Welcome to Willow Class

Our teacher is Miss Raheem/Mrs Atkins and our wonderful teaching assistants are Mrs Coverdale 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. If you ever have any questions please get in contact using the contact form below. We have another exciting year ahead!

Next term (Term 6) we will have PE on Monday and Tuesdays. Please can children come dressed in their PE kits on these days.   For further details on PE kit please refer to our Parents Information document.

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.

PSHE - Our topic this term is Changing Me. Children were show a photo of a piglet and a pig and asked to reflect on the changes that will happen as the piglet grows. 

"It grows bigger." Olivia

"They eat more food so it will be pooing more." Logan

"They will stop drinking milk from their mum."Rose

"Their stomach increases in size." Ethan

"They will start to leave their mums more." Matilda

"It may change colour." Fynley

What things can't babies do? 

"Babies can’t walk or talk parents have to carry them around." Milly

"They can’t feed themselves." Mason

"Babies need adults to hold them."Cassie

How might it feel to have a new baby in the family?

"I would feel happy because I would be able to look after it." Darcey

"It would make me feel angry because it would take away all the attention." Amira

"It’s exciting to take care of someone new. It will be sad as they grow so fast." Molly Mae

"It would make feel happy because I would be able to hold it and look after it." Sophie S

Here are some of our reflections:

"I'm using this Fungi book to see what we've found." Heidi

"I'm looking for insects, I've found a worm with a golden neck and a tiny little insect." Jacob

"Let's make a fire pit so we can keep warm and cook food." We are pretending we don't have any parents and we need to look after ourselves." Rose 

"We've used rocks to hold the roof in place." Sophie

"I love clay because you can create anything you want." Molly 

"We are making a den with a doorway and a roof so the animals are safe from the rain and wind." Freya 

"We made a den for the animals to see if they will come into it." Milly

"We worked together to move the tarpaulin to the right place." Oliver 

Here are some of our reflections:

"I enjoyed every bit of it! I learnt new stuff!" Mason

"That's the first time I've seen an author! I liked that she gave us some writing tips." Milly

"Crickets have exoskeletons which means they can't get any bigger." Freya 

"I enjoyed learning about moths. I liked all the designs they use to hide in." Ethan

"I didn't know insects have a thorax." William

"I liked how you can easily find out whether something is an insect or not an insect." Livvy

"The whole things was so interesting!" Arven

"I never knew there were so many types of moths! Amira 

Our project this term is Amazing Bodies. We have been learning about nutrition and have identified the seven types of nutrients. Willow class really enjoyed creating their own favourite healthy meal. We used the Eatwell Guide to help us to design a meal with the right balance of nutrients. As well as this, we have been learning about different skeleton types. We identified that humans and some other animals have skeletons and muscles for support, protection and movement.  

We have spent some time identifying and familiarising ourselves with the key features of explanation texts. We have explored a range of different structural and language features used in this style of writing. In addition to this, 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!

This term in PE we have been developing our team work skills. Each lesson has involved working in different groups to solve problems. All the activities are cooperative and require every team member to take part to succeed. Through the sessions we have identified what has worked well and what they need to improve on when working in a group.

Here are some of our reflections:

"I loved all the songs!"

"I really liked it when Colin could walk again." 

"I enjoyed everything about the show."

"My favourite part was the acting."

"I can't believe they managed to change the scenery. It was clever!"

“I've not heard of the story before. It's a good story!"

These are some of our wonderful reflections:

"I've really enjoyed working with the Year 6 digital leaders. They were helpful." 

"Minecraft is hard. It was tricky building a bridge across the lava. I'm glad I managed to complete it!" 

"Mikayla from Year 6 was really good and explained things clearly."

"My favourite part was building the house!"

“I loved working with Year 6. They helped me to code"

"I can't believe I managed to complete all of the levels! It was tricky. I am so proud of myself!"

