Sparta Class

This term, Sparta’s central theme has been "The food on our plate impacts the environment". We have been learning what continent and climate different foods grow in during our geography lessons. Students have broken down some of their favourite recipes to see which ingredients are needed, where they come from and what conditions they need to grow. One of the learning attributes we have been learning about this term is how to be “balanced”. For this we have been looking at what different foods/ drinks make up a balanced diet and how much we should be getting of each. We have also been learning how to keep our mental health balanced through practising different mindfulness techniques. In English we have been reading “The Next Best Junior Chef”. This book is all about 4 young contestants who enter into a TV competition to become “The Next Best Junior Chef”. Students have been discussing the personalities of each of the contestants and what the traits are for someone in a TV competition. In maths we have been looking at telling the time using an analogue clock in my group, and in Sam’s group they have also been learning about decimals. We prepared food for the coronation street party and students from Sparta class also performed by singing different songs to provide entertainment for the adults. This was a really great success and the students thoroughly enjoyed themselves! 

This term, Sparta classes central idea has been "Explorers have opened up unknown areas of our World".  Sparta looked into Egypt, specifically the pyramids and the Valley of the Kings. Students have been able to identify where Egypt was on a map and which continent it belongs to. They made their own maps of Egypt, labelling key landmarks and historic locations which we researched further during our time in the library. Later in the term, the students also made presentations about different jobs that people had in Ancient Egypt and presented them to the rest of the class in their groups. 

On World Book day, Sparta class visited the library and chose a preloved book to read and take home with them. The students have also been doing some really great work during reading sessions and have made great progress during our Read Write Inc sessions.

This term in maths Sparta class has been learning about fractions. Students have been encouraged to use manipulatives to support their learning. They have been using mathematical language such as numerator, denominator, unit and non-unit fractions. We have also been using our recall knowledge of addition and subtraction by playing games such as making a stick person out of dienes and calculating the total.

Sparta class was also invited to attend a presentation from the people at Bemix. Bemix is for young learners from 16-24. They support learners with additional needs to gain their functional skills exams whilst also giving them experience within a workplace which they would like to work in. The students asked some really great questions.

This term, Sparta classes central idea has been "How modern society has been shaped by ancient civilisations". As this was quite wordy, we looked up the definitions and rewrote our central idea in our own words. The students came up with "How the present has been moulded by people who lived long ago". We have been looking into the Harrapan civilisation who populated the Indus valley over 5000 years ago. We discussed why this group of people would have  originally formed their community next to a river and what benefits that would have had. We also looked through the timeline to see how this civilisation developed and then mysteriously disappeared. We came up with our own theories and researched those of archaeologists  to see if our ideas were similar to experts.  This term we have also been looking into the Hindu faith, specifically the Hindu diet and religious stories.

My maths group has been doing some really fantastic work building upon their skills of multiplication and division and beginning to recognise relationships between the two. The students have been enjoying working out different problem solving questions by grouping/ sharing manipulatives into equal groups to find out the answer. The group which joins Viking have been working on dividing 3 digit numbers by 1 digit numbers using the part-whole method. They've had some really challenging questions and have made great progress. Both groups have also been looking at different units of measurement (mm, cm and m) and the different apparatus we can use to find out length/ height and perimeter. 

All students have been participating in their phonics lessons and we're now approaching the end of our book "Wonder". The students have really enjoyed this story. They've clearly taken away some really key messages which have been evident in our recap sessions.  

Finally, the students  very much enjoyed meeting the schools new therapy dogs "Toffee and Fudge"!

This term, Sparta class has been looking into means of communication and how they have changed overtime. We began the term looking at the gunpowder plot and how a letter sent  from one of the plotters caused Guy Fawkes to get caught. The students came up with their own research questions and went to the library to find out the answers.  Sparta class then looked at the great fire of London and how historians were informed of the events that occurred through the diary of Samuel Peyps.  Last week, Sparta class students did some research about what it was like to be a soldier in World War One and how they communicated with their families.  Students compared how the war was advertised to them through the media to how it actually was. Each pupil then imagined what it was like to have been on the front line and wrote a letter home to their families.  In English we have been continuing to read our book 'Wonder' by R.J Palacio and began our phonics sessions using Read Write Inc.  In maths we have been looking at 'money' during our recall activities in the morning and 'addition/ subtraction' in our maths lessons. The students have really enjoyed using the coins, dienes, numicon and double sided counters to support their learning. Sparta class has also had swimming each Tuesday and horticulture sessions each Wednesday. During horticulture the students have been learning how to complete different jobs in the garden including weeding, preparing the soil and general maintenance. 

This term Sparta class has been looking at what makes a good community. The pupils have looked at ways they could improve the phase 3 community by asking  staff members and pupils to pick from a list of different improvements that could be made.  They used tally charts to record their data and bar graphs to show people's preferences. The students decided they wanted to make their own tuck shop and undertook further research to find out what items they could sell by visiting the local co op. In English we have been reading the book 'Wonder' by R.J Palacio. This book is all about a boy with an extraordinary looking face due to all the surgeries he had as a child and the struggles he faces when attending secondary school for the first time.  The pupils have really enjoyed this book and it has been a great tool to teach them to explore the meaning of empathy and compassion towards their peers. In maths we have been looking at 'time' during our recall activities in the morning and 'place value' in our maths lesson. The students have really enjoyed using the manipulatives which have supported their learning and drawing their workings out on the tables!