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
Dear Parents and Carers,
Another two weeks has flown by for Red Kites; we have been charging ahead with some fantastic learning experiences.
In art we have been learning about the famous Japanese artist Hokusai. He is famous for using the technique of printing to create beautiful images. The children started off their learning last week looking at what printing is as a technique and what resources they could use to print. We created an artist study in our sketchbooks to showcase our learning so far and then looked at colour theory. We continued our learning this week where the children were all free to explore a range of printing techniques.
We have had some fantastic magic moments and enrichment this week. As you know, we had our Harry Potter day where the children thoroughly enjoyed a number of wonderful Harry Potter activities. Care of magical creatures was a firm favourite, where the children were able to interact with snakes! Throughout the morning, they enjoyed Potions, Wand Making and Ministry of Magic investigations. In the afternoon, children enjoyed History and Magic! On Wednesday, you may have heard that we were surprised to find a troll had stormed into school, leaving behind a trail of clues that will lead to the children's newspaper report writing in English. What an exciting week!
This term in Music, we have been diving into the world of Grime! We are currently studying the song Stop by Joanna Mangona, which is helping the children explore complex rhythms and flow. Throughout the term, the children will be collaborating to write their own rap verses, which they will then perform together as a Key Stage during our half-term Music assembly. We can’t wait to showcase their collective hard work and lyrical talent!
We are really looking forward to the Harry Potter studios trip next Tuesday (10th February). Please look out for an email with further details about the day.
Red Kite of the Week has been awarded to Emilly B. Handwriting Hero and Heroine have been awarded to Loshini and Oscar.
Have a lovely weekend.
Mrs True and Mrs Chauhan
27.2.26
Dear Parents and Carers,
Welcome back to the new half term. I hope you all had a lovely week with your children.
In Science this half term, we will be investigating the states of matter. We will be learning to identify the differences between solids, liquids, and gases and exploring how they behave. To help bring this to life, we will be completing some fun experiments throughout the half term to observe how materials change state. We are looking forward to a very practical and engaging series of lessons!
This half term, in geography, we will be looking at the UK and USA and making comparisons between the two. This week, the children started off with exploring the world map and identifying the location of both the UK and USA. They then looked at geographical facts of both countries. After this, they will look at the capital city of the USA in their next lesson.
In History, we will be continuing our topic of the Ancient Greeks. Over this half term, we will be exploring the myth of the Trojan Horse and acting as historians to gather evidence for and against whether the myth is true! We will also be introduced to Aesop and look at a range of fables. Children will then look at a range of elements of daily life in Ancient Greece before putting all of their learning together in their own 'museum display'. On Friday next week (6th March), we have our Greek Day in school. Costumes are welcome for this day if children wish to wear them.
Our English learning this half term links to our history topic; our key text is ‘Greek Myths’. Children will be exposed to a range of Greek Myths before using these as inspiration to write their own description of a myth character and their own Greek myth!
As part of our World Book Day celebrations on Thursday 5th March, the Reading Ambassadors are organising a book swap. Please could you send in any donations of children's books (fiction or non-fiction) from Monday and these will be displayed for everyone to choose from at the end of school on Thursday. We are hoping that everyone could bring a book and take a book!
The children were very excited to hear that Mr Wildman will be returning to Lark Rise next week. He has now finished his placement at another school; we are thrilled to have him back in Red Kites class.
Red Kite of the Week has been awarded to Mike. Handwriting Hero and Heroine have been awarded to Hadassa and Archie.
Have a lovely weekend.
Mrs True
13.3.26
Dear Parents and Carers,
We have had another wonderful couple of weeks in Red Kites Class with some fantastic learning and enrichment activities.
Last week, we loved World Book Day where we enjoyed reading activities throughout the day which started with the beloved Lark Rise ‘Booknic’ and ended with the heartwarming ‘Stop, Drop and Read’. It was so lovely to see so many of you attend this to spend time reading with your children. Then, of course, we rolled straight into Greek Day where the children enjoyed learning about democracy, mosaics, Greek pottery, the Olympic Games and even completed some Greek themed puzzles! Thank you so much for your support with ensuring children have the right equipment and costumes on the right days.
This week has been Science Week and the children have been thinking about the theme of asking questions. They were given free reign earlier this week with some resources and were tasked with asking and answering their own questions through practical enquiry. It was lovely to watch the children explore their own interests themselves and we had a lovely (and messy!) time.
This term in Music, we have been busy listening to and appraising the classic hit "Lean on Me" by Bill Withers. We have been exploring the soulful sounds of the Gospel and Soul genres, discussing the song's powerful message of friendship and support. The children have shown fantastic enthusiasm so far, showing great rhythm during our listening sessions and sharing some very thoughtful insights into the lyrics. We are now beginning to find our singing voices and are very much looking forward to performing this together in our upcoming Music Assembly soon!
