Birch

Curriculum Coverage for Summer 1:

English – The Last Garden
English lesson will be focused on the book The Last Garden by Rachel Ip and Anneli Bray. It is based around a war-torn city, where a little girl tends to the last garden. But everyone is leaving and soon the girl has to leave too. The garden is all alone now but soon the seeds scatter throughout the city and the roots take hold. Inspired by true events in Syria and war gardens around the world and throughout history, The Last Garden is a thoughtful, tender story of hope, touching on issues of conflict and migration. During our English lessons, children will find a range of seed packets left in class with an invitation from the main character to plant a garden in their classroom. In the packets, children will find abstract nouns which they can use to build abstract noun phrases e.g. “primroses of peace”. Children will go on to write in a range of genres, building towards writing their own version of this narrative about a community overcoming adversity. 

Maths:
The children are all working at different stages and paces on various mathematical concepts.  Some of the Spring term concepts include further multiplication and division, shapes and possibly lines and angles. Children will be working in small groups as well as attempting independent work.

Science – Plants: Artful flowers, roots and seeds
This half term, the children will be continuing to learn all about the world of plants. Children will be invited to step into the amazing, secret world of flowers. Discover their relationship with bees and other insects. Learn how flowers transform into fruits and seeds to perpetuate the cycle of life and use the inspiration to create some beautiful works of art. They will also be staging their own stunning art exhibition of paintings, sculpture, collage and dance on the theme of Artful Flowers, Fruits and Seeds.
 
Computing – Programming: Sequencing Sounds

This unit explores the concept of sequencing in programming through Scratch. It begins with an introduction to the programming environment, which will be new to most children. They will be introduced to a selection of motion, sound, and event blocks which they will use to create their own programs, featuring sequences. The final project is to make a representation of a piano. The unit is paced to focus on all aspects of sequences, and make sure that knowledge is built in a structured manner.

PHSE – Relationships
Throughout these lessons the children will identify the roles and responsibilities of each member of their family and reflect on the expectations for males and females. They will also put into practice some of the skills of friendship eg. taking turns, being a good listener. As well as this, children will also explain how some of the actions and work of people around the world help and influence their life.

RE- Sikhism
Our RE lessons will be focusing of Sikhism, in particular, children will be enquiring about whether joining the Khalsa make someone a better Sikh. These lessons will be based around the theme of The Amrit Ceremony and the Khalsa. They will hopefully be able to explain that some Sikhs choose to go through the Amrit Ceremony and what they do during this ceremony and recall events of how the first Khalsa was formed and explain some of the reasons a Sikh may choose to join the Khalsa.
 

Spring Term 2

Take a look through the pictures below to see just some of the activities we have taken part in this half term. We enjoyed lots of fun goings-on in school. We have taken part in Science week, where we conducted lots of experiments, including making a hover board, a marble run and paper bridges, we also enjoyed a visit from the science dome, where we learnt all about what does on under the sea. As well as this, World Book Day was this half term, we were library detectives, looking for books with a variety of themes and made origami book marks for our independent reading books. During our Geography lessons, we found out about the Amazon Rainforest, its location and how it is being damaged. We have also improved our multiplication and division knowledge through the use of our counting stick and popular songs, including George Ezra’s ‘Green, Green Grass’. In English, we focused on the book The Tin Forest, were applied our knowledge of noun phrases, different tenses and prepositions to write in a variety of forms, including a diary entry, a setting description and an information leaflet. We also had a great visit from a road safety charity.

Curriculum Coverage for Spring 2:

English – The Tin Forest

English lesson will be focused on the book The Tin Forest by Helen Ward and Wayne Anderson. Lessons will begin with a walk to the local park. The sequence of learning begins with children arriving to class to find that rubbish has been emptied out all over the floor! They look at ways that the rubbish could be sifted and sorted, and even recycled into something new. Children will explore the main character and the journey he goes through in clearing up the rubbish around his little house and transforming it into a beautiful forest of tin. Through the sequence, children write in role as the old man, producing diary entries and wishes and also write a postcard to him to pass on some advice. The Writing Root finishes with children writing a persuasive information leaflet to encourage others to protect an area in the local environment. This book would work well alongside learning on conservation, climate change and the plant life cycle.

Maths:

The children are all working at different stages and paces on various mathematical concepts.  Some of the Spring term concepts include shapes, lines and angles. Children will be working in small groups as well as attempting independent work.

Science – Roots and Shoots

This half term, the children will be learning all about the world of plants. By the end of this half term, we hope the children will be able to identify and describe the functions of different parts of flowering plants: roots, stem/trunk, leaves and flowers. They will also be exploring the requirements of plants for life and growth (air, light, water, nutrients from soil, and room to grow) and how they vary from plant to plant. Finally we will investigate the way in which water is transported within plants.

