Class 12

Bikeability 2024

Class 12 completed their Bikeability training this week! The trainers complimented the children on their listening skills and commended each one of them for the effort they put into their lessons.  

Here they are proudly showing off their certificates of achievement.

Class 12 enjoyed sharing their stories with some children from Nursery on this year's World Book Day.  We read to them and discussed the pictures and then shared biscuits and juice with the younger children.

8th March

Biodiversity Week 

In guided reading this week, Class 12 have been looking at newspaper articles. We read an article about climate change and how recently the planet passed the key 1.5 C climate mark across a whole year for the first time. We also did an activity based on an article reporting the migratory species which are threatened with extinction. The good news was that we can take action to reverse these events and we discussed practical steps everyone could do to help. In addition, we read an article reporting on three new species of amphibians which scientists had recently discovered.

In fluency, we read 'Dear Earth' by Isabel Otter. This inspirational picture book charmingly blends fiction with non-fiction as we journeyed through the varied landscapes and habitats of the world with the main character Tessa. The story encouraged us to appreciate the wonders of the natural world, including the varied animals, oceans and environments, as well as what can be done to protect it. The beautiful illustrations brought each location to life and opened up discussions about the problems the earth faces and the solutions we can all take responsibility for.

In year 5, our biodiversity activity was to complete a field sketch around our school grounds. In this way, we could observe and record the biodiversity of Beechwood. We used 'OASIS'- Observe, Annotate, Scale, Information and Slow Down to help us to record our findings. We explored the grounds and garden to identify plants, trees, birds, insects and animals. We were amazed to discover the biodiversity of our school. The children saw a wide range of birds including red kites, blackbirds, blue tits, pigeons and seagulls. Beechwood is lucky to have different species of trees such as hawthorns, willow, laurel and oak trees. Plants and flowers identified included daffodils, crocus, snowdrops and daisies. We even found a fox's den! The afternoon was spent outdoors observing a recording in the early March sunshine. Once we had shared our findings, we were able to summarise the different species present in our school. We fed this information forward to year 3 who are going to use it to help with their geography topic this term. 

1st March

Class 12 returned to school after the half-term break and worked incredibly hard. During our English sessions this week, the children researched key events of WW2  to write a non-chronological report answering one of our key TSU questions. The children researched events such as the Dunkirk evacuation, the Battle of Britain, VE Day and VJ Day. They started to write their reports incorporating the grammar aspects they have been learning about such as embedded relative clauses, parenthesis and modal verbs. In PE, Class 12 have started a new gymnastics unit based on symmetrical and asymmetrical balances. The children showed excellent partner skills working together to create sequences. Next week they will apply these skills whilst using a range of different apparatus. 

23rd February

This week, Year 5 started a course with Cycle Leeds. During their sessions, each child will have the opportunity to learn how to ride a bike. They practise these skills on the playground to achieve their level one certificate. Once they are confident at riding, turning and stopping correctly, the children move onto level two. For level two, the children are taken out on the local roads and learn how to ride on the road. The sessions are taking place over a week and a half. So far our children have impressed the instructors with their determination, perseverance and resilience. Well done year 5! We have also been excited to start our art topic looking at the work of Henry Moore who was commissioned during WW2 to make sketches of people sheltering in the London Underground. We looked at different pieces and discussed his uses of tone, line and shape to capture the feelings of anxiety experienced by those in the shelter.

This week in class 12 we have been working in groups to find out how any why WW2 started and how people in the United Kingdom reacted to the news.  We used various secondary sources to find quotes from real people living and experiencing the outbreak of war.

We also researched how Neville Chamberlain and Winston Churchill reacted to the invasion of Poland.

Click the links to listen to each of our "Wireless broadcasts"...

Group 1: Martha, Mirons, Ava, Noah and Alfie

https://voca.ro/1eYp8A0RtMkx

Group 2: Evan, Gracie, Hollie, Lewis and Connor

https://voca.ro/1huy0oqv5zgw

Group 3: Darcie, Lazo, Ellis, Natalia, Summer and Jimmar

https://vocaroo.com/13bk8TYyCjOg

Group 4: CJ, Kayla, Aaliyah, Morrison, Colby and Jack

https://voca.ro/1nsjTp7LYdB6

Group 5: Lexie, Feng, Harper, Abdul, Savannah, Coben

https://voca.ro/12rPnklG2t0L

26th January

In history, we had a fantastic workshop with Matthew Bellwood. We looked at the Home Front during WW2 and answered some of the key questions we generated at the start of the topic. We found out what the Home Front was and how people who stayed at home did their bit to help the war effort. Matthew used a range of different primary and secondary sources to teach us about different aspects such as ARP wardens, the Fire Guard, the blackout, shelters, the role of women, Dig for Victory and evacuation. Each child took on a role and participated in an air raid. It was a fantastic session where the children learned a lot about the Home Front. They have started to create an informative booklet to show their learning. 

In PE, Class 12 are enjoying dodgeball sessions with GT Sports. In this week's lesson, we practised accurate throwing and catching. 

