Term 5 Week 2 and 3

Y3&4 have been enjoying The Hodgeheg and using it to hone their skills writing dialogue and using adverbs. Y5 & 6 have been using the book The London Eye Mystery as a means to revise grammar terms and practise inference reading questions.

In Maths this week the Year 3s have been using formal methods to multiply 2 digit number by 1 digit numbers as well as practising their 4 times table.  In Year 4 we have been finding equivalent fractions and starting to look at converting fractions to decimals.  The Year 5s have been adding improper fractions and mixed numbers, whilst the Y6s have been perfecting their Maths ready for their SATS next week.

In Science Y5&6 created a “blood smoothie” with strawberries to represent the red blood cells, mini marshmallows the white, sprinkles the platelets and pineapple juice the plasma. It tasted a lot better than it looked!

We have also been looking at how the heart beats to send the blood to the lungs and around the body.  It was a bit of a challenge for some of us to find our pulse but once we achieved that we carried out an investigation into how our heart rate is affected by exercise.

Y3&5 have been looking at a range of pitched instruments, working out how the vibrations are altered and the effect this has on the sound.

In PSHE we discussed why the government has launched a consultation to reduce the number of children, why vaping might appeal to some children and its effects.  Y3&4 put together posters with advice and Y5&6 created presentations.

We had a fantastic trip out to the Cheltenham Jazz festival last week.  The venue was a giant big top and we were really excited when all the musicians were introduced on the stage.  We learnt to scat along with a jazz singer called LA.  We did some teacher-pupil call and response and practised our off beat rhythms.  The musicians were fantastic and we heard a great range of different jazz, including Jazz funk and Indian-jazz fusion. 

In contrast, this week back at school we have been learning some Tudor songs in preparation for our Tudor banquet.  We have also been back to our recorders, practising moving between the notes B, A and G. 

In topic we have been busy learning about Henry VIII and his wives.  We enjoyed learning about life in Henry's royal court, how he got injured whilst jousting and learnt the song Greensleeves.  We discussed why it was so important to him to have a male heir to his throne and how this led to Henry's split with the Catholic church.  This week we have been learning more about his 6 wives, who they were and what became of them and Katherine or Aragon's links to Lechlade church.

We ended the week with a focus on the coronation and joined together for a tea party. 

Term 5 Week 1

In English, the Year 5 and 6s have continued looking at The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd, with a particular focus on speech and how it is punctuated. We have also been checking our understanding of grammar terms in preparation for Year 6 SATs.

Year 3 and 4 have been completing their letter writing unit by sending a letter to an author or personality of their choice; these range from Cressida Cowell to Jim Carey, so we are waiting with anticipation to see what replies come through the post. We are now moving on to the Hedgehog by Dick King-Smith.

In Maths, the Year 5s have been converting between different units of length. The Year 6s are getting ready for SATs by practicing questions using a mixture of the four operations.

Year 3 and 4 have been working really hard to find fractions of an amount. This is always a tricky part of the curriculum and the children have been using practical resources and bar models to help them with their learning.  Next week we will be learning to add and subtract fractions (Year 4 going beyond the whole) so any practise at home - particularly eating pizzas and cake - would be great!  The Year 5s have been converting between m and cm this week whilst the yr 6's have been busy revising for their SATs.

In Science, The Year 3s and 4s have begun a new unit on sound. We learnt how all sounds are caused by vibrations and then conducted a survey of the school to explore the sound levels in different areas. Year 5 and 6 have started their unit on the circulatory system by looking at the components of blood.

In Computing, the Year 5 and 6s are looking at how data can be stored and transmitted. We learnt about barcodes and QR codes then carried out a QR code treasure hunt. Year 3 and 4 started their work on databases looking at alien top trumps, which introduced the concepts of records, fields and data in a very popular way.

In Music this term we will be learning how to play the recorder.  The Year 4,5 and 6s really impressed me by remembering how to play A and B and we all managed to move onto G as well.  Next week we will be working on moving between the notes and including rhythm in our playing.

In Art this term we had 1 more piece of charcoal drawing we didn't have time to complete last term -to  take something tiny and make it big.  The children chose fossils, shells, leaves and even a beetle for their drawing and then, looking carefully at the details and shadows, made an A2 sketch.  The children spent some time looking around the class 'mini gallery' and shared ideas and suggestions before finishing their work. 