Over the last few weeks in PSHE, we have been learning how to better understand how to work as a team and recognise the strengths each person can bring. In order to stretch thinking skills and group work skills we were set a challenge to design a garden for somebody who faces a particular challenge. We used the 'Solve It' technique which involves:

- Respecting each other

- Taking turns to speak 

- Being honest

-Involving an adult if it is serious

- Wanting to solve the problem 

Each group encountered obstacles but found ways to overcome them to help achieve the team's goal. 

These are some of our fantastic reflections:

"We looked at a real bird nest!" 

"I enjoyed learning about all the different types of birds like bluetits and wrens!" 

"We learnt that the bird box needs to be 3m up in the tree or animals might try to get the birds."

"Birds make nests by getting twigs and weaving up and down until it makes a nest." 

“I didn't know that the cuckoo birds went into other nests and babies got pushed out of their nest. "

"A bullfinch is red and black." 

"I learnt that the cuckoo bird lays its eggs in other birds nests and doesn't raise its young."

"I really enjoyed colouring the bird house!"

"A bird box helps because if they have babies then they can lay their eggs inside."

Our learning reflections:

"I never knew that the 2 times table and the 4 times table were related." Louie 

"I've improved on my 3 times table. Games at school and practising at home has helped." Ethan 

"It has been helpful learning my 4 times table at school." Olivia

“I can't believe all you have to do is double. Knowing the relationship between the 2s and 4s has helped me to learn my 4 times table." Matilda

"I know I have improved. I am much quicker than I was before. "

These are some of our reflections:

"I was surprised that to be in the Roman army you have to be strong and the right height." Milly

"I never knew that the army made a shell using their shields. That was really interesting." Oliver 

"I can't believe Roman soldiers got punished if they didn't listen to instructions and could be sentenced to death!" Matilda 

“I was surprised that the army wore sandals." Molly-Mae

"I didn't realise you had to be tall to be recruited." Ethan

"It was interesting learning about their fighting techniques and how powerful their armour was." Livvy

"I don't like the turtle formation as they could be attacked from the side or at the back." Adhrit

Here are our reflections:

"I loved our session it made me feel calmer and ready for the day."

"My favourite yoga position is child's pose. It is so relaxing!" 

“The music was calming and relaxing."

“The session was fun! I want to do it again!"

"My body feels all relaxed now."

“I enjoyed telling stories using story logs.” Milly

"This was my first time sitting near to something hot. I was frightened and excited at the same time!" Pixie-Rae

“I loved eating cheese toasties around the fire.” Molly-Mae

“It was interesting learning about the history of telling stories around the camp fire. They never had cookers so they used to eat and gather around the fire and tell stories.” Matilda

“Making up stories was so much fun!” Livvy

"I liked the warmth of the fire." Logan

“This was my first time near a fire. It was so scary but fun! I would love to do it again!” Arven

“I really enjoyed getting the experience of making a star. I was sad it didn’t work but I will try it again.”

“I loved making the star, the best bit was opening it at the end and seeing what I made.”

“My favourite part was at the beginning when we had to plan our designs. I liked coming up with different designs and then choosing my favourite.”

“I liked that we were all doing the same activity and had to persevere and help each other.”

“I found it challenging but it was worth it as I made a star at the end!”

“Decorating the lollypop sticks was so much fun!”

“I struggled using the scissors to cut the star. I was proud of myself for not giving up.”

“I liked all the games, it was so much fun!”

“My favourite sports leader is Bella, she was very kind.”

“I’m proud of myself because I managed to get two things in the hoop all my myself.”

 “I loved the game ‘Rob the Palace’ -Tommy was the guard and we got the crown! It was a good team work.”

“I really liked the game, ‘Santa got stuck up the chimney’. Maisy and Daisy were really nice and encouraging.”

“I tried my best in all of the games. I’m proud of myself because I did not give up.”

"I thought Jasper was a good leader, he explained the game clearly so everybody understood the rules."

“I’m really proud of all the Year 6 Sport Leaders for coming up with such fun games!”

