Renaissance

Renaissance  Class is within the Waterfall pathway.  We follow the national curriculum within maths and to support our developing reading we are participating in the Read Write Inc phonics programme.  Our learning is based on different transdisciplinary themes which are embedded throughout Milestone Academy. This type of learning  incorporates lots of collaboration through group work and independent learning which is differentiated and supported by teachers and teaching assistants.  Community participation is very important to prepare us for independence and helps us to apply the skills we are learning in class to real life scenarios.  Students are also supported to develop their social and friendship skills through teamwork and games.

Term 1

This term Renaissance Class have been using our transdisciplinary theme 'Who are we?'  to learn about the community.  We have investigated the different communities we belong to and the services our local communities provide, as part of this.  As a class we have discussed what services we thought were essential and non-essential. Students in Renaissance class have also written social and moral guidelines to encourage respectful behaviour in New Ash Green.  

Below are photos of a few of the shops and services we found in our local community. 

Term 2

This term our transdisciplinary theme is Communication Through Time. We are learning about key events from the 17th Century for example the Great Fire of London and discussing how the news was communicated to the people of London at the time and how this compared to how news is communicated nowadays. 

We had a visit from the local fire brigade, pupils had a talk about fire safety in class and were able to explore and see the fire engine and it's hose. 

Term 3

In term 3 our transdisciplinary theme is  Where we are in place and time. With the central idea being "The modern society is shaped by ancient civilisations". Our lines of enquiry questions are characteristics of civilisations, how achievements of ancient civilisations progressed over time and how ancient religions have impacted upon modern day culture. 

We have focused on the Hindu religion, reading stories to learn about their beliefs and festivals and online research into where in the world the religion began. Renaissance class have also been learning what a civilisation is and finding the meaning of new key words, for example society, ancient and modern. 

Renaissance class has continued their weekly shopping trips to the co-op in New Ash Green where they have been reading a shopping list and finding the food they need around the shop.  

Students from Renaissance class have also participated in Boxing with a boxing coach. 

During Renaissance's Horticulture lessons they have been upcycling an old dolls house into a bug hotel! 

We have also been getting to know Milestone's puppies Toffee and Fudge, they are the newest members of the therapy team.

Term 4

Our term 4 theme is How the World Works: Explorers and Adventurers with the Central Idea of Explorers have opened up unknown environments  of our World.

We will be exploring two lines of enquiry, firstly, learning about how people have developed ways to navigate the globe. Secondly, looking at how new discoveries help us better

understand the world we live in.

Within these enquiries we have been learning the difference between fiction and nonfiction books and the features of nonfiction books. 

In maths we have been learning fractions. We have been practicing making halves and quarters of shapes and amounts.