RE is a study of What Matters Most to Humanists and to Christians.  Our PSHE lessons are on the theme Being my Best and started with the children thinking about what they imaging they might achieve in the next year, 5 , 10, 15 and 20 years and what obstacles might stand in their way.

During our PE lessons we will be doing athletics and cricket this term.

Term 4 Week 4

On Monday the Year 3 and 4s were asked to take park in a very exciting project. Working with Oxford Brookes University, they were asked to give their feedback on some new Horrid Henry ebooks.  This meant that they were the first children to read the new books and were encouraged to give suggestions and feedback.  Their comments were added to a padlet page which can be accessed from the learning zone on the website.  The link to the page is still there if any of the children want to add their thoughts.

In English, Year 5 and 6 have been looking at The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd. As the main character is neurodivergent, we looked at different idioms in the English language and how they may be understood or even misunderstood!

Year 3 and 4 have been studying letter writing, using book The Jolly Postman, with its amusing letters between characters from fairy tales as a starting point. They are now becoming adept at selecting different vocabulary choices to create formal and informal letters and produced some forceful and entertaining letters to a neighbour, Mr Gruff, asking him to repair the lawn he damaged and pay for the ruined vegetables.

In Maths, the Year 5s have been converting between fractions, decimals and percentages. The Year 6s have been working on multiplying and dividing with fractions. Year 3 have been using the written method for subtraction and Year 4 getting to grips with division, with and without remainders.

Year 3 and 4 have continued studying rocks and fossils in science. We used the properties of rocks to sort them into groups and then explored how fossils are formed in sedimentary rocks. Year 5 and 6 have been completed their study of Evolution and Inheritance looking at how humans evolved to walk on two legs, and for a final bit of fun looked at the evolution of the biscuit, from plain digestive to chocolate layered Blue Ribband!

In Computing, Year 5 and 6 used search engines to research Tudor houses using the TASK acronym – title, author, summary and kids. We then used the information to create online posters. Year 3 and 4 have been enjoyed creating their own surveys in Word using the Developer option to include text fields, check boxes and drop down boxes. These have been completed by their friends and we will compile the results into graphs using Excel next lesson.

There has been great excitement in the Swan's class as the children have been taking part in a TTRS interclass battle.  The year 5s stole the lead very early on and the leader board has been pretty close with Guy and Archie Sneddon vying for first and second place.   Well done to all the children who took part - let’s see if the Year 5s can hold onto the title after the next battle!

In Art this week the children have been using charcoals again to explore light and dark tones in their drawing.  We spent some time drawing the buildings around the school and adding atmosphere to our work with light and shade.  In Music we have been learning about pentatonic partners and started putting different songs together.  We could put two together, then three......but four all at once did end in a cacophony that you may have heard throughout the village!

The children have been working hard on their assessments this week.  They have really impressed us with their tenacity and determination to keep going and will be ready for some fun on the residential next week.

Term 3 Week 7

We've been lining up the ones with the ones and the tens with the tens this week in Maths with the yr4's doing column subtractions while the yr 3's have been learning column addition.  The children have really impressed us by keeping their digits neatly in the square in their books and demonstrating great knowledge of place value when exchanging and regrouping. 

There was a real buzz with our recent TTRs tournament with Rowan, Logan and Guy gaining the most correct answers over the week.  Guy and Archie also scored the most points for the NSPCC Rocks competition on numbers day - Well done to everyone who took part!

There were some delicious smells wafting through the school last week when the children joined the Kitchen Club to make a Ukranian feast.  They made a traditional pork stew, mashed potatoes and a cabbage salad.  We hope you managed to taste some before it all disappeared!

In art the children have been continuing to work on their textiles piece.  They have painted the background onto their calico and are now embroidering their picture onto the front.  The children also enjoyed learning about Eastern art in preparation for their recent trip to the Mosque and the Ashmolean museum.  We looked at the different colours and patterns that are used as well as the different style of calligraphy.

Southrop went to Oxford

Year 1 to 6 had an inspiring trip to Oxford to visit the mosque at the Centre for Islamic Studies (CIS) and then going on to the Ashmolean to look at the Islamic art.   CIS is an astonishing and beautiful building which opened after 10 years of crafting in 2017. It is filled with ornate hand carved wood and marble, donated from Islamic countries around the world. The door covering from the Kaaba surprised us and gave an idea of the huge scale of the building in Mecca, We also saw a beautiful cover from the tomb of Mohammad which is embroidered with real gold and silver thread. We would recommend a visit if you ever get the opportunity.