Our English sessions have been continuing to look at the story of Goodnight Mr Tom. We generated lots of vocabulary for each setting and character ready for our writing next week. 

In guided reading, we looked at wartime poetry. Our focus was GIST and visualisation. We looked at poems such as Newsreel of Embarkation by Timothy Corsellis and an alphabet war poem. 

This week we have been reading more of our class novel Goodnight Mr Tom.  We explored the key themes running through the story including:

Grief/loss

Friendship

Love

Compassion

Acceptance

Abuse

We worked I small groups to act out a chosen section of the text which represented one of the key themes.

You can see our Freeze Frames below.  Can you identify which these we chose from looking at the photos?

8th December

The last few weeks have been extremely busy in Class 12! Last week, we had a brilliant day participating in the first ever 'World Day Wednesday'. We spent the day immersed in nature and learning about the importance of trees. We had a go at calculating the age of different trees on the school grounds and did some lovely artwork based on a tree during the four seasons.  In English, the children have worked hard writing a section of the story of Oliver Twist from Oliver's point of view. They have tried to include all the aspects of grammar they have been learning including relative clauses, parenthesis and figurative language. During their history lessons, we have continued to use various primary sources to investigate what life was like in the Victorian era. We found the crimes and punishments from the time very interesting and were very shocked at how harshly people were treated for even quite low-level crimes! We also enjoyed using Digimaps and other sources to learn how Seacroft has changed since the Victorian period. In RE, our lessons have explored the codes of conduct followed by different religions. This week, we learned how peace is a value held highly by all religions. Class 12 wrote some lovely poems exploring this idea. On Tuesday, we had a fantastic visit to the Leeds Playhouse to watch Oliver with our friends from the LEPP trust. It was an amazing show and a great way to celebrate 10 years of the LEPP. 

Leeds Industrial Museum Visit

On Wednesday, year 5 visited the Leeds Industrial Museum to experience what life was like for a Victorian child. Each child took part in two workshops, one in the Victorian school room and one in the mill itself. During the school room workshop, the children were transported back to the late nineteenth century and learned the importance of the three R's - writing, arithmetic and reading. They discovered Victorian teachers were much stricter than today's! The children used slate boards and pens as well as ink, a pen and blotting paper to write. PE was a drill session done in unison outside to embody the principles of "healthy mind, healthy body". The children were shocked to learn they had to pay for their morning's schooling before heading to the mill to work! Once on the mill floor, our pupils were assigned roles such as scavengers, doffers, fillers and overseers and set to work! They discovered how hard and dangerous jobs for children were. The trip was a fascinating insight into life for Victorians in Leeds and the impact of the Industrial Revolution. The staff at the museum were impressed with our children's knowledge and fantastic behaviour. 

27th October

Another busy week for Class 12 who have really impressed Mrs Sturman and Mrs Haylings with their first half term in year 5. In English, we have returned to Oliver Twist and have been exploring the themes of the story. In groups, the children practised freeze frames of moments from the story which showed examples of the three main themes (poverty, society and class and criminality). In guided reading, we have been practising and performing a variety of different Victorian poems such as The Chimney Boy’s Story and How Doth the Little Crocodile. As part of our history work, Class 12 researched the British Empire and learned about why the empire grew during Queen Victoria’s reign. They also enjoyed sharing their learning for Black History Month with their grown-ups on Wednesday morning. The assembly was a chance to showcase everything they learned about three significant Black Victorians during their Zoom session with the National Archives and share their stories which might have otherwise been hidden histories. A very busy and successful first half term in year 5 - well done Class 12! 

🟢NSPPC🟢

Today we had a special workshop with the NSPCC where we learned how to keep ourselves safe from different types of abuse. We spent a long time discussing different ways we can help each other keep safe and who our trusted adults may be. 

This week we have been working on our skills in music.  We have been learning how to clap, sing and play tuned percussion in time to a beat.  We have learnt the words to a popular song and then performed our version in class.  

20^th October

Class 12 have enjoyed lots of fantastic art lessons this week. They used their observational drawing skills to copy Victorian tiles and applied their knowledge of pencil gradings to shade and add detail. We had a brilliant watercolour lesson where we tried to colour mix different shades from William Morris pieces and used a colour thesaurus to create a name for them. The children practised their printing skills using three different methods of stamping to create a repeating pattern. They also created their final design for their William Morris-inspired designs using floral details. In RE, Class 12 learned about how Sikhs reflect continually on how they live their lives and do not consider pilgrimage a necessity. Instead, they practise daily spirituality. Inspired by this, we followed a guided meditation and really focused on ourselves and being in the moment. In our final dodgeball session, Class 12 enjoyed a match and were able to apply the skills they had been learning. 

