A busy week ...

Thank you to all of our wonderful parents who provided gorgeous books and outfits to help us celebrate World Book Day. We had a brilliant time exploring our own and each other’s favourite books and even had the chance to choose a teacher from across the school and listen to them read their favourite book!

Year 1 started their Design and Technology project this week. Over the coming term we will be designing and making our own Paddington finger puppets. This week, the children experimented with different ways to join fabric, including gluing, stapling and safety pinning. None of these methods proved effective so we will look forward to using a running stitch to sew fabric together over the next few weeks.

Throughout the school, we now continue our sketchbook use throughout the year (not just during Art sessions). On Monday, Year 1 divided their sketchbooks into smaller (less intimidating) sections which will be drawn into during our sketchbook activities this term. Reception children made their own mini concertina sketchbooks for the same purpose. We have since had two ‘spiral’ themed drawing activities where children have been inspired by spirals in nature and have used ink to explore their own spirals onto their divided sketchbooks.

Reception children have continued to write daily sentences about Paddington bear this week, please see a fantastic example above!

It has been another super busy week in Class 1. Mr Ottewell-Taylor has been very happy to be back in class after last week’s First Aid training!

Another exciting week of learning and fun was had in Class 2. 
In Literacy, we have explored the original story of Paddington Bear and identified a variety of exciting vocabulary we can use in our writing. We have also explored Time Adverbials which we have all had a go at using in our letter to Aunt Lucy. 

In Maths, both Year 1 and year 2 have completed their Cold Tasks this week on Mass, Volume and Capacity. We can't wait for next week where we will have very practical, hands-on (albeit very noisy) lessons on measuring.

In Science, we continued our exploration into the world of Materials by looking at some objects around us that are made of more than one material. In DT, we have started an exciting unit on making hand puppets. We thought it might be a good idea to design and make our own Paddington Bear puppets! This week, we explored some different methods we can use to join fabrics. In Computing, we looked at computers and explored its different parts and have begun looking at what makes them Input and Output devices. 

Class 3 Blog W/E 7th March 2025

Highlight of the week

On Tuesday, we had a great time celebrating St Piran’s Day at Cotehele. A big thank you to Emma and the Lowender group for organising the event. The children did really well, and I’m sure those who watched enjoyed the performance.

DT

In DT, we’ve been learning about seasonal foods and where they come from. It’s been interesting to see how different foods are grown around the world and how seasons affect what’s available.

Maths

In Maths, we’ve now finished our unit on length and perimeter. Everyone has made good progress, and the presentation in maths books has been excellent.

Geography

In Geography, we’ve started learning about the Amazon Rainforest. One interesting fact we found out is that the Amazon produces around 20% of the world’s oxygen. Next week, we’ll be looking at the different layers of the rainforest.

Well done to everyone for their hard work this week.

Gymnastics! 

In our gymnastics lesson, we began with a fun warm-up to get everyone energised, incorporating simple stretches and movements that engaged their whole bodies. Next, we introduced basic balances, encouraging the children to experiment with different poses like the star and the flamingo, focusing on how to maintain stability. After demonstrating proper techniques, the students took turns practicing on mats, cheering each other on as they attempted to hold their balances for longer periods. We then incorporated a mini obstacle course that included balance beams, where they could apply their skills in a playful way. To wrap up, we gathered for a cool-down session, reflecting on what they learned and celebrating their progress. The enthusiasm and teamwork displayed throughout the lesson made it a joyful and enriching experience for everyone.

This week, we have been working on what makes a suspense story.  There have been some fantastic pieces of writing from the pupils focusing on how setting can really help to scene the scene for the reader.  Here are some examples from pupils.  This one is from Rosie and includes some excellent examples of similes. 

During the witching hour, Julia had this gruesome nightmare. It started at dilapidated amusement park where smiles went upside down. The storm raged overhead like a volcano, drowning out spine-chilling moans of despair. The mist swirled overhead, round and round like a carousel. The lightning rumbled like a loud earthquake. 

This one is from Leo B and he has tried to include a rhetorical question too.  

As the clock struck midnight, the haunted graveyard strikes again. Tom entered the graveyard, filming it on his camera. Did he know it was going to be his biggest mistake? The wind howled and the lightning struck.

The spellings for my group this week are: defiant, defiance, reliant, reliance,  assistance, assistant, distance, distant,  elegance,  elegant.  We are recapping these words as the group are still not secure on this spelling pattern.  

Mr Watts is recapping the mis/dis and un prefix.  His spellings are: disagree, disappear, disapprove, dishonest, dislike, incapable, incomplete, incorrect, independent, invisible, unhappy, unkind, unlock and unclear

In Maths, we have just moved on to written methods for multiplication.  Year 5 are starting by recapping 2 digit by one digit multiplication and 3 digit by 1 digit multiplication with questions such as 23 x 8 and 452 x 8.  Year 6 are looking at 4 digit by 2 digit multiplication methods.

