Jack and the Beanstalk

This week we’ve continued our learning using the traditional story Jack and the Beanstalk.

We’ve learnt to retell the story using our class story map and a few actions to help. Our prosody has really improved as we became more confident with the story.

Maths

In maths we’ve been doubling, we’ve used the stem sentence 2 is made of 1 and 1, double 1 is 2. Doubling numbers up to 5. We’ve also had a go at doubling the leaves on a beanstalk.

Poetry Picnic

Each week we learn a new poem and recite it every day. By saying the poem out loud, we can focus on the sounds and rhythm of each word or line. We talk about how this can help us become better readers. This week’s poem is called Hungry Birdies.

Hungry Birdies
I have built a little nest,
look inside, look inside.
Hungry birdies with their beaks,
open wide, open wide.
And the little birdies grow,
day by day by day.
‘Till they spread their wings and fly,
far away, far away.

We talk about how a poem sometimes has rhyming words and sometimes doesn’t. Can your child tell you the rhyming words in this week’s poem? We also talk about how a poem can have a fast rhythm or a slow rhythm.

Living and Learning: I know the importance of a healthy diet

This week, Year 4 have been learning about having a healthy, balanced diet.

We recapped the five main food groups that we learnt about in Science last year.

• carbohydrates
• fruit and vegetables
• protein
• dairy
• fats

We need a balanced diet of these food groups to keep us healthy and strong. For example, carbohydrates give us energy and dairy is full of calcium that is great for our teeth and bones. We also need some fats as they give us energy and help us to absorb the vitamins and minerals that we eat through fruit and vegetables.

We had a go at creating our own balanced meal. Here is one great example:

Help at home by planning a meal with your child and checking that you have a balanced amount of each food group.

Finding Peace in Year 2

This week in Year 2, we enjoyed a calm and thoughtful RE lesson as we explored the question: What do many Christians believe is the good news that Jesus brings about peace?

We listened to words from the Bible, including John 14:27: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.” We discussed what “peace” means and how it can feel inside us, even when things around us are busy or challenging.

The children shared some beautiful ideas about what makes them feel peaceful.

Alfie “I feel peaceful when I’m in bed and it’s quiet.”

Luna “When I have a cuddle with my friend, I feel calm.”

Lyla “Playing outside makes me feel peaceful.”

The class then drew their own pictures inside heart shapes to show what peace looks like to them.

It was a lovely opportunity to reflect and connect, and the children spoke so thoughtfully about their feelings and ideas.

SATS information

Dear parents

Below is some information you may find useful regarding SATS week. If you have any questions, please don’t hestitate to contact me.

When are SATs in 2026? 

This year’s KS2 assessments take place over four days from 11 to 14 May 2026. The timetable is:

• Monday 11 May – English grammar, punctuation and spelling
• Tuesday 12 May – English reading
• Wednesday 13 May – Mathematics (arithmetic and reasoning)
• Thursday 14 May – Mathematics (reasoning)

What are SATs actually for? 

SATs help to measure how your child is doing at the end of primary school and make sure they get the right support as they move into secondary school. They’re not a pass or fail – they’re a way of understanding your child’s strengths and where they might need a little extra help.

Does my child need to revise? 

The assessments only cover things your child has already been taught as part of the national curriculum, so there’s no need to put them under pressure to revise intensively. Their teachers will have been preparing them throughout the year. The most helpful thing you can do is keep things calm and positive at home.

How can I support my child at home? 

You don’t need to be an expert. Simple things make a real difference – reading together for ten minutes a day, practising times tables on the way to school, or just asking what they’ve been learning. Your encouragement and reassurance matters more than any revision guide.

Why does attendance matter so much right now? 

Every lesson between now and May counts. Children who attend regularly are better prepared, more confident, and more likely to do their best in their assessments. Missing school in the weeks leading up to SATs means missing teaching, practice and the support their teacher can offer.

If your child is struggling to attend, please speak to their school as soon as possible. Schools are there to help and will work with you to understand what’s getting in the way – there’s no pressure to manage it alone.

What if my child finds the tests difficult? 

The tests are designed to stretch all children, including the most able, so some pupils will find them harder than others. That’s normal and expected. One of the purposes of the assessments is to identify where children may need more support, so that their secondary school can help them from day one.

What if my child has special educational needs or a disability? 

Some children may be assessed under different arrangements if these are more appropriate for them. Your child’s headteacher makes the final decision about how your child participates. If you have any concerns, speak to your school in the first instance.

When will we get the results? 

Schools will receive results in early July. Before the end of the summer term, your child’s school will send you a report including their test results and teacher assessment judgements. Results are given as a scaled score – a score of 100 or above means your child is working at or above the expected standard for their age.

Is my child’s school well supported to prepare for this? 

Yes. It is our ambition that by the end of this parliament, outcomes will reach the highest level since current assessments began – meaning around 25,000 more children will leave primary school with strong foundations. The government has provided schools with new resources and support, including a Writing Framework for teachers, reading support through English Hubs, and preparation materials through Oak National Academy.

Who should I speak to if I have concerns? 

Your child’s teacher or headteacher is always the best first point of contact for any questions about your child’s assessments, results or support needs.

Where can I find out more?

For more information on the tests and what the results mean, the Standards and Testing Agency has published leaflets for parents which will provide additional details about the tests and results process – these are available on Gov.UK.

