Welcome to Willow Class

Our teacher is Miss Raheem and wonderful teaching assistants are Mrs Johansen and Mrs Parker!

On this page you will find information about how things work in Willow Class and some useful resources that you can use to help us with our learning. This page will be updated termly with information that may be of interest to you regarding projects, timetables, curriculum maps, videos, pictures and more. It will be useful to keep checking this page for any helpful documents that will keep you informed about this year. We have another exciting year ahead! 

In the case of self-isolation or further lockdown

In the event of your child needing to self-isolate, please use the homework website links above that your child can access for a range of subjects. 

In the event of our class bubble isolating, or a school closure lockdown, we will be using Teams Online. Your child will need their username and password to access teams.

• “I have enjoyed today. It has been so much fun. I love sport!”
• “I loved the netball challenge because it was good fun. I also enjoyed the throwing the bean bags, I scored two five points in a row!”
• “I am really excited about the hurdles! I love jumping!”
• "The hockey was fun. I loved the running. I came second! I really didn’t expect it”

In English, Willow Class have enjoyed exploring a poem called Storm at Sea by Alexander Rakic. We identified examples of figurative language and discussed the structure of the poem. After analysing the features closely, we concluded that the verses have a set structure. Here are our findings:

• There are three verses; one each for thunder, wind and waves
• ‘In the stormy sea...’ is repeated at the start of each verse
• Onomatopoeia is used at the end of the first line of each verse and repeated at the end of each verse
• The second and third lines are similes
• The fourth line of each verse is a metaphor
• The fifth line is personification.

We began by brainstorming words associated with thunder. After discussing what thunder looks and sounds like, we created our own similes. Not only did everybody get to share their simile with the class. They also got to vote for their favourite. Here is what theyvoted for:

          In the great old storm the thunder goes bang bang bang!

             It is like a torpedo hurtling through the air

                 It is as powerful as a demon’s blade

Using a template of Alexander Rakic’s poem, the children recreated their own version of the poem. Willow class have worked incredibly hard and done an amazing job. Here are few examples of their work:

We have been exploring the Bayeux tapestry. Over the next few weeks, we will be creating our own section of the tapestry illustration using collage techniques. This week, we have been collecting rubbings from different surfaces outside to provide texture for our collage. We are looking forward to applying our rubbings to our illustrations. 

Willow Class are enjoying learning about cricket.  We have developed our listening skills through a warm up game called ‘Yes, No Wait’. This week, we have learnt how to bowl. We now understand the difference between throwing a ball and bowling. A special technique is involved requiring you to have your elbow joint straightened throughout. We have also improved our standing positions when bowling and when waiting for the ball.

• “I found a yellow spotted centipede”
• “It was fun using the bow saw”
• “I learnt that the marks made on the bank were from a beetle laying eggs”
• “I really enjoyed making the wood cookie”
• “I learnt about a plant called Lord and Ladies. It has lost its flowers and soon will have red berries”
• “I loved hunting for bugs. I found a spider laying its eggs”

We have been using the story of the Iron Man, by Ted Hughes, as stimulus for our work.  Recently, we have been developing our reading fluency. After reading the opening to the story, we worked in groups to turn the text into a readers’ theatre script. Children were asked to consider how the words might be read for effect. For example, some words might be repeated, whispered or echoed. Some lines might be read in unison or read by one or two voices. In addition, we discussed intonation, tone and volume. In groups, they had to decide how to perform the text creatively to bring the words to life. We also considered adding sound effects and actions. After rehearsing and refining, each group had the opportunity to perform in front of the class. We agreed as a class the steps to success for the task: eye contact, clear voices, good body language and creativity. The audience members in the class were asked to give feedback using the steps to success. The children identified what well and a next step. They did a brilliant job! Well done Willow Class!