The education officer, Caroline imparted the fascinating story of her journey from an English born non-believer to her conversion to Islam. We then got to spend some calm and reflective time beneath the immense dome of the prayer hall.  The children showed great respect and asked some great questions.  

After a picnic in the sunshine in Headington Hill Park we made our way to the Ashmolean Museum to look at the Islamic Art and carry out some drawing challenges. What a fascinating day!

Term 3 Week 5

All the Y3&4s completed their fantastic alternative Cinderella stories and wrote them up beautifully to be included in a class story book. They have now moved on to Greek myths and have enjoyed The Gift of Fire, Pandora’s Box and Theseus and the Minotaur. This is always a very popular unit.  Y5&6s have continued looking at migration in the form of human migration. We have been reading excerpts from ‘Coming to England’ by Floella Benjamin to learn about her experience of moving to England from Trinidad as a child. In addition, we have looked at identifying and using cohesive devices in our writing to help it flow.

In Maths Y3 have been recognising, ordering and comparing proper fractions – do get them to tell you what these are – while Y4 have been adding 4 digit numbers using the column written method including some regrouping. Y5s have been using mental and written methods to multiply decimals. The Y6s have been working on adding fractions and mixed numbers by finding common denominators.

In PSHE (Personal Social and Health Education) we have been thinking about valuing difference. This has included the story And Tango Make Three about two male penguins who hatched and raised a baby, how to tackle bullying, particularly as a bystander, and how we show respect to those who are like us or different.

Continuing our study of what life is like for Muslims in Britain today, we have looked at shahada, including the call to prayer and salah, the prayer rituals. We are looking forward to our visit to the Oxford mosque next week.

For Science Y3& 4 have continued studying living things and their habitats. We have looked at how we can sort vertebrates into groups using classification keys. We also went into the Wildlife Garden to discover and examine invertebrate specimens.

Y5&6 have been learning about the work of Charles Darwin as he travelled the world on HMS Beagle. We have been looking more closely into each others’ eyes as we learn about the recessive and dominant genes that dictate their colour! We were also amazed by the adaptation that took place over a period of 50 years during the industrial revolution. The formerly brown peppered moths evolved so that they were camouflaged against the pollution covered landscape and then evolved back to light brown once the pollution lessened.

In Computing Y3 and 4 have taken a Journey Inside the Computer, made their own models out of paper of laptops and ipads and even taken a looking inside an old laptop that Mrs McLellan had taken apart.

Year 5&6 are looking at stop motion animation. They worked in pairs to make a very simple film using Play-Doh to make a single character and practiced using techniques such as onion-skinning to ensure our frames remained consistent. The children have now planned their own ‘alien adventure’ film which they will produce in the next lesson. Ferne has been doing some great extra homework – take a look at the animation she created at home -  Moon Mayhem https://youtu.be/SR0ZhIuTHYM It will definitely make you chuckle!

Thank you to Mrs Woodhams for arranging this and sharing her great knowledge of birds. It was a lovely day and we saw lots of birds. Probably our favourite sighting was a nuthatch. The children have all done some real life maths turning our results in to pictograms, bar chart and pie charts.

Thank you for all the effort that has gone into preparing such fantastic costumes for today and for those who made so many delicious cakes for the sale. It has been a day of times tables rock star battles, number cookie baking, writing numbers on the playground, estimate the number of sweets in the jar, tricky number puzzles and much more.

Our Year 5&6s had a great online safety session with our friendly schoolbeat officer PC Davies as you can see. 

Term 3 Week 3

This week the Year 4s have been building the 11 and 12 times table.  We have been thinking about the times table facts we already know and using those to help us.  We have also been using our knowledge of commutatively to multiply 3 numbers together.  The Year 3s have been learning about subtraction and finding efficient strategies to help them subtract 3 digit numbers.  Year 5s have been looking at multiplication, using properties of number and written methods. The Year 6s have been working on orders of operations using BIDMAS to ensure we solve calculations in the correct order.

In English Year 3&4s we have been writing our own alternative version of the Cinderella traditional tale.  The children have read Cinderboy and have started planning their own versions, choosing alternative settings and characters. The Year 5 and 6s have been writing reports on migration. We researched migratory animals and have been writing about the incredible journeys that they take.

For Science Year 3s and 4s have begun studying living things and their habitats. We learnt about different life processes, using MRS GREN to help us remember them.

In Computing, the Year 5 and 6s are looking at stop motion animation. We began by looking at old Victorian toys called thaumotropes and zoetropes and then had a go at making our own flip books.

