This half term, the children have been expanding their geography knowledge through a range of exciting, hands-on learning experiences.

Year 1 have been learning how to read simple maps and used compasses for the first time to identify the location of different parts of the school grounds.

Year 2 enjoyed a trip to Clissold Park, where they carried out fieldwork by identifying local landmarks and then used their observations to create their own maps of the park.

Year 3 explored Europe by researching five different countries. They used their iPads to create digital fact files and worked collaboratively to present their findings to the class.

Year 4 investigated sound levels around the local area using their iPads to record data, before conducting fieldwork to compare the topography of Stoke Newington and Alexandra Park.

Years 5 and 6 took their geography learning further afield with a visit to Woodberry Wetlands. There, they created scaled maps of the site and designed their own nature reserves using natural materials.

Through these rich, practical experiences, children across Grazebrook have been developing their skills as geographers — observing, mapping, comparing, and presenting their findings with curiosity and creativity.

This half term, our budding scientists have been busy exploring a variety of fascinating topics through hands-on experiments and investigations. It has been wonderful to see children across Key Stage 2 developing their scientific enquiry skills — asking thoughtful questions, making predictions, and drawing conclusions from their own evidence-based investigations.

Year 6 have been learning about micro-organisms. As part of their unit, they explored mould and its characteristics, investigating the best conditions for mould to develop and grow. Their curiosity and careful observations have led to some impressive scientific thinking!

Year 5 have been observing changes in materials, carrying out comparative and fair tests to explore non-reversible changes such as burning, rusting, and chemical reactions. The children have shown great teamwork and precision as they recorded and analysed their results. 

Year 4 have been investigating freezing and melting, measuring the rate of change and exploring how different factors affect these processes. Their experiments have helped them understand how materials behave when they change state. 

The Nursery children have loved their transport topic this half term. They made a bus and went on an adventure together. They also demonstrated collaboration when they set up a bike wash in the Nursery garden and gave their bikes and tricycles a wash and polish! 

In Reception, the children have been working together, whilst also making the most out of the activities. They collaborated to make obstacle courses in their learning garden. They have also loved their colour topic, inspired by the book The Colour Monster, as well as artists such as Kandinsky. 

Year 1 worked as a team to solve problems as part of their PSHE lessons. They then used their skills in PE whilst developing their speed and agility and in computing to get to grips with the parts of a computer and what they do. 

Our new Hackney Reading Ambassadors attended the launch event at Hackney Town Hall earlier this month. They will be leading our team of Reading Champions to get everyone reading at Grazebrook including setting up reading buddies where our older children will read to and with our younger children within their classrooms and at breaktimes. 

Year 6 enjoyed taking part in a Youth First Aid Workshop delivered by the British Red Cross this morning. Pupils engaged in thoughtful discussions about the importance of staying calm during emergencies and learned key actions to take when faced with real-life situations. It was a valuable and empowering experience for everyone involved!

If you have any queries regarding your child's learning, the first point of contact is your child's class teacher. You can speak to them at the end of the day or contact our school office to arrange a phone call or face-to-face meeting. At times, you may wish to contact a senior member of staff. These are: 

Deputy Headteacher: Ms Simone Bunbury 

Federation Assistant Headteacher: Ms Joanna Ichim 

Early Years Leader: Ms Kelly O'Callaghan 

Lead Practitioner for SEND and SENCo: Ms Eleanor Alford 

All email queries, including those for the attention of a class teacher or school leader, should be sent to gboffice@newwavefederation.co.uk in the first instance with the addressee and/or topic in the subject line. These will be forwarded to the relevant member of staff.