Red Kites Class

Class News Autumn Term 2025

12.9.25

Dear Parents and Carers,

Welcome back to another academic year! To say it has been a pleasure over the last two weeks settling in with your children would be an understatement. We have had a fantastic time together learning new routines and getting comfortable and familiar with the expectations in Lower Key Stage Two. This can be a daunting time but the children have absolutely risen to the challenge and they are a credit to you. 

We are very pleased to welcome Mrs Smith to the Key Stage this year. Mrs Smith has previous experience of teaching at Lark Rise and has worked in a range of primary and secondary schools as a teacher. She will be providing internal cover for myself, Mrs Bilenkyj and Miss Qureshi and has got to know all of the children this week. 

This week, the children have found out their English and Maths groupings for the year and we have wasted no time in starting our curriculum learning. In English, our key text is ‘The Firework-Maker’s Daughter’ by Philip Pullman: the children have met a character named Lila who we have already discovered is brave and adventurous! As the half term progresses, we will follow Lila on her adventures through the text and this will be supplemented by additional fiction, non-fiction and poetry texts to enrich the children’s reading experiences.

Our topic for this half term in Geography is ‘Which Way?’, where we will be embarking on an exciting journey using maps to explore different locations around the world. The children will be given the opportunity to use a variety of maps to develop their understanding of geographical locations and also learn new vocabulary such as ‘latitude, longitude, equator and prime meridian’. Throughout our learning, the children will learn to identify continents, countries and oceans. We hope that this topic will inspire a sense of adventure and curiosity in the children as they learn to navigate and understand our planet. 

Finally, a couple of ‘thank you’ messages to all of you. Firstly, for ensuring that children are correctly equipped with the correct uniform, water bottles, PE kits and swimming bags so soon into the term and, secondly, for being particularly patient with us in these first few weeks at home time while we get to know your faces so that we can dismiss the children safely. We really appreciate your patience with this.

Red Kite of the Week is awarded to Malakai. Handwriting Hero and Heroine is awarded to Jackson and Loshini.

Have a very well-deserved rest this weekend with your wonderful children. 

Mrs True and Mr Wildman

26.9.25

 Dear Parents and Carers,

It has been another fantastic two weeks in Red Kites Class; we are well into our curriculum now and the children are already making excellent progress. The learning behaviours that we developed in the first couple of weeks are still impressing all of the adults around school; well done to the children for keeping up these fantastic routines.

We are having a fantastic time in our music lessons this term, learning the upbeat and exciting song “Mamma Mia” by ABBA! The children have shown incredible enthusiasm and their singing has been full of energy and passion. We have started to play along with the melody on our glockenspiels and it really has been so lovely to see the children’s focus as they work hard to keep in time with the music. It’s safe to say we’ve got a class full of pop stars in the making!

In history, we are well into our learning on the Tudors which is our History topic for Autumn term. To launch the topic, the children received a letter from Priory Church with a family tree that had missing information. They had to work on filling in the missing information by using what they already know and researching. We then moved this learning on to look at King Henry VIII and what changes happened during his reign. We have now moved our learning on to look at Tudor dress and how their clothing is different to ours today. The children are truly fascinated by this topic and it has been wonderful to watch them engage so deeply with their learning.  

Children have been enjoying their French lessons this half term. They have been developing their confidence in speaking French to each other and in front of the class. So far, children have learnt how to introduce themselves and describe how they are feeling. They have particularly enjoyed the actions that go along with these phrases! This week, the children have covered numbers to 10 in French and learnt to sing 'Frere Jacques' in a round. We were also fortunate enough to enjoy Mrs Francis' 'Language of the Term' assembly on Monday, where the chosen language was French and embedded lots of the skills the children have developed so far.

Red Kite of the Week has been awarded to Lucas and Ariana. Handwriting Hero and Heroine has been awarded to Malcolm, Mike Emily B and Beau.

Have a lovely weekend!

Mrs True and Mr Wildman

 10.10.25

Dear Parents and Carers,

This half term is certainly flying by! The children have continued to amaze me with their behaviour and learning. 

This half term in Art, we are excited to be learning how to draw Tudor Portraits, linking nicely with our learning in History! The children started this unit by appraising Tudor portraits from the past. They then completed an artist study on Hans Holbein, a famous portrait artist who worked for King Henry VIII - I'm sure your child will love telling you all about him! Following this, they have been focusing on developing the skills needed to draw different facial features. Next week, the children will use these skills to draw a mock version of their Tudor portrait in preparation for their final piece. You will all get a chance to view these beautiful portraits toward the end of the Autumn term.

