Nursery to Year Six Highlights

This term, the whole of Year One has been learning about Toys. As part of our topic, we have explored some famous bears from the past and present, including Paddington, Sooty, Winnie the Pooh and Rupert. Over the past few weeks in Computing, the children have used the Colour Magic program to create their own pictures of these well-known bears. They practised using the mouse to select tools such as the paintbrush, choose colours and draw carefully on the screen. Once their bear pictures were complete, we printed them out and used the jigsaw function to turn each image into a puzzle. The jigsaws were then printed onto card before the children carefully cut out the pieces and challenged themselves to put their pictures back together again. It was a fun way to combine our Toys topic with our Computing skills — and to turn our digital bear pictures into real-life puzzles! Well done, Year 1! 

Year Two have been enjoying their PSHE learning this week as they explored the important topic of staying safe at home. The girls took part in thoughtful discussions about the different rooms in a house, identifying potential hazards and learning simple ways to keep themselves and others safe. From the kitchen to the bathroom, the living room to the garden, the girls demonstrated excellent thinking skills as they spotted risks, shared sensible ideas and talked about how to make safe choices in everyday situations. There were plenty of opportunities to work together, ask questions and learn from one another, making the lesson both engaging and enjoyable. It has been wonderful to see the girls growing in confidence as they develop valuable life skills that they can use beyond the classroom. Well done, Year Two, for your sensible thinking, enthusiastic participation and fantastic discussions! 

Over the last few weeks, the Year Three girls have begun their final computing topic of the year by exploring the exciting world of computer programming using the coding environment, Scratch. This has provided them with an excellent introduction to coding concepts in a fun, creative and engaging way. Throughout the unit, the girls have developed their understanding of programming by selecting and customising a variety of sprites before using motion blocks to bring their characters to life. They have learned how to sequence instructions carefully, recognising the importance of placing commands in the correct order to achieve the desired outcome. In addition, they have explored the use of event blocks to trigger their programs, gaining an understanding of how different events can be used to start and control sequences. The girls have enjoyed enhancing their projects by selecting and changing backdrops to create imaginative settings for their animations. They have also progressed to working with multiple sprites, writing separate code for each character. This has enabled them to create interactive animations where sprites communicate and respond to one another. The girls have approached each lesson with enthusiasm and creativity, experimenting with new ideas to improve their projects. It has been wonderful to see their confidence in coding grow as they have become increasingly independent and imaginative programmers. 

Year Six girls have recently embarked on a fascinating journey back in time with our highly anticipated Egyptian Workshop. The morning began with the girls arriving at school in a range of wonderful Egyptian attire. The vibrant colours and intricate designs of their costumes set the tone for the day, immersing them in the ancient world. The workshop had many creative elements to it, including where the girls crafted an Egyptian home using clay. The girls delved into the fascinating process of mummification - they learned about the various steps involved and the significance of each ritual. Next, the girls tried their hand at creating written work using hieroglyphs. The girls also enjoyed learning about the importance of the River Nile and agricultural systems as well as discovering what was found in pyramids from this era. Discovering what toys were like during Ancient Egyptian times was interesting and pupils had the opportunity to play the equivalent of board games where strategic thinking was required. Engaging role-play sessions involving a tug of war were thoroughly enjoyed too. The girls brought History to life with their enthusiasm and creativity. It was truly a wonderful day of hands-on learning and the joy and excitement on the faces of our Year Six girls provided a great end to the History topic that they have studied.