6th October

As part of our guided reading sessions this week, Class 12 have been looking at articles from the children's newspaper, First News'. We looked at a range of articles about the environment and climate change and practised the summarising skill GIST. In English, we drafted the against argument for our statement about a Victorian child's right to an education. Our maths sessions have been continuing to look at the short methods for multiplication and division and also carrying on the work we started with the Energy Heroes team last week. On Tuesday, we took part in a fantastic Zoom workshop with the National Archives in Plymouth. Historian Sarah led the session and we used a variety of primary sources to investigate the lives of Black Victorians living in Britain. Sources included census records, photographs, newspaper reports and even a play bill! It was a great opportunity to explore the hidden histories of people who may otherwise have been forgotten

This week, Class 12 started to write a piece of persuasive writing linked to their Victorian topic. The question was, should all children be entitled to an education? Writing as though they were in the 1880’s, the children wrote their arguments for this statement this week. In guided reading, we started to look at non-fiction texts linked to Black History Month. It was very interesting to learn about Mary Seacole and compare and contrast her with another well-known Victorian nurse. Tuesday’s PE lesson was dodgeball and the class had a fantastic session practising catching, throwing and dodging. It was a great session with fantastic partner work. RE this week was learning about the significance of a pilgrimage to Mecca.  One of our classmates shared with us her experience of this special journey with her family which really helped Class 12 to understand.  Another busy week packed full of amazing learning! 

This week in class 12 we have been investigating the effects of Air Resistance as a Force.  We made parachutes and then decided upon the variable that we would change to test the idea that the amount of Air Resistance would change.  We dropped our parachutes from the same height and times how long the took to reach the ground. We then took an average measurement for each parachute and came to our conclusions.  
Martha concluded that “the larger the canopy, the longer it took the parachute to reach the ground” 🪂 

29th September

Class 12 have really impressed Mrs Sturman and Mrs Haylings with their superb home learning. Lots of children have conducted their own research at home and shared their findings with Class 12. We have loved listening to the fascinating facts they discovered and have tried to use them in school to help our learning. Aaliyah even made an amazing peg doll and wrote a diary in role as a workshop child! Keep up the amazing work Class 12 🙂 

Class 12 had lots of fun on Friday for our French Day. We started the day with our Northern Ballet session, followed by French playground games.  We then learned how to sing a French song and ended the day with some more French dancing.  

22nd September

Class 12 were excited to start their art topic this week and began to learn about the Victorian artist William Morris. They learned about William Morris's background and how he created repeating floral patterns to bring nature into people's houses after they began to miss the countryside during the Industrial Revolution. We were even lucky enough to take part in an interactive Zoom workshop with Amanda from the Leeds Art Gallery. Amanda took us on a virtual tour of the gallery and helped us to investigate Victorian art. In particular, she showed us the beautiful Victorian tiled hall which helped to inspire our upcoming tile project. On Tuesday, Matthew Bellwood visited Class 12 to teach us all about Victorian leisure and entertainment. Matthew used a variety of different sources to show us that the Victorians had some similar entertainment choices (such as aquariums and the theatre) but some very different ones too! We were very shocked to learn the Victorians watched public executions and even learned a sad Christmas ballad from the 1850s called 'Mistletoe Bough'. 

15th September

Another busy week in Class 12! In history, we researched one of our key questions about Queen Victoria and the royal family. Children used chrome books to make notes and turned these into different outcomes such as family trees or fact files. We were amazed to learn how many of Queen Victoria's children and grandchildren became part of royal families around the world earning Queen Victoria the nickname of the grandmother of Europe! As part of our work on Oliver Twist, we turned the story into a playscript creating dialogue and adding stage directions. During our RE lesson this week, we discovered the importance of the Western Wall to the Jewish faith and how visits here make people reflect. Our maths lessons have been based around place value and we have been revising rounding, approximating and column addition and subtraction methods. Class 12 have worked extremely hard all week in their sessions. 

At the end of Year 4, the children entered 'The Incredible Diary Of ...'  creative writing competition. From thousands of entries sent from all across the UK, these children have had their diary entries chosen to be published. They will have their writing published in 'The Incredible Diary Of ... Magical Tales' later this year. We are incredibly proud of them for this achievement and cannot wait to share their writing with the rest of the school.

8th September

Class 12 returned to school really well after the summer holidays and have quickly settled into their new classroom. They have impressed Mrs Sturman, Mrs Haylings and Miss Riley with how hard they have worked! They started year 5 with some PSHE work and a MindMate lesson exploring the theme, 'Feeling good and being me.' As our history topic this term is the Victorians, the children took part in an exciting pre-launch lesson revisiting their previous learning. Pupils revisited their knowledge and understanding of chronology of British, local and world history topics they have studied. In their launch lesson, Class 12 formulated their key questions which will guide their learning across the autumn term. In French, we took part in a phonics lesson where we learned how to read and pronounce the sounds in French. We found it quite tricky at first but soon started to get the hang of it! 

In English, we have started to read Oliver Twist. This story was written by the famous author Charles Dickens and explores how the poorest people in society were treated the worst. Class 12 used drama techniques such as freeze frames and conscience alley to investigate the thoughts and feelings of the characters. During our guided reading lessons, we have also started to read extracts of Hetty Feather which is the story of a young girl in a Foundling hospital. In addition, one of our PE sessions this half term is dodgeball. We started to practise throwing skills to aim at a moving target. Our science topic this half term is forces so we had fun experimenting with Newton meters and practised measuring force using them.