Our Curriculum in Action in 2025/26!

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    This week in Reception, we have been making our own fruit salads as part of our learning about food. The children brought in a variety of fruits to taste, which they then carefully cut up to create their own delicious fruit salads.

Our focus story this week was Handa’s Surprise, which led to discussions about tropical fruits. One child even brought in a dragon fruit for everyone to try, which she particularly enjoyed!

This activity also supported the development of the children’s fine motor skills, as they used safe knives and chopping boards to prepare their fruit.

    In Conker Class our story this week is Jack and the Beanstalk. The children have really enjoyed stomping around like the giant and shouting, “Fee fi fo fum!”

Inspired by the story, we decided to plant some beans like Jack and see if they might grow into giant beanstalks. The children carefully filled pots with compost and placed the beans into the soil. As we worked, we talked about what plants need to grow and how we can help them by giving them water, soil and sunlight.

We then watered the seeds and put them in a sunny place. The children also planted cress seeds on cotton wool and carefully watered them using pipettes, making sure not to give them too much water. Using the pipettes helped the children to develop their fine motor skills while they carefully controlled the water.

Over the next few weeks we will watch closely to see what happens and compare which plants grow the fastest. The children will continue to talk about their observations and learn more about how plants grow. 

    In Reception we have been so excited by the launch of a new initiative called Mystery Reader. Each week there is a knock on our classroom door and a surprise ‘mystery’ visitor enters which is often a mum or dad of one of the children in the class. It was lovely to have a Mystery Reader this week as we were celebrating World Book day and it was such a lovely story about a bear. The children also loved doing a book treasure hunt on the school field and could name all the different stories we found! We can’t wait to see which Mystery Reader knocks on our door next!  

    This week in Conker Class, we have been reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar. The children have really enjoyed exploring the story and learning all about the life cycle of a butterfly. We talked about how a butterfly’s habitat is different from ours. The children noticed that butterflies sleep outside on trees or plants, while we sleep safely at home in our beds.

We also had some fantastic discussions about food. The children compared what butterflies and caterpillars eat with what humans eat. One child thoughtfully said, “We use a knife and fork and eat off a plate. A caterpillar just eats from the floor!” We loved hearing their observations and comparisons.

In the art area, we made our own caterpillars. Our art focus this half term is printing, so the children explored different objects to print with to create their very unique caterpillars. They carefully chose different sized objects, making sure the eyes were smaller than the body. The results were colourful, creative, and full of character!

    In Reception we have been continuing to practise our Art skills of creating a collage effect. This week we have been making rockets out of lollipop sticks and also 2D shapes. 

We have also been writing a sentence for our Star Writing wall which begins ‘My rocket will go to…’ Can you complete the sentence too? We have a lot of rockets travelling to Mars!

   Conker class have been making their own rainbows this week. We sung the rainbow song and worked out what different colours were in a rainbow. The children then chose the paints needed. They painted some wonderful rainbows using all the colours. We then tried to make our own rainbows from playdough. They children enjoyed rolling the playdough into long sausages and used different colours to make rainbows. These activities support fine motor skills, creativity, and colour recognition, while giving the children plenty of opportunity to explore and have fun.  

   In Reception we have been learning about travel and journeys. Last week we were learning about space travel and the children were given a mission to design and make their own space rockets as part of their home learning. This photo is just a sample of some of the amazing rockets and space ships that were made! We are just waiting to hear from NASA about when we can launch them into space…  

  This week Conker class have been reading the story 'Elmer and the Rainbow.' The children enjoyed making their own patchwork elephants and used lots of different colours. Some children cut out small pieces of tissue paper and others used paint; carefully ensuring they did not mix the colours and make everything brown! During a session with the older children, we asked the question 'is patchwork Elmer the same or different from the other elephants?' The children really enjoyed the discussion and came to the conclusion that all the elephants were the same but were wearing different clothes.   

 As part of our topic about journeys and transport we have been creating our own paper plate boats using the art technique of collage. The children used pritt sticks to decorate the boats and sails with tissue squares along with a choice of different stickers. We also used a sentence stem to describe where our boats would travel to. Where would your boat travel to?  

