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Yew 6

 
Welcome to Yew 6!
 
 
2022 - 2023
 
Miss Chamberlain/Mrs Hill - Class Teachers
Mrs Finch/Mrs Tucker/Mrs Fisher - Teaching Assistants
 
 
Summer 2
 
Mayans
 
 
Come back soon to see our learning for this half term.
 
 
Summer 1
 
Africa
 
 
Spring 2
 
Tales of Terror
 
 
Spring 1
 
Frozen Kingdom
 
 
Well done to our dojo winner this half term, Hester. Hester always shows resilience and determination in every aspect of learning. She was thrilled to choose this Dog Man book from our book vending machine, which she has had her eye on for a while!
 
 
Year 6 have been writing some brilliant climate change speeches using the knowledge that they have been learning during their 'Frozen Kingdom' topics. They then recorded their speeches using Birchwood Beats radio station. Listen to some of their fantastic work to find out how you can reduce the effects of climate change too.
 
 
Well done to Darcy - our house competition winner this half term. Darcy created a fantastic winter scene, which was creative and unique. She was thrilled to win one of our book tokens to choose a book from our vending machine.
 

Year 6 enjoyed a fantastic workshop from Dog's Trust today, teaching them the importance of staying safe around dogs. We learnt about the different emotions that dogs feel and how we can tell how a dog is feeling from looking at it. 

 

 
This half term, Year 6 will be learning about our 'Frozen Kingdoms' - the Arctic and Antarctica. They will learn about the difficult journeys faced by Ernest Shackleton during his Endurance expedition. Alongside this, they will learn about the disaster of the Titanic and the reason of its significance within our history. 
 
 
Autumn 2
 
World War 2
 
 
Year 6 have had the opportunity to handle WW2 artefacts and hear from an expert today. They even heard about his family's German perspective of the war. In addition to this, they created some WW2 photographs using green screens and computing skills that they learned with Mr Bailey. 
 
'I have learnt a lot about the German side of the war and found it really interesting,' Daisy-Mai.
 
'I've learnt that both Germany and Britain were both equally scared of gas bombs during WW2,' Hester. 
 
'I enjoyed hearing the air raid siren in real life,' William.
 
 
Yew 6 have created some brilliant phone cases, using their newly learned skills. They have used a combination of back stitch, running stitch and blanket stitch to try and make phone cases that are strong enough but also appeal to their target audience. 
 

Year 6 had Mr Bailey visit them this half term for some WW2 themed computing. They learned:

  • How to create animations using small changes to frames each time. 
  • Creating a post card in the style of an evacuee.
  • To use app-smashing, including colour smash to create a remembrance poster.
  • How easy it is to create fake news, and the importance of being discerning with what is read online. 
Yew 6 have loved becoming 'computers' working at Bletchley Park. As part of maths week, we have learnt the importance of decrypting during WW2 and have worked hard to encrypt and decrypt their very own messages. 
 
'I found it interesting that the words are scrambled up and we can use different ways to decrypt the messages,' Tyler.
 
'Alan Turing was amazing. He made a machine that cracked the Enigma code, which they thought was unbreakable,' Ollie O.
 
Year 6 have visited Polesworth High School today to complete a science practical activity. They learned about safety in the science laboratory, before completing a 'firework' investigation. They looked at why fireworks are different colours, observing the different coloured flames when chemicals were added to heat. 
 
This half term, Year 6 will be learning about World War 2. They will learn the historical significance of the war, including why children were evacuated and the impact that the war had on the lives of families and individuals. They will also look at key historical figures, such as Alan Turing, and the significant impact that these people had on the outcomes of WW2. 
 
Autumn 1
 
Darwin's Delights
 
In recent weeks Year 6 have been learning all about Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.  They have researched how different creatures are adapted to their environments and have written excellent non-chronological reports to present their findings.  
 
In Science, children have been conducting experiments to look how finches' beaks are adapted to where they live. 
 
