Week ending 16.10.26

It has been an action-packed fortnight in class, packed with hands-on discovery, new physical challenges, and fantastic learning across every area of learning. The absolute highlight of our week was our unforgettable trip to Big Pit. Experiencing a real mine and listening to first-hand stories from a former miner brought our history topic to life. The children showed exemplary behavior throughout the day and returned full of enthusiasm. Back in the classroom, they channelled that first-hand knowledge into designing brilliant promotional leaflets using Canva—skilfully blending fascinating facts with persuasive writing. We have also started deconstructing formal letters as we prepare for our next Star Write. In science, we conducted an eye-opening investigation into "black lung," a respiratory condition that affected many historical miners. Using sponges and cocoa powder, the children simulated how dust settles in the lungs, analyzed their results, and held thoughtful discussions on how to refine the experiment next time. In art, we have been exploring charcoal pencils to master various shading techniques. Applying both their artistic skills and historical understanding, the pupils created powerful campaign posters advocating for Lord Shaftesbury and the 1842 Mines Act to improve working conditions for young miners. Maths lessons have focused on area. The children explored different methods for calculating area and discussed practical, real-world reasons why measuring space accurately matters. Finally, in PE, we wrapped up our final swimming session of the term. We have now transitioned to hockey, where the children kicked off their first lesson by focusing on dynamic ball control and precise dribbling. Thank you, as always, for your continued support at home. Have a wonderful weekend. 

Week ending 02.10.26

It has been a wonderful start to the term, and our Year 6 pupils have settled well into their final year of primary school and their leadership roles across the school. They are demonstrating great maturity and are working exceptionally hard across all areas of the curriculum. A highlight of our week was leading the Harvest Assembly at the church. The children spoke with confidence and clarity, knew their lines thoroughly, and brought the service to a delightful close with a fantastic school song. We were immensely proud of how well they represented our school community. In class, pupils are fully engaged with our Pits and Ponies topic and our novel, Coal Dust and Dreams. Their recent Literacy work culminated in a "Star Write," where they crafted evocative pieces exploring the feelings of a young girl breaking the law to work underground in a Welsh mine to support her family. They demonstrated excellent technical writing skills, utilising fronted adverbials and clear paragraphing to structure their thoughts effectively. Building on this historical focus, the children also studied the Senghenydd colliery disaster, showing great sensitivity while creating informative presentation slides complete with active hyperlinks. In Mathematics, we have been focusing on pictorial methods for subtraction and multiplication, encouraging pupils to explore and select the strategies that suit them best. In Science, learning has been very hands-on as we investigate the human skeleton and respiratory system. The children particularly enjoyed constructing working models to demonstrate the functions of lungs and antagonistic muscles. With just one swimming session remaining, we have seen great progress, particularly in essential self-rescue and life-saving techniques. Finally, in Online Safety, the children explored what "clickbait" is and discussed practical steps to navigate the digital world safely. 

Thank you for your continued support as we look forward to another productive week. 

Week ending 18.09.26

Congratulations to all Year 6 students on their new roles! It is wonderful to see our ministers, house captains, and ambassadors beginning to settle into their roles. Their enthusiasm and leadership skills are commendable. It is lovely to start our swimming lessons, which will help us build on the skills developed last year. It’s a fantastic opportunity for our children to enhance their confidence in the water. Over the past few weeks, Year 6 has been immersed in The Barnabus Project by the Fan Brothers. Through analyzing character motivations, the children debated whether Barnabus was truly a "failed project" and explored how perceived character flaws can actually be key strengths. To elevate their writing, they have been learning how to use expanded noun phrases to create rich, vivid descriptions. Putting these skills into practice, each pupil designed their own unique hybrid pet and wrote a detailed descriptive piece showcasing its features and personality.  In numeracy, our focus has been on recapping place value from millions to thousandths, as well as mastering addition through the column method using word problems and reasoning skills. Year 6 has launched into an exciting new topic, Pits and Ponies, where we are exploring the social and economic impact of coal mining in Wales. In Humanities, the children analysed maps of Wales to pinpoint major coal mines and identify their nearest towns. In Science, we investigated the human skeleton and the three essential functions of our bones: support, protection, and movement. Our RVE lessons saw us tracking food imports from around the globe while considering the environmental impact of air miles. Finally, in Health and Well-being, each pupil wrote a letter to their future self outlining their goals for Year 6, which we sealed to open during our very last week of the school year. It has certainly been a busy few weeks as we look forward to our upcoming harvest service. Thank you for your continued support.