Reading

In school, the children are encouraged to read daily, and the use of reading records have helped to encourage to children to do this. They can take quizzes on Accelerated Reader where they can earn points. At the end of the half term, we will be giving certificates to every child who reaches their own individual target. Please support your child in reaching their goal by reading with them at home daily for at least 15 minutes.

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. They set out clearly what we expect children to learn and remember in that subject. Please use them at home to reinforce and help embed your child’s learning.

Times tables should practiced  at least 3 times a week at home.

Reading: Please read for 15 minutes every day – you can now quiz at home.

Your child also has access to Sumdog and Spelling and Math shed. Spellings are now being taught through a new scheme, however, please still use Spellingshed to practice.

TEAMs: A creative piece of work around ethically sourced produce, or a practical activity of making soup. Please look at TEAMs for more information. This work is due by Monday 14th February 2022.

PE:

This half term we will be doing football and netball during our PE lessons:

Kestrels and Eagles PE day is Thursday

Hawks PE day is Friday

School Value

This half term, we are learning about Independence. The children will be encouraged to have a go at activities that they find difficult and solve problems in their own unique way. 

British Value

This half term, in our Class Assemblies and PSHE lessons, we are learning about the British Value of Individual Liberty, by thinking about the choices that we make.

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.

Short Enquiries

A short enquiry can last anything from 1 – 3 days and adds breadth to our curriculum.

Our Learning Enquiry this term is DT exploring seasonal and ethically sourced produce and designing, making and evaluating their own savoury dish- soup. The Knowledge Organiser for this is attached. Please use it to reinforce and repeat the learning at home.

Maths

This half term in Maths, Year 5 are exploring short division, area and scaling and calculating with decimal fractions. The Year 6 children are composing and decomposing shapes before moving on to multiplication and division.

All the children are going to be using concrete resources, visual images and representations to support them with their learning.

Literacy

We are starting off the half term by exploring a Haynes manual based on Wallace and Gromit, called ‘Cracking Contraptions Manual’.

Our second text this half term is exploring a narrative called ‘A Word in Your Ear’ by Tony Ross, and we will be writing our own stories.

Dates to remember

Last day before half term - Friday 18th February 2022

School returns after half term - Monday 28th February 2022

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/

School App

Our school app is the best way to get information about dates and events going on in the school. Search for ‘School News’ in your app store.