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Redwood 4

 
Welcome to Redwood 4!
 
 
2022 - 2023
 
Miss Parkes - Class Teacher
Mrs Faultless/Mrs Komuszynska - Teaching Assistants
 
 
Summer 2
 
Living Things and their Habitats
 
 
Come back soon to see our learning for this half term.
 
 
Summer 1
 
Vikings
 
Year 4 had a great day on Friday 5th May 2023 celebrating the Kings Coronation. We coronated our very own King of Pine and Queen of Redwood. The children loved learning about the Kings coronation and what would happen over the weekend. Our King and Queen for the day also loved their crowns.
What an amazing day Year 4 had at The Tower of London! We were dazzled by the breath-taking collection of jewels in the Jewel House and loved seeing the guards and Yeoman Warders (Beefeaters) outside. We visited Britain’s world famous castle, the White Tower, where there were many unique and extraordinary arms and armours on display. We even found a typical medieval toilet!

We saw the ravens and know about the legend that says the Kingdom and the Tower of London will fall if the ravens ever leave the fortress.  Whilst there, we met a ‘pirate’ and he told us stories about two prisoners that were kept in the Tower of London and they learnt what it really meant to be a pirate.

On the journey into London, we also saw many famous landmarks - Wembley Stadium, Lord’s Cricket Ground, Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben), The London Eye, Tower Bridge, Sherlock Holmes’ birthplace and The Shard.

Well done Year 4, you were brilliant!

 
Spring 2
 
The Human Digestive System
 
and
 
Take One Author - Michael Morpurgo
 
 
Spring 1
 
Misty Mountains, Winding Rivers
 
 
On Wednesday 15th February, Year 4 visited Carsington Water. We completed a river study to see if this part of the river would be a suitable habitat for a water vole. To do this, we observed the area around the river, measured the depth and width, and estimated the speed of the river by measuring how fast a floating object travelled two metres. We also had a go at some pond dipping to see which creatures could be found in this habitat and designed our own pond creatures using our knowledge of adaptations that the creatures would need to survive in the pond environment. 
 
 
We have been discussing the properties of solids, liquids and gases. We used grains of rice to discuss and answer the question: 'Can solids be poured?'
 
 
On Number Day, Year 4 got trapped in the 'Math Curse'! We solved problems throughout the author's day and then created our own Maths stories and problems.
 
 
In Science, we are learning about States of Matter. We watched the raisins in the lemonade as they rose up to the top of the lemonade and then fell back down to the bottom of the beaker. We can explain why this happens using our knowledge of solid, liquids and gases. 
 
 
In Geography, we are learning about mountains and rivers. To start off our learning about rivers, we had a go at making our own river. We identified key parts of a river and talked about the features.
 
 
Autumn 2
 
Anglo-Saxons
 

Well done to Year 4 for a very successful Nativity performance with Year 3 on Monday! The actors and singers all did a fabulous job! 

The children have all got into the festive spirit making cards and calendars this week.  They also enjoyed opening their Winter books gifted to them by school. There were so many excited children who could not wait to start reading their books and have not put them down since opening them! 

 

During Maths week, we looked for shapes, angles and symmetry in flags from around the world. We also recapped co-ordinates and naming irregular 2D shapes.
 
To start off our Anglo-Saxon learning, Year 4 were visited by the History Squad. We got the chance to learn about everyday life for the Anglo Saxons and look at some artefacts from the time. We got to hold weapons, helmets, shields and everyday items that were replicas of items believed to be used by the Anglo Saxons.
 
 Autumn 1
 
Roman Britain
 
After looking at some examples of Roman coil pots and comparing them to coil pots made by Elizabeth Fritsch, we had a go at using the coil method to make our own pots. 
 
On Monday 17th October, Year 4 went to Roman Mancetter and Boudicca Heritage Centre. Whilst we were there, the children made their own mosaics and learnt how to be a Roman soldier, including performed some battle tactics. As well as that, they learnt how the Romans made their roads, like Watling Street, so straight and about different types of Roman pottery that have been found around Mancetter.  We had a brilliant time and the staff there were very impressed with all of the children's knowledge about the Romans, well done!
 