In Topic this week we have been looking at the landscapes of countries in Eastern Europe and comparing them to their own.  We looked at Ukraine, Russia and Turkey and researched facts about the area and geographical features.  The children looked at how latitude can have an effect on the climate and landscape that the country may have.   

A highlight of the week was the annual Knex challenge, which was to build a recycling centre. Congratulations to Reuben and Logan who go through to the county final. Year 3&4s were highly commended by the Steve who ran the challenge: he felt they were as capable as many Year 5&6s he has worked with.

Term 2 Week 6

In English this week we have all been using the Waitrose Christmas film clip, Coming Home to generate ideas for high quality descriptive writing, using complex sentences and expanded noun phrases.

In Maths, Year 5 have been multiplying and dividing by 10/100/100 and Year 6 have been describing 2D and 3D shapes, calculating angles of triangles and quadrilaterals and developing their ability to draw angles accurately, which can be tricky.

For RE we had an enjoyable afternoon interviewing Gareth Griffith, the curate at St Lawrence church, who also runs services in Eastleach and Southrop Churches. The class had prepared a great range of questions for him and found out that he started to truly believe in Christianity around the age of 11, that the story of the resurrection is the most significant in the bible to him, that he has at least 11 bibles, some in Greek and Hebrew and that he can speak a little of each language, amongst many other things.

Next week we will be completing our work on space and sound recording with a Science morning and a Computing morning. We also have a Science visitor, Jeremy Curtis, in school today. Jeremy recently retired from the European Space Agency and got down to the last 16 when the search was on for the first British space traveller in 1991. He was beaten to the job by Helen Sharman.

Term 2 Week 4

Year 3&4 finished off their study of explanation texts by designing their own invention and explaining how it operated. This showcased their skills in using causal and time linking conjunctions using their creativity – we had inventions as diverse as how bagpipes really work, how your mum always knows what you are up to and, very topically, how an elf on a shelf works.

Y5&6 have completed their study of the Midnight Fox, writing a newspaper article and a book review and working on developing notetaking and summarising skills. The consensus was that it was a very inspiring book.

This week we have all been using the Waitrose Christmas film clip, Coming Home to generate ideas for high quality descriptive writing, using complex sentences and expanded noun phrases.

In Maths, Year 5 have been multiplying and dividing by 10/100/100 and Year 6 have been describing 2D and 3D shapes, calculating angles of triangles and quadrilaterals and developing their ability to draw angles accurately, which can be tricky.

For RE we had an enjoyable afternoon interviewing Gareth Griffith, the curate at St Lawrence church, who also runs services in Eastleach and Southrop Churches. The class had prepared a great range of questions for him and found out that he started to truly believe in Christianity around the age of 11, that the story of the resurrection is the most significant in the bible to him, that he has at least 11 bibles, some in Greek and Hebrew and that he can speak a little of each language, amongst many other things.

Today was D&T challenge. Year 3&4 were constructing pavilions and Year 5&6 play areas.

Next week we will be completing our work on space and sound recording with a Science morning and a Computing morning.

Term 1 Week 7

In English the Year 3&4s have been learning about expanded noun phrases and speech punctuation using a series of the ever popular Horrid Henry stories. Today they have been doing their final big write of “Horrid Henry Joins the Swan Class!” They are full of great ideas for the antics he gets up to.

Year 5&6 looked at balanced arguments. Despite some strong opinions in the classroom, we managed to present both sides of the question: should mobile phones be banned in schools? We then used these skills to write a balanced argument on a subject of our choosing.

Now we have started Midnight Fox by Betsy Byars, which they will be using as the inspiration for their own writing using a range of text types. So far Tom has been left with his Aunt and Uncle on their farm for two months while his parent cycle around Europe. Tom is not at all impressed until he spies a black fox. The children enjoyed some role play as Tom and his parents on the journey to the farm.

In Maths Year 3 moved on from counting in tenths to learn about horizontal and vertical lines. This included photographing some vertical and horizontal lines around the classroom which they loved. Year 4 have been studying symmetry and reflection in vertical, horizontal and diagonal lines. There has sometimes been some quizzical head scratching and turning of maths books to look at the image from a fresh angle, but they have shown great persistence.

The Year 5s have been looking at decimals up to 3 decimal places, including placing them on a number line, ordering decimal numbers and rounding. The Year 6s have been working on written methods of multiplication and division. Long division has been tricky, but we have all persevered!

