Home Learning and Supporting the Curriculum at home

We have attached a selection of Knowledge Organisers for you to use to support your child’s learning at home. These set out clearly what we expect children to learn and remember in that subject. Please use these at home as conversation starters to reinforce and help embed your child’s learning. Please encourage your child to log into TT Rockstars on the Sound Check as often as possible. This will help alongside the dedicated sessions we do in school to boost their fluency at times table recall. Children should be fluent in tables up to 12x12 by the end of Year 4. The Sound Check will be similar to the Year 4 Multiplication Check that all children in Year 4 will undertake in June. You will also have log ins for SumDog and Spelling and Maths Shed. We are now using a spelling scheme of work called No Nonsense Spelling that is built on progression of sounds and builds on children’s prior knowledge. Please continue to use Spelling Shed for practice. 

Home learning—please could children use the knowledge organiser and attached links to create a poster showcasing facts about the Shang Dynasty. The knowledge the children need to know can be found on the knowledge organiser. Children can use their creativity to present the information in any way they choose.  Please see Teams for further details.

PE—Football

Sparrows: Tuesday

Starlings & Swifts: Wednesday

Please ensure your child wears a full PE kit on their PE day:

· White t-shirt/ polo top.

· Navy or black shorts or tracksuit bottoms (or similar).

· School jumper or cardigan.

· Black trainers or plimsolls with white or grey socks.

Reading

In school, children are encouraged to read daily. They take quizzes on Accelerated Reader (AR) about the books they have read and earn points for this. Children are also expected to log on to AR at home to quiz on the books they read at home. At the end of the half term, we will be giving certificates to every child who reaches their own individual target for points earned. To support passion and progression, we expect children to read daily at home for at least 15 minutes. Please support and encourage your child in this by listening to them read aloud often and talking about what they have read to help develop comprehension skills and develop an inquisitive nature about books. It is also beneficial for children to hear you read aloud to them regularly to help develop and maintain a love for reading. Modelling your own love of reading can really help your child’s reading progress.

School Value

This half term, we are focusing on Independence. The children will be encouraged to have a go at things they find difficult and try to solve problems in their own different unique ways.

British Value

We will be learning about tolerance and linking this to the skill of respect because it is a key skill for life in Britain.

Our Curriculum

Children in Key Stage 1 and 2 will enjoy a long and short enquiry each half term.

Long Enquiries

A long enquiry typically lasts five weeks and allows us to teach a subject, such as history, in depth. Clear expectations of what will be learned, is shared with parents and pupils through a Knowledge Organiser.  At the end of the work, we plan to use Enquiry Quizzes on our iPads to see how much each child has remembered.

How does the Shang Dynasty differ to other Empires?

In our History Long Enquiry, we will be learning about the formation, achievements and dissolution of the Shang Dynasty in China. Children will learn that the Dynasty was handed down to generations of the same family for over 500 years. We will learn about how historians know about the Shang Dynasty and how evidence has helped us to find out more. Children will be finding similarities and differences between the Shang Dynasty and Roman and British Empires, before formulating an answer to our enquiry question.

Short Enquiries

A short enquiry can last anything from 1 – 3 days and adds breadth to our curriculum. Our Short Enquiry for this half term is also History and looks to answer the question, ‘Why did Roman rule end in Britain?’. The children will learn about the events that led to the Roman’s departure from Britain in 410AD. This will complement their understanding of Empire and build on disciplinary skills, including chronology and historical enquiry.

Maths

Maths is taught in separate year groups, so your child may be moving rooms and teachers during maths time. In Year 3, children are learning and applying multiplication and division facts for the 2,3,4,5, 8 and 10x tables. Please support your child at home to practice these tables.

In Year 4, children are learning the formal method for multiplication. They will need to have a good recall of their timetables in order to be successful, so please practice these with your child.

Literacy

Children will be writing an alternative ending to ‘Tom Thumb’, using a variety of key features of grammar including conjunctions and adverbials to expand on their ideas. They will also be writing an information text about an invention that has changed over time in the style of ‘Wheels’ by Tracey Turner.

Dates to remember

Friday 10th February—Last day of the half term.

Reading for Pleasure—Children’s Choice. Your child will be invited to bring in their favourite book from home this half term. They will have the opportunity to share this with their class and show their peers why their chosen book is so important to them. Your child will be told when it is their turn to bring a book in on a Wednesday or Thursday.

School News

Thank you to everyone who recently completed the Parent Survey. Following the results of this, we are pleased to say we are now offering a wider range of sports clubs after school.

Watch this space for news on Parent Meetings, and also about Seesaw.

Messages

Please continue to contact the school office by email  admin@preston.torbay.sch.uk or phone 01803 607075 with any questions or queries.

There is also lots of useful information, as well as event dates and term dates, on our school website  https://www.preston.torbay.sch.uk