This half term in DT we are designing and making kites. The children started their learning off by evaluating existing products and learning about the history of kites. Then, they moved on to learn about the parts of a kite and their function. We are all looking forward to watching them design and make their kites over the next couple of week!
Red Kite of the Week has been awarded to Isla L. Handwriting Hero and Heroine have been awarded to Taylor and Gracie.
Have a lovely weekend.
Mrs True and Mr Wildman
27.3.26
Dear Parents and Carers,
We have had a very busy final two weeks of the half term and the children have shown excellent progress in their learning.
In History, we finished our unit about the Ancient Greeks with the children collating all of the information they had learned and making their own exhibits for an Ancient Greek museum at Lark Rise. The children showed off not only their excellent knowledge but also historical skills of evaluating and interpreting a range of primary and secondary sources.
In English, children have crafted some fantastic learning this half term. They have written their own Greek myths and descriptions of a Greek mythical creature. Finally, we explored the structure of haiku poetry and children have written their own haikus based on a nature theme.
Our Geography unit culminated in a debate about the differences and reasons to live in either the UK or USA. Children brought together all the knowledge they had gained about the climate, culture and geography of the two countries before deciding on where they would rather live!
This term in PSHE, we have been exploring Rights and Responsibilities. We have been so impressed by their maturity and self-awareness, particularly when exploring how to make thoughtful, balanced decisions. One of the highlights was our deep dive into budgeting; it was wonderful to see the children so eager to discuss how they save their money and why financial planning is such an important life skill. Their enthusiasm for these real-world topics has sparked some truly insightful classroom discussions!
In computing, we have been learning how to write code sequences using the software 'Turtle Academy'. The children have enjoyed learning about written code and what it can create as an outcome on their screens. They have had a go at getting the 'turtle' to write letters and numbers. Once confident with the rules of the code, they experimented with drawing shapes and investigating which parts of the code to change in order to make the code bigger or smaller.
There is a change to homework over the Easter holidays. The children have a chance to be creative with their homework which can be based on any of the learning they have done this term. Please see your child’s Google Classroom (Base Class) for more details. There will be no homework set on the Doodle learning platform. In order to continue to promote Times Tables, we will also be rewarding the base class in LKS2 that completes the most minutes on TT Rockstars over the Easter holidays - keep those times tables rocking!
Red Kite of the Week is awarded to Teagan. Handwriting Hero and Heroine have been awarded to Malcolm and Amelia.
I hope you all have a wonderful Easter break with your children. Hopefully the weather will be kind and you make lots of fantastic, happy memories.
Mrs True and Mr Wildman
Class News Summer Term 2026
8.5.26
Dear Parents and Carers,
We have had another fantastic two weeks, with lots of learning taking place and lots to celebrate.
This half term in RE, we have been learning about the religion of Islam and how Muslims worship in different ways. Children have been taught about the five pillars of Islam that are central to the Islamic faith. They have also learnt about the Qu’ran and how Muslims prepare for and take part in prayer as part of their religion.
This term in music, we have been diving into the iconic song "Blackbird" by The Beatles. Beyond the melody, we have explored the song's historical roots, specifically its connection to the Civil Rights Movement and the inspiring legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. The children showed great maturity while discussing the importance of equality and the power of music as a message.
On the practical side, we have just begun translating the song onto the glockenspiels. This week, the children learnt to play their first section. I am very impressed with their rhythm and focus. I look forward to seeing them develop their technique and build on this piece in the coming weeks!
This half term in Geography, we started our learning about 'Natural Phenomena'. We began by looking at the physical geography of the Earth and identified the layers of the Earth (crust, upper mantle, lower mantle, outer core and inner core). The children explored tectonic plates and where they are on a world map. This then led us on nicely to look at mountains and volcanoes. The children have been successful in identifying mountains and volcanoes around the world using their map reading skills.
This week’s homework will be set today on Doodle Maths and due on 13.5.26.
Red Kite of the Week this week is awarded to Zakariya. Handwriting Hero and Heroine are awarded to Lilly and Malakai.
Mrs True and Mr Wildman
22.5.26
Dear Parents and Carers,
I can’t believe that we are at the end of the first half of the summer term - the year really is whizzing by and we will soon be thinking about transition to next year! It was lovely to finish the half term off with our very own 'Break the Rules Day', where the children came in dressed up, wore nail polish, and brought in temporary tattoos. It definitely created a fantastic buzz around the school!
To finish off our English unit for this half term, based on our key fiction text Escape from Pompeii, the children have written their own diary entries from the perspective of a character in the book, describing the dramatic events they witnessed. It has been so lovely to see just how creative, thoughtful, and imaginative the children have been with their writing
In History, we have continued exploring the Romans, focusing on what life was like in the Roman army. We finished the unit with a fantastic classroom debate, where the children argued whether or not they would join the Roman army as a Celt. There was a real buzz in the room, and it was great to see the children express their ideas so confidently and enthusiastically.
