Spellings will again be based on the Year 4 spelling rules and the children’s individual targets. Tests will be held on a Thursday and new spellings (10 in total) will be given each week. In handwriting we will continue to develop our cursive script, paying attention to consistent letter sizes and accurate joins. We will continue to develop an interest in reading and different genres/authors this term. We will test comprehension by asking questions based on their individual books and shared texts in class. Children will also be asked to summarise what they have read in a paragraph/page and develop an ability to skim read texts so that children can find key words or phrases quickly. Grammar: we will be using adverbs and prepositions this term to express time, place and cause, incorporating and punctuating direct speech correctly and using the present perfect form of verbs (in contrast to the simple past tense). We will look at writing sentences with multiple clauses by extending our knowledge of more complex conjunctions. Creative writing topics will include non-fiction writing on a famous inventor (create a portfolio and invention timeline) and writing a fictional chapter based on a series of events. We will be inspired by the books I Don’t Believe it, Archie! by Andrew Norriss and How to Invent by Lynn Huggins-Cooper.
During the Spring Term, we will continue to have weekly tables tests and regular mental maths sessions. Our main topics this term will be multiplication and division, length and perimeter, fractions and decimals.
Multiplication and division: factors, multiplying and dividing by 10 and 100, informal written methods for multiplication, related multiplication and divisions facts, dividing a 3 digit number by a 1 digit number, problem solving.
Length and perimeter: equivalent lengths, perimeters of rectangles, rectilinear shapes and regular and irregular polygons.
Fractions: partition a mixed number, number lines with mixed numbers, ordering mixed numbers, converting mixed numbers and improper fractions, equivalent fraction families, addition and subtraction of mixed numbers.
Decimals: tenths and hundredths as fractions and decimals, dividing whole numbers by 10 and 100.
Prep 4 will be continuing to learn about states of matter. They will be exploring changing state and learning about the water cycle.
Prep 4 will then be learning about sound. This will include hearing and making sounds and investigating the volume and pitch of sounds. They will use what they learn to design and make their own musical instrument.
After half term Prep 4 will be learning about teeth, digestion and food chains. This will include exploring how the digestive system works, learning different types of teeth, finding out what animals eat and which animals are predators and prey.
After concluding our work on time zones, we will be moving on to the water cycle and exploring the processes of evaporation and condensation through a range of activities. We will be discussing the term precipitation and also the different cloud formations to be seen during different weather. By considering water as a finite resource, the children will also be introduced to the ideas of conservation and water shortages here in the UK. We will also consider some of the issues surrounding supplying clean drinking water to a growing global population.
This term Prep 4 will be learning about the Maya Civilization. They will then learn who the ancient Maya people were and where and when they lived. They will use maps and atlases to locate Maya cities and identify countries in Mesoamerica. In addition to this they will learn about the religious beliefs and rituals of the ancient Maya people and find out more about some of the many gods they worshipped. The children will also learn about the Maya number system and have the opportunity to read and write Maya numbers and solve number problems. They will learn about the Maya writing system too and practise writing words using logograms and syllabograms in the hieroglyphic style of the ancient Maya people. The children will learn about the work of the explorers John Lloyd Stephens and Frederick Catherwood and have the opportunity to analyse historical pictures of the cities they discovered. They will also explore the types of food eaten by the ancient Maya people and have the chance to taste some of these foods.
This term we will consolidate our learning of numbers to 100, parts of the face, sports and toys. We will then move on to learn the vocabulary for life in the countryside, the beach and different modes of transport. To improve grammatical knowledge, we will look at words ending in ‘eau’ and revise the definite article in its different forms. We will also look at some important events in French history and look at how to say those dates in French.
This term we will be furthering the children’s knowledge and understanding of the life of Jesus. We will be looking at the gifts he received at his birth and the difference between life in Galilee 2,000 years ago and now, particularly in relation to light, water and food. We will think about what being ‘called’ by Christ really means and how Christ shared the ordinary joys and difficulties of life.
Futurism and figures will be the inspiration for prep 5 art lesson’s this term. Futurist artists such us Boccioni and Balla will support the cubist and dynamic painting effects we will try and recreate. We will look at body proportion, figure sequencing and techniques to enrich the artwork with action and movement. The final pieces will be filled with figures leaping across the painting with energy and colour.
This term, all of Prep 3 and 4 will be learning the recorder. For some this will mean improving their skills and for others this will be a new venture into music making. By learning an instrument together, the children will be able to take part in individual and group music-making. They will also be able to improve their understanding of musical notation through practical experience. Alongside this, we will be looking at the history of the recorder and of woodwind instruments, and will be listening to music from the Renaissance and Baroque periods.
Due to the exploratory and ‘spontaneous’ approach in this subject, we will often go off in different directions depending on the ideas and interest of the children. And so the formal lesson plans are often deviated from to preserve a flexibility and originality of approach. New projects often ‘evolve’ from the children’s ideas in the sessions and it is an important part of the approach and style in this subject to maintain this flexibility and spontaneity. This generates a feeling with the children that they are going on a ‘journey’ in this subject each term. The formal lesson plans are only intended to be used as a basis and guide to the type of work and projects that are covered and are not intended to be rigidly adhered to.
Weeks 1 and 2 – Hydraulic designs using syringes and plastic tubing to create reciprocal movement. Materials used: syringes, PVC tubing, blockwood, laser plywood, modelling card and modelling foam.
Weeks 3 and 4 – Three dimensional structures, incorporating mechanical movements, using blockwood, plywood, modelling card and modelling foam.
Weeks 5 and 6 – Puppet designs incorporating fabric, dowelling, 360 micron card and blockwood.
Weeks 7 and 8 – Vehicle designs using two wheels and forward sledge as a runner. The children will be involved in designing and making the vehicle to travel on a track.
Weeks 9 and 10 – ‘Desk Tidy’ designs for arranging equipment incorporating compartments and drawers. Material include laser plywood, blockwood and modelling foam.
This term pupils will complete a project on powerpoint, learning the basic commands needed to achieve this. They will create an animated story using scratch to incorporate use of music and voice control. They will also be able to complete a piece of documented work using images and written information.
This term the unit of work is based on the Great Fire of London. The children will be creating and sustaining roles, improvising and trying to feel what it would be like to witness that event. We will be thinking about what we can learn from historical documents and the difference between fact and rumour. The children will be encouraged to work together to respond quickly to different situations; this is an opportunity to develop team work skills, trust and co-operation.
Living in the Wider World
We will begin the term looking at belonging to a community. What makes a community and what are shared responsibilities? We will be looking at volunteering and how to show compassion towards others in need in your local community. As part of our Money and Work topic we will look at making decisions about money. How do people make decisions based on budget, values and needs? We will also consider that how people spend their money can have positive and negative effects on others e.g. charities, single use plastics.
P.E: Basketball. Handling, dribbling, movement into space and passing skills will be developed, especially in small game situations.
Handball. Learning the fundamentals and rules of the game. Passing and moving into space, attacking and defending and developing these skills into game situations.
Games: Cross Country, Football and Netball. Skills will be developed through a collection of drills and activities, with game situations kept small to encourage as much participation as possible.