We have been reflecting on this question: ‘Is light a good symbol for celebration?’ We started by exploring the festival of Diwali and the way it uses light. During this Hindu festival the traditional story of Rama and Sita is remembered. We learned that light symbolises the triumphs over dark and good over evil. Recently, we have been learning about the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. We created information posters about the Jewish festival following steps to success. We identified many similarities and differences between the two festivals. 

These are some of our learning reflections:

“I didn’t know Hanukkah was a festival of light just like Diwali.”

“Hanukkah lasts eight days so it is longer than Diwali. Diwali lasts five days.”

“Hanukkah is so similar to Diwali; they light candles, play games, eat special food and give gifts.”

“I never knew the story and now I know. I liked learning about the temple and how they destroyed it.”

“I find it interesting that they light the menorah on each day of the festival and then they get to open their presents.”

“I am excited, this is our first trip out!”

‘We’ve been playing Polar Express in the playground as we are so excited about the trip!”

“I’ve never been on a train before. I’m nervous and excited at the same time.”

“My favourite part was when the ticket man came and stamped our ticket with the start of our first name.”

 “I’ve had so much fun. I loved meeting Santa!”

 “I loved having hot chocolate it is my favourite!”

“We got a giant cookie and a bell from Santa!”

“I liked listening to the story of the Polar Express. I love the story.”

“Best day of my life!”

This term in PSHE, we are exploring mental health and wellbeing. We started by brainstorming what a feeling is and what feelings do. We have learned that we have different feelings all the time and that different things can influence and affect our feelings. We discussed ways we can help to make our days feel better or help us to recover if something happens that doesn’t make us feel good. Here are some of our reflections:

“When I am sad or worried I love to read. It helps me to take my mind of things.”

“Dancing makes me feel happy!”

“If I am not feeling so good, I like to listen to my favourite music.”

“Spending time with my family and having lots of hugs helps me to feel better.”

“If something happens that makes me feel no good, I’ll talk to somebody like my parents and that makes me feel better.”

There are some of our learning reflections:

 “I’ve learnt that the sun is a star and not a planet.”

“I was surprised to find out that the scientific name for light is white light and it is made up of the colours of the rainbow”

“I can’t believe the moon is not a light source but reflects light off the sun.”

“There can only be light if there is a light source. If it was completely dark we would not be able to see.”

“I was shocked to learn that if you look straight at the sun it can damage your eyes.”

“It was interesting learning about how we see things and how our eyes work.”

“I have heard of UV before but never knew what it meant. It means Ultra Violet”

“You can see things in the dark if the objects are reflective.”

We have been learning how to subtract two/three-digit numbers from three-digit numbers. Willow Class generated their own steps to success to help with their learning. They have worked really hard.

Here are some of their reflections:

 “I feel I am getting better at exchanging. The equipment has really helped. I need to practise showing the exchanges”

“I was a bit nervous at the start, but now I’ve got more understanding and have got better at it”

“I have improved at showing my exchanges”

“I have enjoyed learning how to exchange and use the column method. I’ve been practising lots!”

“Using the maths resources has really helped me understand”

“I have got better at checking my answers to calculations before moving on”

Willow Class have had a great time at Fir Tree Forest. During the session we learned about the different types of fungus that grow during this time of year and how crucial they are to the woodland. We learned how to identify Jelly Ear fungus, Wrinkled Peach fungus and Dead’s man’s fingers.

Here are some of their brilliant reflections:

“I never knew anything about fungus. It is so interesting”

“It is important to be safe around fungus”

“We are building a den for shelter”

“I’m digging in the mud pit for worms”

“I’m searching for fungus”

“I’m making fungus from the leaves”

“We are making magic potions!”

“We have to feed the birds in winter because the bugs hide”

“I have enjoyed learning to build a shelter”

“I love the heart bird stamp we have been given it reminds you to feed the birds”

“Jelly Ear Fungus looks like a cloud”

“It has been so much fun especially having hot chocolate!”