 This week Conker class started our new topic 'How Many Colours in a Rainbow?' We went on a colour hunt around the building and the children were amazed by how many different colours there were. One child said 'I did not realise how many different blues there are.' They counted at least 5 different shades! When we came back to class we decided to see how many different blues we could make by adding a little bit of white each time. The children then wanted to see how many different colours they could make by adding colours together. We made some lovely colours together but also found out that adding too many colours at once quite often makes brown! 

    This week in Year 1, we have been very busy with our learning!

In English, we have been writing character descriptions based on characters from Where the Wild Things Are. The children have enjoyed thinking about how the characters look and behave, and have used some fantastic describing words in their writing.

In Maths, we have been focusing on numbers from 50 to 100. We have been practising partitioning these numbers into tens and ones, helping us to understand place value more clearly.

In Science, we have continued learning about animals. This week, we have been comparing different animals and discussing their features, such as size, shape, and what makes them unique.

In Design and Technology (DT), we have started designing windmills. The children have been exploring different ideas and thinking about how their windmills will work.

Well done, Year 1, for all your hard work!

    On Wednesday morning the we went to The Everyman Cinema to watch Dog man the movie. Everyone had a great time and all the adults were extremely proud of the outstanding behaviour walking to and from the cinema and whilst watching the movie.

To help kick start Science Week, the children investigated the question ' How do bees help flowers?' The children created bees and flowers on lollipop sticks. Then they placed some glitter onto the flowers and then put some glue on the bees. After that, the bees visited the flowers to show how pollen spreads from flower to flower creating a process called pollination. 

      This week in Year 1 we have had a fantastic time learning across all our subjects.
In English, we have been writing sentences about Max from Where the Wild Things Are. The children worked hard to think about the character and used their phonics knowledge to help them write simple, clear sentences.
In Maths, we have been learning about directional language. The children explored words such as left and right and practised putting this understanding into action through different activities.
In Science, we have been learning about different animal groups. The class enjoyed finding out how animals can be grouped and identifying examples of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians.

It has been a great week of learning in Year 1 and the children have worked really hard! 

      In English we have are reading 'Grandad's Island' written by Benji Davis. It is about a boy called Syd and his Grandad, whose house is through a gate at the bottom of Syd's garden and they go on a magical adventure together. The children have been writing descriptions of the illustrations using expanded noun phrases and prepositional phrases.

In DT the children have enjoyed designing, creating and evaluating their own bug hotels using a variety of recycled materials.

     We have had a fantastic week in Year 1!

For Music Week, we really enjoyed learning about different instruments and performing for our parents. We were so proud to share what we had learned.

In English, we have been working hard on our sentence writing and improving our handwriting. The children are doing a great job remembering capital letters, finger spaces and full stops.

In Maths, we have been learning about arrays and making equal groups. We have been using practical resources to help us understand how numbers can be grouped in different ways.

In Science, we carried out a taste test which was both scientific and tasty! We explored our senses and talked about our results like real scientists.

Well done, Year 1, for all your hard work this week!

     This week in English the children have been writing instructions on how to build the perfect habitat for their Bog Babies. They are excellent at writing really clear instructions so the reader knows exactly what to do! 

In Maths, the children have been learning about multiplication and division through the use of arrays.

In Science, the children have been thinking about healthy eating. They have been learning about all the different food groups and how to created a delicious, balanced meal.

In Art the children drew a simple landscape and then used collage to create different textures. They looked very beautiful! 

    This week in English, we have been learning about the features of a letter. We talked about what makes a good letter and practised writing our own. 

In Maths, we have been exploring capacity and volume. The children compared different objects and containers to see how much they can hold. 

In Art, we have been learning about  colours and we used LEGO bricks to create fun printed patterns.

Well done, Year 1, for another great week of learning! 

   We have been reading  'The Bog Baby' written by Jeanne Willis. The children created their own bog baby and have started to write their own narrative in the same style. They are great! 

In Maths, we have been learning all about money. We have been using plastic money to make different amounts and pretending to buy items in order to calculate how much their purchases will cost and how much change they will receive. 

Our topic this half term is Animals and Human Life cycles. We have been learning about life cycles and  created our own life cycle wheels of a hen, a frog and a butterfly.

In Art, we have continued with colour mixing and have also been exploring how to create texture using cotton buds, sponges, plastic forks, tin foil and lollipop sticks.