In PSHE, children have learned about protective behaviours and thought carefully about their own strengths and aspirations for the future. 
 
In Maths, we have been ensuring a thorough understanding of multiplication and division and Willow 6 have written some fantastic explanations. 
 
We are coming to the end of our class text 'Skelig' and are looking forward to seeing how the story is resolved.
 
In PE Year 6 have become orienteering expects and have developed their maths reading skills and efficiency over the term.
 
Home learning has been of a superb quality this term and it has been lovely for pupils to share this with their classmates. 
 
Well done to our dojo winner from this half term, Matilda, for always showing a brilliant attitude towards your learning and demonstrating consideration and respect. A great start to Year 6! 
Yew 6 have been working hard to make a delicious apple and pear crumble using the fruit that has been grown in our school orchard. They have practised many skills, such as peeling, chopping, measuring, presenting their food and using the oven safely. And the favourite skill of all, tasting and evaluating!
 
Year 6 have been learning about the adaptations of different animals. As a result, they have created these fantastic non-chronological reports about 3 animals and the ways that they have adapted to survive in their environment. 
 
This week, Yew 6 have used their scientific enquiry skills to find out which beak type is best for collecting food. They used some different 'beaks', including scissors, spoons, tweezers and binder clips and investigated which were the best for picking up different types of foods. This helped us to understand how birds have adapted to have a different shaped beak based on the food available in that environment. 
 

Yew 6 shared their class assembly with the other year groups and adults from home. We hope everyone else learnt something new about adaptation and evolution. And their performance of the Jabberwocky was fantastic too!

 

Today, we had Ash Dickinson come into school to teach us about poetry. He performed some of his poems to us and then we had a go at creating 2 different poems ourselves.
 
'I enjoyed writing poems and learning that poems can help you to let out your feelings and they can help you to feel happy.'
 
'I enjoyed having Ash in because he gave us freedom of writing our own poems but some rules to follow too.'
 
Year 6 have learnt lots during their trip to Twycross Zoo about the adaptations of species which help them to survive within their environment. 
 
'I loved exploring the different animals and their habitats,' Eva.
 
'I like that we got to see the bonobos and I found out that we are very closely related to these,' Leila.
 
'I liked learning about different adaptations and variations during our lesson,' Romee-Lea
 
'We learned about snow leopards and their variations. Some have white fur to camouflage them in the snow,' Troy. 
 
'Male giraffes fought using their necks to show their dominance,' Tommy.
 

Yew 6 have begun this year by writing some brilliant persuasive speeches. There was a lot of competition as the speeches were brilliant this year and so many children had fantastic ideas about what they would do if they became a house captain.

This half term, we are learning about Charles Darwin and his Theory of Evolution. By looking at the different skulls of animals, we identified how they had characteristics which help them to survive in their environment.

In PE, we have been learning about the importance of teamwork. Through clear communication and working well in a team, we have guided our peers when they have been blindfolded.

 
Welcome to Sycamore 5!
 
 
2021 - 2022
 
Miss Purdy/Mr Bright - Class Teachers
Mr Smith - Teaching Assistant
 
 
Summer 2
 
Ancient Egypt
 
Sycamore 5 had lots of fun during their first visit to the Birchwood Beat radio studio where they practised recording their ancient Egyptian advertising jingles.
 
'I feel like I am on Talk Sport!' Ollie.
 
'This is an amazing experience. I never thought I’d actually be a radio DJ!' Troy.
 
Sycamore 5 enjoyed experimenting with clay to create these amazing ancient Egyptian Canopic jars.  They made the base of the jar using the coil method and then the lid by pinching and blending the clay. They remembered to score, slip and blend when attaching any parts to allow the clay to stick together and added the final touches by carefully carving.
 
Sycamore 5 became embalmers! After finding out about mummification, they began the process on a tomato. It may not have been quite as bad as using a dead body, but it was still pretty messy. They will have to be patient and wait another two weeks before beginning the next part of the mummification process on the ‘Tomatokhamuns’.
 