On Monday one of our governors, Mr Holland, and Miss Davies were the “dragon” judges for a Year 5&6 Science competition to design and build an electric festive celebration. The teams have been working really hard, including using some of their break times, on their products and presentations. There were a few technical issues on the day but all the teams impressed the judges. In the end the dragons decided to invest in Logan and Reuben’s product, a peace helicopter decorated in the colours of Ukraine.

The Year 3s and 4s have enjoyed studying states of matter. We investigated how to make chocolate melt, with delicious results! We studies the stages of the water cycle and created out own models using paper plates, plastic bags or Lego.

We carried out an investigation to see which shaped vessel allows water to evaporate most rapidly. They found that the water in the narrow vessel hardly evaporated at all but the water in the bowl lost 40ml to evaporation.

On Thursday we had a very exciting DT day in the Swans learning about mechanisms.  The Year 5 & 6 built automata and the 3 and 4s built elastic powered cars.  We learnt a lot about cars through the ages and looked at the advantages of motor-powered vehicles compared to a horse and cart.  The children impressed us with their use of vocab such as 'chassis' and 'aerodynamics'.  Not all of our vehicles went in a straight line so we did some testing and improved our models ready for the big race.  The ramp down the side of the infants class was turned momentarily into Goodwood, but it was hard to choose a winner as all of our designs needed a little bit of a helping hand to get to the finish line.  In the Dawson room the 5 and 6s were busy using the hand saws and hand drills to make the frames of their automata.  Their next step will be to look at a variety of shaped cams to see the different movements they can create.  

In Art last week we completed our impressionist inspired river pictures.  The children have now added a reflection of a silhouette building and added finishing touches to their rivers.  We have them on display in the classroom so do please come and have a look at their fantastic work.

There has been lots of enjoyable role play in PSHE, as the children explored different ways of being assertive – ask them about the fogging and broken record techniques!

In Computing we finished off our Esafety unit talking about copyright and plagiarism.

It has certainly been a busy term! Well done everyone.

Term 6 Week 7

As the culmination of our Crime and Punishment we made a visit to Oxford Castle and Prison. We looked at changing punishments from the Anglo-Saxon times right up until today. We got to look inside a variety of cells and imagine something of what it might have been like to be incarcerated there. The luxurious cell of Mary Blandy was rather a surprise to us. We climbed the 107 steps to the top of St George’s Tower and enjoyed fabulous views over Oxford.

It may seem a little unseasonably warm for panto season but this certainly didn’t stop the Swans from putting on an amazing production of Cinderella Rockerfella last week.  There was plenty of booing and hissing at the evil fairy, lots of laughs from the ugly sisters and, of course, Cinders was transformed in a beautiful princess by the team of kooky fairies and their glamorous fairy godmother.  Rockerfella and his PR team were the epitome of cool and Buttons and Teaser melted our hearts.  We were delighted to have some extra guests to join us on the stage and try on the slipper!  Well done everyone for all your hard work and thank you parents for your assistance learning lines and providing costumes.  It was so lovely to be back in the village hall giving the children the experience of performing on stage in front of an audience after so long. We are all very proud of you.

We have really enjoyed having the new Year 3s in the class for two Move-Up Days and are looking forward to them joining us in September.

On Monday we are devoting an entire day to Design and Technology.  Our focus has been on electronics with the Year 3 and 4s designing an electronic wearable and the Year 5 and 6s making a electronic temperature sensor.  We have been programming Microbits and learning how to set up algorithms to control our devices.  Both classes have then used the Tinkercad website to learn how turn their practical designs into computer designs.  Both of these websites are free and we would encourage you to explore them with your children.  They are lots of fun and very user friendly!

Term 5 Week 5

For English all year groups have been continuing with their persuasive writing. The Year 6s really enjoyed finding out about Chindgu  the Japanese practice of inventing ingenious everyday gadgets that seem to be ideal solutions to particular problems, and designing  and promoting some of their own: a Feline B bowl which releases the cat food down to the cat without you having to bend down, a Workout Energy Maker which allows you to produce electricity via your daily workout and a Moving House which you can take with you on your travels!  The rest of the class have been using their powers of persuasion to promote pets and the wildlife garden or to call for the abolition of homework!

Year 6s have also started putting together their case and practising roles for the Mock Trial, which will take place in the Council Chamber in Cheltenham in June.