Here are some KIRFs to give you a flavour of that Maths that we have covered so far:

It has been great to see everyone back in school after half term.  This week, we have been revising some fraction work, particularly adding fractions with denominators in the same times tables.  We have started our new writing unit looking at suspense stories.  It has been great to read some really spooky stories set in a variety of places.  

This week's spellings are a recap of ie and ei words.  The words for my group are:  relieve, believe, concieve, achieve, reign, weight, neighbour, protein and conceit. 

Mr Watts is looking at the prefix "sub".  His words are subdivide, subheading, submarine, submerge, subsoil, subtitle, subway, subzero

Our KIRFs this half term have also changed.  Year 6 are looking at percentages of amounts and Year 5 are looking at adding and subtracting with negative numbers.  Here is a taste of the some of the questions that we have been looking at:

Class 3 Blog W/E 28th February 2025

Visitors in Class 3

We’ve had lots of visitors in our classroom this week, and they were very impressed with Class 3’s behaviour, effort, and hard work. They also noticed a big improvement in our presentation, especially in English and Maths. Well done, everyone!

Exciting Science Experiment (written by Isaac and Arla)

Before half term, we had an exciting science experiment. We used micro:bits to measure sound in decibels, testing how different materials affected noise levels. First, we measured how loud the classroom was without any noise. Then, we wrapped the micro:bits in different materials and tested the sound levels again. We discovered that plastic reduced sound the most, meaning it’s a great material for ear defenders! It was a fascinating experiment, and we had lots of fun.

Lowender Rehearsal

Our Lowender rehearsal with Emma on Tuesday went really well in preparation for St Piran's day celebration. The children are working hard and are nearly ready for their big performance at Cotehele on Tuesday at 2:15pm.

PE

We are keeping active with PE on Mondays and Tuesdays. Monday is Dodgeball with our external coach, Owen, which is always full of energy and excitement. On Tuesdays, we are going to be focusing on fundamental skills that are useful for all sports, such as balance, coordination, and teamwork.

Computing

After a fantastic term of programming, we are now learning all about websites. We’ll be exploring what makes a great website and even creating our own!

Times tables

The improvement in times tables since September has been incredible across Class 3. Please keep these efforts up. A reminder that all children in Year 4 should know their times tables up to 12x12 in less than 6 seconds by the end of this term.

A largely sunny and dry week following the half term break has been just the tonic for the children and staff as we returned to work this week. Due to other commitments, I haven't been able to do the morning meet and greet as often as I would like, but whenever I have seen the children around the school they have been so enthusiastic, cheerful and polite; it has been a real pleasure to spend time with them.

This week, Class 1 started their gymnastics programme at Copper Valley Junior School. The excitement was barely containable when Abi Flashman opened up all the climbing frames and got the gym equipment out. I will try and post some photographs in the future to share this opportunity which just isn't possible at Harrowbarrow.

Our Year 5 and 6 football team competed in the first matches of their tournament on Tuesday. Despite losing 2-1 and 2-0 against Sir Robert Geffery and Bishop Cornish schools respectively, the children were great. Like the Year 3 and 4 team before them, many of the children were playing their first ever match. Well done to Poppy, Belle, Caleb, Leo, Noah, Archie, Talan, Rioch, Eli, Jayden and Josh.

In September, we made some changes to our English curriculum. There has been a renewed focus on using high quality texts as the starting point for children's writing and improving their spelling and handwriting. At this halfway point of the year, we are already seeing significant improvements. This has been recognised by some of our professional partners who visit the school regularly to see lessons, talk to the children and look at their books. Here are a few examples of the impressive work we are seeing across the school:

Class 2 children have published their work in this brilliant book, with extracts shown from Penny and Jasper's stories. A copy of this book has been put in the library for other children to read.



Class 4 have been writing some mystery thrillers and I was particularly impressed by this piece from Leo.


Like a phoenix from the flames, our polytunnel is being resurrected after Storm Unis flattened it a couple of years ago. Thanks to the Tesco Community Grant Abi Flashman secured, damaged parts have been replaced and caretaker Mark Cocking has been rebuilding it. We expect a new plastic cover to go on in the next couple of weeks, ready for children to start growing plants as part of their science curriculum. At the same time, we have a new forest school shed we will be erecting to provide some storage and protection from adverse weather during forest school sessions.



Dates for you diary

4.3.25: St Pirans performance for Year 3 and 4 parents/carers at Cotehele
7.3.25: Final cross-country league race
10.3.25: Harrowbarrow World Book Day celebrations
12.3.25: Harrowbarrow team competing in First Lego League county championship at RNAS Culdrose
19.3.25: Class 3 trip to Cornwall Farm & Country day at Wadebridge showground
21.3.25: Harrowbarrow Comic Relief fundraising day (details to follow)

Advance Notice Reminder
Please note, all Bridge MAT schools finish at 1.30pm on the last pupil day of each full term. This is to give school staff time to organise and prepare for the term ahead. Harrowbarrow hasn't previously adopted this policy, although many schools now do it. To align Harrowbarrow with our partner schools within the Trust, we will be adopting this practice at the end of this term, on the last pupil day before the Easter holiday (Friday 4th April). We will send a reminder nearer the time.