In our outdoor PE lessons this half term we will be learning how to play hockey. The first thing we had to learn was how to hold a hockey stick properly. After that, we practised some dribbling and passing. 
 
This half term, our Science topic is sound. In this lesson, we were playing different instruments to see which part was vibrating to make the sound. We also explored how each instrument could make a higher or lower sound and how we could change the volume of the sound. 
 
Why was the Roman army so successful? How did the Romans shape Britain? Who was Boudica? We will explore the invasion of Britain by Julius Caesar and Emperor Claudius, the power and success of the Roman army and how the Romans changed Britain. Although they were well-trained and disciplined on the battlefield, they were not always fighting. We will learn that the Romans brought many things into the lives of Britons of the time including founding cities, building new roads and the idea of money and coins.   
 
 
Welcome to Oak 3!
 
 
2021 - 2022
 
Mrs Atkins/Mr Bright - Class Teachers
Mrs Faultless - Teaching Assistant
 
 
Summer 2
 
Scrumdiddliumptious
 
and
 
Take one Author - Roald Dahl
 
Mr Willy Wonka asked us to investigate which material was best for wrapping his chocolate in, to stop it from melting. We found out tin foil was the best. 
What a tasty topic this one is! All of Year Three have a golden ticket to take a journey with Mr Willy Wonka as he endeavours to turn his chocolate factory into an equally delicious yet healthier option. We must try, test and sell our healthy product ideas to ensure they are worthy enough to be sold and created by his trusty Oompa Loompas.
 
 
Summer 1
 
Ancient Greece
 
 
Visit this fascinating European country with us and find out about the weather, landscape, landmarks and culture. Travel back to Ancient Greece to discover how our lives today have been influenced by this exciting and important time in history. While you're there, take part in some exhilarating Olympic events and discover a fantastical world full of mythical creatures and legendary heroes. Poseidon, Apollo, Artemis and Zeus reign almighty from Mount Olympus, watching mere mortals on dusty Athenian streets. Meet Theseus, the hero, and Helen of Troy, the beautiful face that launched a thousand ships. Explore the terrains of Greece, where in pure blue skies, the Sun scorches waxen wings and melts the fortunes of Icarus and Daedalus. Then decide your own fate when a mysterious box is found and stirs your curious mind.
 
Spring 2
 
Rocks, Volcanoes and Earthquakes
 
Come and join us on a magnificent adventure where we discover what is beneath our feet. We follow the adventures of the famous fossil hunter - Mary Anning. Also venturing inside the workings of the world’s most explosive and dangerous volcanos and even having a go at making our own volcanic explosions. Engage in limitless fun and explosive excitement! 
 
Spring 1
 
Forces, Magnets and Metals
 

On Wednesday 16th February, Year 3 enjoyed a fun-filled day at Birmingham Thinktank. They took part in two workshops, ‘Forces & Friction’ and ‘LEGO We Do 2.0 Computer Coding’ to support their science and computing topics this half term.

In the ‘Forces & Friction’ workshop the children learnt about three important facts:

1. All forces are a push or a pull.

2. All forces are invisible.

3. Forces act in pairs and are either balanced or unbalanced forces.

Armed with these three facts, they took part in various science experiments involving magnetism and friction testing of various materials. They also had to consider the best materials that could be used for a new running shoe and sledge, depending on the materials they tested and their high or low friction coefficient.

In the ‘LEGO We Do 2.0 Computer Coding’ workshop, pupils had to combine the familiar LEGO bricks with an easy-to-use coding software to create a code to change lights on their LEGO robot. They also used a motion sensor to create a ‘traffic light’ style sequence of lights. Finally, they had to use their creativity to design a moving robot by incorporating a motor and other building elements. We had some amazing designs from cars, helicopters to windmills, this session certainly sparked our pupils’ creativity and curiosity!

