sweets into two groups, we split our sweets into wrapped or unwrapped. Randhir

As the classification key grows, your questions have to become more precise; for example, you can't just ask 'Is it small?' because that is not very scientific. You would have to ask a question like, 'Is it smaller than 1cm?' Ollie

Using a branch diagram is useful for organising all kinds of information. We talked about how we could use this system to organise information in other subjects such as Computing or Geography. Tegan

I noticed that books are classified in the library and we could create a classification key; for example is it a fiction book? Does it have diagrams? Whenever you are grouping or organising you can create a classification key. Leo

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17.4.26 L.I. To develop my own and others sprinting technique

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17.4.26 L.I. To develop my own and others sprinting technique

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In Outdoor PE this week, Year 6 have started their Athletics unit of work. The children have been developing their own and others’ sprinting techniques. The children needed to demonstrate a consistent stride length when sprinting and work collaboratively by providing feedback to each others’ sprinting techniques to provide encouragement and develop progress.

“To create an explosive movement when sprinting you have to take a big first stride, pump your arms, drive with a high knee and lean forwards.” Avani, SM12

“I noticed that your heart pumps faster the faster you run. This is because your body is working hard to move faster and it is using more energy.” Logan, SM12

“I found it useful working with my PE partner because they gave feedback on what I was doing well and what I needed to do to improve. I need to focus on running in a straight line to improve my sprinting.” Reilly, SM12

“The sprinting was fun because I liked racing my classmates. The pace change was good because it reminded me of training at football. I cannot wait for my next PE lesson.” Jovun, SM11

“I’m PE, we did lots of running and we learned that doing certain things to make you run quicker. I really enjoyed it because I could see how I improved during the lesson.” Ollie, SM11

“Outdoor PE really helped everyone with their form and technique when sprinting. The stamina for training was helpful too.” Lara, SM11

“To change from jogging to sprinting you have to move your legs faster, lean forward and pump your arms back and forth.” Adrian, SM10

“It’s important to warm up before any exercise so you don’t pull a muscle and hurt yourself.” Chloe, SM10

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15.4.26 L.I. To use the fast catch volley to create space and place the ball

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15.4.26 L.I. To use the fast catch volley to create space and place the ball

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At the start of this PE volleyball unit, Year 6 were learning to place a ball to help their partner to catch in ‘set’. We also learned to use simple tactics to try to move opponents around the court, creating space to place the ball into.

“We needed to catch the ball above our heads with fingers and thumbs making a triangle underneath the volleyball.” (Miko SM10)

“To be ready at all times, I needed to keep my feet moving, on my toes to be successful in making sure the ball didn’t bounce.” (Oliver SM10)

“PE was fun because of the different throws and catches like high point (catch above the head) and the fast catch volley. I also enjoyed the team work, but sadly I lost!” (Jovun SM11)

“PE was fun because we did lots of different activities and at the end we did matches with high point catches with partners. I got better at this during the lesson.” (Lara SM11)

“We had to be in the ready position to be able to move so that we could be under the ball to catch it high above our heads.” (Logan SM12)

“A fast catch volley is when you catch the ball up high and volley (push) it straight back.” (Abbie SM12)

“I need to focus on where I place the ball to improve at volleyball. You direct your arms where you want the ball to go.” (Reilly SM12)

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Thank you to the Federation Friends for organising three lovely Easter competitions. We had entries and winners in each class who designed Easter bonnets, Easter t-shirts and Easter eggs! Well done to all who entered.

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Year 6 enjoyed learning about Easter traditions in France and applied their learning to make Easter cards for their families.

“In France the tradition is that all the church bells fly to Rome on the day before Good Friday and then return full of chocolate eggs on Easter Sunday.”

“Easter in France is called Pâques. To say happy Easter, it’s Joyeuses Pâques.”

“Some traditions are the same as in the UK, such as going to church, a Palm Sunday service and Easter egg hunts, but the chocolate eggs are left by the church bells returning from Rome, not the Easter bunny.”

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To conclude Year 6’s dance unit in Indoor PE, they spent the lesson choreographing a dance in their favourite style they have learnt about this term. In SM12, everyone chose 70s!

The children worked in groups using phrases that were specific to the style and collaborated to prepare for a performance.

“My favourite style was 70s. The disco finger and grapevines were two moves from that style.” Laila, SM12

“I enjoyed working in a group to choreograph a dance. We had fun and worked well together. Some of our dance phrases were done in unison and some were in canon. To improve, we need to practise to perfect our routine.” Olivia, SM12

“Dance was really fun because it gives you an opportunity to express yourself and find the rhythm of the music.” Lara, SM11

“The dances were all really different. It was joyful and that makes me want to do it again.” Jovun, SM11

“I enjoyed the contemporary dance because we could make up our own moves. This way we were able to express ourselves.” Theo, SM10

“I really enjoyed the Banghra dancing because the moves flowed well together.” Miko, SM10

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During Shakespeare Week, Year 6 have been learning about the life and times of William Shakespeare. The children have explored some of the words which Shakespeare coined and have revised bar models using data from the year Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon.

“Shakespeare invented a lot of words that we still use today such as: gloomy, glow, hint droplet.” Lara, SM12

“Shakespeare coined compound words including ladybird.” Harrison, SM12

“Shakespeare used lots of amusing and funny words including compound words and onomatopoeia.” Theo, SM10

“Shakespeare made up a lot of words. I enjoyed using compound words and found some of them amusing,” Isla S, SM10

“In Maths, we displayed the data we had about deaths from the plague in Stratford-upon-Avon using a bar chart.” Finley H, SM1a

“There was too much data to start with so we used a tally chart to group information. We used the data from the tally chart to draw a bar chart.” Anaiya, SM11

“We made sure our bar charts had titles, labels and that our scales were drawn with even intervals. Our charts showed us that in total, 30 people in Stratford died from the plague in September 1564.” Leo, SM11

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w/b 23.3.26 Understanding Christianity L.I. To understand why the resurrection is important to Christians.

