This week in Reception we introduced the book ‘Perfectly Norman.’ We collected words to describe Norman’s colourful wings. We have started our phonics lessons with the sounds s,a,t and p. The children are joining in with enthusiasm saying the sounds and writing the letter shapes in the air. In the outdoor provision the children have shown confidence and perseverance as they balance along planks. 

The children have been working hard this week thinking about different speeds and change of direction in P.E and in maths they have been thinking about how they can represent different numbers to 10 using ten frames, counters and drawings. They have also been able to identify shapes whilst sorting objects. In Phonics the children have been recognising their sounds, decoding words and recalling tricky words. Keep up the good work Year 1!

This week in Geography, Year 2 explored maps by becoming map-makers themselves! We toured the school grounds to spot important landmarks, such as the hall, playground and classrooms, before creating our own maps. The children enjoyed carefully observing their surroundings and adding key features to their maps using labels and symbols.

This week Year 3 were learning how to greet each other in French and in PE we developed our coordination.

Year 4 began their ukulele lessons this year with great enthusiasm. It was wonderful to see how much they remembered from last year’s learning and how quickly they settled back into playing. Their excitement, confidence, and eagerness to make music together created a fantastic atmosphere, and we are looking forward to seeing their skills continue to develop throughout the year.

Year 5 have had another busy and exciting week, with lots of opportunities to develop our knowledge and skills across the curriculum. We had our very first guitar lesson this week! We began by learning how to hold and play the guitar correctly before reviewing some notes and songs we had previously learnt. We enjoyed playing familiar favourites such as Smoke on the Water and Back in Black, building our confidence with changing between notes and playing along together as a class. In Maths, we have been consolidating our understanding of place value and developing our confidence with numbers up to six digits. We used practical resources, including counters and Dienes, to help us visualise the value of each digit. We have also been exploring different ways to partition six-digit numbers and using part-whole models to represent and check our understanding. We are becoming increasingly confident at explaining how and why numbers can be partitioned in different ways. Our English learning has continued alongside our picture book The Journey by Francesca Sanna. This week, we used role play to imagine the conversations that adults might have around us. We imagined ourselves in the world of the story, overhearing grown-ups talking about ordinary everyday things as well as their worries and fears about the war. This helped us to think carefully about the characters' experiences and how conflict can affect ordinary families. We then used these ideas in our writing, developing our descriptions and vocabulary with the help of thesauruses and vocabulary mats to make our writing more vivid and precise.

Science:

This week, we have been developing our understanding of the circulatory system, with a particular focus on arteries, veins and capillaries. The children explored the differences between these blood vessels, looking closely at their structure and considering how each is adapted to carry out its important role within the body. The children then used their scientific knowledge to explain how circulation affects the body during exercise. We discussed how blood carries oxygen to our muscles and why a good supply of oxygen is particularly important when we are active. The children were encouraged to use scientific vocabulary and evidence to explain why poor circulation could cause someone to become tired more quickly during exercise.

Writing:

This week, the children have been developing their suspense writing, using a mysterious forest setting as inspiration. They planned their stories carefully, thinking about how to organise events through an opening, build-up, problem, resolution and ending to create a clear and engaging narrative.

The children explored a range of techniques to build tension and atmosphere, including powerful vocabulary, sensory descriptions, similes, personification and carefully chosen details. They considered how the setting and weather could reflect danger and create suspense, using descriptions of the trees, sounds, heat and movement to help the reader imagine being there.

History:

This week, the children continued exploring the development of voting rights, with a particular focus on the campaign for women’s suffrage. They learnt about the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies (NUWSS), formed in 1897, and explored the role of Millicent Fawcett in the campaign for women to have the right to vote.  The children investigated how the NUWSS used peaceful and constitutional methods to campaign for change, including petitions, public meetings, marches and lobbying Parliament. They considered why these methods were important and how the suffragists helped to keep women’s voting rights at the centre of public and political discussion. The children also developed their historical reasoning by considering fairness and equality in voting rights. They discussed different viewpoints about who should have been allowed to vote and used historical evidence to construct arguments, justify their opinions and respond to opposing ideas.

French:

This week, the children have been developing their French through our topic “French Sports and the Olympics.” They have been learning the names of different sports in French and exploring how to talk about sporting activities using the correct verbs and prepositions.

We also have launched KS2 Wow Work display celebrates the fantastic learning taking place across Year 6 and gives children the opportunity to feel proud of their achievements. The display showcases carefully selected examples of high-quality work from across the curriculum, highlighting the children’s effort, progress, creativity and growing independence.

Here at Grove, we are an Operation Encompass school.  Operation Encompass is a police and education early information safeguarding partnership enabling schools to offer immediate support to children experiencing domestic abuse. Operation Encompass ensures that there is a simple telephone call or electronic notification to a school’s trained Designated Safeguarding Lead /Officer (known as Key Adult) prior to the start of the next school day after an incident of police attended domestic abuse where there are children related to either of the adult parties involved. 

Information is shared with a school’s Key Adult (Designated Safeguarding Lead or Officer) prior to the start of the next school day after officers have attended a domestic abuse incident. This sharing of information enables appropriate support to be given, dependent upon the needs and wishes of the child.  For further information please see the following link https://www.operationencompass.org/

Please see information regarding the annual seasonal flu vaccinations, this information has been sent out on MCAS. The immunisation team will be at The Grove on Monday 21st September.

The immunisation team will only give primary school aged children the flu vaccination if they have your consent.

How to give or refuse consent for your child to get the flu vaccination

• Click on the following link: https://www.manage-vaccinations-in-schools.nhs.uk/consents/VShK3TbBnJ/flu/start

• On the consent declaration page, you can consent for the nasal flu vaccine, the injectable flu vaccine or refuse consent.

• You will receive a confirmation email when the form is submitted.

Children will have two PE sessions each week. As PE days may occasionally change due to timetabling, please send your child’s PE kit into school on a Monday and it will be sent home again on a Friday.

Please make sure all items are clearly named.

PE kit should include:

• Plain white T-shirt or polo shirt

• Plain black shorts or leggings

• Trainers for outdoor PE

• Blue Grove sweatshirt or cardigan for outdoor PE

• Plain black tracksuit bottoms or leggings for outdoor PE

Hair should be tied back and earrings should be removed or covered in line with our PE expectations.

Year 6

Year 6 will also be attending swimming sessions. Information about swimming arrangements has already been shared directly with Year 6 families, which will take place on Fridays. 

Please find attached the Schools Swim Newsletter from Waterfield Leisure Centre.