Reception children have been very busy exploring their immediate environment, including talking about animals and plants in their outdoor area, which is known as ‘Ted’s Den’. They have also observed seasonal changes to the weather and the trees.
During independent learning time, Reception children have developed their sense of place by discussing the maps and leaflets in class.
Year one
Year one have been learning about animals and how they adapt to their region. This built on from work in reception when they studied the topic ‘Around the world’.
Year two
Year two children have been locating significant landmarks in Norwich and comparing old and new landmarks. Work included using google maps.
Year 5 have been learning about earthquakes and plate tectonics. This builds nicely on their prior learning of mountains and volcanoes in Year 4; they started the topic developing their retrieval skills, to enable them to build on this knowledge. They then represented their learning in an A3 spread, like the example shown below.
Year 5 have been studying recycling and the environment with cross curricular links with DT and history. We started by considering recycling in the past; Victorian finds, war years, through to the present day.
We have looked at the use and misuse of plastics where we have considered sustainability. In DT we communicated our concerns for plastics in the ocean, by creating sewn wall hangings.
We have also included new content to our curriculum where we have been finding out about renewable and non- renewable energies.
During the first half of the summer term, reception children created a class story map from Jack and the Beanstalk. They also had the opportunity to create their own story maps.
A part of the topic ‘Around the World’, Reception children have been learning about maps and plans. They began the topic by looking at a plan of our school, then created a whole class plan of the classroom. They used google maps to find our school and familiar places in the local community, then explored further afield. One child decided to search for the North Pole as he believed he might find Santa’s house. During independent learning time, some children chose to create their own maps. The children develop their sense of place and knowledge of countries over the term.
Year 1
Year one children learnt about Norfolk and their local area. They looked at a map of Norfolk and had a great discussion of places they had visited and where they would like to go. The children were given riddles and had to work out places that could be located on a map. The children had an in depth conversation about the physical features of these places and if they had visited them before.
Year one children also created maps of Holkham Hall, following on from their visit.
Year 2
Year two studied the topic “Art around the world” in spring 2 and the first half of the summer term. They continued to build on knowledge of Antarctica from year one, considering how humans and animals survive in the environment. Sessions also included finding out about Africa, Australasia, South and North America, and Egypt.
Year two also developed their compass skills in the school grounds.
This half term, year 4 have been working on a very exciting cross-curricular project. The children have been using their geographical knowledge of maps and mountains alongside their scientific knowledge of electrical circuits to create electrical board games! They have put a lot of thought into the bright, eye catching design of their games and we have discussed how important it is for our “wires” (made from foil and masking tape) not to cross over so that the circuits are complete and the games works properly. The children have loved researching different mountains in Europe and then plotting them on their maps. Some of them were surprised to learn about the mountains we had in the United Kingdom!
Year 5 enjoyed studying South America. They started by recapping the map work and atlas skills, familiarising themselves with continents, oceans, then of countries within South America. Using globes, they were fascinated with the scale of the UK compared to South America. The children learnt about the Amazon River and other natural and man-made features. They took part in a deforestation debate, taking on the roles of various departments to get a balanced argument from different perspectives.
This unit was enhanced by linking our recount writing in Literacy, where the children learnt about the life of a child who lives in the rainforest, and the impact and threat that deforestation has on community.
This term in geography, year 6 have been learning about the continent of North America We have identified the countries that make up North America and used maps to create 3D models of the state of Hawaii. We identified the features of Hawaii that were natural and man-made and recreated one of the islands that create the state. Each group made a different island.
We have also learnt about trade and the sort of products that the UK import and export. We played a trading game to highlight the inequalities of trade between rich and developing countries, and how Fair Trade helps to support farmers in less well-off countries.
During the topic “People Who Help Us” children found out about the jobs of members in our community, including dentists, firefighters, paramedics and police officers.
They also got to interview a bus driver driver and take a ride on the bus around Toftwood and Dereham.
Year 1
As part of their topic “Weather Experts”, year one children studied the weather in our school grounds; they identified daily and seasonal weather patterns in the locality. They also learnt about climate zones. Examples below demonstrate their learning about the weather on retrieval grids.
The children learnt how to use a compass and completed orienteering activities in the school grounds.
In the second part of the spring term, year one children were introduced to the names of the seven continents and 5 oceans.
The children also worked on finding out about a country.
Year 2
Year two children named and located the UK’s four countries and capital cities; they named the seas surrounding the UK. The children worked on naming the seven continents and five oceans. This will prepare them for detailed work on the continents later in the year.
In Year 3, we spent the first half of the Autumn term going ‘Around the World’, revising our Year 2 knowledge on continents and oceans, before learning about places in the UK. We learnt about different settlements such as cities, towns and villages. We compared two cities (Norwich and Birmingham) plus extended our maps skills by learning about grid references.
In the second half term, our main focus was history, but we learnt about where Egypt was on a map and located seas, deserts and major cities and landmarks.
Year 5 learnt about earthquakes, building on their knowledge in year 3 of the Ring of Fire and volcanoes. They learnt about Tectonic Plates, where they are located and the evidence that was discovered to explain why the continents have moved to their current position. We discussed how to stay safe during an earthquake as well as looked at websites that show current activity around the world.
Reception children went on a walk to the post box, in order to post their letters to Santa. Children talked about the places they knew as we walked around. Here are some of their quotes:
“There’s the nursery where I went to.”
“I live down there.”
“We’re a bit near the social club, it’s a pub…I’ve been there.”
“Tawny Owls and Barn Owls is through there, my sister little sister goes there.”
“I live a bit that way, and my granny lives that way.”
Year one also went on a walk around Toftwood. They were then able to use knowledge gained to make comparisons with other places.
Year 3 began the year by recapping their year 2 learning about the continents of the world and the countries in the UK.
We learnt about the different types of modern day settlements: villages, towns and cities. Listing what might be found in each type.
We then compared the cities of Birmingham and Norwich. After that, we located and identified human and physical landmarks in Europe and then the world. We also looked at ordnance survey map symbols and created out own to identify our landmarks.
Year 5
Year 5 have been learning about earthquakes in Year 5. We learnt about the different plates which float and move on the earth’s mantle.
We made our own jigsaws by cutting around the plate boundaries and seeing if we could put them back together using our knowledge of the continents. We researched the scales used to measure earthquakes and learned about Charles Richter and Giuseppe Mercalli. We also learned about how to prepare for an earthquake, what to do in an earthquake and deal with the aftermath.
Many children across the school entered a competition as part of Breckland Council’s Environment Month in November. Lots of children designed amazing, thought-provoking posters sharing what they want the Environment to look like in the future. All of the children’s entries have been sent to the council who will have the tricky job of looking at entries from across their district. Staff were extremely impressed with the entries and the time and effort that had gone into them.
Reception children have been very busy exploring their immediate environment, including talking about animals and plants in their outdoor area, which is known as ‘Ted’s Den’.
Year one
Year one have been learning about animals and how they adapt to their region. This built on from work in reception when they studied the topic Around the world.
Year two
Year two children have been locating significant landmarks in Norwich and comparing old and new landmarks. Work included using google maps.
What do we know about Norwich?
An example of home learning linked to Norwich.
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