We rounded off our Geography unit this week by thinking about the positives and negatives of living near a volcano and the children had to develop their own persuasive posters to convince me to live near a volcano - or not! There were some very convincing arguments both ways and I am still considering my decision as to whether I make the move or not!
It was lovely to have our Musical Showcase assembly this week! To finish off our half term, the children performed the Beatles song "Blackbird." They sang with confidence and enthusiasm. It was a truly great performance and a wonderful way to celebrate their hard work in music.
The Year 4 children will be completing their Multiplication Tables Check in the first two weeks after half term. As we approach this check, the children have continued to amaze us with their focus and fierce determination to ensure their fluency is as strong as it can be. Please look at your emails if you have a child in Year 4 for details of some times table activities that have been sent home and will be very highly rewarded if they are brought back to school completed.
Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your continued support. Your involvement and cooperation throughout the year does not go unnoticed and is highly appreciated.
I hope you all have a relaxing and well-deserved half-term break. The weather is looking lovely at the moment so I hope you have lots of fun!
Red Kite of the Week is awarded to Zachary. Handwriting hero and heroine have been awarded to Jackson and Zara.
Kind regards
Mrs True and Mr Wildman
12.6.26
Dear Parents and Carers,
Welcome back to the final half term of the academic year. It has been a lovely two weeks in Red Kites Class continuing with our learning.
A huge 'well done' to all of the Year 4 children who have successfully completed their Multiplication Tables Check since returning to school after half term. We are so proud of how hard the children have worked all year and they have all performed fantastically well. The children's results will be sent to you in their annual school report but we are very proud of every child for all their hard work. Thank you for your continued support with this and encouragement to practice times tables at home.
This half term in Geography, we are thinking about the question 'How does the climate around the world affect land use?' Children have looked at a range of plants from around the world, where they grow and why. They have also looked at the concept of biomes and why we can find similar plants in different areas across the world. This learning will progress and also link to our sustainability curriculum.
This half term in R.E we have started to look at ‘What is the ‘Trinity’ and why is it important for Christians?’ Our first lesson was centered around the importance of water in our daily life and the importance of water to Christians. This learning continued and we took a look at the story of Jesus’ baptism and the meaning behind the story in the bible: Matthew ch3 v 13-17.
This term in music, we have been diving into our exciting new unit, 'Reflect, Rewind and Replay'! The children have been looking back at the songs and musical heroes they have previously explored, while also discovering the wonderful world of Western classical music. They are working hard towards playing a special musical composition based on this style. As part of our learning, we have also re-explored the incredible percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie and discussed why her impact on the music world is so unique and important. The children have shown fantastic enthusiasm, and it has been great to see their musical confidence grow so much already.
Red Kite of the Week has been awarded to Amelia. Handwriting Hero and Heroine have been awarded to Mike and Lilly.
Kind regards
Mrs True and Mr Wildman
26.6.26
Dear Parents and Carers,
It has been another lovely, although extremely hot, two weeks in Red Kites Class. Thank you so much for all of your support with reading emails updating you about changes to dates and arrangements; we really appreciate your support in enabling us to keep the children safe in what has been exceptional weather!
In our History lessons, we have been continuing our fascinating journey with the Romans. Recently, the children have been working collaboratively in groups to explore a whole range of different Roman achievements. Together, they investigated: How these brilliant ancient innovations and engineering feats were built, the long-term impact they have had on our world today and whether these achievements should still be considered significant in modern times. It was lovely to watch the children collaborate so beautifully, sharing ideas and enthusiastically finding out the information together. They showed fantastic teamwork skills.
In DT this half term, we are going to be researching, designing, making, and evaluating bridges. So far, the children have thoroughly enjoyed researching bridges and looking at their design features in detail. They have spent time looking closely at the different types of structures including beam, arch, truss, suspension, and cable-stayed bridges, and in groups, have selected the bridge type they would like to design and make with their chosen team mates. This week, the children also spent time researching a famous real-world bridge, creating some wonderful Canva posters to showcase their findings.
We have also been thinking about transition this half term and the children have taken part in a number of activities related to this. They have been visiting different adults and classrooms in their key stages for next year, alongside the other year groups of children they will be with. Mrs Lang also delivered a wonderful assembly this week where the children thought about all the different emotions that can come with changes in life. Thank you to all parents that have attended the online transition meetings this week, whether your child will be staying in LKS2 or transitioning to UKS2 in September.
Red Kite of the Week has been awarded to Harry. Handwriting Hero and Heroine have been awarded to Malakai and Isla K.
Have a lovely weekend.
Mrs True and Mr Wildman