In the afternoon, pupils were able to explore the other areas of the Thinktank, including the ‘Future’ gallery, ‘Our World’ gallery, ‘We Made It’ gallery and ‘The Past’ gallery. The children were certainly fascinated by all the areas and were amazed by the Spitfire and Hurricane World War Two planes hanging from the ceiling in the museum!

A fantastic day was had by all!
Hogarth and The Iron Man from our key text ‘The Iron Man’ are our guides through our Forces, Magnets and Metals theme. We learn all about different metals and what they are used for, explore magnetism and how this works, along with focusing our scientific investigations on forces.
 
Autumn 2
 
Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age
 
Throughout this half term, we go 2.6 million years back in time by reading ‘The Great Storm’ by Terry Deary. We learn about the exciting discoveries, particularly during the Neolithic period. We learn about changes in diet, tools, art and housing as we venture through to the Bronze Age and Iron Age, making comparisons to how we live nowadays.
 
Autumn 1
 
Road Trip USA!
 
Oak class had a fantastic day at Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Luckily the weather was kind to us and we had a rain free day. We had fun searching the woodland and pond habitats doing a bit of minibeast hunting and pond dipping, we even found some newts in the pond.  Afterwards we had a session all about plants. We learnt about what plants need to grow well and about the life cycle of a plant, which involved one of us getting dressed up as a bee! 
 

Year 3 have had a letter from Larry the dog and his owner Pete to invite them to go on a road trip around the USA. So we packed our suitcases, got on a plane and looked forward to the adventure. The problem was Larry kept getting lost so Pete needed our help to find him in the different states. We have already explored San Francisco in California, Washington DC and New York, we will soon be moving to Texas and then finally Los Angeles to take a walk along the iconic Hollywood walk of fame, it will be quite a journey! Along the way, we will research iconic American people, make traditional American dishes and identifying physical and human features of North America. We even had a go at designing and building our own bridges after finding out about the world famous Golden Gate Bridge.

 
Welcome to Juniper 2!
 
 
2020 - 2021
 
Mrs Brelsford - Class Teacher
Mrs Whitlock - Teaching Assistant
 
 
Summer 2
 
Coastline
 

Grab your bucket and spade and let’s head to the coast! On the beach we will learn about the physical and human features that can be found and explore how life in a coastal town compares to life here in the Midlands. As an island we are surrounded by the sea so we will take a closer look at which seas specifically surround the United Kingdom and the wildlife that inhabits them. We will also explore how to stay safe when we are near water.

 

 
Summer 1
 
Land Ahoy!
 
 
On Wednesday Year 2 spent a swashbuckling day in the life of a pirate. We were joined by Richard from 'The History Squad' who taught us lots of information about pirates.
 
To start with he taught us special pirate vocabulary such as 'stern', 'bow', 'port' and 'starboard'. When given orders by the Captain, we had to run to the correct place on the ship. Richard then showed us some artefacts. We were able to hold pieces of eight, canon balls, a cutlass and even had a go a firing real pistol (don't worry it wasn't loaded!) Can you believe we played games that pirates would have played on their ships? It was a very fun day and we learnt lots.
 
Year 2 would like to say a big thank you to 'The History Squad'.
 
 
Spring 2
 
Bright Lights, Big City
 
 
We celebrated the end of our theme by going to a Royal Tea   Party with Paddington Bear. Paddington was able to travel in style on a red bus made during our DT moving vehicles project. We wore our finest outfits and enjoyed cake along with Paddington’s marmalade on toast. We were also honoured to welcome a special visitor, Sergeant Harrison, who explained what life was life as a soldier guarding the Queen at Buckingham Palace and the crown jewels at the Tower of London!
 

Silly old Paddington Bear…he packed his bags for his tea party invitation and spilt marmalade all over his invite…we had to help him using our inference skills by working out where he was going and who he was visiting.

 

 
In Year 2 we have been busy ‘visiting’ landmarks in London. We used a green screen app and chose our favourite landmarks to add our photographs.
 