Recently we have been discussing what should be done about the Iron Man. During our lessons, we have used role play to develop ideas on how we could get rid of the Iron Man. Children were asked to imagine they were the farmers and step into their shoes. We held an emergency farmers’ meeting to debate the best plan of action. Children were encouraged to explain their concerns and give reasons. We then discussed solutions and voted on the best possible cause of action. Willow Class were very creative in their responses! Having explored the features of formal letters, Willow Class, wrote letters to the chair of the Farmers Association persuading them of their point of view. Here are some examples of their work:

We have created our own model robots linked to our project ‘The Iron Man’ by Ted Hughes. We initially sketched four different robots before selecting one robot for our final design. We carefully considered what junk materials we would need to make the different parts of the robot. This process helped us to alter and refine our models further. Willow class loved making their robots. They created a wonderful army of robots in all different shapes and sizes, some with functional moving parts! Here are some of their thoughts:

“It’s really fun making stuff, I just love it!”

“I like that it is creative and very fun”

“It takes time but it is worth it”

"There have been some problems using the string but I have enjoyed predicting what might happen and problem solving"

• “We found white saddle mushrooms!”
• “I really enjoyed making a den with my friends”
• “I liked exploring the woods and looking at the leaves”
• I loved leaf printing and getting to choose my own leaf”
• “It was so much fun because we got to make a gift! The leaf looked so beautiful”

We had a fantastic skipping workshop run by professional skipper Adam. We began our session by learning the basics of skipping. Specifically, how to hold the handles properly. We started slowly and developed our timing. We then attempted jumps forwards and backwards. Timing was key.  Towards the end of the session, we played some fun skipping games in smalls groups using the long rope. We had a great time and would love for Adam to return to teach us more tricks!

This term Willow Class have been learning about forces. We have discovered what a force is – pushes or pulls in a particular direction. We applied our knowledge by working in pairs to create freeze frames of different actions. We have also learned about one of the main types of forces – friction. We deepened our understanding by

carrying out a practical experiment investigating the effects of friction on different surfaces. We tested four different surface materials including sand paper and bubble wrap. Prior to carrying out the experiment we predicted what would happen.

Our investigation involved using a ramp, toy car and ruler. Our results showed that with surfaces that create a lot of friction, the ramp needs to be lifted higher for gravity to overcome the friction and pull the car down the ramp. Whereas with smoother surfaces, that create less friction, the ramp does not need to be lifted as much to pull the car down.

We have been learning how to draw a simple sketch map to show how land is used.  We have used Google Maps to explore the area around the school. We switched between aerial view and street view and identified important landmarks near to the school. We used this information to complete a sketch map of the school. Steps to success included a title, labels and annotations, simple lines, enough details to give a rough idea and a note to say that it is not to scale. As well as this, we have also learned how to use symbols and a key to annotate maps. First, we discussed what make good symbols – simple, plain with limited colours. Then, we added symbols and a key to our sketch map of the school. 

“Even though it was pouring with rain it was the best fun ever!”

“I liked finding bugs, we found an earwig.”

We learnt all about the life cycle of a pond. We got to see tadpoles!”

"We saw different bluebells, English and Spanish ones!"

In Science this term, Willow class have been learning all about the bones in the body. To help us to understand the bones in the body we worked in pairs and had a go at making our own skeleton. We then labelled the bones with their scientific name. We had lots of fun:

“My favourite science lesson so far!”

“This is fun because you actually get to see the bones in the body through cutting them out. I am really enjoying it!”

“I love learning about how our bodies work especially animal bones.”

“I like learning about bones and where they go, it’s fascinating.”

As well as this, we investigated the three main functions of a skeleton. We had an initial discussion based on the following question:

What would it be like if you had no skeleton?

“We would be flat like a pencil”

“Everything would be mixed up so we would be wonky”

“We would all be floppy and jelly like”

The children then had to prepare an argument as to whether they would be better or worse off having a skeleton. After much discussion, we agreed as a class it was much better to have a skeleton. Through their arguments, Willow Class identified why a

skeleton is needed, for support, protection and movement. 

In Writing, we have spent some time identifying key features of explanation texts. We have explored a range of different structural and language features used in this style of writing. We have been playing games involving using the language of explanations. We have had a go at creating our own crazy explanations to different questions. We had some very creative and amusing responses!

In our first week back after lockdown we had a cricket taster session from the charity ‘A Chance to Shine’. We developed our teamwork skills alongside resilience and perseverance skills. Willow Class thoroughly enjoyed the session:

“It was so much fun”

 “I enjoyed having a go at batting and hitting the ball!”

 “Can we have another session?”

