Year 1 Science: Planting Cress
On Friday, Year 1 planted some cress seeds. We used our instructions from the day before to help us. Over the next few weeks, we will be monitoring the growth of the cress and recording information into our Cress Diaries.
Year 1 PE: Athletics
In today’s session, we focused on running fast. We discussed that when running fast we need to make sure we are looking in the direction we are running in. To practise, Year 1 had to run around dodging cones, which meant they had to focus on changing directions. We also competed in some beanbag relays, practised our underarm throwing using beanbags and practised hopping with bigger distances.
Mad Science Club- The Light Fantastic
Today in the Mad Science after-school club, our junior scientists stepped into the brilliant world of physics for a "Light Fantastic" session! They became masters of the electromagnetic spectrum, starting with the discovery that LASER is actually an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. The children explored the concept of refraction by bending light beams through different materials and went on a hunt for "invisible" energy using UV light to make hidden colors fluoresce.
Year 1 Maths: Heavier or Lighter
Year 1 have started to explore mass of objects. They used the words heavier and lighter to compare objects. They compared lots of classroom objects as a team. The children could see that the heavier object went down in the scale and the lighter object went up.
Year 1: Celebrating Earth Day
This morning, we celebrated Earth Day. We came to school dressed in green and blue. We watched a short video from the BBC about Earth Day, climate change and ways we can help our Earth. We then created our own fizzy Earth using baking soda, vinegar and paint. Finally, we wrote some beautiful thank you prayers to God, thanking Him for the nature on our Earth like trees, snow, animals and the sea.
Whole School Worship- Earth Day 2026: Our Power, Our Planet
Today, Mrs Ham led an inspiring whole-school worship focused on Earth Day 2026, which is tomorrow, and our theme, 'Our Power, Our Planet. We explored essential ways to care for our environment, from the importance of recycling and saving water to the impact of planting trees. During the session, the children demonstrated fantastic oral speaking and oracy skills as they discussed their personal pledges with their peers, articulating how they plan to help the environment, not just on Earth Day, but every day! We heard some wonderful stories: Luna spoke about her time picking up litter on holiday in Greece, while Alfie shared that it is an act of kindness to pick up rubbish even if it isn't your own. Jonas also reminded our budding Planet Protectors to wear green for the land and blue for the sea tomorrow to celebrate Earth Day. From planting trees at home to helping grandparents with local litter picks, the children’s ideas were truly inspiring. We also reflected on our efforts as a school family in protecting our planet over the last few months such as planting a microforest at Jacks Key, planting two orchards on our school grounds, our WOW group's pick up dog poo campaign, our Rotakids recycling teddies and winter coats for those in need and focusing on switching off lights and devices. We concluded by singing, 'We Can Make a Difference', and offering a prayer of thanks for our wonderful world, reflecting on how we can all work together to protect our precious planet.
Year 1 English: Sequencing the Story
In our English, we sequenced pictures of the story Dogs Don’t Do Ballet. Then, they added time conjunctions to their pictures to show the order.
Year 1 Art: 3D Drawings
Year 1 loved creating some fantastic 3D drawings today. They used different techniques such as bending, folding, rolling, looping and spirals to create artwork that popped out from the page. I was blown away by the creativity from the children and how effective their artwork looked.
Year 1 PE: Athletics
In our new PE topic, we are focusing on skills that we need in Athletics. We started by focusing on our posture, marching to Grand Old Duke of York whilst balancing a beanbag on our head. Then, we focused on following a leader in partners. In groups, we worked in stations. One station allowed us to practise our posture whilst balancing a beanbag on our head whilst moving between two hoops. The second station allowed us to practise rolling a quoit from one cone to another. The third station allowed us to practise both hopscotch and following a leader.
Year 1 Maths: Measuring with Objects
Year 1 used objects such as cubes, paper clips, dominoes and counters to measure different classroom objects. The children had to make sure that the objects were aligned and they did not leave any spaces between the objects that they were using to measure. The children measured glue sticks, pencils, rubbers, whiteboards etc.
Year 1 Geography: Exploring Our School Area
In Geography, we recalled what human and physical features are. Human features are things made by humans such as playgrounds. Physical features are natural environments such as wooded areas. We walked around our school ground to find human and physical features. We had lots of human features such as the trim trail, playgrounds, the peace garden, the outdoor gym and the Muga. We had some physical features like the football fields and our growing school orchard.
Mad Science After School Club- Exploring the Forces of Motion
In today’s After School Mad Science Club, our scientists explored the fascinating laws of physics through several "Mad Scientist" challenges. The children investigated gravity and inertia by successfully pulling tablecloths from under dishes, proving that objects at rest prefer to stay at rest. We also held exciting woodpecker races, where the students learned how vibration and friction allow a wooden bird to "peck" its way down a wire. Additionally, the children mastered the art of moving coins across fabric without touching them, using clever vibrations to overcome friction. The children had so much fun throughout the afternoon and are already buzzing with excitement for our next session!