Happy Friday, we are now two weeks into the summer term, and it's been a pleasure to see our children thriving in their learning and enjoying their time in school.

As the sun has been shining this week, lots of our classes took a chance to visit our nature garden. During their visit they were amazed to find lots of tadpoles in our pond, this opened up a fantastic opportunity to discuss the life cycle of a frog and the metamorphosis a frog takes. Spending time in the nature garden also highlighted the importance of enrichment opportunities that we can provide to our children at Rockliffe Manor. For many, this was the first time they had seen tadpoles in real life and encouraged children’s awe and wonder as they discussed the changes that were about to take place. The children asked their teachers if they could come back weekly to check on the progress of the tadpoles and we can’t wait to share with you when they finally change into frogs! 

On Thursday Miss White held an assembly on our new sustainable development goal of the month, which is ‘Peace, justice and strong Institutions’. The children recapped their understanding of the sustainable development goals and the importance of them. We discussed how they are a way to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all and how we pledge to achieve them by 2030. When looking at our goal for the month, the children talked about how they can make people feel supported and included and how they can show our Rockliffe Manor value of respect. Discussing our sustainable development goals supports our children to know that they themselves are change makers and that despite being only one person we can make a huge difference in our futures. 

This week, our Summer 1 parental engagement letter has been shared with you. Please take note of the key dates included. These moments are designed to give you a window into your child’s learning, offering a chance to see how they engage with the curriculum and to celebrate their progress alongside them. We know that when parents are actively involved in their child’s education, it has a positive impact on motivation, confidence, and outcomes. Your presence at these sessions not only supports your child’s learning journey but also helps to build a strong home-school partnership that benefits every child.

We have also sent communication regarding an exciting new after-school drama club offer for the Summer 2 term for children in Years 2, 3, 4 and 5. At Rockliffe Manor, we are committed to providing children with a wide range of experiences beyond the classroom, as we know that enrichment activities help to develop confidence, teamwork, and new interests. A Google form was attached to the letter for you to express your interest in your child joining the club. Further details will be shared once we have gauged interest, ensuring we can offer the club to the right number of pupils and manage demand effectively.

As we move closer to the end of the academic year, we would like to remind parents of the importance of good attendance. Every day counts, and consistent attendance has a direct impact on your child’s learning and progress. Let’s continue to work together to ensure the best outcomes for every child.

Please be reminded that Monday is a bank holiday, and therefore the school is closed to all pupils. Wishing you all a wonderful (long) weekend and we look forward to welcoming you all back on Tuesday. 

With very best wishes, Mrs Cook and the Rockliffe Manor team 

Let’s take a look at some learning from this week: 

Nursery have been ecstatic to learn about The Very Hungry Caterpillar. They have created some amazing caterpillars using leaves and have been retelling the story during carpet sessions and through play in the provision. The children have also been learning about the life cycle of a caterpillar and have used their mark-making skills to draw the different stages. This week, we also welcomed three new starters to the class who have loved joining our Rockliffe family and exploring the wonderful indoor and outdoor learning spaces.

Reception has been retelling the alternative fairytale Goldilocks and Just the One Bear. They have enjoyed making links to the original tale and loved the twists in the story — instead of Goldilocks eating porridge, Baby Bear drinks water from a fish tank, eats kitty biscuits, and nibbles on dry toast! The children have been so enthusiastic about the text that they have created their own story maps, including key events to share with one another.

Year 1 became enthusiastic reporters this week and even stepped into the shoes of Dougal during their English learning. The children explored their new core text with curiosity and imagination, asking questions and responding in character. This fantastic role-play deepened their understanding of the story. In maths, the class investigated volume and capacity, using different containers to predict and compare which held the most water.

Year 2 has had a busy and productive week! In maths, they tackled the challenge of finding halves and quarters of both shapes and numbers. Although quarters were tricky at first, the children showed real perseverance and secured their understanding. In science, they planned a comparative test to investigate whether plants need sunlight to grow. They carefully wrote their predictions and method and are excited to observe and record their results over the coming weeks.

Year 3 have been developing their debating skills in English through their new core text, The Accidental Prime Minister. Using Kagan structures, they respectfully discussed their arguments. Lila suggested the class shouldn’t have movie time after school as some pupils may have other commitments. In maths, the children consolidated their understanding of fractions and practised finding fractions of amounts. Layla explained she could find ¼ of 8 by halving and then halving again!

Year 4 has been learning to classify animals using their characteristics. They even used AI to help define and sort these characteristics. Carlo said he especially enjoyed DT this week as the class is preparing to build a circuit with a fan to cool an arctic mammal in captivity. The children also enjoyed an exciting trip to the Tower of London, enriching their understanding of Tudor history.

Year 5 has been learning all about plant reproduction. Elaina and Mitchell explained, “Plants can reproduce through runners, and animals like birds spread the pollen from one plant to another. They can also be cut and use fragmentation by being put in water to grow new roots. It becomes a clone of the mother plant and they share the exact genetic make-up.” In English, the children explored descriptive language to bring their core text to life: “The fierce, viscous ivy… the mesmerizing, indigo vine.” Elaina added, “I inferred there might be ivy because the text said it ‘grew in between the cracks in the wall’ and ‘they made houses fall down in the night’ — and I know ivy moves at night.” A brilliant example of using background knowledge to interpret the text!

Year 6 has been learning about the geographical features of different US states. They identified some of the first states to gain independence from British colonies in the 1700s and explored the meaning of democracy — ‘rule by the people.’ They discussed the difference between federal and state law and have been enjoying using vocabulary from the oracy framework such as excruciating, perspective, constitution, and imperative. Cairon shared with Mrs Aliaj, “I like how you always find a way of using the words in a sentence.”