English

Our topic for English this half-term was The Great Fire of London. As an introduction to the topic, we built a campfire in the forest school, observing it closely and generating descriptive language. Following this, we thought about what it might have been like in 1666 when the Great Fire happened. We turned our ideas into first-person poetry, using similes to describe the fire. 
Our learning in history helped us to write non-fiction reports about what happened. We looked at different examples of non-fiction writing and existing texts about the Great Fire to help us with our own writing. 
After learning about Samuel Pepys, we wrote our own diaries, recounting what we would have experienced if were were alive at the time of the fire. We used what we learned in our poetry and non-fiction units to help with our diary writing.

Maths

In maths, we learnt about fractions, time, shape, multiplication and division, length, addition and subtraction. We looked at word problems and how we should solve them using different operations and the most efficient methods that we could use. We measured length practically using rulers and looked at how arrays can be used to represent multiplication and division. We handled 2D and 3D shapes and investigated their properties. 

Science

We carried on with our learning about living things and their habitats this half-term, conducting research to find out how animals are suited to their habitats. We explored the micro-habitats around our school and recorded the living things that we found. We worked in groups to make a micro-habitat for the minibeasts that live in our forest school. To show our understanding, we designed the perfect habitat for an animal, with everything it would need to survive. We also designed an imaginary animal, thinking about how its features help it to survive. 

Art

As part of our Fire of London topic, we looked at paintings from the past and closely observed the colours we found. We practised sketching flames by looking at the lines and shapes in different images. Then we used recyclable materials to create 3D sculptures of flames, finishing them with poster paint.

History

Our history was closely liked with our literacy learning this half-term - The Great Fire of London. We investigated what happened, looking at different sources of evidence and using books and the internet to research the main events. We created timelines to sequence the events and compared the changes in fire-fighting over time. We also compared Nelson’s most significant fire - at The Imperial Ballroom 1976 - to what happened 300 years ago in London. An eye-witness to the ballroom fire, Mr Wilkinson, came to teach us more about it and it was great to be able to ask him questions about his experiences. 

Geography

In geography, we looked at the characteristics of the U.K countries and capital cities. We used atlases, digital maps and videos to develop our knowledge of the four countries and their capitals. We selected landmarks to research and showcased our learning by making information books. 

R.E

Our topic in R.E this half-term was prayer in Islam. We thought about the different routines that we have, both at home and in school and the rules that we follow. We looked at the declaration of Shahada and the 5 pillars of Islam. We talked about how people show commitment and obedience in their lives and linked this to respect for others. We thought about how Muslims pray and how this shows their obedience and commitment to God. Finally, we thought about what really matters to us and how it is important to make time for the people and things that matter in life.

P.E

Our topic in P.E was dance & movement. To introduce our unit, we looked at Diversity for inspiration, watching many of their performances from Britain’s got Talent. We thought about the different ways we could move in response to music to create and represent different moods. We also linked our movement to our learning about the Great Fire of London. Finally, we put together everything we learnt into practise to create movement sequences in response to music.