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w/b 23.3.26 Understanding Christianity L.I. To understand why the resurrection is important to Christians.

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As we approach Easter, Year 6 have been considering the big question of what difference resurrection makes to Christians. We started by considering the ‘Big Frieze’ in the hall, all the different Bible stories we know and where they appear in the Bible, including the Easter story. As well as reflecting on our Easter experience at St Margaret’s church, we read from the gospel of Luke in the Bible and watched a video about the importance of Easter for two Christian children. Finally, we designed a logo to represent the resurrection - you can see some of our ideas here.

“Believing in the resurrection helps Christians to live a better life.” (Millie)

“The resurrection of Jesus gives Christians hope of a life in heaven alongside God and Jesus after death. It shows Christians that Jesus was special and we wouldn’t celebrate Easter if the resurrection didn’t happen.” (Harry)

“Christians have hope that life doesn’t end after death due to the resurrection.” (Hetansh)

“The resurrection helps Christians lead a better life while alive, as they have the chance to go to heaven when they die of they live well.” (Oliver)

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19.3.26 Warwickshire Road Safety Workshop

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19.3.26 Warwickshire Road Safety Workshop

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This week, Year 6 have been thinking about the consequences of impulsiveness particularly when using roads. In two sessions this week, the children have learned about three types of impulsiveness: motor; attentional; non-planned and what they can do to avoid impulsiveness to help keep themselves when crossing roads. The second session was led by Louise from Warwickshire Road Safety. We hope all our Year 6 pupils remember the important information they have learned as they travel independently to secondary schools next year, as well as at weekends and evenings to stay safe.

“The benefits of not being impulsive are safety, health, financial and academic. For safety it’s about staying safe near roads and making the right choices.” (Betsy)

“Make sure you are paying attention to the road because if you are on your phone, you might not see what is on the road. This could mean you (and others) get hurt.” (Sophie)

“Whatever you do on the roads can be dangerous. Not paying attention and being impulsive might lead to an accident which has a ripple effect on you, your family, friends and others in the community.” (Isla)

“I think the most important message was not to have your phone out all the time. Put it in your pocket when crossing roads and don’t get distracted by it.” (Farhana)

“The main motivators of impulsivity are: mobile phones, time, travel, emotion, fear of missing out and headphones.” (Hetansh)

“Safety is a benefit of not being impulsive because if you were listening on headphones or getting distracted by your phone, that is being impulsive and isn’t safe. Being safe is concentrating on what you are doing and not being impulsive.” (Harry)

“I learnt that some people are born impulsive and some people aren’t. You are most impulsive when you are in Year 6, 7 and 8 because of hormone changes in puberty!” (Matilda)

“The most important thing is to get home safely every day!” Bobbi

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10.3.26 Understanding Christianity: Cross Church Easter Experience

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10.3.26 Understanding Christianity: Cross Church Easter Experience

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As part of this term’s RE work on ‘understanding Christianity’, Year 6 classes each had a unique opportunity to experience the Easter story through a Murder Mystery thanks to Cross Church and helpers at St Margaret’s church. This included Rev Ben as a soldier guarding Christ’s tomb. Other scenes included the last supper; a courtroom; the garden of Gethsemane. Pupils had to use their detective skills to decide who was guilty for the death of the victim.

“When we went to church today, we had a fun murder mystery to complete. I enjoyed this very much because we used detective skills to find out who got killed and who did it. We learnt that Jesus died to help humans.” (Avani)

“At the Easter murder mystery I liked how interactive it was. I learnt that everyone contributed to Jesus’ death.” (Lara)

“I enjoyed that the experience showed the message while being really fun and turning our brains on to use our detective skills.” (Yusuf)

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Year 6 enjoyed spending time on World Book Day sharing books with their Year 3 buddies. They were able to chat about the books that inspired their costumes or where they like to read in their comfiest clothes. Year 6 discovered that Year 3 LOVE to read!

“I liked helping my buddy with words they didn’t know. This helps improve their vocabulary.” (Theo)

“I enjoyed listening to my buddy read and we would like to do it again. We can show the value of service at school this way.” (Valentina)

“We discussed books that we both like as well as reading. I discovered that my buddy likes comic books.” (James)

“I was surprised and impressed that a book of 500 pages was being read by my buddy. That’s amazing!” (Aria)

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For World Book Day, children had the opportunity to come to school either dressed as their favourite book character or wearing clothes they find comfy to read in. During the day, children attended a Worship all about WBD and spent some time sharing books with their Year 3 buddies.

"I really enjoyed listening to my buddy tell me about their book and read to me as she was very enthusiastic. I also found it really nice to read back to her and I think she enjoyed listening as well." Eva

"I really liked being able to explore a new book as a class, which we were given in Worship. I enjoyed it because we all sat together and listened to a really good story." Lara

"I really enjoyed sharing my book with my buddy. They were excellent readers and very good to listen to." Laila

"I dressed up as Lottie Brooks from the book series. It was really fun to see everyone's costumes and what they find comfy to read in." Violet

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February 2026 Shine in the Spotlight talks

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February 2026 Shine in the Spotlight talks

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This month, Year 6 children have all presented their Shine in the Spotlight talks on any topic of their own choosing. Staff were delighted by the wide variety of topics the children chose as well as the respectful way that the rest of the children in each class listened and then asked appropriate questions at the end.

