Orca Class
This year, Orca Class have many exciting learning experiences to look forward to. This includes a visit to the Imperial War Museum in London, going back in time for a WW2 Day, participating in swimming lessons and taking part in a class Residential PGL at Windmill Hill.
This page will be updated throughout the year with information about Orca Class. Please check out our school facebook and instagram pages to see photos of our incredible learning journey.
Our Learning Environment
Learning in Term 1
During the first two terms, our ‘driver’ topic is ‘Britain at War’ and, consequently, our English and Guided Reading Sessions will be linked to this.
English
At the beginning of term, we shall be exploring aspects of life during WW1 through reading a moving, illustrated novel called ‘War Game’, which tells the story of four friends’ experiences whilst in the trenches during Christmas 1914. During this study, the children will participate in drama-based activities, as well as creating a range of fictional writing, including narrative descriptions, letters and poems.
In this study, the children will be encouraged to use new sentence structures and vocabulary. To support this, each Monday, the class will have separate grammar and spelling sessions, in which they will explore new aspects of grammar and KS2 spelling patterns. Each week, the children will also be given spellings to learn and given links to Spelling Shed, so that they can practise these words in preparation for a weekly spelling test.
Reading
As well-developed reading skills are vital to enable children to access all areas of the primary curriculum, this term, the children will be reading either ‘War Horse’ or ‘Friend or Foe’ both by Michael Morpurgo. Each week, the children will read, discuss and answer VIPER questions about chapters of the story with the class teacher.
Your child will also continue to bring home a reading folder, which will contain a Homework Diary and a fiction/non-fiction book. We ask that they read for 20 mins each day and we would be grateful if the record could be signed to show that this has taken place. In this way, we hope to enthuse the children and make them realise that books can open up a world of endless possibilities.
Maths
In Maths, this term, we will begin our Power Maths Learning, exploring place value:
- read, write, order and compare numbers up to 10 million and determine the value of each digit
- round any whole number to a required degree of accuracy
- use negative numbers in context, and calculate intervals across zero
- solve number and practical problems that involve all of the above
During these sessions, the children will be supported to solve a range of question types, including arithmetic and reasoning, in preparation for the Year 6 SATs. They will be encouraged to use a range of manipulatives during these sessions, as well as use mathematical language to explain their answers.
As the children are now entering the latter part of Key Stage Two, it is even more important that they have a secure understanding of their times tables and can use the four operations to calculate mental arithmetic questions.
Every child has access to Times Table Rockstars, (https://ttrockstars.com) a fantastic resource that we urge your child to use each week. The children will have their own logins inside their Homework Diaries
You can access TT Rockstars via this link: https://ttrockstars.com/
Wider Learning
This year we will continue to use the ‘Cornerstones Curriculum’ to support our wider learning.
History: Britain at War
Over the next two terms, the children will learn about the causes, events and consequences of the First and Second World Wars, the influence of new inventions on warfare, how life in Great Britain was affected and the legacy of the wars in the post-war period.
Science: Light Theory
This project teaches children about the way that light behaves, travelling in straight lines from a source or reflector into the eye. They will explore how we see light and colours, and phenomena associated with light, including shadows, reflections and refraction.
Art: Abstraction and Distortion
This project teaches children about the concepts of abstraction and distortion. They will study the visual characteristics of abstraction and create a musically-inspired, abstract painting.
French: En Classe
As well as learning a range of conversational phrases, by the end of this unit, pupils will have the knowledge and skills to present both orally and in written form about what they have and do not have in their pencil cases and/or school bag in French. This is a unit that focuses on recycling previously learnt grammar, using it with new vocabulary and having a better understanding of the negative form, demonstrating a growing ability to create independent responses.
Computing
We will continue to follow the ‘Teach Computing’ Curriculum and we will start the year looking at Computing Systems and Networks. We are going to develop our understanding of digital devices, with an initial focus on inputs, processes and outputs.
R.E
Our topic is going to be ‘What matters most to Christians and Humanists?’ This investigation enables pupils to learn in depth from Christianity and from Humanism, a non-religious way of life.
PSHE
We are going to be focusing on relationships and how to respond to hurtful behaviour.
P.E.
Our P.E day is Monday; please make sure your child comes into school wearing their full P.E. kit on this day. We are going to be focusing on Hockey this term. Field hockey is a team sport that has two teams of 11 players, including a goalkeeper. Players must use a curved stick to dribble, pass and shoot the ball. Field hockey requires a combination of skills including speed, agility, hand-eye coordination, and teamwork. We will have focussed lessons on dribbling, attacking play and defending play.
Home Learning
Homework will be set on a Friday and is to be completed by the following Friday. This will be set on Google Classroom.
Each Monday, the children will be set their weekly spellings on Spelling Shed, before being tested on the following Monday.
As part of their home learning, we encourage children to read every day to support their reading fluency and vocabulary.
Contact us
We are always available on the playground after school if you need to talk! Alternatively, if it is not urgent, you can email the families' email. This email is checked regularly and will be forwarded on to the class team. You can find the email here: families@bethersden.kent.sch.uk
We are looking forward to the exciting term ahead of us!
Otter Class Team