We are having a wonderful time in RE learning about the Journeys of Life in different world religions. The children explored how major milestones are celebrated, such as Baptism in Christianity, Bar Mitzvah in Judaism, and key ceremonies in Hinduism. The children have loved comparing these traditions and seeing how different communities mark these important moments. A big highlight has been using the chromebooks to design their own detailed presentation slides, and they are really keen to share all of their fantastic work and new knowledge with the rest of the class. It’s been so lovely to see the level of enthusiasm from the children when exploring different religions!

In English, the children have been continuing to enjoy 'The Firework-Maker's Daughter' by Philip Pullman. They are very invested in the story of Lila, a young girl who is desperate to become a firework-maker. Children have enjoyed reading the text, using a mixture of strategies, and developing their reading comprehension skills through a range of activities to support this. Our writing outcomes have also been informed by this text and the additional supporting texts; so far, the children have written fantastic descriptions of Lila and persuasive letters to Lila to ensure she doesn't venture up the dangerous Mount Merapi!

Well done to all children who were brave enough to put themselves forward for a role or responsibility in school this year. For some children, this is a very daunting prospect but I am so proud of every child who took the chance offered to them. The results will be announced very soon - good luck to all of those who are hopeful for a role this year.

Red Kite of the Week is awarded to Hadassa and Taylor. Handwriting Hero and Heroine is awarded to Archie, Victor, Ariana and Amelia.

Have a lovely weekend.

Mrs True and Mr Wildman

 24.10.25

Dear Parents and Carers,

We have made it to the end of the first half term of the year! I can’t quite believe we are that far into the year already. I have had so much fun getting to know your children and it has been lovely welcoming you into school for Learning Review Meetings and ‘Stop, Drop and Read’ for you to enjoy the children’s learning too.

This term, the children have kick-started their base class PE sessions with swimming. The children have settled into the new routine brilliantly and we have been so impressed by how well they've taken to the lessons. It has been lovely to see the children’s growing confidence in the water as the weeks have gone on and they are all making great progress!

In PSHE, we have been looking at our relationships with people around us. We have focused on the people who are special to use and considered how sometimes we may face problems with those people. We have been exploring how best to handle different problems using scenarios and thinking about what we can do to work through them whilst maintaining positive relationships with others. The children have done a fantastic job at problem solving these scenarios and considering how to be kind and respectful when resolving issues with people around us. 

This week, we were lucky enough to visit Dunstable Library - a fantastic local resource that I know lots of our children enjoy with you! The children had the chance to explore the children’s section and enjoy some books; many of them were asking about bringing the books with them. Although we couldn’t bring the books home, it was lovely of Dunstable Library to provide a goody bag for each child as they left the library.

In Computing this half term, children have been learning about computer networks. Children have learned about what a network is and the different elements that make a computer network. We have gone on a ‘network walk’ around school, identifying the different parts of our school’s network and thinking about how they communicate. We have also taken part in weekly online safety sessions to ensure children are constantly reminded about how to keep themselves safe online.

Homework for the half term has been set on Google Classroom and is based around Black History Month.

Have a wonderful half term break - please make sure you have a fantastic time with your children; they deserve a fantastic time resting and memory-making with you! Red Kite of the Week has been awarded to Albie. Handwriting Hero and Heroine have been awarded to Zachary and Quinn.

Mrs True and Mr Wildman

 14.11.25

Dear Parents and Carers,

It has been a fantastic first two weeks of this half term. The children have settled straight back into their learning and the routines they now know so well. 

Our Geography lessons are taking us on an exciting journey to explore the Wonders of the World! We kicked off the topic by introducing the children to the Seven Wonders of the World, discussing why they were built and their lasting historical and cultural significance. The level of engagement from children so far has been fantastic, and they have shown great curiosity about these amazing structures. We look forward to continuing our exploration and discovering more incredible natural and human-made wonders throughout the term.

In English, we have been exploring a range of poetry which was linked to Halloween and Bonfire Night. A highlight of this was the Witches’ Spell from Macbeth which the children then used as inspiration for their own poems in their writing. We are going to be moving on to our key fiction text for the half term, ‘One Christmas Wish’, by Katherine Rundell. 