“I felt very proud of my talk on jigsaws. I would interact with my audience a bit more next time.” Ovi

“I really enjoyed getting to know people more and what they enjoy through their talks. Everyone spoke clearly and with prosody.” Laila

“I felt nervous about my talk on snakes but was happy doing it to a small group. Next time I would do it in front of the whole class.” Millie

“I really enjoyed watching my friend’s Shine in the Spotlight because she is really passionate about Stagecoach performing arts and now I really want to do it too! She used good prosody and was really enthusiastic.” Lara

I felt proud and confident about my speech on football because I kept eye contact and I spoke with prosody. Next time, I would add a PowerPoint and some extra facts to improve my speech further.” Harry

I felt nervous when I did my Shine in the Spotlight because I’m not used to talking in front of people, but afterwards, I felt really good!” Corbin

“I felt nervous at first talking about my hobby: squash! But I overcame my fear. Another time, I would try to engage more with my audience.” Jacob

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26.2.26 Indoor PE - L.I. To copy and repeat a dance phrase showing confidence in movements

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26.2.26 Indoor PE - L.I. To copy and repeat a dance phrase showing confidence in movements

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In today’s Indoor PE lesson, Year 6 started their unit on dance. They worked to learned Stamp, Clap phrases to a rhythm of 4 counts. At the end of the lesson, the children worked in pairs to put a dance sequence together which demonstrated the phrases they had learnt and performed them with confidence.

“We used direction to develop our dance.” Ella, SM12

“We were confident in our dance sequence performance because we used big gestures and we were energetic.” Violet, SM12

“Practising our dance phrases helped us to keep the rhythm and work in time with our partners.” Yusuf, SM12

“I enjoyed when we were doing the different types of canons. Making our own sequences was lots of fun.” Poppy, SM10

“When we were in a circle and we all did the canon, it was the best. I would try to improve on my timings next time.” Betsy, SM10

“I enjoyed how we made dances using different moves. Trying to be in sync with our partners was fun too.” Kabir, SM10

“PE was fun because the body percussion was something different. The stomps and claps sounded and looked good when you did them in time with each other.” Jovun, SM11

“I enjoyed making our own dances with body percussion in groups because there were so many phrases we could use to make our dance unique.” Lara, SM11

“Learning to dance the phrases in unison was really fun.” SM11

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12.2.26 L.I. To explore jump sequence work with consideration of performance tools

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12.2.26 L.I. To explore jump sequence work with consideration of performance tools

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In our final gymnastics lessons, Year 6 have worked collaboratively to create a sequence of work which included jumps and considered performance tools such as pathways, mirroring and synchronisation.

“Sequences are interesting when you do them in sync.” Taio, SM10

“I got better at the sequences when I was practising them. Practising helped the sequence to flow well.” Aria, SM10

“Sequences are interesting when they have a good flow and it is calm and concentrated.” Betsy, SM10

“We were in groups of 4. We included synchronisation and canon in our sequence.” Grace, SM11

“We put synchronisation and canon into our sequence to make it an interesting performance.” Thomas, SM11

“It was really fun performing our synchronised routine with jumps and performance elements. It was fun to choreograph it in groups.” Lara, SM11

“In my group we worked as a team to create the best sequence using different performance tools.” Ella, SM12

“The performance pathways made our sequence more interesting but also more challenging to put together.” Arjun, SM12

“The groups working in synchronisation had practised well so that they carried out their moves at the same time.” Lara, SM12

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Today, Year 6 had a visit from local storyteller, Jason Buck. The children fondly remembered the session they had with him during Storytelling Week last year and were keen to listen to another story.

This time, the story was linked to our India topic in Geography. There were also links to RE as the story was from the Hindu tradition: How Ganesha got his head.

“I liked how Jason had good prosody, his actions and invisible props; he made them seem to real!" Aria (SM10)

"I liked how he talked about other parts of mythology as he told the story. It was good how Jason got the audience interacting." Finlay (SM10)

"The tips I picked up are: be imaginative and speak in different tones." Jack (SM10)

"I think that the storyteller's actions and his expression really helped to tell the story." Simrit (SM11)

"I really enjoyed how Jason did actions, the realism and how he changed the volume of his voice during the story." Hukum (SM11)

"I liked the story Jason told because it was mythical and linked to our topic at school." Ameliah (SM11)

"A good storyteller uses actions to help tell the story, just like Jason did today with the trident." Corin (SM12)

"I enjoyed that Jason put so much feeling into the story." Angie L (SM12)

"I enjoyed the fact that Jason did lots of cool and funny sound effects which really made the audience feel as though they were living in the story." Mahdia (SM12)

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21.1.26 L.I. To develop counter balance and counter tension

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21.1.26 L.I. To develop counter balance and counter tension

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In this week’s Indoor PE lesson, Year 6 worked on developing counter balance and counter tension. They explored a range of counter balances and counter tension balances with their PE partners.

“Counter balance is when you and your partner work together to balance in a position; you have to push against each other.” Logan, SM12

“Counter tension is when is when you are pulling away from your partner to hold a balance. Pulling away creates tension.” Mahdia, SM12

“I think that me and my partner had good teamwork so we were able to use different balances in a sequence using counter balance and counter tension.” Ella, SM12

“I would like to improve on my partner balances because I found some easier than others but some were a bit tricky.” Eliza, SM12

“One of the balances we did was the dish balance. I found it tricky at the start to hold the shape but I started improving and could hold it longer.” Betsy, SM10

“I think counter balances were ok. The tricky but was trusting your partner and knowing when to go into the balance and to coordinate with each other.” Ayva, SM10

“I have improved in holding the dish balance. Me and my partner had a really good counter balance.” Oliver, SM10

"I enjoyed try new balances with my partner. We worked on trust and partnership." Tegan, SM11

"I enjoyed doing all of the balances but I particularly like the counter tension balances because they were more challenging." Lara, SM11

"I like the stretches that we do at the start of our Indoor PE lessons as it helps my body to prepare for the lesson." Oscar, SM11

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Thank you to parents who were able to attend the SATs meeting today. If you were unable to attend, we have emailed you the PowerPoint, which can also be viewed here.

