Learning Experience Rationale:

Over this half term, the children will be learning all about a unique natural habitat right here in Torbay. Under the sea in the Bay, lies a rare and endangered habitat – Seagrass. They will learn which marine creatures call this local habitat home. They will also be focussing on their scientific skills, learning how to classify different creatures by their habitat, as well as their geographical skills, learning what the different biomes of the world are, and where Torbay fits within a global picture.

Learning Experience Hook and Outcome

The children will be set the challenge to raise their own and others awareness of this unique local habitat. At the end of the learning, the children will present their findings about Seagrass to years 5 and 6.

Vocabulary – we will be exploring the following topic vocabulary:

Tier 2 – high level words: birds, environment, fish, mammals, marine,

Tier 3 – subject specific words: habitat, biome, classification, vegetation belts, climate zones, vertebrates, amphibians, reptiles, biodiversity, seagrass, conservation.

British Value

This half term, in our Class Assemblies, we are learning about the British Value of Tolerance.

In Assemblies we are learning about teamwork.

Maths -  In maths this half term, the children will be continuing their understanding of times table facts, before moving onto more formal methods of multiplication and division.

Please support your child in learning their times tables facts at home, in preparation for the year 4 multiplication assessment.  

Music, art, poetry and film as part of this Learning Experience

As part of this learning experiences, we will be listening and responding to ‘The Aquarium’ by Saint-Saens. We will be thinking about sounds and onomatopoeia to create poems. In art, we will also be using a range of different materials to create underwater scenes.

Wider Curriculum

This half term, we are continuing our rotation focusing on ICT, Spanish and Philosophy for Children (P4C). P4C will encourage children to think more deeply about key questions, as well as teaching them how to articulate their ideas clearly. They will also learn how to disagree with an idea, without falling out with the person. 

Literacy

Our literacy focus this half term will be focused on scientific and geographic writing as part of a non-chronological report. We will also be focusing on writing with an audience in mind, ensuring what we are writing is appropriate for year 5 and 6. As well as this, we will continue working on key writing skills in our grammar sessions, learning about the different structures of a sentence and how we can use these to different effects.

Dates to remember

Swifts Sports Festival - Thursday 5^th March.

World Book day – Friday 6^th March.

Home Learning

This half term, we challenge the children to make a fact file about a different creature that calls Torbay home, such as the guillemot colonies at Berry Head, or one of the many types of bats, birds or other creatures that live around us.

Reading at Home -This term we will be focusing on key comprehension skills. This may be picking out key information by skimming and scanning a text, summarising what they have read in their own words, or using clues in what they have read so far to predict what will happen next. Please keep this in mind when you are reading with your child and talking about what you have just read, to ensure comprehension skills are developing alongside fluency.

Messages

Allergies: We have a number of children with nut allergies, so please ensure that nut products are not brought into school.

Absence: Should your child be absent due to illness, please call the absence line on 01803 607589 and leave a message with your child’s name, class and reason for absence. Alternatively, you can text this information to 07786208446. If your child has sickness or diarrhoea, they will need to be absent from school for at least 48 hours after the last episode of illness. For planned absence of any nature you will need to complete an absence request form. These are available on the school website or from the office.

Times of the school day: The school day begins at 8:50 am (Gates open at 8:40am) and finishes at 3:15pm.

Parking on the drive: In an effort to keep everyone safe, please do not park on the school drive when dropping off or picking up children, particularly when collecting children from after school activities.

School lunches: Please remember to order your child’s school dinner in advance if they are having one. You will no longer be able to order these on the day.