Last week, we had a ‘Gripping Yarns’ workshop from an external provider who has an established relationship with Lark Rise. He is an expert in providing PSHE-related workshops through story telling; the theme of this workshop was around friendships. This linked very well to Anti-Bullying Week this week where the children enjoyed a live lesson, thinking about what bullying is and how we can use our power for good to stop bullying if we see it happening. We also reinforced this in the online safety section of our weekly computing lesson where we thought about what online bullying can look like and how we can stop it.

Our history lessons are currently navigating the turbulent waters of the Tudor period! We are shifting our focus from the royal court to the open seas as we investigate the famous (and infamous) Tudor explorers.  We began by researching Christopher Columbus, examining his voyages and impact. This week, we focused on Sir John Hawkins. The children have shown great maturity in discussing the complex legacy of some of these figures. We have been learning that the things they 'achieved' were not always beneficial or moral; prompting us to think critically about historical perspective. Finally, next week we will continue sailing through to find out about Sir Francis Drake, which will lead us on nicely to look at the impact of the Tudor reign and whether it was a golden or shadow era! 

Red Kite of the Week has been awarded to Quinn and Hadassa. Handwriting Hero and Heroine have been awarded to Zakariya and Gracie.

Have a lovely weekend.

Mrs True and Mr Wildman

 28.11.25

Dear Parents and Carers,

Last week, we celebrated Maths Week in school which was full of very exciting events. We had a fantastic assembly to kick off the week, led by Mrs Waterman and Mrs Shilvock. In our classrooms, we spent time doing a range of ‘Active Maths’ activities and creating our very own maths games. The highlight of the week was definitely watching the children play their games with the children in Owls and Robins on Friday afternoon. What lovely role models and teachers they all were towards the younger children!

The children have been fully engaged in our exciting Science topic this term, all about how living organisms depend on each other for energy. We have had fantastic discussions while exploring food chains, specifically looking at the effect of removing different animals and how this creates competition. The children have shown wonderful curiosity as we compared the skeletons of various animals, and we have begun to map out the body parts of the human digestive system. We are thrilled with the way the children have been listening and how keen they are to share their own knowledge and ideas - their enthusiasm is making this a brilliant unit! 

In DT this half term we are focusing on food where we will be researching, designing, making and evaluating savory pinwheels. The children have spent time researching recipes, looking at key vocabulary and ingredients. They will be working in pairs to design and make their savory pinwheels where they will be choosing 2-3 ingredients to add to their base recipe. We are looking forward to seeing the children's final products.

Our Christmas rehearsals are well underway and the children are having a wonderful time learning lots of songs for our performance. We are loving their enthusiasm! At the risk of giving you any spoilers, if your child does want to practice further at home, the songs are from a production called ‘What on Earth is Christmas?’ and can be found as a playlist on some music streaming services, such as Spotify. 

Just a reminder that next week (Wednesday 3rd December) is our Tudor Day where the children will be taking part in a range of activities to enrich their History learning from this term. We are very excited for the children to take part in these activities and any Tudor-themed dress up is encouraged! 

Red Kite of the Week has been awarded to Emily C. Handwriting Hero and Heroine have been awarded to Lucas and Zara.

Have a lovely weekend.

Mrs True and Mr Wildman

 12.12.25

Dear Parents and Carers,

What another wonderful two weeks it has been in Red Kites class. The absolute highlight has got to have been the amazing Christmas performance at the DCC this week - I know you will all feel just as proud as I am of every single one of the children for their confidence, hard work and excellently polished performance on Wednesday evening. The children worked incredibly hard in school to prepare and I am so pleased the result showed this off! A big ‘thank you’ to all of you as well for supporting the children at home and ensuring they had all the right clothing and props in the right place at the right time! The event really was the highlight of the year so far for me.

However, learning has not stopped for the Christmas performance! We have continued our Computing learning with the children creating props for their Stop Motion videos - I am excited for the children to film the final products next week and put their onion-skinning skills into practice. We have some very ambitious and creative scenes that children have put together and I am looking forward to giving the children the chance to create their own animations. 

In English, we have been finishing our key text ‘One Christmas Wish’. It isn’t a text I had read before this year and it has been absolutely lovely to enjoy; perhaps one to choose to re-read with your children at home over Christmas. It has a real heartwarming ending and the characters are all so loveable. We loved finding out whether Theo got his Christmas Wish in the story.

Next week, we will be finalising our end points for the term to complete the children’s learning and then spending some time creating some lovely Christmas crafts that they will bring home towards the end of the week. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for all of your support throughout the first term of the year. It has absolutely flown by but I have had a wonderful time getting to know all of your children and look forward to continuing the year with them.