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10.1.26 L.I. To develop the straddle, forward and backward roll.

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10.1.26 L.I. To develop the straddle, forward and backward roll.

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Year 6 have started the spring term with gymnastics in indoor PE. In this first lesson, the children have enjoyed exploring and develop their skill in different kinds of rolls: forward, backward and straddle rolls.

“I had to tuck my chin in to do the forward roll. I need to improve on my momentum to try and stand up at the end.” (Harrison)

“For the straddle roll, you have to keep your legs very straight and you need lots of core strength.” (Valentina)

“I had to tuck down and pull my chin into my chest to do the forward roll. To get better at the straddle roll, I need to roll onto one shoulder to my back and then over to the other shoulder quicker.l (Freddie)

“For the front roll you need to stand straight, bend your legs, hands on the floor, tuck your head between your legs and then roll quickly to be able to stand up at the end.” (Sophie)

“The lesson was really fun and kept us energetic. I liked the straddle roll more because it was fun to do and I could see my friends were good at it too. I think I could improve on it by keeping my legs straighter.” (Ella-Rose)

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9.1.26 Outdoor PE L.I. To develop an awareness of what your body is able to do

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9.1.26 Outdoor PE L.I. To develop an awareness of what your body is able to do

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In Outdoor PE this week (SM12 had to come inside due to the weather!), Year 6 have begun their Fitness unit if work. The children did lots of different stretches and exercises to see what their body was able to do. The children worked in pairs or small groups and carried out speed, balance, coordination and agility challenges.

“When I encouraged my partner in the sprinting challenge, they moved faster.” Tanvi, SM12

“I want to try to improve my stamina for running.” Avani, SM12

“I found that the exercises where I needed to use my legs told me that my legs are strong.” Lara, SM12

"I enjoyed the running in our lesson; it will help me get fitter." Luca, SM11

"We stretched first to make sure that our bodies were ready to do the exercises." Ameliah, SM11

"I enjoyed the T-shape running because I think it will help with my agility." Oscar, SM11

"At the first station, I was really slow but each time I got quicker and better at it." Betsy, SM10

"The more I ran, and the faster I ran, made my heart beat faster." Miko, SM10

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7.1.26 L.I.  To describe using my senses.

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7.1.26 L.I.  To describe using my senses.

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Year 6 had a refreshing start to the year when they had the opportunity to taste-test a variety of teas.

The experience was designed to help pupils think carefully about vocabulary choices so that they evoked a feeling and made descriptions precise.

The Liquorice tea had a very fresh and sharp flavour -Issy

It's really important to choose your words carefully when you describe the tea; if you just say it's 'nice' it doesn't explain how it tastes or looks - Leah

Although the Cranberry and Orange tea had a sweet aroma, the aftertaste was rather bitter - Tegan

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Today, Year 6 ended our autumn term History topic with a dress-up WW2 themed day where they learned about Christmas in World War 2. Here you can see pictures of make-do and mend, Christmas singalong and the children creating their own 1940s style Christmas radio broadcasts.

“We really enjoyed making our own WWII radio broadcasts as they would have boosted morale because they were so enthusiastic and merry.” (Ella and Avani)

“The wartime radio broadcasts we made spoke about hope and peace. This should be remembered every Christmas - not just in wartime.” (Lara)

“The singalong made us all feel so positive. It helped us understand how it would have boosted energy and morale in World War Two.” (Luca)

“Our broadcast included the Jingle Singers performing ‘We’ll meet again’ as well as encouraging messages to the brave troops from evacuee children here in Britain. It was lots of fun to plan, rehearse and perform to the class.” (Melek, Aria and Betsy)

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Here the Year 6 children can be seen enjoying practical ‘make do and mend’ activities making Christmas decorations out of newspaper, as was done in World War II as part of their themed History day. The also make Christmas packages for an evacuee, considering what might have been available and easy to post during wartime.

“My favourite activity was the make do and mend Christmas decorations because it showed us the struggle people had with lack of materials during wartime.” (Charlie)

“I feel real empathy with the evacuees because they were separated from their families during Christmas. I can’t imagine not having my family with me.” (Tegan)

“I learnt how evacuees and their host families might have shared food rations at Christmas.” (Ella)

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Today, Year 6 ended our autumn term History topic with a dress-up WW2 themed day where they learned about Christmas in World War 2. Here you can see pictures of make-do and mend, Christmas singalong and the children creating their own 1940s style Christmas radio broadcasts.

“We really enjoyed making our own WWII radio broadcasts as they would have boosted morale because they were so enthusiastic and merry.” (Ella and Avani)

“The wartime radio broadcasts we made spoke about hope and peace. This should be remembered every Christmas - not just in wartime.” (Lara)

“The singalong made us all feel so positive. It helped us understand how it would have boosted energy and morale in World War Two.” (Luca)

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SM12 17.12.25 L.I. To create a Christmas Yoga Flow

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SM12 17.12.25 L.I. To create a Christmas Yoga Flow

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Wearing their Christmas jumpers, SM12 were challenged to create a Christmas yoga flow with their PE partners. The children used some of the yoga poses they have learnt over the last few weeks (renamed to make them Christmas themed) to make a calming and relaxing yoga flow.

“I enjoyed creating a yoga flow with my partner. Yoga helps me to feel relaxed and focus on my breathing.” Jacob

“We used the candy cane pose, the Christmas tree pose, the Mrs Claus’ cat pose, the Christmas pudding pose and the Christmas present pose.” Abbie

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After a winters walk to church for SM3’s Christmas Service, Year 6 classes ventured out to explore the Advent Trail around the school grounds.