“I enjoyed digging up the roots, it was fun spotting them, pulling them out and throwing them away. We have learnt all about weeds. A weed is something that grows in the wrong place. It was exciting as we found a dog bone!”

Our online learning in Term 3 during lockdown

We have loved learning about the Romans this term! We have learnt all about who the Romans were and where they came from. We have investigated why they invaded Britain and studied the impact of the Roman invasion of Britain. We used historical sources to find out about Boudicca and explored the story of her rebellion against the Romans.

“I enjoyed writing about the Roman invasions. It was interesting.”

“It was a lot of fun learning about the Roman army and about the different marching formations."

“Why didn’t the Romans win on their first attempt at invading Britain? The British tribes were stronger than the Romans!”

In addition, we investigated how the landscape of Britain changed when the Romans settled in Britain. The Romans built lots of roads and towns. They designed buildings and structures to make a more efficient society. We explored Roman mosaics, we learned they are useful evidence for historians as they give clues about the building they were part of, and everyday life in Roman times. This inspired us to design and create our own mosaic pattern. 

Here are some of our reflections on our Romans project:

“I learned more about Mount Vesuvius. I can’t believe Mount Vesuvius is still active today!”

“I weirdly liked learning about Roman games involving dangerous animals like lions and tigers.”

“My favourite part was learning Roman numerals and creating my own clock.”

“I created my own top trumps on Roman Gods. My favourite Roman god is Vulcan, he is named after volcanoes. I would like to see a volcano exploding!”

“I learned that the Romans did not have sugar and used honey instead."

“The Romans were the first to people to use underground heating."

 "I am most proud of writing my own Roman legend.”

Our writing this term has been based on the story, ‘Escape from Pompeii by Christina Balit’. The children were shown the front cover (but not the title) and asked what they can see, what this makes them think and wonder. They used the 5 Ws (what, when, why, where and who) to help prompt questions based on the front cover.  

We explored the opening pages of the story, children were encouraged to think about what life would have been like for people living there at the time. We focussed on the city scene and discussed what each of characters in the scene might be thinking or saying. Here are some of the children’s responses:

Tranio – “What a glorious day!”

People having a conversation – “Where did you get that dress?”

Lady selling bread: “Bread straight from the oven here!”  

Man with the pot: “Oh, this is heavy!”

Man waving his hand in the air – “I am here!”

Before writing a setting description, we have spent time investigating the language used within the text. Having learnt how to identify powerful verbs, prepositional phrases and expanded noun phrases, we had a go at writing a vivid description of the volcano eruption. Here is a selection of our work: 

We have started our new class novel, ‘Oliver and the Seawigs’. Willow class were shown an image of some of the characters in the story and asked to predict what the story might be about:

“I predict that his parents go off to do activities and get lost. The boy goes looking for them and finds a gang of bullies and gets trapped.”

“I think there is a fisherwoman and a mountaineer. They have a son that is pretending to be a sailor.”

“I think the title is called, The Boy Who Got Lost.”

Willow Class have had an exciting start to the term. In writing, they were shown above advert and asked if they wanted to apply to be a member of Shackleton’s crew.  They were presented with a choice – a chance to achieve fame if successful, but also a high risk of death. Willow Class were then asked to generate reasons for and against applying. Many of the class voted For! We used the drama technique, Conscience Alley’, one member of the class was asked to walk between two lines of children. Each line of children represented each side of the child’s conscience. Members of the class has to whisper reasons why they should or should not apply. This was their first time at this and they did a brilliant job!

This term in Science, Willow Class are learning about light. We carried out a light investigation using a cardboard box. They selected a few objects from the classroom and arranged them under the box, making sure an item was at each corner of the box. Next, they made a peep hole in the top of the box and were asked to describe what they could see. After that, they made some holes at the top and asked to look down through the holes and see if they could see any objects. Then, they tried making holes at the side of the box and asked if they could see objects from the side. Finally, we tried shining a torch into one of the holes and looked through the other.