Red Kite of the Week has been awarded to Malcolm. Handwriting Hero and Heroine have been awarded to Oscar and Isla L.

However you choose to spend the Christmas holiday, I hope your break with your children is filled with happiness, memory-making and joy. Have a wonderful and well-deserved rest. See you in 2026!

Mrs True and Mr Wildman 

Class News Spring Term 2026

9.1.26

Dear Parents and Carers,

It has been lovely to welcome your children back to school this week; they have had lots of wonderful things to say about their Christmas breaks. What lovely memories you have all created for your children to cherish. A huge thank you to all of the Christmas wishes, cards and gifts that were received at the end of last term - the whole team were overwhelmed by your generosity; thank you so, so much.

This week, the children have been introduced to our new key text for the half term, 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'. There was great excitement when this was revealed in the key stage and children were very excited to share all of their existing knowledge about the story from experiences they have already had. We have started to read the book this week and explored the characters of the Dursleys: Harry's unkind aunt, uncle and cousin. We are excited to write diary entries from Harry's perspective about his life before he finds out some magical news!

In Geography this half term we are learning about the exciting topic 'European Neighbours'. Children have kicked off their learning this week by exploring the continent of Europe and thinking carefully about where it is on the globe. They have looked at a map of Europe and used atlases to locate countries and bodies of water in Europe. They will continue their learning next week by exploring capital cities of European countries. 

We have also had a wonderful start to our new Science unit as the children begin to explore the world of Sound. So far, they have been investigating how sounds are produced through vibrations and the way these waves travel through different mediums to reach our ears . It has been lovely to see how incredibly keen the children are to dive into this topic; We are very much looking forward to continuing our journey as "Sound Scientists" and exploring how volume and pitch work! 

Red Kites are very excited to have received the scripts for their class assembly next Friday (16th January), which I look forward to seeing many of you attend. Please reassure the children that there is no requirement to have learned all their lines by heart and they are welcome to have their scripts to support them. Children are encouraged to practice their lines at home so they are confident during the rehearsals in school and the final performance and so that they know when they need to speak. The children have received this message in school too; thank you for reinforcing it at home.

This week’s homework will be set on the Doodle spelling platform. 

Red Kite of the Week has been awarded to Jackson. Handwriting Hero and Heroine have been awarded to Albie and Hadassa.

Have a lovely weekend.

Mrs True and Mrs Chauhan

23.1.26

Dear Parents and Carers,

It has been lovely to have lots of chances to see you all over the last couple of weeks. I am sure you will agree that the children were absolutely amazing in their class assembly last week - we have definitely set the bar high for the rest of the key stage. Not only did they give a fantastic performance on the day but their effort and attitude during rehearsals needs to be commended too. It was clear to see that all the children had been supported at home with their lines so thank you for all of your help with this.

It was also lovely being able to interact with lots of you about your child’s progress at Learning Review Meetings this week. I hope my pride in each and every one of the children shone through and I look forward to seeing what dizzy heights the children continue to soar to in their learning.

The Year 4 children completed another Multiplication Tables Check practice this week. Their scores will be sent home to you in a letter very soon. We are very pleased with the progress that the children are making in this area; it is great to see how proud they are of their achievements. Please continue to encourage children to practice each day at home; this can be done in short bursts throughout the day. Thank you to all of you who attended the Parent and Carer training for the MTC check last week.

Over the last term, children have become very familiar with having simple conversations in French and being able to choose from a selection of responses to express how they are feeling. They have also learned to count to 10 in French and how to say colours. This half term, they have learned the days of the week (with a lovely song to accompany their new vocabulary) and have started to learn a range of foods. They are beginning to express whether they like or dislike each food too. I’m sure it’s no surprise that chocolate and ice-cream were popular among the children!

This term in RE, we are learning about how faith is expressed in Sikhism. The children have thoroughly enjoyed investigating Sikh traditions and have done a fantastic job working collaboratively creating templates and posters on their chromebooks. It has been lovely to see them so eager to discuss their new knowledge and we are very proud of the effort and teamwork they have displayed throughout the unit.

This week’s homework will be set on the Doodle spelling platform. 
Red Kite of the Week has been awarded to Benjamin. Handwriting Hero and Heroine have been awarded to Albie and Zara.

Have a lovely weekend.

Mrs True and Mrs Chauhan

 6.2.26