  We have had a great week filled with lots of learning! In English, the children have been describing a character from a story, thinking carefully about their appearance and personality. In Maths, we have been working with numbers from 20 to 50, practising counting, recognising, and using them in different activities. In Science, our focus has been on the human body—the children have been learning to label different body parts and discussing how we use our senses to explore the world around us.

Well done to everyone for their hard work this week!

 This week in Year 2 we have been learning about primary and secondary colours. 

First, we placed a piece of card in a tray. 

Then, we wet the paper using a paint brush. 

Next, we dipped our paint brush into water and then the paint.

After that, we squeezed the end of the brush to release the paint onto the paper.

Finally, we moved the tray around so the paints would mix together.

(Year 2 wrote this together!) 

   Over the last few weeks, Year 6 have taken it in turns to visit the library on Staplyton Road. A lot of us filled in an application form in advance, so our shiny new library cards were waiting for us on arrival!

Nat and James, the librarians, met us and took us into the special area of the library just for children. It was huge! There were all kinds of books from board books and picture books for little ones, to chapter books and graphic novels for the older children. Nat and James told us a little bit about how the library worked including the Dewey Decimal System which we had never heard of. We also had lots of questions for them, the most popular of which was "how many books can I take out at one time?" (20). Then, they set us a challenge in the form of a quiz. We had to answer lots of questions by finding things in the library. For example, one was to find which books are under Dewey Number 520 (space). At the end, there was time for us to browse the library and choose some books. Nat showed us how to use the self-service machines: they were so simple to use! The rule was - if you can carry it you can take it out; a challenge that saw several children heft five books back to school! Did you know it's really easy to return books? You don't even have to go into the library - there's a special box by the door!

Since visiting the library, our FRED books have been filled with the books we took out. The teachers can't wait to see what we borrow from the library next!

  For Science Week, we have been embracing the theme of Curiosity and looking at batteries made from fruit. We observed how a circuit made from 4 lemons can power an LED bulb and then came up with our own questions to investigate, such as 'If I took the skin off, would the light shine brighter or dimmer?', 'Does whether a fruit is sweet or sour make a difference to how brightly the bulb shines?' and 'Would putting fruits and vegetables in the same circuit generate electricity?'. We then created different circuits to test our ideas. In conclusion, the circuit made from pomelos lit up the bulb most brightly so we think that citrus fruits which are a bit sweet and a bit acidic are the best electrical conductors. However, like all good scientists, we now have a lot more questions than we started with! 

  Year 6 were lucky to have a visit this week from a magistrate. No one knew what a magistrate was before the visit! Tim is a local magistrate who sits at the magistrates' court in Willesden. We learnt a great deal about what being a magistrate involved. We found out that magistrates are not judges, although they do a similar job. Judges preside over the very serious crimes, whereas magistrates deal with crimes that are not seen as being so bad. Judges have a legal background, but magistrates can from any background (they have a legal advisor assisting them in the court). Anyone can be a magistrate (as long as they are aged between 18 and 75) but you cannot be a magistrate if you have committed a crime, are a police officer/traffic warden/member of the armed forces or a member of the Royal Family. Magistrates are volunteers - which means they do not get paid. This fact astounded us - we thought they would be paid up to two million pounds for all they do!
These are some other things we found out: 

• magistrates have to be convinced 100% someone is guilty - if they are not, the person has to be found 'not guilty'
• three magistrates sit in a court at one time so there is always a final decision
• magistrates can impose fines, community service or prison sentences of up to two years
• magistrates and judges never use gavels - the TV shows lied to us!
• magistrates are vetted and only 7 out of 100 applicants get accepted
• magistrates receive ongoing training and even visit prisons so they know what they are like
• 95% of court cases in England and Wales are dealt with by magistrates, judges only preside over 5% of cases!

  Year 5 have had a great start to the new half term.

In English, we have begun exploring a new book, The Promise by Nicola Davies. The children have been identifying and discussing the different themes that emerge throughout the story and sharing some thoughtful ideas.

In Maths, we have been focusing on division with remainders, building confidence in applying our knowledge to a range of questions and problems.

In PSHE, we have been learning about the law. The children had a fantastic time taking part in a mock court session and re-enacting jury service. Many of our Year 5 pupils made very convincing (and quite strict!) lawyers and jurors.

To celebrate DT Week, we have been designing and creating wind chimes using natural resources and recycled materials, showing great creativity and care in our designs.