We are learning how to write a set of instructions that are easy to follow. To get a feel for instructions, we started by playing a game involving children giving their partners instructions on how to take off their jumpers.  It proved quite tricky as it involved the partner having to follow their instructions word for word. Through this game, we learned about imperative verbs, also known as ‘bossy’ verbs, and how important they are in instructional writing. We got better the second time we played the game, using imperative verbs in our instructions helped us to be more specific and made the instructions easier to follow.

Recently, we have exploring instructions where there are too many adjectives and adverbs. We played a sorting game which involved sorting different types of instructions into the most useful, useful and least useful. Through this activity we have learnt adjectives only need to be included when they are necessary and help the reader to know exactly what they need to do.

This term in Science we have enjoyed learning about Rocks and Fossils. We started by exploring the three types of naturally occurring rock. They are Igneous, Sedimentary and Metamorphic rocks. To deepen our understanding further we looked at real life examples. Following on from this we learnt about human made rocks.

We have carried out investigations which involved comparing and grouping together different rocks on the basis of their appearance and simple physical properties. We tested five different rocks and investigated their permeability, durability and density. We also recorded whether the rock was hard or soft. After recording the properties of each rock we grouped the rocks based on their properties. Recently we have been learning about fossilisation process and how fossils form in rocks. We have learned that fossilisation only takes place in Sedimentary rocks. We used role play to aid our understanding of how fossils are formed.

The Stone Age 

Willow class have had great fun learning about The Stone Age. We began our project by brainstorming what we already know about The Stone Age. We investigated Britain’s prehistory (time in history before written records) by creating a timeline with the main dates of the periods in the Stone Age. We deepened our knowledge of the names of the three main periods:

Palaeolithic (Old Stone Age)

Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age)

Neolithic (New Stone Age)

Recently, we have compared and contrasted life in the Stone Age with modern day life.

Here are some of our reflections:

“I have really enjoyed learning about hunting and gathering”

“I’ve loved learning about the weapons they used to hunt animals. I am amazed how clever they were to make their own tools”

“I like woolly mammoths, I didn’t know you could eat them”

“It was interesting finding out about farming and how it had got better in the New Stone Age so people didn’t need to hunt.

“I can’t believe people didn’t have anything we have today and they survived”

“I would like to live in the Stone Age because I would like to create my own clothes”

“The most interesting part for me was learning that in the Old Stone Age people moved around and didn’t stay in one place”

This term we have explored the style of Stone Age cave art. During the project we have learned that in Stone Age times there were no writing but people recorded the world around them by carving or painting on stones and cave walls. We discussed why cave art is so important to historians finding out about this period of history. We carefully observed examples of cave art and noticed the similarities and differences. On many paintings we could see people, animals and weapons. We learned that they used colours from natural materials like rocks, woods, berries or charcoal. They then mixed the powder with water and animals to create paint.  Willow class loved pretending they were in a cave and creating their own cave art.  

English

We have been reading ‘Stone Age Boy’ by Satoshi Kitamurato. Using drama techniques, we have stepped in to the characters shoes to understand the characters thoughts and feelings.  We have explored the features of postcards and created word banks to help with our writing. We have created our own postcards from Stone Age boy.

Our first trip to Fir Tree Forest 

 Willow class have had a brilliant start to the first term in their new school as Year 3 pupils. We’ve only been at school for a couple of weeks and have already had the opportunity to experience Fir Tree forest. We were very excited as we were the first class in the school to be picked. After going through the steps to a successful forest session we met Mrs Thatcher, the forest leader. Here are some of our reflections:

“We are making a den, it’s fun trying to make it and also a bit of a challenge” (Myles)

“I found a woodlouse.” (Livvy)

“We found three woodlice and a black bug, We love them!” (Darcey and Cassie)

“I am making mud pasta.” (Sophie)

“I don’t know what it is. It has quite a good camouflage.” (Heidi)

“This is for a woodlouse’s’ birthday!” (Amira)