Living and Learning – Healthy Eating

This week, in Living and Learning, we’ve been learning all about how to keep our bodies healthy and strong. One of the most important things we’ve talked about is eating a balanced diet and making sure we get our 5 a day.

What is a healthy diet?

A healthy diet means eating a variety of foods so our bodies get everything they need to grow, learn and play. We’ve been discussing different food groups and why they’re important.

Here’s what we’ve learnt:

• Fruit and vegetables help keep us healthy and full of energy
• Carbohydrates like bread, rice and pasta give us energy to learn and play
• Protein foods like eggs, beans, fish and meat help our bodies grow strong
• Dairy foods like milk, cheese and yoghurt help build strong bones and teeth
• We should only have small amounts of sugary treats and fizzy drinks

The Eatwell Guide is a great visualisation of a balanced diet.

Thinking like scientists

We’ve also linked our learning to science by exploring what fruits and vegetables actually are. Fruits grow from flowers and contain seeds like apples, tomatoes and cucumbers while vegetables are other parts of the plant such as roots, stems and leaves, like carrots, broccoli and lettuce. It’s been great fun sorting foods and thinking like scientists, and it’s helped us understand where our food comes from as well as why it’s good for our bodies.

Have a go a this eating the seasons quiz.

What is 5 a day?

5 a day means we should try to eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day. We’ve learned that this helps our bodies stay healthy and fight off illness.

Some examples we talked about:

• An apple, banana or orange
• A handful of grapes or berries
• Carrot sticks or cucumber slices
• Peas, sweetcorn or broccoli with dinner
• A small glass of fruit juice or a smoothie

We’ve also learned that fresh, frozen, tinned and dried fruit and vegetables all count.

Packed lunches at school

We’ve also been talking about how to make healthy choices in our packed lunches, too. Our guidance encourages children to include a variety of foods such as a starchy food like a sandwich or pasta, some fruit or vegetables, and a source of protein like cheese, eggs or meat. We also encourage water, milk or pure fruit juice instead of sugary drinks and ask that sweets and fizzy drinks aren’t included.

Help at home by trying a 5 a day challenge. See if your child can spot how many portions they’ve eaten in a day. You could:

• Add fruit to breakfast cereal
• Pack veggie sticks for a snack
• Let your child help choose fruits and vegetables at the shop
• Try a new fruit or vegetable each week

Dictionaires help us become better readers!

This week in Year 3, we have been exploring how to use dictionaries to help us become more independent readers and writers. We linked our learning to the non-fiction text about Ava Lovedale, which inspired lots of curiosity and new vocabulary!

Year 3 learned how dictionaries are organised in alphabetical order and practised finding words by using the first and second letters. We talked about why this skill is important and how it can help us understand unfamiliar words when reading.

Everyone worked really hard to look up new vocabulary from the text and enjoyed the challenge of finding words quickly and accurately. It was fantastic to see their confidence grow as they used dictionaries independently.

Oliver’s Milkshake

This week we’ve been reading the story ‘Oliver’s Milkshake’ and on Wednesday we even made a milkshake ourselves.

We chose the fruit for Miss Feldman to buy and then we put it in the blender to make a milkshake. It was so tasty and fruity we drank it all up!

Thank you to Miss Feldman for getting all the things we needed to make such a delicious drink.

Jack and the Beanstalk

ack and the Beanstalk

This week, we’ve been reading the traditional story ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’.

We’ve been orally rehearsing the story and we’ve begun to use a story map to help us. This week, our word of the week was gigantic. We discussed other new and interesting vocabulary from our story too: poor, furious and  shoved. We will continue using this book next week for our learning.

Poetry Basket

Each week, we learn a new poem. We recite the poem each day. By saying the poem out loud, we focus on the sounds and rhythm of each word or line.  This week’s poem was called  Spring Wind. 

When the spring wind blows,

In her gruff and growly way,

She’s saying keep your mittens on,

I’m blowing cold today.

But when the spring wind blows,

In her soft and gentle way,

She’s saying take your jumpers off,

I’m blowing warm today.

Help at home: Ask your child to recite the poem at home and talk about the words that rhyme.

Science – Electricity

This half term we’ve been learning about electricity.  We started the unit thinking about how different appliances were powered and sorting appliances in different ways.

We then made a circuit with a cell, wires and a bulb and had great fun problem solving when some of the bulbs didn’t light.

As all super scientists do, we have lots of questions we wanted answers to! What happens if you use more cells?

What happens if you use more bulbs?

To help us to work scientifically to answer these questions, we created model circuits using this online tool: Circuits  To say the children were excited would be an understatement!

We also experimented by adding switches and considering how the switch worked by ‘breaking’ the complete loop that the bulb needed for electricity to flow all the way round.

Help at home: explore the online tool Circuits  and use it to answer some questions your child still has about the changes that happen when you change parts of the circuit.

Using Tools Safely Forest School

This half-term, Year 2 have been thoroughly enjoying their Forest School sessions. The children have been exploring the woodland environment and using a range of tools to create their very own mini-habitats for woodland creatures.

Working in small groups, the children carefully designed and built shelters using natural materials such as sticks, leaves and bark. They thought about which animals might use their habitats, including hedgehogs, insects, spiders, beetles and even small birds.

A key focus of our sessions has been learning how to use tools safely and responsibly. The children were introduced to tools such as hand saws and learned how to handle them with care. They practised important safety rules, including keeping a safe distance from others, using tools with control, and always listening carefully to instructions.