“I really enjoyed exploring the Advent Trail because it really helped me to reflect on the real meaning of Christmas.” Arjun

“Christmas is about the birth of Jesus and the Advent Trail reminded me of that.” Tanvi

“It was nice to go out and do some learning in an active way. Going round the Advent Trail helped to remind me of the Christmas Story and why it is so important to Christians.” Archie

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15.12.25 Understanding Christianity Day - L.I. To interpret the Christian 'Kingdom of God'.

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15.12.25 Understanding Christianity Day - L.I. To interpret the Christian 'Kingdom of God'.

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Year 6 engaged in thoughtful discussions when exploring the concept of The Kingdom of God from a Christian world view. They worked individually, as pairs and in small groups to reflect on What kind of King is Jesus.

After listening to the parable of The Tenants in the Vineyard, we discussed how this could apply to people in the world. I think that moral of the story is that Christians should listen to God as he is always trying to help people, even if it might not feel like it. Grace

I thing Jesus was a teacher-King. He tried to teach people gently through stories rather than just telling them what to do - Tegan

Jesus wanted to make peace - the Kingdom of God should be peaceful. Lucy

I think Jesus would want us to look after nature - that is the Kingdom of God - Katarina

After reflection and discussion, Year 6 created some beautiful artwork to represent their interpretation of the Kingdom of God.

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16.12.25 L.I. To revise fraction questions using all 4 operations

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16.12.25 L.I. To revise fraction questions using all 4 operations

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In Maths today, Year 6 used their fractions learning to solve a Christmas Maths Mystery. The children worked in pairs to add, subtract, multiply and divide fractions.

"It was really fun working with my partner and using my fractions knowledge." Reilly

" It was a challenge solving some of the clues but I enjoyed combining fractions with some festive fun!" Lara

" I have had to simplify fractions and find equivalent fractions to solve some of the clues." Archie

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SM10 12.12.25 L.I. To identify pitches with an octave when singing

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SM10 12.12.25 L.I. To identify pitches with an octave when singing

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In this lesson, the children learnt about the eight notes in an octave, followed and read a graphic score for ‘The White Cliffs of Dover’ and then annotated a score using SOLFA pitches.

“An octave has eight notes. This word has the same root (oct-) as octopus which has eight legs!” (Adrian)

“When the line on the graphic score goes up the pitch is higher but when the line goes down, the pitch is lower.” (Betsy)

“As well as annotating my score with the SOLFA pitches, I was able to add the names of some of the notes on the stave too.” (Valentina)

“I quickly identified all the different pitches on the score for ‘The White Cliffs of Dover’. The highest pitch was Do*” (Taio)

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12.12.25 SM10 L.I. To explain why a variable is used in a program

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12.12.25 SM10 L.I. To explain why a variable is used in a program

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In computing, SM10 continued to explore the use of variables in coding as a placeholder for a single value in the memory of a computer. All variables are uniquely named. Every time a variable is updated, the original value is replaced.

“For this computing lesson, we learned how to make scores for a game different. We were asked to name our variables but weren’t allowed to use spaces, so we used underscores (_) instead. We made our own flags from different countries for our sprites on Scratch.” (Valentina)

“We used the full extent of a variable, naming them and making them change. Furthermore, I tried to make mine as realistic as possible by adding speech as a live commentary of a football match!” (Hetansh)

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12.12.25 L.I. To taste and evaluate soup

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12.12.25 L.I. To taste and evaluate soup

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After making their vegetable soup, some children had a quick taste test.

“I really enjoyed tasting my soup. It was very smooth after being blended and it was full of flavour. I could taste the peas and carrots.” Violet

“I liked the sprouts flavour of my soup. The potatoes helped to thicken the soup nicely.” Jacob

“I could really taste the sprouts in my soup and the broccoli gave it an interesting texture.” Laila

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SM10 11.12.25 L.I. To use defending skills to gain possession

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SM10 11.12.25 L.I. To use defending skills to gain possession

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In today’s PE lesson, the children practised their defending skills: intercepting the ball and closing down space in an attempt to delay an opponent, stop goals, gain possession and force a turnover. The class collaborated in three small teams, adopted a defensive or attacking role and marked the ball.

“In netball when you land, you can’t move with the ball, but can only pivot on the spot.” (Loki)

“Each player had to pass the ball within 3 seconds. This is hard when your team mates can’t get around the defenders who are blocking their way.” (Harry)

“To be able to score a goal, we had to move into a space where the defenders weren’t and pass the ball like a chain. We could use chest pass, bounce pass and shoulder pass. We got better as we practised.” (Ayva)

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8.9.25 L.I. To locate countries involved in World War Two

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8.9.25 L.I. To locate countries involved in World War Two

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To start our World War Two topic, we used atlases to identify and locate different countries involved in the Second World War.

“The countries who were on Britain’s side were called Allies, The countries that fought with Germany were called Axis.” (Theo)

“To find the countries we had to use the index in the back of the atlas and then search the page to find it. Then we had to identify and colour our own sheets with the Allies in green and the Axis in red.” (Isla H)

“Britain fought with its Allies like France, USA, South Africa, Russia and Australia.” (Matilda)

“The Axis powers included Germany, Italy and Japan.” (Adrian)

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The children collaborated wonderfully in groups of three to prepare the vegetables and follow the recipe to make their own vegetable soups.

“First we added the cooking oil to the pan and fried the onion. Next we put in the carrots and the potato. Last of all we added the peas and vegetable stock. It boiled for about t minutes before we blended it.” (Sophie)

“I think the easiest vegetable to cut was the carrot and the onion was the hardest. We used the bridge and claw cuts.” (Chloe)

“My group made cauliflower and carrot soup. It tasted mostly like cauliflower and not really liked carrot. I enjoyed making and eating the soup.” (Loki)

“The soup tasted great! Cauliflower, carrot and onion is an amazing mix. I’d want it eat it and make it all over again!” (Miko)

“My mum really liked the soup. She said it had that rich smell and taste!” (Melek)

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All week, Year Six have been making soup, following the recipes they created last week. As well as following step by step instructions, we learned about the importance of preparing food safely.