In Maths Y3 have been learning about analogue and digital time. This is an area of learning that was impacted by lockdown, so any additional practise you can give your child at home will really help. Year 4 have been learning to round digital numbers.

In History we have moved on to the “Torturing Tudors” and compared their methods of punishments for crimes to those in Anglo Saxon times.

We have spent time finding out about the Queen’s Jubilee, writing her a letters of congratulation, making decorations and food ready for our Jubilee Party.

Term 4 Week 3

In English Year 5&6 have been doing some lovely writing, using  Kensuke’s Kingdom as inspiration and lots have been finding opportunities to include the semi colons and colons we have been learning about. Year 3&4 have been enjoying using ‘The Blue House’ by Phoebe Wahl and ‘I’ll Take You to Mrs Cole’ by Nigel Gray and Michael Foreman to explore settings and emotions. They particularly got into the role play this week and are preparing to write their own stories next week. 

In Maths, Y5 have been finding out that percentages are not as tricky as people make out! Y6 are converting between different units – ml/L, kg/g etc.   Y3&4 have been working hard on mental and written methods for division, including where there is a remainder. 

In RE we have been exploring why people experience both feelings of joy and sorrow during this time of Lent and Easter.

Music this term is pitch – one of our four musical elements.  We are using our voices to explore different pitches and learning to listen to and trace the line of the melody.  We are using ‘Land of the silver birch’ as a foundation for our learning and noticing the intervals between the notes.

Our art this term is inspired by the photographer Ansel Adams and his pictures of the Grand Canyon. We will take our own digital photographs of the landscape around school and use these to create a photographic collage.

In Science Y3&4 have been learning about the digestive system and found out some amazing facts – did you know that the capacity of an average stomach is equivalent to  15 cups of water, that the length of the small intestine is 6m and the large intestine 1.5m?! This week the children looked at the results of their egg shell experiment. The acid in the orange juice corroded the egg shell very badly. We were surprised that the sugars in milk had quite a bad effect on the egg shell too. But the egg shell that was in plain water was still perfect after a week. From this we concluded that, though milk is good for strengthening our teeth, water is the best drink to prevent decay.  

Y5&6 were surprised about when some of the stages of development take place for young children – they found it amazing that most babies learn a new language and how to walk in just over one year. Some of the children were able to bring their record books from when they were babies, to share some of their milestones. 

Everyone has been making great progress in tennis and gymnastics during PE. Last week we were very happy to have Ollie the cricket coach back, but it was a phenomenally wet lesson; well done everyone for keeping going. Should be much better weather today

Term 3 Week 6

In English we have been continuing our work on news articles very imaginatively. Y3&4 have been enjoying writing  articles about a mystery guest who disappeared from the royal ball at midnight! Y5&6 have been writing about a strange invasion of flying pig. Sounds unbelievable – well take a look at this news article about pink frogs raining down on Stroud and Cirencester 30 years ago.  https://www.stroudnewsandjournal.co.uk/news/17154361.remember-pink-frogs-rained-stroud-cirencester/

In Maths everyone has been doing some data handling and using the results of the Big Garden Birdwatch to help them. Year 3 & 4 have been looking at bar charts and Year 5&6 interpreting line graphs and using timetables, the latter being something that children in our area do not have much access to. Do please seize any opportunity to discuss any timetables you come across with your child! Y5&6 have also been thinking about reflecting and translating shapes and learning what makes a shape congruent - you might want to check their knowledge at home! Meanwhile Y3&4 have really been impressing Mr Jones with their knowledge of column addition and subtraction.

While the Y5&6 Cross Country Team were busy at Far Peaks the rest of the class enjoyed some time Scratch coding and debugging a quiz with Mr Jones.

This week we were really lucky to Zoom into the Cheltenham Synagogue with the rest of the school, as part of our study of Judaism. Thank you to Mrs Tipple for arranging this. The children were able to get some first-hand information about the different festivals celebrated and even learnt a Jewish prayer......in Hebrew!

In art we learnt about The Firebird by Stravinsky and used the music as inspiration for our own artwork.  The children had free choice over the medium they wanted to use for their picture and really captured the emotion of the music in their art work.

After all this we still had some energy left to design a work out during PE.  Miss Belcher challenged the children to design a routine that exercised each muscle group.  We even found some muscles we didn't know where there!

Our Anglo-Saxon trip to the Corinium Museum:

Term 3 Week 4

The whole class have all been investigating news reports in English and the Year 3&4s are busy writing their own articles about things that have been going on in school.

