Class teachers - Miss Craven and Mrs Price

• January - Determination and Perseverance

• February - Honesty and Trust 

• March - Learning and Effort

This term we will be looking at and working on William Shakespeare's The Tempest. During this sequence of learning, children have the chance to explore the themes, ideas and characters in the play, as well as writing opportunities, such as character descriptions and comparisons, scene/setting descriptions and diary entries. They also explore the conventions of writing play scripts, including characterisation through dialogue, stage directions and how to convey action, as well as some Shakespearean conventions, such as the iambic pentameter. Our work this term culminates in children having the opportunity to write their own ‘tempest’ story to be read or performed. We will perform these on the stage in our Big Hall and children will have the opportunity to critique and compliment each other's work. 

In our Guided Reading sessions we will be looking at The Story of The Titanic. This book offers many rich opportunities for children to learn about not only the real events, in chronological order, of the sinking of this great ship but also about the people involved - either directly or indirectly - and their stories. The book itself combines effective, vocabulary-rich text and photographs as well as newspaper reports, leaflets and artistic impressions of the ship. Children will read and discuss the book and use their research skills to find out more. Children will have different activities to complete during Guided Reading sessions and be given the opportunity to strengthen their independence skills. 

In Welsh, we will be revisiting past sentence stems to ensure confidence. We will be using prior knowledge to enhance our new topic which is Time. Children will write scripts and record themselves performing, write letters and use oracy skills throughout our lessons. 

This term we will be learning to calculate the area and perimeter of 2D shapes, including rectangles, squares, and composite shapes. We will also explore how to use these skills in practical contexts, such as designing layouts and understanding space. We will introduce the basics of algebra. We will work on identifying patterns, using simple formulas, and solving equations with unknown values. These activities will develop logical thinking.  Towards the end of the term we will begin exploring fractions. Our work on fractions will include understanding equivalent fractions, converting between mixed numbers and improper fractions, and performing addition and subtraction of fractions with the same denominator. 

This term we will be using our Shine Team resources to learn about resilience, self-esteem and how to help our wellbeing. We will be discussing how to become more resilient and how it can help us in our every day lives. Making and keeping friends will be an important topic of discussion and we will be taking what we have learnt out into the yard at break times and in our home lives. We will be recognising emotions within ourselves and others and learning how to cope with them and react to them. We hope to have open and honest discussions through our Health and Wellbeing lessons and build on the relationships that we have with each other. By fostering resilience we hope to create independent lifelong learners who are not afraid of challenges they could face. Perseverance when work gets tough will be a focus this term in preparation for the transition into Year 6. 

This unit will focus on exploring geographical and scientific aspects of the environment, both locally and globally. Pupils will delve into Earth's structure, including tectonic plates, magnetism, and issues like local flooding. They will investigate the significance of physical features such as rivers and valleys for the survival of plants, animals, and humans. The unit will also encourage pupils to reflect on their role in driving social change, and how do choices in energy and food impact their environment. Additionally, pupils will compare energy efficiency in small experiments (e.g., using different types of bulbs or batteries).

All pupils should have a water bottle in school every day. 

Reading books are available to take home daily and should be returned to school to read in class on a daily basis.  The children now have a digital reading log accessible through Google Classroom, which can be used to track and comment on the books that they are reading. 

Health and Wellbeing session take place on Fridays. These will alternate between theory  and physical education lessons. Children should wear PE kit on Fridays.  All children need a coat in case of adverse weather on route to offsite premises. 

Don't forget to download our School App via the Play or App stores - The School App will provide you with up to date information about activities and events at Oldcastle Primary School.  Please look out for our weekly newsletter issued via The School App and available on our website on a Friday afternoon.  The newsletter contains all forthcoming diary dates for the school.