We’ve had a wonderful week celebrating all things reading! A huge thank you to Callington Library, who kindly gifted our pupils a set of Tom Palmer’s If the Invader Comes. We were also delighted to celebrate the children who took part in the Summer Reading Challenge, presenting them with their well-earned certificates. To make our reading celebrations even more special, local author Laura Sweet visited KS2 and treated us to a reading from her new book, The Vines of Vegeance. The children thoroughly enjoyed hearing from a real author and finding out about her new story. If you missed the opportunity to pick up a signed copy after school, The Vines of Vegeance can also be found on Amazon. It has been fantastic to see so much enthusiasm for books and reading across the school!

Computing
In Computing, we have been developing our coding skills using micro:bits. The children worked out how to program their micro:bit to act as a pedometer, using code to count their steps and display the total on the screen. We then challenged ourselves further by changing the variables in our programs so that, after displaying the number of steps, the screen would go blank. It was a great opportunity to experiment with our code, test our ideas and make changes to improve how our programs worked.

History
As we conclude our Vikings topic, the children have brought together everything they have learnt in an impressive extended piece of writing. They have produced detailed reports showcasing their knowledge and understanding of when and where the Vikings came from, how they traded and travelled, and some of the fascinating Viking sagas we have explored. This included the story of Leif Erikson and his voyage to Vinland. The class have done a fantastic job of organising and presenting their information clearly, using their historical knowledge to create engaging and informative reports. We have been incredibly impressed with their hard work and enthusiasm throughout this topic!

Science

This week in Science, we have been investigating friction and learning how it affects the movement of objects. Using Newton meters, the children measured the amount of friction produced by different surfaces and explored how scientists can use these measurements in real-life situations. To make our learning even more meaningful, the pupils helped me decide which tyres would be best to put on my bike for travelling along different tracks, considering how grip and friction can make a big difference.



English

In English, we have been busy writing our own outlaw stories inspired by the legendary tales of Robin Hood and Blackbeard. The children have shown great creativity and imagination, developing exciting plots, memorable characters and adventurous settings. It has been wonderful to see their confidence grow as they have brought their ideas to life through their writing.


Maths

In Maths, Year 5 have been completing their unit on addition and subtraction, while Year 6 have been finishing their work on all four operations. The children have worked hard to strengthen their calculation skills and apply them confidently when solving problems. I hope you all have a lovely weekend and look forward to seeing everyone on Monday for another week of learning and achievement.

It was a real privilege this week to see three members of our class attend the presentation evening at Plymouth University alongside representatives from the Orwell Society and members of Plymouth University. We were incredibly proud of how they represented our school and celebrated the fantastic work they had completed. Mrs May was joined by George Orwell's son, Richard Blair, who presented with a piece of slate from teh roof of Orwell's cottage in Jura.  What a lovely memento to have.  Many thanks to the George Orwell Society for their kind gift.   During the evening, we were delighted to receive two wonderful books: The Bluest of Blues, which tells the inspiring story of Anna Atkins, and a children's adaptation of George Orwell's Animal Farm. We also collected our beautiful artwork and poetry, inspired by flowers and created using the cyanotype technique, which looked fantastic on display.

Back in the classroom, we have been putting the finishing touches to our exciting outlaw narratives, ready to write up and share with others. In science, we have been investigating the best shapes for swim gloves, exploring how streamlined designs help objects move more efficiently through water. Through testing and discussion, we have been considering which shapes reduce resistance and make the most effective designs. Well done to everyone for another week of creativity, hard work and curiosity! 

Copilot This week, we have been busy learning across the curriculum. In English, we have been exploring the legend of Robin Hood and learning about his adventures, characters and setting. We have looked closely at the features of the story and gathered ideas ready for writing our own exciting Robin Hood narratives next week. The children have enjoyed discussing how Robin Hood outwitted his enemies and helped those in need.

In Science, the class became engineers as they investigated parachute designs. They carried out fair tests to discover which parachutes fell most slowly, helping me decide on the best design for a new cycling jacket. The children carefully observed, measured and recorded their results before discussing which features made a parachute most effective.

In Computing, we have been creating animations using Micro:Bit devices. The children enjoyed programming different sequences and seeing their ideas come to life.

In Maths, Year 6 have been exploring different multiplication strategies and thinking carefully about how known facts can help us solve new calculations. For example, we have used ×10 and then divided by 2 to work out questions involving ×5. Meanwhile, Year 5 have been completing their place value unit by tackling challenging reasoning questions, such as finding the smallest and largest numbers that round to 360 when rounding to the nearest 10. These tricky problems have certainly stretched our understanding and encouraged us to explain our mathematical thinking with confidence.

It has been another productive and enjoyable week, and we are looking forward to sharing our Robin Hood stories with you next week.

This week, we were delighted to launch our Reading Buddies scheme with Class 1. Our Year 5 and 6 pupils thoroughly enjoyed sharing stories with the Reception children, who listened beautifully and loved hearing the different books. It was wonderful to see the older pupils taking on their roles as reading role models, helping to build confidence and nurture a love of reading across the school. The sessions were full of smiles, enthusiasm and thoughtful conversations about the stories.

In Maths, Year 6 have been developing their understanding of factors and multiples, using their reasoning skills to solve a range of challenges. Meanwhile, Year 5 have been practising rounding numbers to the nearest 10 and 100, becoming increasingly confident in explaining their methods. In English, we have been exploring how adverbs and adverbials can add detail and interest to sentences as part of our learning about outlaws. We have enjoyed creating descriptive sentences and are looking forward to using these skills when writing our own non-chronological reports next week.

In Science, we investigated whether the mass of a ball affects the rate at which it falls, making predictions, carrying out fair tests and discussing our results. We have also been learning about Sir Isaac Newton and his discoveries about gravity, linking our investigations to his important scientific work. It has been another busy week of learning and discovery. We hope you all have a wonderful weekend and look forward to welcoming everyone back next week for more exciting learning and new challenges.

It has been wonderful to have the class back this week, and they have made a fantastic start to the new term. The children have quickly settled into new routines and have approached all of their learning with enthusiasm and determination.
In PE, we have been developing our handball skills, and the class have been demonstrating some excellent throwing techniques during lessons. It has been great to see their teamwork and growing confidence as they practise the key skills needed for the game.
In Maths, Year 6 have been working hard on ordering and comparing numbers up to 10,000,000 as well as exploring negative numbers. Year 5 have been adding 10, 100, 1,000 and 10,000 to numbers and investigating the value of digits in numbers up to 1,000,000. The children have shown a positive attitude and have been keen to explain their mathematical thinking.
In English, we have begun planning our outlaw characters and thinking carefully about their appearance, personality and backstory. The children have come up with some imaginative ideas and we are looking forward to developing these further in our writing.
In History, we have been investigating the trading routes used by the Vikings and learning about the goods they traded with other parts of the world. The class have enjoyed discovering how far Viking traders travelled and the impact trade had on their lives.
Overall, it has been a super first full week, and I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the class. I am very proud of the effort and enthusiasm they have shown already and am looking forward to seeing what next week will bring. Have a lovely weekend!