In Maths Year 3 & 4 have been working very successfully using the written method for addition. Year 5 have been applying their knowledge of division and multiplication to solve real life problems and Year 6 have been adding and subtracting mixed numbers.

We have all been busy carrying out investigations in Science, Y5&6 to find out which was the best material to insulate Mrs McLellan’s cup of tea and Y3&4 to find out the best material for waterproofing. 

In RE we have been finding out about the reasons Jewish people celebrate the Passover and the traditions they follow.  In D&T everyone has completed their designs for brooches and have started to make prototypes. In our study of music chronology and history we have looked at Baroque and the use of certain instruments over the ages. In Computing Year 5&6 have been modifying an existing maze game and Year 3&4 considering the pros and cons of paper-based and online quizzes

Term 3 Week 2

The pantomime always makes a great start to the year and the Swan class have been looking at the traditions of pantomime and doing some writing related to Rapunzel. Before we go on to look at newspaper reports we have explored some poetry and written some kennings, which fits in well with our current topic, The Anglo-Saxons.

We have discussed why the Angles, Jutes and Saxons felt able, and were even invited, to invade Britain once the Romans had left. We can see around us some of their influence in place names which are familiar to us, such as –ford, -ham, -stow. We will go on to look at their lifestyle, religious beliefs and culture, including through our artwork, where we will be designing and making Anglo-Saxon brooches. At the end of term we have a great trip to the Corinium Museum planned, where we will find out about the grave of an Anglo-Saxon woman that was discovered in  Butler's Field in Lechlade, and why she has been nick-named “Mrs Getty”!

In Maths Year 3 are starting with fractions, Year 4 with tables and all are going on to written methods for addition and subtraction.  Year 5 are starting with multiplication, Year 6 with fractions and both groups finish the term with work on angles.

For Computing we are exploring algorithms and the coding possibilities available with Scratch software. Y3&4 will be creating a quiz and Y5&6 a game, with a final version relating to our topic. You can check out Scratch on the education website and explore some tutorials at https://scratch.mit.edu/

Religious Education looks at how festivals and family life show what matters to Jewish people and we are hoping to have a virtual tour of the synagogue in Cheltenham.

Science for all year groups is Properties of and Changing Materials, carrying out investigations to test the most suitable material for a particular purpose and looking at how materials change when they are mixed, heated and cooled.

Term 2 Week 7

We have been busy doing the end of term assessments alongside getting ready for Christmas – sometimes we have even been able to combine the two with some Christmas themed grammar competitions! To complete our topic on the Romans we thought about the legacy of the Romans in Britain: underfloor heating, sewage systems, Roman numerals, grapes and cabbages, to name just a few! Take a look at our Show and Share to find out more. The final vote showed that education was the legacy our pupils valued most!

Term 1 Week 7

The Swans have been having lots of fun learning about the Egyptian afterlife this week.  We learnt about the processes of mummification, and particularly enjoyed all the details about removing the organs! 

We have started designing a shaduf, Egyptian irrigation system, in DT and will be improving our designs ready for you to see at our show and share at the end of term.  In English we have been doing some research into the authors we will meet at the Literature festival, practising our research skills and learning how to summarise details for a biography.  We have enjoyed reading some of the books in advance too and are hoping the authors don’t spoil the ending today!

In Maths Y3 have been comparing 3 digit numbers and counting on and back in 10s and 100s. Y4 have been rounding to the nearest 10 and 100. Y5 have been comparing and ordering numbers with up to 2 decimal places and Y6 have been multiplying and dividing including using numbers with up to 2 decimal places. In Science Y3&4 have been testing the strength of magnets and Y5&6 starting to look at simple mechanisms using levers.

Our representatives in the cross country competition and our trip to the Ashmolean Museum:

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Term 6 Week 6 21/07/21 

The last couple of weeks have been dominated by our rehearsals for the play. In The Keymaster, a rather dull looking supply teacher, took us on a tour to show how gruesome and fascinating history really is!   It was sad that one member of the cast was isolating, but happily managed to join on-line via Teams   to participate. Well done to all the children, they did a great job – it is really hard projecting your voice in an open-air performance, particularly when you have aircraft circling overhead too!

