This term in Donaldson class, we have been very busy learning lots of exciting new things, and we are pleased to share some of our highlights with you.

Literacy
In Literacy, we have been reading The Egyptian Cinderella. We learned the story using a story map and then re-enacted it through role play. For our final task, we wrote our own adaptations of the story by changing the character’s name, her appearance, and the object she lost. We really enjoyed using our imagination and creativity.

Science
In Science, we have been learning about light and shadows. We carried out experiments to see how shadows are made and how they change when the light moves. We explored different materials to see which ones let light through and which ones block it, and we learned about opaque, translucent, and transparent materials. We also investigated how light travels, using torches and everyday objects to make predictions and record what happened — it was lots of fun!

History
In History, we have been learning all about Ancient Egypt. We became archaeologists and excavated artefacts, travelled back in time to explore important historical events, and sequenced these on a timeline. We also compared Ancient Egypt with Modern Egypt and learned about the importance of the River Nile to the ancient Egyptians.

Art
In Art, we have been creating our own Egyptian scrolls. We made our own papyrus paper and decorated it with Egyptian-inspired artwork. We are very proud of our finished pieces.

Mathematics
In Maths, we have been learning about length and perimeter. We measured, compared, and ordered lengths, and practised converting measurements from centimetres to metres and millimetres to centimetres.

Religious Education
As part of our RE learning, we will be visiting a synagogue to consolidate our understanding of Jewish festivals and their important objects. We are really looking forward to this experience.

We have worked very hard this term and have lots of reasons to celebrate. We showed determination, courage, and creativity in our role plays, asked great scientific questions during our shadow investigations, and worked well as a team when we excavated artefacts. We enjoy learning together and trying new things every day.

We can’t wait to share more of our exciting work with you again!

This spring term, 6 Hadid have worked incredibly hard across the curriculum, showing curiosity, determination and teamwork in everything they do. Here is a snapshot of what we have been learning, shared in the pupils’ own words.

In literacy, pupils have been immersed in Ice Trap and the incredible expedition led by Ernest Shackleton. Mahrosh shared, “I have learnt about Ernest Shackleton and his amazing expedition.”

Children explored the challenges faced by the crew, including the endurance of the journey, the stowaway and the remarkable leadership shown throughout (Aarohi). They also developed their writing skills by learning about balanced arguments, relative clauses, subordinate clauses and different tenses (Aarohi, Ayyat).

Safaa reflected deeply on Shackleton’s leadership, explaining, “His journey shows how important it is to stay calm, make decisions and look after your team, even in extreme conditions.” She also noted how Shackleton “never gave up and led every single man back to safety without losing a single life, showing courage, resilience and determination.”

In reading, pupils explored powerful themes through class texts. While reading Friend or Foe by Michael Morpurgo, Safaa explained, “People on opposite sides of a war can still show kindness, even if communication with the enemy is forbidden.” She went on to describe how the English boys help the German pilots, teaching readers that “war is unfair and that kindness and bravery are important.”

Meanwhile, pupils reading text have been developing key comprehension skills such as inference, identifying fact or opinion, and vocabulary strategies (Ayyat).

In maths, pupils tackled challenging concepts with confidence. Inaaya said, “I have learnt algebra and how to solve word problems.” Children have also worked extensively on multiplying, dividing, adding and subtracting decimals, both with and without whole numbers (Aarohi, Jiya).

Science lessons focused on electricity and circuits. Mahrosh explained, “I have learnt about circuits and how to connect them.” Pupils carried out investigations in pairs and groups, testing how adding more batteries affects brightness and how multiple components change how a circuit works (Ayyat). They also experimented with bulbs, motors and cells (Jiya).

In Geography, pupils explored both Antarctica and the Arctic Circle. Inaaya shared, “I have learned all about Antarctica and its wildlife.” Pupils compared the Arctic and Antarctic Circles, looking closely at differences in environment, weather and landscape (Ayyat).

In DT, pupils have been designing and creating their own steady hand games. Aarohi explained this has helped them develop fine and gross motor skills, while Jiya added that learning how the game works has been key to improving precision and control.

In PE, the focus has been on netball. Pupils have learnt about different positions, zones, roles and rules of the game. Jiya highlighted roles such as “goal keeper, wing defence and fielder,” while Aarohi emphasised teamwork and understanding how the game works.