 
Autumn 2
 
Movers and Shakers
 
and 
 
Take One Author: Oliver Jeffers
 
 
Take One Author : Oliver Jeffers
 
'Stuck has been my favourite book because it is so funny,'Theo.
 
'My brain gets filled with words and I get to write them down,' Poppy.
 
'You can be whoever you want to be when writing,' Vinny.
 
'Oliver Jeffers makes your imagination grow,' Thea.
 
 

Movers and Shakers

'Rosa Parks was so brave! She is amazing!' Jensen.

'Votes for Women! Women should be treated equally!' Karinna.

'I have been to Robert Peel Hospital. Now I know it is named after the man who invented the police,' Rosie.

'I can’t believe women weren’t allowed in the police!' Ava.

'I have loved using the Ipads to do our work on Emmeline Pankhurs,' Jacob.

 
Autumn 1
 
 Wiggle and Crawl
 
 
Year 2 arrived back at school to find a surprising letter from Paddington Bear asking them to help his rainforest friends. 
 
Year 2 are now on a learning journey with Paddington to find out all about the rainforest, what is going on and how we can help.
 
 

Alfie:  I felt sad when I heard that people are destroying the rainforest.  

Rosie: I want to help Paddington save the orangu-tans home.  

Karinna: I want to change what is happening and help spread the orangu-tan’s story far and wide.  

Jessie: I was so surprised when we found the letter from Paddington Bear.  

Theo: I want to help Paddington save his home in the rainforest because I feel sorry for him and all the other animals that live there.  

Ella: I loved doing the rainforest dance with Mrs Bright.  

Taylor: My favourite part of learning about the rainforest so far is the parrots were have drawn in Art.  

Georgia: I love learning about the rainforest.  

 

 
Welcome to Elm 1!
 
 
2019 - 2020
 
Miss Aston - Class Teacher
Miss Richardson - Teaching Assistant
 
 
Spring 2
 
There’s no place like home
 
 
Elm 1 have had a brilliant time this afternoon with @WestEndinSchool where they explored the story ‘Where The Wild Things Are’ through dance in preparation for #WorldBookDay.
 
 
Year 1 were amazed by the crime scene that they found in their classroom on Tuesday morning. After looking at and measuring clues, viewing CCTV footage, creating Wanted posters and helping Sergeant F. Tale with his questioning they established that the suspect was Goldilocks!
 
 
Spring 1
 
Turrets and Tiaras
 
 
Elm 1 have been learning about the importance of staying safe while using the internet as part of #SaferinternetDay2020. Using Now Press Play, we had to escape from inside a computer by making the right choices whilst online.
 
 
What a wonderful afternoon we had at the Royal Banquet with feasting, dancing and games.
 
 
After reading the story ‘The Princess and the Pea’ we made our very own pea and mint soup. We used lots of skills such as weighing, chopping and blending.
 
 
Autumn 2
 
The Magic Toybox
 
 
Autumn 1
 
Here Come the Aliens!
 
 
We enjoyed cooking pear crumble using pears that had been picked from our very own Birchwood orchard. We also practised our weighing, cutting and mixing skills and the results were delicious.
 
 
Today we enjoyed exploring the legends of the festival of Diwali and other ancient Hindu stories. We then explored the traditions of each day of the festival.
 
 
We had a wonderful morning painting in the style of Vincent Van Gogh to create our own starry night paintings. 
 
'I’m a real artist!,  Ellie-Grace.
 
 
As part of Democracy Day we learned about what goes on in Parliament. We then held our own vote on which story should be read at the end of the day.
 
 
When returning to school after the summer holidays we made an interesting discovery in our outside area. Something had crash landed leaving a terrible mess. The following week we arrived at school to find that the crash scene had been cleared. A postcard and dropped passport revealed that it had actually been a spaceship that had crash landed. It belonged to an alien called Beegu who had managed to finally fix her space craft and had returned to Planet Zoop!