'This was so much fun but I’m glad we did not have to scoop out real brains!' Evie-Jasmine.
 
'I can’t wait to see what will happen to Tomatokhamun,' Millie.
 
 
Summer 1
 
 
Materials and their properties
 
 
and
 
Take One Author -  Kwame Alexander
 
Inspired by our trip to Lanchester, some of Year 5 created these fabulous sculptures in the style of Antony Gormley (British sculptor and creator of The Angel of the North in Gateshead).  The sculptures represent the collective past, present and future linking to our local area of Dordon.

Sycamore 5 made the long journey to the North of England as part of their residential trip to Lanchester.

First, we visited the famous Angel of the North sculpture and then we travelled to Durham for a tour of the cathedral. We learnt about the history of the cathedral and even got to see where some of the scenes from Harry Potter were filmed. After, we ventured outside and took part in some team building activities.

Next, we had a delicious dinner at Pizza Express and then journeyed to Lanchester Primary School for fun and games at the local park before settling down for our sleepover.

The following day, we walked around Lanchester village before departing for Newcastle. We arrived at Gateshead Quayside and learnt about the history of the many bridges.

Finally, we visited St James’ Park football stadium where we took a tour of Newcastle football team’s grounds.

We had an amazing time on our trip!!

 
Spring 2
 
 Industry and Inventions
 
Year 5 travelled to the Black Country Living Museum to see what life was like for the workers and miners of Victorian Staffordshire and Warwickshire.
 
They learned how items were cast using different metals and even created our own souvenirs using molten pewter.
 
They also learned about the dangers of deadly gases which fill coal mines - with some quite explosive demonstrations!
 
Finally, they explored the streets of a Victorian pit village and saw how people lived in the 1800s.
After discovering the buried artefacts, Sycamore 5 spent the morning using their inference skills to identify as much about the original owner as possible.
 
'I think these belong to a Victorian girl who is quite rich. She has lots of toys and in her diary she writes about etiquette lessons,' Paige.
 
 
'The candle holder shows that this would have been from a time when electricity was not used in homes - possibly the Victorian era,' Troy.
 
 
'The tools could be from the Victorian era as the look old and rusty. They are all made from metal and were used to extract coal from the mines,' Tyler.
 
Year 5 agreed to help the local historical society after they received an email with details about a Victorian time capsule being buried within the school grounds over 100 years ago. With the aid of a metal detector, the pupils set out in earnest to find it. They finally unearthed an old biscuit tin containing lots of different artefacts. 
 
 
Spring 1
 
The Black Death
 
To complete our theme of the Black Death and the Middle Ages, we travelled back in time to the 1300s! With our guide Richard, we explored everything from the life of a Knight, terrifying medieval weapons, amazing armour, colossal castles, measly middle-age medicine and the poverty-stricken lives of poor peasants!
During ‘Number Day’ we used our mathematical skills to help us with some cooking. We looked at measuring ingredients, reading scales, cutting into equal parts (fractions) and calculating time durations.
To support our learning, we went on an online adventure to ‘Interland’ where we learnt about the key lessons of internet safety through four fun, challenging games.
 
 
Autumn 2
 
The Solar System
 
As part our our art day, we created some fantastic ‘Solar System’ inspired paintings.  We experimented with colour and texture to create the background and then used careful line drawings to create the astronaut.
Amazing progress is being made by year 5 in their cello lessons.  They have been learning to read music notation and are now using the bow to play simple tunes.
To introduce our new science topic about the Solar System, we used secondary sources to research facts about the different planets by going on some planet ‘speed dates’. We then moved outside and used role play to model how the planets moved around the Sun.
 
Autumn 1
 
 Marvellous Mechanisms
 

Sycamore 5 got to grips with marvellous mechanisms and fantastic forces during their trip to Drayton Manor today. A fantastic day out - smiles and screams in equal measure!

‘This has been the best trip ever. I have had so much fun!’ Troy.