In PSHE, the value for the term has been determination. Aarohi linked this to Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, “the right to an opinion and voice,” encouraging pupils to share their views confidently and respectfully.  

Well done, 6 Hadid, for a fantastic spring term full of learning, reflection and resilience!

Science 

Our new science scheme, The Education People Kent Scheme, is designed to help children develop a strong, deep understanding of the world around them. Instead of learning lots of disconnected facts, the curriculum is organised into a set of “Big Ideas” that children revisit and build on each year. These ideas help them understand how living things survive and grow, how materials behave and change, how forces like gravity and magnetism work, how light and sound travel, how electricity powers so much of our world, and how Earth and space fit into the wider universe.

The scheme places a strong emphasis on hands-on investigation, encouraging children to ask questions, test their ideas, and think like young scientists. Each year builds progressively on the last, ensuring children develop secure scientific knowledge alongside important skills such as observing carefully, making predictions, setting up simple tests, recording results, and explaining what they have found out.

The lessons are practical, engaging, and designed to support all learners. The scheme also encourages children to make links between ideas—for example, how forces relate to movement, or how the human body works as part of a bigger system—so they gain a joined-up understanding of science. Overall, this new approach will help children leave primary school confident, curious, and ready for the scientific challenges of secondary school and everyday life.

Try This at Home! Mini Science Activity for Families

To celebrate our new science scheme, here’s a fun investigation you can try together at home. It links to our Big Ideas about Materials and Forces and helps children think like real scientists!

 Mini Experiment: The Floating or Sinking Challenge

Big Ideas:

• Materials – different materials have different properties

• Forces – water pushes up on objects (upthrust)

You will need:

• A bowl or sink filled with water

• A few small household objects (spoon, coin, cork, paperclip, Lego brick, bottle lid, etc.)

• A piece of paper to record your predictions

What to do:

• Together with your child, choose 5–8 objects.

• Ask your child to predict: Will it float or sink? Why do you think that?

• Test each object in the water.

• Sort them into two groups: Floats / Sinks.

• Talk about why certain objects behave the way they do.

Scientific thinking prompts:

• “What do you notice?”

• “What is the object made of?”

• “What might happen if we changed the shape?”

• “Can you think of anything else at home that might float?”

 What children learn:

• Different materials behave differently in water.

• Some objects float because of their shape or the force pushing up on them.

• Scientists make predictions, test ideas, and explain what they observe.

Maths

Across the school we continue to use the Power Maths Mastery scheme which aligns to the national curriculum programme of study, our aim is to ensure that all pupils:  

• become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including through varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems over time, so that pupils develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately. 

• reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations, and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language  

• can solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and nonroutine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions.

Since the start of the year a big emphasis, across all year groups, has been on teaching place value and the four operations; addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Key stage 1 has also explored the common 2d and 3d shapes, recognising their names and their properties. Lower Key stage 2 have been transferring their number knowledge within measuring whilst upper key stage 2 have been developing their knowledge and understanding of fractions.

A secure understanding of number place value and the calculation operations are the key building blocks for all mathematical progress so it is vital that this understanding and calculation strategies are secure. To assist with this we ask that all children in key stage 1 play regularly on Numbots, a game designed to support the immediate recall of number bond facts whilst key stage 2 play regularly on Times Tables Rockstars, a game designed to embed and secure the immediate recall of multiplication and division facts.

This year we have signed up to take part in a series of Big Ideas workshops. The workshops, run by the Heilbronn Institute, introduce Year 5 & 6 children to amazing mathematicians both past and present. In November, selected pupils learnt about the 18th century mathematician Francis Williams and this month they discussed the work and impact of Katherine Johnson. Find out more by reading their article below. 

This week, we were chosen from Year 5 and Year 6 to take part in an online workshop celebrating the life of the famous mathematician Katherine Johnson, who helped to develop the trajectory for the 1969 Apollo Moon landing. During the workshop, we explored what parabolas and ellipses are and learnt about palindromes, which in maths we also call a magic mirror number. 19 and 91 are magic mirror numbers: when you look in a mirror, 19 is reflected as 91. 

At the end of the workshop, we drew our own portraits of Katherine Johnson. 

The workshop reminded us to ‘Be creative’, that ‘Everything is possible’, ‘Our discoveries can help to change the world’ and that ‘Maths can take you a long way!’  Year 5 and 6 pupils

Article 2: The convention applies to everyone, whatever their race, religion, abilities, whatever they think or say.