When we were cooking we had to think about three things to be safe; making sure our hands and cooking area were clean, chopping the vegetables safely and being really carefully by the hob and kettle - Harlow

We need to keep our food hygienic by washing our hands using soap and hot water to kill any bacteria. We have to do the same when we wash up and wipe down our work areas - Grace

When I chopped up my onion I used the bridge method to stop the onion rolling around and make sure I didn't chop anything but the onion - Jake

I'm really proud of our group's soup, it looks super tasty! Ayush

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08.12.25 L.I. To explain how some people can gain power over others 

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08.12.25 L.I. To explain how some people can gain power over others 

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In PSHE this week, Year 6 have been discussing scenarios where one person may have power over another and how this can be used in a positive or negative way.

There are different ways that people gain power over others and that they can only use this power if you let them- Issy

An adult might have power over a child but they can use this to help a child or keep them safe - Ollie

Sometimes a group of children may have power over one person, it's really important we stick up for what is right - Poppy

It's harder for other children to have power over you if you stick up for yourself- Lara

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While half the class were making their soups, the other half evaluated packaging of 4 different soup brands before creating their own packaging designs.

“Onion appeared in every soup we evaluated.” (Kabir)

“The ingredients vary for the different soups so that they don’t all taste the same and there are lots of options for different people.” (Loki)

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The children used the bridge and claw cutting methods to prepare their soups in groups of three.

“We had to use the bridge technique to cut the onion in half and then the claw technique. The onion was probably the easiest to cut because without the skin it cut really nicely into little pieces.” (Aria)

“We used bridge and claw cutting techniques. The onion was the easiest to cut.” (James)

“After cutting the onion in half with the bridge technique the half sat firm and steady on the chopping board so we could chop it up using the claw technique.” (Theo)

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After choosing the vegetables they wanted to use in their recipes, the children created a design brief and considered what they would need to do to achieve the design brief successfully. Here you can read Chloe, Ayva and Harry’s design briefs.

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1.12.25 L.I.To taste and evaluate vegetables

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1.12.25 L.I.To taste and evaluate vegetables

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Linking to our History learning about World War Two, year six will be making vegetable ‘dig for victory’ soups over the next few weeks. To start our DT work off, the children were asked to taste and evaluate six different vegetables to help them decide which two vegetables they would use as ingredients in their soup.

“”The sprouts were spheres and fad some flavour but I didn’t like it. I’ll give it 2/10.” (Ayva)

“The green peas were sweet and soft - I gave them a score of 7/10.” (Parker)

“The broccoli was my favourite. It was green and looked like a tiny tree! Its texture was nice and crunchy.” (Sophie)

“I gave the butternut squash 7/10. It was a light orange colour and tasted like a mixture of carrot and pumpkin. It had a very squishy texture.” (Valentina)

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11.12.25 L.I. To identify if a circuit will work

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11.12.25 L.I. To identify if a circuit will work

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Year 6 used a variety component to check whether different circuit diagrams would work. They had to identify the components by their symbols.

“Circuit 4 wouldn’t work because the wires weren’t connected from the cell to the switch” (Taio)

“The circuit worked because the battery and bulbs were connected correctly with wires to make it complete” (Millie)

“Circuit 2 didn’t work because the battery wasn’t fully connected to the motor” (Miko)

“Number 3 did work because all components in the circuit were all properly connected by wires to the cell” (Aria)

“Circuit 5 won’t work because there is no cell to act as a power source” (Hetansh)

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The children looked at different scenarios exploring who has gained the power and how they have gained their power. The children then thought about if it is fair or not, looking in to democracy and equal rights

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SM12 5.12.25 L.I. To move into and create space to support a teammate

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SM12 5.12.25 L.I. To move into and create space to support a teammate

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In Netball today, SM12 were working on moving into and creating space to support a teammate. They played a game to practise finding a space on a court and had a chance to practise their passes before having a go at a game. The children worked collaboratively and had to remember the rules of netball whilst making quick decisions.

“It is important to find space in a game of netball because it makes it harder for the opposition to intercept the ball.” Harrison

“It is important to find space in a netball game because it gives you more room to pass to your team.”

“I enjoyed playing a game of netball at the end of the lesson because it was fun to put the skills we have been learning into a game.” Jack

“I enjoyed playing a game because I learnt more about teamwork and how we can work together.” Ella

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SM12 3.12.25 L.I. To create your own flow showing quality in control, balance and technique

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SM12 3.12.25 L.I. To create your own flow showing quality in control, balance and technique

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In this PE lesson, the children started off practising some deep breathing. SM12 then practised the sun salutation yoga flow from a previous lessons before looking at some new yoga poses.

In pairs, the children then created their own short yoga flows using a variety of poses of their choosing. They had to choose poses that flowed into one another and focus on control and balance.

“The breathing practice helped me to feel calm and relaxed before moving into the yoga flows. It helped me to feel mindful.” Jacob

“I liked the butterfly pose because it felt like a good stretch for my legs.” Imogen

In our pair, we chose the fox pose because it flowed well into the high plank.” Yusuf and Archie

“Creating a yoga flow with a partner was really fun. We challenged ourselves by adding more poses to our flow.” Arrietty and Tanvi

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1.12.25 L.I. To explore the use of a switch in a circuit 

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1.12.25 L.I. To explore the use of a switch in a circuit 

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This week Year 6 continued exploring electrical circuits by adding in a switch. The children had time to investigate a switch in the circuit before making their own from pegs and foil.