‘I’ve learned lots about forces today and especially loved experiencing them for real on the rides,’ Henry.

‘This is my first time visiting a theme park and I have LOVED it. Except for the Pirate Ship. I did NOT love that!’ Riley.

Amazing Animations
 
We used the 2Animate programme on Purple Mash to help create some simple animations depicting the movement of different types of mechanisms.
 
“I really enjoyed making my animation.” - Faye
 
“The programme helped me to see what mistakes I had made and how to debug to get my animation working correctly.” - Henry
 
 
To celebrate European Day of Languages, we looked at the country of Poland. We learnt about the geography and culture of the country and then tried speaking some of the language. We were lucky to have Mrs Komuszynska helping us with our pronunciation! Later on, we used our cooking skills to make some zapiekanka (Polish street food) and finally took part in some art and crafts, creating some beautiful Wycinanki paper art.
We had a busy but very enjoyable day!
 
“The zapiekanka was delicious. I will definitely try making that at home.” - Jacob
 
“The Polish language is very difficult as their alphabet is very different to ours.” - Matilda
 
“I really enjoyed European Day of Languages and have learnt a lot about a different country. I would definitely like to go and visit Poland now.” - Eva
 
 
To kick-start our new theme, we took the plunge into the wild world of rollercoasters! We looked at the forces that make these marvellous machines work. We tested the strength of levers by moving the fulcrum closer and further away from the load and then used our knowledge of gravity to make loop-the-loop rollercoasters.
 
 
Welcome to Redwood 4!
 
 
2020 - 2021
 
Miss Parkes - Class Teacher
Mrs Shaw - Teaching Assistant
 
 
Summer 2
 
Burps, Bottoms and Bile
 
and
 
Take One Author - Michael Morpurgo
 
This term in Redwood 4 we have enjoyed learning about teeth and digestion. We have completed a number of experiments and activities to explore the processes within the digestive system and discussed how we could improve our teeth hygiene. Alongside our teeth and digestion learning, we have also enjoyed studying a number of books by Michael Morpurgo as part of our Take One Author English study. We really enjoyed the War Horse film and have been reading The Butterfly Lion as a class. 
 

This term, we also enjoyed a fantastic trip to Think Tank in Birmingham, where we participated in workshops on the human body, local inventions and animals and their habitats. 

 

 
Spring 2
 
Raiders and Traders
 
 
This half term, Year 4 have been learning about Vikings and Anglo Saxons. We have been on many adventures with Erik the Viking, made Viking longships inspired by Erik’s Golden Dragon, learnt about Viking Gods and Goddesses and made our own brooches inspired by the Anglo Saxons!
 

What have we enjoyed in Year 4?

'I like being back in school because I can see my friends and teachers,' Ellie.

'I enjoyed making an Anglo-Saxon brooch out of clay,' Henry.

'I enjoyed writing my setting description about the storm,' Faye.

'I enjoyed doing the presentation about Anglo-Saxon artefacts and singing about Loki the Joker,' Evie-Jasmine.

'I enjoyed making a Viking longship in the classroom,' Riley.

'I enjoyed outdoor PE (hockey),' Ollie.

 

 
Autumn 2
 
Emperors and Empires
 

This half term, Year 4 are learning about the Romans. Here are some of the facts we have learnt so far:

‘I have learned that Boudicca was a British warrior queen,’ Lauren

‘The Romans conquered lots of countries.’

‘I have learnt that the Romans were very brutal!’ Paige

‘Boudicca means ‘victory,’ Romee-Lea

‘Boudicca is believed to have poisoned herself so that she didn’t get captured by the Romans,’ Tyler

‘Roman soldiers had to pay for their stuff, even the armour that they wear!’ Henry

‘I have learnt that the Romans built straight roads.’

‘A woman called Boudicca led the Iceni tribe,’ Matilda

‘The Romans were successful because of their strong battle formations.’

