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Chloe Hallett (UKS2 class)
About our class
Our class is called Hallett class, named after Chloe Hallett. She became the youngest British hot air balloon pilot in 2011 on her seventeenth birthday!
Mrs Grant is the teacher and Miss Jennings, Miss Dunn and Mr Tom are the Learning Support Assistants in this class.
Morning starts
Pupils and their parents/carers are welcome to come into the playground from 8.40am. The bell will ring at 8.45am and the children are asked to line up smartly holding their reading diaries to be checked on entering the classroom. The gate is closed at 8.55am and any child arriving after that time will be marked as late.
End of school day
The school day finishes at 3.20pm and siblings can be collected at 3.10pm. Children should be in full school uniform every day, with any long hair tied back.
Home-school partnerships
We really value parent/carer-school partnerships so please do speak to your child’s class teacher on the playground if you have a quick message or ring the school office to book a telephone appointment if a longer conversation is required. You can also use Class Dojo to message your child’s class teacher and they will endeavour to get back to you as soon as possible within school hours.
Our curriculum learning this half term
This half term is based around the theme of ‘Wonder’. Please see the curriculum information on our website about why ‘Wonder’ is an important ‘Curriculum Upright’ at our school.
https://www.upton-st-james-primary.torbay.sch.uk/wonder-1/
In worship we will be focusing on ‘Loving our global neighbour’, as well as looking at the global goals for sustainable development: https://www.globalgoals.org/ Our Jigsaw theme is ‘New beginnings’ which fits perfectly with the time of year and ‘New year resolutions’.
Our Class Learning
An outline of our class learning is added to the school newsletter each week – please do take a look! We will also add at least one item of interest about our class to Class Dojo per week, such as photos, videos or pictures. If you haven’t yet connected, please do speak to the office.
Our curriculum learning this term
In English, we will be reading Kensuke’s Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo. Over the course of the term we will be reading and analysing the text to identify effective ways to engage the reader, create suspense and develop exciting plot lines. Following this, we will be writing our own extended story based on the events in chapter 4. As we move through the term we will also be learning how to write interesting biographies – Kensuke’s Life is based on the experience of Japanese soldiers who were isolated on the Pacific islands during and after the Second World War so we will also be learning more about these soldiers and writing a biography of their lives to show what we have learnt.
Useful websites and resources
- Information on the Japanese holdouts - https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-16681636?scrlybrkr=2b25f675
- How to plan a story - https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zrwmwnb
- Biographies and autobiographies - https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zs8strd
In Maths, we will be learning all about fractions, decimals and percentages and identifying the relationships between all three. We will explore how to find equivalent fractions, use common factors to simplify fractions, order fractions and use all four operations to calculate within fractions.
Useful websites and resources
Fractions at KS2 - https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zhdwxnb?scrlybrkr=77d3d882
Fractions games - https://www.topmarks.co.uk/interactive.aspx?cat=24
Children all have a Numbots or Times Tables Rock Stars username and login. We ask that they practise their number skills using these sites for at least 15 minutes per week. Please let us know if you need help logging in.
In Geography we will be learning all about rivers. We will identify the features of a river from source to mouth and understand their function. We will look at great rivers around the world and investigate why flooding in becoming more common in Bangladesh. Closer to home, we will be conducting a study on a local river to help us understand the importance of river estuaries and their impact on the ecosystem.
Key vocabulary that would be useful to learn and discuss with your child is listed below:
Basic:
Source, mouth, course
Appropriate:
Monsoon, contaminated, confluence
Specialised:
Meander, ecosystem, oxbow lake
In Science we will be learning all about space and beyond. We will explore the movement of the Earth and other planets relative to the Sun. We will investigate the movement how day and night are created using our knowledge of the Earth’s rotation and we will explore the different phases of the moon and its movements. Our learning will be captured in a fact filled non-chronological report.
Key vocabulary that would be useful to learn and discuss with your child is listed below:
Basic:
Earth, Axis, Rotate, Planets, Sun, Space, Stars
Appropriate:
Planet names (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune) Solar system
Specialised:
Phases of the moon (full moon, gibbous moon, half moon, crescent moon, new moon, waxing/waning)
In DT we will be designing, making and evaluating our own bags. We will use CAD – computer aided design to design a bag with a specific purpose. We will make prototypes, test material, practice stitches, explore finishing techniques and ensure we understand how to strengthen and stiffen materials. Once done we will use all of these skills to produce a suitable finished product.
In Music we will be studying the song “Make you feel my love” by Adele. We will be learning the song, playing instruments, composing our own songs and performing. Music is taught on a Monday afternoon by Mrs Eley.
In RW we will be investigating science and creation and discussing if they are conflicting or complimentary. RW is taught by Mrs Eley.
P.E.
Our PE day is Wednesday and this term we are focusing on dance and tag rugby. We ask that your child comes in warm, winter PE kit on that day.
Reading
We really value reading at Upton and ask that each child reads for 10-15 minutes each night and records their reading in their home reading diaries. Please can parents/carers sign the reading diaries to show that that your child has read and bring them back in each day.
Home learning
Each week your child will be sent home with a list of spelling to learn – they should practise writing these into interesting and ambitious sentences. We also expect the children to read 5t times over the course of the week and complete 15 minutes of TTRS to support their times tables knowledge and fluency.
Other useful websites to access
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/levels/zbr9wmn?scrlybrkr=77d3d882
http://www.primaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk/