We also had a group of Year 5 pupils visit QE Boys for a creative writing workshop, where they represented the school brilliantly and produced some excellent work.

  This week Year 6 have been finishing their work based on "The Origin of Species" by Sabina Redeva. First, we wrote discovery narratives all about Charles Darwin encountering iguanas for the first time. Now we have written explanation texts all about "adaptation" and particularly the clever adaptations made by Galapagos Giant Tortoises to survive. We discovered lots of fascinating facts about these amazing creatures. 

Did you know they can weigh the same as a vending machine? That they easily live over one hundred years old? They can even live for a year without food or water! 

Year 6 have been sharing their brilliant pieces of writing to teach everyone more about these amazing adaptations... 

 This week in English, Year 5 have been busy planning for their Big Write. They are creating cliff-hanger narratives inspired by The Hound of the Baskervilles and are really focusing on suspense and atmosphere. We’re looking forward to publishing their finished pieces next week.

In Maths, we have been developing our multiplication skills by multiplying two-digit numbers by two-digit numbers, with the children showing great focus and resilience.

In PSHE, we explored what a healthy plate looks like and learned about calories, helping the children to understand how to make balanced and healthy choices.

In Science, we have been learning about reversible changes. The children investigated what happens when materials such as chocolate, ice, and wax are heated and then cooled again, making careful observations and predictions.

Another great week of learning—well done, Year 5! 

  Year 6 have been learning about Charles Darwin and his Theory of Evolution. In English, we have been reading a book called On the Origin of Species by Sabina Radeva. It is all about how Charles Darwin put together the theory that all living things have adapted to better suit their environments. We wrote a discovery narrative about Darwin exploring Uruguay and observing iguanas. We think he might have thought they looked like little dragons! After this, we are going to write an explanation text about Galapagos Tortoises and how they have adapted to their specific environments. In Science we have been looking at how and why adaptations are made. This week we experimented with being Cocos Finches and tried to "peck" rice grains with different beaks (fingers, pegs and tweezers). After this, we can definitely see the advantage of a specially adapted beak! It was really hard to "peck" the rice up! Next week we are looking forward to how woolly mammoths (originally a tropical mammal like the elephant) evolved to survive the ice age...

  Year 5 had a fantastic trip to the Tower of London. We took part in a workshop called The Queens Behind Henry where we learnt more about Henry VIII's wives rather than just the "divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived" rhyme. 

For example, did you know that Catherine of Aragon was actually the first ever female ambassador and Anne Boleyn could read and write in five languages? Some of us also had the chance to role play as historical figures. We also enjoyed learning about other aspects of the Tower of London, including seeing the Crown Jewels and the Royal Menagerie: polar bears, lions and elephants used to live at the Tower until they were rehomed to London Zoo in the 1830s.  

 Year 6 were lucky enough to have an artist called Tania visit from the Courtauld Gallery come and visit us. She showed us some of the impressionist art that is in the gallery and got us to think about the time of day and season these landscapes were painted in. She also asked us to focus on colour. Tania brought with her a huge suitcase of specialist watercolour paper, so we were able to create watercolour paintings like real artists. Tania divided the impressionist paintings up into pieces and gave everyone a section. She asked us to start with one colour at a time and build up the painting like this. it felt funny at first, but we trusted her and over the session we could see the paintings come to life. At the end, Tania asked us to put the photocopies of the original art together and then we put together the individual pieces we created. It was amazing to see our work come to life! We greatly enjoyed working with a professional artist and she highly recommends we all visit the gallery to see the collection. The Courtauld Gallery is well worth a visit as it has many famous works of art by internationally renowned artists. 

Welcome back! Last term, Year 5 had a fantastic end to the year, followed by a well-earned rest. This week has started positively, and we hope this great attitude continues throughout the rest of the term.

In English, we have begun reading a new class text, The Hound of the Baskervilles: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery by Arthur Conan Doyle. The children are already enjoying exploring the story and its intriguing characters.

In Maths, we are continuing our work on fractions, building on prior knowledge and developing confidence with more challenging concepts.

In History, we have started learning about the Tudors in preparation for our upcoming trip to the Tower of London. The children have shown great interest and enthusiasm in this topic.

In Science, we are learning about materials, focusing on their properties and changes. This week, we explored the scientific concept of hardness, investigating and comparing the hardness of different materials.