 

To start our learning journey this half term, a Roman soldier in full armour introduced the children to the day to day life of Roman in Britain. We experienced a detailed examination and try-on session of a legionary’s kit, and had the chance to explore world-class artefacts. Children explored the Roman conquest of Britain, and the incredible stories of Caratacus and Boudicca. After all of this, children performed some marching and shield drills (in Latin), and then explored a Roman bath house and a games arena. Children finished the day with some Roman stories and games! 

 
Autumn 1
 
Misty Mountain, Winding River 
 

King of the Cloud Forests

At the start of term, Year 4 found Ashley’s backpack on the school field containing lots of things such as photographs, interesting drawings and maps of China and Japan. We used our detective and inference skills to think about why Ashley might have these things in his bag.

A few weeks in, we are now on an adventure through the snowy Himalayas with Ashley and his new friends - a group of yetis!

 

What are Redwood enjoying about Year 4 so far?

‘I like my new teachers and our theme of rivers and mountains,’ Romee-Lea.

‘I’ve liked being back in school because I have really nice teachers and they help me whenever I need it. I’ve liked all the work because the teachers always make it fun,’  Henry.

‘I liked the Maths maze investigation,’ Tommy.

‘I’ve enjoyed Year 4 so far because I like my teachers and teaching assistant. I liked writing the story in English,’ Paige.

‘I like school because I can play with my friends and learn and do fun activities,’ Kye.

‘I love school in general, but I also love seeing all my friends. I also love my new teachers and the new year because that gives me a chance to make a new impression,’ Matilda.

‘I’ve enjoyed coming back to school to see my friends and getting back into my school routine. I really like English,’ Lauren.

‘I have enjoyed seeing my friends and the freestyle football in PE,’ Troy.

‘I have enjoyed being back at school with my friends because I love learning new things,’ Rory.

 

 
Welcome to Oak 3!
 
 
2019 - 2020
 
Mrs Atkins/Mrs Bayliss - Class Teachers
Mrs Faultless - Teaching Assistant
 
 
Spring 2
 
Tales of the Unexpected
 
 
 
Spring 1
 
Tribal Tales
 
 
Autumn 2
 
Underground, Overground
 
and
 
Take One Author - Aaran Becker
 
 
Journey by Aaron Becker

A picture adventure book to invoke the imaginations of the children in Year 3! We have chosen this book to allow the children to develop their inference skills, apply their own ideas to interpret this glorious book applying a range of English genres along the way.

We will follow a little girl (who the class have named Josephine) on a magical adventure of her own making, encouraging our children to imagine her feelings and thoughts throughout.

Aaron Becker is a famous illustration author who has produced many wordless books. Captivating children and adults by the turn of each page.
 
 
Autumn 1
 
Lost in the USA
 
 
Oak 3 took time out to reflect on their learning for this half term.
 

'In English, I really liked writing the story about Snow White in Texas,' Paige.

'In Maths, all of the calculations are challenging and help me learn,' Henry.

'I loved it when we wrote our trip advisor page about Texas,' Rory.

'In Maths, I like adding and subtracting using the new column method that we have just learnt,' Ollie.

'In one of our Maths lessons, I enjoyed using Now Press Play because I really liked the investigation,' Matilda.

In English, I really like working on getting my writing neat,' Zak.

'In Maths, I really like adding and subtracting bigger numbers,' Lacey

'In Guided Reading, I liked answering questions about Donald Trump,' Cassidy.

'I loved it when we were learning about Texas because it was fun,' Riley.

'I loved it when we started learning about America because I have found it interesting finding out about all the places,' Troy.

'I like English because I like learning about new things,' Romee-Lea.

'I like learning about Larry the dog,' Eva.

'I like listening to all of the Larry Gets Lost stories because they are really funny,' William.

'I like Maths because I have enjoyed doing the Texas booklets, Evie-Jasmine.

'In Maths, I liked learning the column method because I can now add and subtract faster,' Ollie.

'In Guided Reading, I enjoy answering questions,' Faye.

'I like English because I like putting my ideas down,' Lauren.