Computing – Data Information: Branching Databases

During this unit, children will develop their understanding of what a branching database is and how to create one. They will use yes/no questions to gain an understanding of what attributes are and how to use them to sort groups of objects. Learners will create physical and on-screen branching databases

PHSE – Healthy Me

Throughout these lessons the children will show understanding of how exercise affects their body and know why their heart and lungs are such important organs. They will know that the amount of calories, fat and sugar they put into their body will affect their health. The children will be able to identify things, people and places that they need to keep safe from, and can tell you some strategies for keeping safe including who to go to for help.

Geography- The Rainforest

This engaging topic will introduce children to rainforests around the world. They will learn what they are, where they are, what they contain and who lives there. Along the way they will develop their skills by writing reports, creating their own rainforests, and becoming David Attenborough!

Spring Term 1

Take a look through the pictures below to see just some of the activities we have taken part in this half term. We enjoyed lots of fun activities in school. We have created some beautiful pieces of art using a variety of different media, learnt how to play a selection of net games in PE and all about magnets and forces in Science. As well as this, we have enjoyed learning about pictographs and fractions in Maths.

Curriculum Coverage for Spring 1:

English – Our Tower

English lesson will be focused on the book Our Tower by Joseph Coelho and Richard Johnson. Lessons will begin with a walk to the local park. Children will be sound collectors and record all the interesting sounds they hear on their way to and in the park. They will go on to analyse the language and word choices used in the text as well as discussing the illustrations. To create their own descriptions and poems, children will use Joseph Coelho’s word choices and phrases to inspire their own writing. They will go on to practise key narrative skills such as creating dialogue, using conjunctions, prepositions and adverbs to build cohesion in their writing. Finally, children use the narrative structure of this poem to create their own fantasy narrative.

Maths:

The children are all working at different stages and paces on various mathematical concepts.  Some of the Spring term concepts include pictograms and bar graphs and fractions. Children will be working in small groups as well as attempting independent work.

Science – Forces and Magnets

This half term, the children will be comparing how things move on different surfaces, notice that some forces need contact between two objects, but magnetic forces can act at a distance. They will also be observing how magnets attract or repel each other and attract some materials and not others, as well as this, they will compare and group together a variety of everyday materials on the basis of whether they are attracted to a magnet, and identify some magnetic.

Computing – Desktop Publishing

During this unit, children will become familiar with the terms ‘text’ and ‘images’ and understand that they can be used to communicate messages. They will use desktop publishing software and consider careful choices of font size, colour and type to edit and improve premade documents.

PHSE – Dreams and Goals

The children will show understanding that some people face a variety of challenges in life, yet are still able to achieve their goals. They will practice showing empathy for others and imagine how they would feel when they achieve their own dreams and goals in the future.

RE- Christianity

The children will focus on the stories of Jesus and the miracles he performed. They will consider whether sacred texts have to be ‘true’ to help people understand their religion.

Art: Exploring Art unit 2

During our Art lessons this half term, children will be creating their own works of art using a variety of materials and methods.

Autumn Term 2

Take a look through the pictures below to see just some of the activities we have taken part in this half term. We enjoyed a wonderful whole school trip to Frameless, an immersive art exhibition, as well as lots of fun activities in school. We have mummified tomatoes, learnt the lyrics and tune to Abba’s hit song, Mama Mia and how to tell the time, to name but a few things.

Autumn Term 2 2023-2024

This half term we are going to be covering a wide variety of topics and look forward to seeing the wonderful work our students are able to produce.

We are hoping to book some trips and activities for the children this academic year, these will incorporate the topics they are studying and give them fantastic experiences of learning beyond the classroom. In the second week we will be having a whole school WW2 themed day, giving the children the opportunity to reflect on the importance of World War 2. In November, we will also be attending a whole school trip to Frameless at Marble Arch - an exciting immersive experience. Of course, we will also be undertaking a variety of festive activities this half term, in the run up to the Christmas break.

If you ever have any questions, queries or concerns, please contact me (Mrs Bristow), or one of the members of Cedar class via the office on 0208 3177659, we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Curriculum Coverage for Autumn 2:

English – The Story of Tutankhamun

The Story of Tutankhamun delves into the history of the famous boy king. From theories around his death to the discovery of his lost tomb. This book departs knowledge about the ancient history of the Egyptian royalty and some of the mysteries that surround this period of time.

The children will be creating step by step instructions on how to mummify a tomato, warning posters, letters, and biographies, as well as producing some other wonderful pieces of work.

Maths:

The children are all working at different stages and paces on various mathematical concepts.  Some of the Autumn term concepts include time, pictograms and bar graphs and possibly fractions. Children will be working in small groups as well as attempting independent work.

Science - Animals including Humans- Keeping Healthy

The children will be looking carefully at the varying diets of different animals and how we categorise them, what makes a balanced diet, bones and skeletons, and muscles and movement. They will also be conducting a scientific investigation about healthy human bodies.

