Spring 2 2023
The Upper School topic this term is Our Growing World
In cooking we made recipes using different types of vegetables and fruit. This has included stuffed peppers, apple crumble and coleslaw.
Our offsite visits have included visiting Sainsbury’s to buy our cooking ingredients and a visit to a local garden centre. In the next few weeks we are hoping to visit the Mudlarks allotment in Hertford.
In Science we are learning about habitats and adaptation, including animals and plants. We began by learning about the different types of habitats and which animals and plants live there. Next we had a look at animals and plants in the school grounds, after this the different science groups made plans of how to encourage more animals into the playground. Some children made extensive plans with ponds, insect hotels and underground houses for rabbits etc. While other children made bird houses and feeders. Great fun was had by everyone!
In Geography we are exploring a range of global environments and finding out where in the world these environments exist. Each week we focus on a different environment and discuss what the current issues are for them e.g. deforestation in the rainforest, ice caps melting in Polar regions, pollution in the oceans and so on. The children have shown concern for the way wildlife is being affected by these issues and what steps we can take to try and resolve them to help the environment. Our children have impressed us with their prior knowledge of issues such as the need to recycle, saving energy and water and reducing pollution.
We made a diorama of a Polar region and used cling film to represent the ozone layer. We then observed how quickly the ice melted when there was a hole in the ozone layer and discussed what effect this would have on the wildlife.
In English this term we have been focusing on imaginary worlds. Each week we have looked at a picture of a different imaginary world and have been describing what they can see. The children have really enjoyed using adjectives to enhance their descriptions.
As part of World Book Day, Upper School all read the story of ‘The Day the Crayons Quit’ by Drew Daywalt. Many of our children came to school dressed in the colours of one of the crayons in the story. The children really enjoyed the story and participated in activities related to it.
Autumn 1 2022
The Upper School topic this term is Beans
In cooking we made recipes using different types of beans. This has included cheese and bean pasties, vanilla cupcakes, Kidney bean quesadillas and mild coffee cakes. Our offsite visits have included visiting Sainsbury’s to look for different products that contain vanilla and visiting Café Nero to experiences a coffee shop. We also visited Barclay Park, the local remembrance site, to pay our respects to The Queen by laying flowers. Each pupil was given one flower to
In Science we are learning plant classification. We began by learning about the importance of plants in the world around us. We then explored what a plant needs to survive by growing our own runner beans. We are now beginning to learn about the different categories.
In Geography we have been learning about the world around us. We have focused on the economy looking at both rich and poor continents around the world. Within our topic of beans we have been looking at where different beans are grown, we have started to make a fact book about the different countries
In English this term we have been learning to improve our writing skills, we have focused on the story of ‘Jack and the beanstalk’. We have been learning to use adjectives to describe a character and created a wanted poster for Jack or the Giant. We have read different versions of Jack and the beanstalk such as ‘Trust me Jacks bean stalk stinks’ and ‘Jack and the baked beanstalk’
Summer 2 2022
Our topic this term is ‘Water, water everywhere’. We began this topic by going on a fantastic boat trip from Ware to Hertford. We walked into Ware where we got on the boat. We had a lovely boat journey that included watching how the river water moves and flows, looking at the wildlife around the river and going through a lock. All very exciting! We also ate our lunch on the boat. A great start to our topic
In Geography we have made our own water cycle bags. The sun makes the water evaporate and condense into tiny droplets (this is how the clouds are formed). When the droplets become bigger they run down the side of the bag (this is like the rain), and the water will pool again at the bottom of the bag (like lakes and oceans). Then the water cycle begins again. All the children thoroughly enjoyed making their water cycle bags. They monitored them each day to see the changes.
We are currently also learning a dance that uses scarves to show how water moves and flows. What a fun topic to end the year!
Kingfisher class have thoroughly enjoyed learning about the Tudors this term. We learnt about Henry the 8th and his 6 wives, life in Tudor times and finished with a class masquerade ball and banquet. In our writing lessons we have been focusing on ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and loved taking on the role of a character in a hot seating activity- a story which has captured the children and made them ask questions and provide context to their writing.
In cooking each week we have made different types of Tudor food with ‘Maid of honour cheesecake’ being a class favourite. In PE we have been learning to move in different ways and have been completing gymnastic sequences, the children enjoyed using the spring board to accelerate their jumps. In Maths this term we have been learning about linear measurement and have learnt to use a ruler to measure different length objects. In number we have been learning to share quantities and have focused on problem solving with multiplication and division questions. In Design technology we have been learning to design and make, we had great fun designing a bookmark which we then made from different materials the following week. Offsite learning has seen many trips to the park and to the woods where we have been learning to search for different materials and to see how things work.
This term we have been learning about the Romans. We have made fantastic shields and swords in Art and have completed a step by step tutorial on drawing a Roman soldier- We have a fantastic couple of artists in Kingfisher class.
In History we have learnt about roman life, roman soldiers and roman food which we were disgusted to find out all the horrible things they used to eat. We decided that flamingo tongue was not something we want to eat at home.
In cooking we have learnt to make a sandwich with our favourite filling, we have made a pizza and chocolate rice crispy cakes.
We then learnt the most important job of all washing up we are all fantastic at this now!
On a Friday this term we have completed a life skills lesson. The children have enjoyed learning to put a pillow on a pillow case, learnt to make scrambled egg on toast for breakfast and learnt the importance of cleaning our teeth and keeping our bodies clean and healthy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBjB_BlIr7U
https://www.educationquizzes.com/ks1/geography/town-and-country-different-sized-settlements/
https://www.oxfam.org.uk/education/resources/global-music-lessons-for-ages-5-7
A very busy first term in Kingfishers! The nicer weather at the start of the term meant that we were able to go on some exciting school trips outside. As the weather has become colder we have been to; Hertford Museum, Van Hages, Hertford Library and Jump City. All of the children have shown how safe and sensible they are able to be offsite.
This term we have really enjoyed cooking and have made lots of sweet and savoury treats-the children particularly enjoyed making cake pops. The children enjoy learning about the food and trying the things that they have made.
Our topic in the second half of the term was ‘significant people’; the children have thought about people that are significant to them and enjoyed thinking about people who are significant to different celebrations– we particularly enjoyed getting dressed up and acting out the story of Guy Fawkes.
The children enjoyed the run up to Christmas this term and made lots of decorations and cooking to go home with them. We thought about the different seasons when we made calendars and got dressed up for summer, autumn, winter and spring.