‘We made a circuit by using a cell, switch and a component (a motor, bulb or buzzer). We made the switch from a peg with foil on the ends. When we pinched the peg, the foil conductors joined turning the component on.’ (Harry)

‘The switch completes the circuit when it is closed and breaks the circuit when it is open.’ (Matilda)

‘A food blender has a switch to turn the power on and off.’ (Hetansh)

‘A lamp has a switch and is used to turn the light on or off.’ (Isla)

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In our second Yoga lesson, SM11 built on last week's learning where we developed key skills of strength, flexibility and co-ordination. Lesson 2 focused on developing yoga flow; holding poses for longer periods of time to improve strength.

Yoga looks easy but you have to really concentrate to hold the stretch in the right way. Leah

Yoga can help you get better in any sport because it increases strength, stamina and suppleness - Finn

Completing the side-plank was extremely challenging - you have to engage all your core muscles - Ruhanni

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24.11.25 L.I. To construct a simple circuit and draw diagrams

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24.11.25 L.I. To construct a simple circuit and draw diagrams

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In science, Year 6 have started their Electricity unit. Our first lesson involved recapping knowledge about conductors and insulators and what makes a complete circuit. The children were also challenged to make a complete circuit using tin foil. We also had a quiz: drawing the scientific symbols for the components of a circuit.

“A conductor is a material which allows electricity to flow through it. Metals are good conductors.” Harrison

“An insulator does not allow electricity to flow through it and could be rubber.” Reilly

“A circuit is complete when the wires (or equivalent such as tin foil) are touching the cell or battery and another component such as a lightbulb and it works/lights up.” Violet

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SM11 21.11.25 L.I. To use musical vocabulary to identify different eras of music

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SM11 21.11.25 L.I. To use musical vocabulary to identify different eras of music

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SM11 enjoyed further developing their understanding of WWII, this time through music. We compared and contrasted musical styles from the First and Second World Wars, using musical terms.

The music from WWI makes you want to march so we can use the words allegro and marziale, which means military style, to describe it. - Jake

In WWII people were really missing their families, many had already lost brothers, sons and husbands in WWI; because of this the music was very sentimental -Poppy

The word amoroso means loving, we can use this to describe music from WWII - Tegan

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SM10 21.11.25 L.I.To evaluate different methods of online communication.

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SM10 21.11.25 L.I.To evaluate different methods of online communication.

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To complete our first Year 6 Computing unit: Communication and Collaboration, we focused on responsible communication online. SM10 collaborated in table groups to synthesise information about eight different forms of online communication including Padlet!

“You can use internet instant messaging like WhatApp when you are over 13 to send text, video, audio and images in two-way conversations either one-to-one or in a group chat: one-to-many.” (Jacob)

“Padlet is public communication where we can share images, videos and text to the public like our families. There are no adverts and it schools can use it without an age limit.” (Aria)

“I would send a birthday message to some using a video call or internet instant messaging like WhatsApp” (Adrian)

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In today’s French lesson, the children used colours to describe the clothes worn by different characters on Language Angels. We learnt the verb ‘porter’ - to wear.

“Qu’est-ce que tu portes? means What are you wearing?and we can answer the question with Je portes…” (Hetansh)

“Je porte un pull vert et des chaussures marron means I am wearing a green jumper and brown shoes.” (Millie)

“In French the colour adjective goes after the noun to describe it. In English we put the colour adjective before the noun.” (Theo)

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Year 6 started their French lessons by learning the names of items of clothing in French and whether they take the feminine or masculine determiner.

“Trousers in French is ‘un pantalon’. It has the masculine determiner ‘un’.” (Jacob)

“An item of clothing that uses the feminine ‘une’ is a skirt - ‘une jupe’. (Isla)

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SM10 21.11.25 L.I. To develop attacking skills to maintain possession

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SM10 21.11.25 L.I. To develop attacking skills to maintain possession

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In our first netball lesson of Year 6, SM10 revised three types of passes: chest pass, bounce pass and shoulder pass, as well as the footwork rule.

“I think the hardest pass was the shoulder pass, but it’s good for throwing a long distance.” (Finlay)

“The bounce pass can be used to outsmart a defender so you can get the ball past them.” (Harry)

“You use the chest pass to pass the ball short distances to a team mate and it was easy to get better at during the lesson.” (Bobbi)

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SM10 21.11.25 L.I. To use musical vocabulary to identify features of different eras of music.

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SM10 21.11.25 L.I. To use musical vocabulary to identify features of different eras of music.

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Music this half term is about the music of World War Two. We started by comparing and contrasting the music of this era with music from 25 years earlier: World War One. In WW1, music was energetic with a military feel aimed to keep up the morale of the soldiers. In WW2, music was slower and more gentle. It aimed to encourage emotions of fondness, sadness or affection. We listened to different songs from different eras and learnt Italian musical terms to describe the different music genres.

“When music is slow (adagio) like in WW2 it makes me feel relaxed. When it is fast (allegro) like in WW1 it makes me want to dance.” (Betsy)

“Vera Lynn sang ‘White Cliffs Of Dover’ and ‘We’ll Meet Again’ to soldiers and for factory workers, like those in Coventry, as well during World War Two.” (Harry)

“The song ‘It’s a Long Way to Tipperary’ is an up beat song with a good tempo for marching (marziale), so it’s from World War One.” (Matilda)

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SM12 - 21.11.25 L.I. To use musical vocabulary to identify features of different eras of music

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SM12 - 21.11.25 L.I. To use musical vocabulary to identify features of different eras of music

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In Music today, SM12 recapped their learning about WWII and discussed how music can make people feel. They looked at contrasting music from WWI and WWII. The children learnt some Italian musical vocabulary and matched the terms to either Pack Up Your Troubles (a song from WWI) or We’ll Meet Again (a song from WWII).