The Swans had a wonderful activity day at Hill End. We were lucky enough to spend time in Wytham Woods, an ancient semi-natural woodland, designated Site of Special Scientific Interest and one of the most researched pieces of woodland in the world, exceptionally rich in flora and fauna. On our survival course we learnt to build dens, light fires with a steel, trap bears (!), which plants were toxic and which edible and purify water with cotton wool, grass and charcoal. Later we undertook team building challenges, for example to guide a blind-folded partner through tyres, under scramble nets and around the trees. As everyone else left the centre for the day we enjoyed some free-time and then finally barbecued our evening meal round the campfire, toasted marshmallows and enjoyed a cup of hot chocolate - the perfect end to a perfect day!

The Year 6s were delighted to receive their leavers’ hoodies on sports day and insisted in wearing them most of the day, despite the intense heat! We all had a fabulous time at sports day on Friday. Thank you to Miss Belcher for joining us in the morning.

We were very happy to be able to celebrate our Year 6s’ time with us with a slightly amended service and lunch. We were joined by the vicar and representatives of the Church, Swans, Year 6 families, some governors and former staff. Everyone enjoyed a light, socially distanced lunch in the playground, kindly organised by Mrs Simmons. Thank you to the PTA for the cakes and fruit for the children. Jonty and Isaac, along with their families donated some plants to make the area to the left of our front gate a nectar rich area, for the wildlife. In anticipation of its impending popularity with the wildlife, they also gave the school a bug hotel!

On the last day we all gathered together for final worship. It is always a lovely calm moment, ending with Miss Davies’s hilarious rendition of Michael Rosen’s The Register, which includes all of the Swans.

Have a great summer Swans!

Term 6 Week 4 01/07/21 

Last week we were busy with assessments in the mornings. Any spare time has been taken up with play practice, PE, climbing, scootering and Science. The Y3&4s have enjoyed putting together circuits, in their study of electricity, to get bulbs and motors working.

This week we had a fabulous trip to the Cotswold Sculpture Park and came back brimming with ideas for our own show, which we realised on Thursday and Friday. We hope you enjoyed the show this afternoon.

Monday will be a Science Day covering the science which was missed during the lockdown period last year, Forces and Magnets for Y4&5, Forces and Air Resistance for Y5&6 and Science Investigations for Y3.

Term 6 Week 2 19/06/21 

Our topic this term is Through My Window, looking at our local area. We are very lucky to have Margaret Davey from the village, who has a lot of local history knowledge, and was able to guide the Swans on a walk around the village yesterday. The children are in the process of putting together a survey which will be coming home soon, to ask parents about how they use the local facilities and how far they travel for work and shopping. In Art we will be creating a collage of our views of the village.

In English, Y3&4 are enjoying reading and writing non-fiction texts relating to world records, starting with a very quirky book, The World’s Laziest Duck and other Amazing Records.  Y5&6 are studying the narrative poem, The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes, and have created some atmospheric artwork and play scripts based to this.

For Maths everyone has been looking at time and measures. Y3&4 will go on to shape, while Y5&6 will be looking at data handling.

In Science Y3&4 are studying Electricity and Y5&6 Sports Science. Y6 will also be doing some additional Sex and Relationship Education lessons.Y5&6 have been investigating which type of sports kit dries most quickly and which pattern of studs gives the best grip for football boots.

For PSHE, as part of the No Outsiders scheme, we have been looking at the book Two Monsters to understand how differences arise through a failure of communication and what methods we can use to resolve these. We will go on to think about how we care for our environment and handling money.

In RE we have been enjoying some great discussions around the theme Why do some people believe in God and some don’t? We have some natural philosophers in the class!

Swans’ Trip to the Pitt Rivers and Natural History Museum

There was huge excitement in anticipation of the Swans’ first trip as to Oxford to the Pitt Rivers and Natural History Museums.  We took part in a workshop handling and examining Mayan artefacts, explored the eclectic display cabinets to identify some additional artefacts and used these as inspiration for designs for Mayan headdresses. In the Natural History Museum the bugs and dinosaurs were a great draw but the beautiful artwork by Angela Palmer  2020: the Sphere that Changed the World, a 3D model of the virus with an eerie and ethereal quality, had a big impact too.

 I think many your children are keen to go back to explore the displays in both museums further.  However, a definite highlight of the trip was lunchtime picnicking on the lawns, where we attracted the attention of a pair of mallard ducks, named by the children as Sneaker and Beaker,  who were very keen to share our lunch. They were truly Southrop School ducks,  showing resilience and determination and causing great hilarity, they managed to outpace Mrs McLellan and Mr Jones and get a crust or two!  Please take a look on our Youtube channel to see their antics!