Computing – Creating Media Stop Frame Animation

This unit introduces the children to computer generated animations. The children will be learning how to create stop frame animations on the computer effectively.

PHSE - Celebrating Differences

The children will show understanding that everyone is different and the importance of accepting this. They will practice including others when working and playing. The children will discuss what bullying is and will know how to help someone who is being bullied.

History – Ancient Egyptians

The children will learn about historical time lines leading up to the Ancient Egyptians. They will discover how to use hieroglyphics and investigate many of the different benefits the Ancient Egyptians gained from the River Nile. They will also model the varying types of ancient pyramids.

Music: Mama Mia!

During our Music this half term, we will be following our Charanga programme, focusing on the Mama Mia unit.

Welcome to Birch

2023 - 2024

A warm welcome to all of our new pupils and their families, and of course welcome back to our established pupils. This half term, Birch class will be led by Mrs Robinson and supported by Miss Sage. Mrs Bristow, who will be returning from maternity leave at the end of the half term, will also be visiting the pupils throughout the half term.

Once we are settled into the new school year, Mrs Robinson will be sending home a small amount of homework. This may be a reading book, phonics, a small maths activity or another task related to their learning. We would very much appreciate your help in supporting your child to complete this work. 

We have lots going on this half term, the curriculum coverage is detailed below. There will be a Parent Afternoon on the 21/9, this is a really informal opportunity for you to pop in for a meet and greet, get to know some of the other parents and hear about our activities from parents over the coming weeks - more details to follow shortly. The children will participate in Assessment Week in week 2 of the term, this enables us to find out where gaps are for our superheroes and also their next steps, meaning we are able to adapt the curriculum directly for their needs. We are also planning to continue our 5 a Day whole school sessions, these are a great way to get our hearts pumping, have fun and get ready for our learning. In addition, we will also have our sensory circuit set up for children who need a reset throughout the day.

If you have any questions, queries or concerns, please contact Mrs Robinson via the office on 0208 3177659 and she will get back to you as soon as possible.

Curriculum: Autumn 1 2023

English: Here We Are by Oliver Jeffers - 

Well, hello.
And welcome to this Planet.
We call it Earth.

Our world can be a bewildering place, especially if you’ve only just got here. Your head will be filled with questions, so let’s explore what makes our planet and how we live on it. From land and sky, to people and time, these notes can be your guide and start you on your journey. And you’ll figure lots of things out for yourself. Just remember to leave notes for everyone else… Some things about our planet are pretty complicated, but things can be simple, too: you’ve just got to be kind.

Children will be using Talk to the Hand to make predictions about the text, they will learn about commands and subordinate clauses and will take part in a class debate. They will finish the unit by creating their own guide book!

Maths: Maths No Problem

The children are all working at different stages and paces on various mathematical concepts. You will be able to see from their homework what is currently being covered for your own child. Some of the Autumn term concepts include addition and subtraction within 20, money, time, pictograms and bar graphs.

Science: Light - Light & Shadows

The children will learn about light, darkness, reflectors and light. They will investigate the strange world of mirrors. Discover what happens to writing in a mirror and how this can be used to write in secret code. They will learn the secrets of mirrors and how they can help you see round corners. Children will discover how shadows are made and investigate first-hand how changing the orientation of an object or the material it is made from can affect the nature and shape of the shadow. They will also create shadow puppets in preparation for a shadow puppet performance.

Art: Exploring Art Unit 1

During this fantastic unit, the children will be learning how to create abstract paintings, as well as creating art works using runny paints - we will endeavour to keep their uniforms clean!

Computing: Connecting Computers

During this unit children will be learning about how digital devices work, including the parts that make up the device. They will think about how digital devices work and also how they are connected and how computers are connected. They will finish the unit by considering how our school network works. 

R.E - Hinduism Diwali

The children will be considering the question ' Would celebrating Diwali at home and in the community bring a feeling of belonging to a Hindu child?'. They will learn about the Hindu festival of Diwali and will role play the story of Rama & Sita. They will be making clay Diva lamps and creating their own Rangoli patterns. They will also create their own Puja tray and consider which food offerings to add. 

Zones of Regulation & PHSE

New pupils will be learning about ZOR and old pupils will be revisiting the lessons. This is a great opportunity for pupils to became more aware of their own feelings and emotions, how these can impact on others and also how to manage them in order to remain calm and be able to learn. Our PHSE topic this half term is 'Being me in my World'. The children will be setting goals, learning about their rights and responsibilities, how to feel proud of themselves and also rewards and consequences. They will also consider their self-identity and self-worth as well as positivity in challenges.

The children will also take part in weekly PE sessions, this half term focuses on invasion games and new this year - weekly outdoor learning sessions.