What have we been learning in Term 1?

In KS1, we had a fantastic music lesson. We started off by listening to a piece of music and asked the children   to draw what came to their minds as they listened and what instruments they could here. This music lesson was a lovely way to round up our topic “Once upon a time in Swindon” where the children have been learning about Isambard Kingdom Brunel and how he helped to shape Swindon and the Great Western Railway. We then bought out the percussion instruments and took it in turns to perform the song. We are so proud of the work the children have produced this term.

See their performance below!

In Year One, our topic has been the story of The Three Little Pigs. We began by learning the story together, using actions to help us remember it, and then performed it for each other. Next, we became actors, performing the story in small groups while wearing masks.

After that, we focused on writing the story, using exciting adjectives to bring it to life. The children came up with some brilliant descriptions, such as calling the wolf ‘fearsome, powerful, and terrifying' which they then used in creating wanted posters. 

The following week, we innovated the story by changing the characters. We had a variety of new characters, including ‘three cute koalas,’ an ‘evil slimy octopus,’ and ‘three playful bears.’ We also changed the materials the houses were made from, with many children using their knowledge from science and history to choose strong materials.

To celebrate our work, we spent a fun morning building houses using sticks, Lego, and paper. Miss Osborne and Miss Arthurs then became the Big Bad Wolf and tried to blow them down!

The children have worked incredibly hard, and we are so proud of all their creativity and effort!

In KS1 the children have thoroughly enjoyed History and learning about Isambard Kingdom Brunel. It has been wonderful to hear that so many of them are sharing what they have learned at home and have even been visiting some of his pieces of work.

We started of the topic by exploring primary and secondary sources to gather information and create questions about Brunel. We then learned about Brunel’s significant works of engineering including: The SS Great Britain, Clifton Suspension Bridge and Box Tunnel. We discovered the impact Brunel had on Swindon and how the town grew when the rail works were created. This is something we will continue to explore during our trip to STEAM. All three classes are now working on creating their own book about Brunel and his life.

On Thursdays we have been enjoying active maths lessons. This week the children took part in a shape building relay. They worked in teams to collect shape cards and lollypop sticks to build their shapes. They showed excellent teamwork and cooperation. 

The Year 1 children have really impressed us with their fantastic handwriting. We start the session with a dough disco before practicing letters using the handwriting lines. They are showing excellent concentration and resilience and therefore, making great progress.

To finish off our Funny Bones English unit the year 1 children used cotton buds to create their own skeletons from the story. We had some fantastic big skeletons, small skeletons, dog skeletons and even giraffe skeletons! 

The Robins class had a lovely afternoon exploring our school's outdoor area. The children enjoyed weeding the class planter, spotting insects living under logs and observing what was still growing.