“Music can be a morale booster as it can make you feel happier.” Abbie

“Music is important people were worried and upset about family during the wars and music was a sign of hope.” Jacob & Joel

“Music would have been a distraction so they wouldn’t think about the war.” Avani

“Music during WWI was morale boosting and upbeat. In WWII it was more slow and sentimental.” Violet

“Pack Up your Troubles is allegro (quick tempo) and was sung in WWI.” Noah & Yusuf

“We’ll Meet Again, as song sung by Vera Lynn during WWII, is delicato and adagio (delicate and slow).” Eva

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SM12 - 21.11.25 L.I. To develop attacking skills to maintain possession

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SM12 - 21.11.25 L.I. To develop attacking skills to maintain possession

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In our first netball lesson, SM12 braved the cold to practise the different passes in netball and learnt when to use each of the passes.

“Netball is a fun invasion game. Attackers aim to score goals and defenders aim to prevent the opposition from scoring a goal.” Abbie

“The three passes in netball are the shoulder pass, the bounce pass and the chest pass. The bounce pass is the best pass to keep possession of the ball when a defender is in front of you because you can get the ball under the defender’s arms and to your team mate.” Archie

“I found the shoulder pass the hardest today because it can be tricky to get the distance right.” Yusuf

“I found the bounce pass hard to get the power right so I am going to practise this one.” Eliza

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SM12 - 19.11.25 L.I. To develop flexibility through the sun salutation

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SM12 - 19.11.25 L.I. To develop flexibility through the sun salutation

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In our first Yoga lesson, the children recapped what yoga is, practised some yoga poses and had a go at the sun salutation.

“The purpose of yoga is to stretch your muscles, it can help you to be calm and mindful. It makes us strong and helps us to be flexible.” Avani

“I enjoyed doing the sun salutation and I particularly liked the stretch that the cobra pose gave my body.” Ella

“I liked the different stretches that the poses gave me and it helped me to feel calm.” Yusuf

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This half-term SM11 have continued developing their invasion-games skills, this time with netball.

In this first session, the children developed their skills learning about four types of passing: chest, shoulder, overhead and bounce. We worked on correct hand and foot positions for both throwing and catching the ball. In netball, throwing is an attacking skill as a team invades another's space. The children worked well in small groups, attacking and defending.

A bounce pass is good of a defender has their arms out in front of you - Luca

Shoulder passes are the most powerful as you can push from your foot, all the way through your leg, shoulder and arm - Ollie

For short distances, chest passes are best. When you catch the ball you need to pull it right into your body to stop the other team from knocking it out of your hands - Grace

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L.I. To develop flexibility through the sun salutation flow.

In SM10’s first yoga lesson, the children were able to practise some yoga poses as well as put several together to learn a yoga flow. The class concentrated really well and managed to keep their minds focused whilst being respectful of others in the room. They practised focused breathing and were able to move fluidly from one pose to another. At the end we used the word ‘namaste’ to close the lesson respectfully.

“I feel calm when doing yoga. It calms the mind and stretches muscles.” (Loki)

“Yoga is calming and relaxing and gets you back into the green zone.” (Jack)

“I liked how peaceful the whole lesson was. I feel like my muscles and mind are stretched and exercised.” (Betsy)

“Yoga is very calming. You can use it to stretch out your muscles. I am going to use it before my football match.” (Ayva)

“The yoga flow was a thrilling experience. We did multiple poses, but my favourite was the child pose because it was the most calming.” (Poppy)

“Yoga is a calming exercise for the brain and it releases anger and negative thoughts.” (Hetansh)

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SM12 19.11.25 L.I. To evaluate different methods of online communication

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SM12 19.11.25 L.I. To evaluate different methods of online communication

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For the end of our unit, SM12 have looked at different forms of online communication. They discussed what was important to consider when communicating online worked in pairs to find out whether different forms of online communication were for example, private, if there is an age limit, one-way or two-way communication, one-to-one or one-to-many (e.g. group chats).

SM12 concluded that the top 3 most important things to consider when communicating online are:

1. Whether the method is private or public

2. That the method is age-appropriate

3. What is being shared

“If you want to wish someone Happy Birthday, you could use video call or message them because both are private apps so nobody else can see them.” Logan

“If you needed to make family plans for Christmas, you could make a group chat, making sure everyone agrees to it but everyone gets the same message at the same time.” Ella

“If someone wanted to share a photo with as many people as possible, they could put it on social media - you can set your account to private instead of public if you need to limit the people who see your posts. There are age restrictions for using social media.” Abbie

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This week, the children were treated to a visit from Eva Fitzpatrick, a local singer, who came into school to inspire the children and expose them to some excellent signing.

This was an excellent opportunity for the whole school to sit back and listen to Eva’s amazing voice and be inspired to follow dreams and challenge themselves.

‘After listening to the signing, I definitely want to think about being a singer myself.’ Nancy Year 4

‘I loved how her singing tone changed in each song!’ Ilona Year 4

‘Eva’s voice filled the room with calming sounds of her voice. We hope we can listen to her again!’ Darcey Year 5

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Year 6 have been learning songs, dances and their lines for their performance of ‘We’ll Meet Again’, a play all about the evacuee experience during World War Two. In the play, children were evacuated from Coventry to the countryside in this song-filled play.

The teachers are all extremely proud of the hard work the children put into their performances; the rousing singing and their commitment to collaborating as a whole year group to perform with real confidence.

Well done, Year 6!

‘“From doing the production it has helped me to understand what life was like in World War 2.” (Arjun)

“Doing this play boosted my confidence a lot and has helped me to speak more loudly and clearly.” (Yusuf)

“I learnt that if I play along with what’s happening I can get over stage fright.” (Eliza)

“I was able to speak a bit louder than previous years.” (Angie)

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Thank you, Taio for your wonderful work doing the lighting for the play!