We learnt the following from this investigation:

• When we first made the hole, we could see nothing except darkness. No light could get through. This is because darkness is the absence of light.
• The holes were small so only let a small amount of light in, not enough for us to see inside the box. Your eyes need light to see.
• When we tried shining the torch into one of the holes from the top of the box, it only lit objects directly beneath it. This is because light travels in straight lines.
• When the torch was shining from the side, the beam of light only hit the opposite side of the box. No light fell on th

   

  We have also learnt that the light we can see is called visible light and it is sometimes described as white light. White light is in fact made up of 7 different colours – red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. The colours are called the visible light spectrum. We carried out an experiment to show that a beam of light can be split into the colours of the spectrum by shining it through a triangular prism. The colours separate because each colour changes direction by a different amount when it travels through glass. This is called refraction. We have also discovered how rainbows are made. This happens when sunlight hits water droplets in the air. As the sunlight passes through the water droplets it is refracted (split) into different colours.

  e objects.

Our learning in Term 2

On Tuesday 17^th November 2020, we enjoyed a fun filled morning of maths learning! In our first session we combined Maths with Music. Willow Class investigated common multiples through clapping. We started by counting together from 1 to 20, but clapping more loudly and speaking more loudly on numbers in the two times table. Then, we split the class in half, this time they had to clap the five times table up to 30, clapping loudly and speaking loudly on multiples of 5. Willow Class were asked to predict which numbers would be quiet and which number would be fairly loud and very loud. Willow Class challenged themselves by trying another pair of tables.

This term we have been learning our 3 and 4 times tables. Our next activity tied in nicely as it focused on factors and multiples. Willow Class were presented with a rhythm involving clapping and clicking. They had to listen carefully and think about how the beat number connected to the different actions (clap, click). They also had to identify repeating patterns. Then, they had to predict what would come next in the sequence. They did a brilliant job! Later in the session, they had the opportunity to create their own sequences using musical instruments and as a class we had to predict what come on different numbered beats. Some children challenged themselves and did two different rhythms at the same time.

In Science, we have been learning about mirrors and why they are good reflectors of light. The surface of a mirror is smooth, shiny and flat. When the light rays hit the smooth mirror they all bounce off at the same angle, creating a clear reflection. We have learnt that when light rays hit a rough surface they scatter in all different directions, so it doesn't reflect well. We played some mirror games to deepen our understanding of how the mirrors reflect the light.

Recently, Willow Class have been deepening their knowledge of Shackleton’s expedition to Antarctica. We were asked to consider what creatures Shackleton and his crew may have encountered on their expedition. They were allocated an animal or bird and used ICT to independently research and create a fact file. Some children focused on animals and birds found in the Arctic to see if there were any similarities or differences. We used these facts files to form an Antarctic/Arctic Explorer Spotter’s guide. Willow Class did an amazing job!

In PE, we are continuing to develop our Handball skills. We have learnt about

the 3 step rule:

1. Take 3 steps with the ball in one hand

2. Bounce the ball with the other hand

3. Catch it with one or both hands

We began practising this movement by walking it through. Then, we challenged ourselves by increasing the speed from a walk to a jog. Later, we worked in small groups and developed this further. Our focus was on moving with the ball and passing it to a teammate.

Willow Class had the opportunity earlier in the term to experience Fir Tree forest. We were very excited as we were the first class to be picked! After going through the steps to a successful forest session we met Mrs Thatcher, the leader of the session. Here are some of our thoughts on the day:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

To kick start our new topic on the Stone Age we have read the story Stone Age Boy by Satoshi Kitamura. In Reading, we have learnt how to make a prediction using the front cover and some words from the story to help us. In English, we explored the thoughts and feelings of the two characters. We used drama techniques to help us to step into the characters shoes. We worked on our facial expressions and body language. Also, we compared and contrasted the lives of the two characters. We explored how similar and different life is today than in the Stone Age times.

In English, we have been exploring the key features of a postcards. Inspired by the picture book, Stone Age Boy, we stepped into the boy's shoes and wrote postcards home explaining how life was completely different back then.  We identified the key events in the story to help us with our writing. Here are some examples of our work below:

As part of our Stone Age project we researched Skara Brae, an important stone –built archaeological settlement from the Neolithic period. We worked in small groups to produce an information poster with our findings!

In Science, Willow Class have been learning all about rocks!  We have learnt about the main types of rocks: sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic. We were given some rock samples and asked to carefully observe and sketch the samples. As a class we created a word bank to help us to label our samples.