And before you know it...

... another half term is done and all we have to do is look back and see just how much we have learned and experienced. 

In Literacy, we have all completed writing out the neat copies of our Cornish legend. And oh boy! Do we have some amazing stories! We can't wait to share them with our Class 2 families when we come back after our half term break. In Maths, while year 2's grappled with understanding the relationship between number bonds to 10 and 20, Year 2s completed their unit on multiplication and division - this week has largely been about consolidating and testing our understanding.

On Thursday, Year 1s from Class 1 joined us for a History lesson to conclude our unit on Changes in Toys. We looked at a variety of artefacts and used our understanding of historical fact and changes to deduce how old they were. Our lessons in Science about Everyday Materials really helped us as we looked at a range of toys and tried to put them in chronological order. As we discovered, metal (rusty) and natural materials were often used to make "olden toys" while toys today are mostly made of plastic.

On the last day of our half term, we also took time to think about people we love and how we celebrate them on Valentines Day. We talked about the people and animals in our lives we loved dearly and shared about what made them special to us.   

We then decided to write the special people (or animals) in our lives a letter to tell them how much we loved them. It was a joy to read every one of these letters today as they celebrated the love and connection each of us felt with the world around us. We had letters to own families thanking them for being there and making their world better, to letters to their pets thanking them for helping them cope with sad moments. I hope some of these notes have found their way to those intended. 

Finally, enjoy your half term break Class 2 family, and we hope to see you all back refreshed and ready for another round of mayhem, learning and fun; and mayhem, learning and fun; and... you get it!

After half term, P.E will change back to Monday and Fridays.  Class 4 will work with Owen again on a Monday afternoon.  

This week, we have been writing our newspaper stories.  Here is a taste of some of the orientations that the class wrote.  Here is one from Talan:
Box Beached At Bude
Yesterday, the whole of Demonia got shook by a box that was opened. At 2:00 am it was opened.  This as well as the wreck of the Spearwa still stays anonymous. I’ve heard it came from Gaul [France] to Bude to deliver some food but got caught in storm Felix that caused havoc across Demonia.

Here is another one from Sully:
Chest of Glory Washed up at Holyhead!(The tip of Wales)
In the afternoon, Residents of Holyhead, Whales UK, a mystical question raising chest has appeared after a fisherman had found a chest through the baby blue shore, he pulled it out to see if it was important. Unknowingly, this fisherman had just found a chest that seems to be from the book “Chest of Glory” by Rachel Shutter based upon how a resident of a small village found a chest without a lock and it was believed it caused a curse. Unbelievably this chest looked the exactly the same! 

Here are the spellings for my group for after half term: collision, illusion,  confusion, decision, revision, explosion, erosion, mathematician,  optician,  electrician

After half term, the Kirfs are changing.  Year 5 will be focusing on adding and subtracting negative numbers.   You can find more information here https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/znwj6sg/articles/zxthnbk#zn38mbk
Year 6 are going to start to look at percentages of amounts.  You can find more information here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/znjqtfr

Here are some examples to work through.

Week ending 13th February

In Class 1, students embarked on an exciting journey into the world of science and computing, delving into the concepts of materials and programming. In science, the focus was on understanding different materials and their properties. Students explored various everyday objects, learning how to categorize them as soft or hard, flexible or rigid, and shiny or dull. Through hands-on activities, they investigated the properties of materials like wood, metal, fabric, and plastic, discovering how materials are used based on their characteristics. Simple experiments, such as testing the strength of materials by bending or stretching, helped them gain a practical understanding of how materials behave in real-life situations. This session we started our science experiment and investigation into which materials would be best for Button’s to build his house out of. In computing, Class 1 students were introduced to basic programming concepts. Using simple coding tools, they learned how to give commands to make characters or objects move on a screen. By dragging and dropping code blocks, they grasped the fundamentals of sequencing, loops, and debugging. This hands-on approach allowed them to explore the logic behind programming in an engaging and interactive way. We explored another new resource called Bluebots. The children used the Ipads and the bluebot to give instructions and to debug if anything went wrong. Combining science and computing, Class 1 students gained a deeper understanding of the world around them and developed important skills that will support their future learning in both subjects.

Continuous provision:

The children have been busy learners this week exploring all of the busy learning time activities which had a link to Valentines day! We made playdough valentines chocolates, valentines day cards, petrol station role play on our bikes and our teachers role play.

A very well done to:
Ava for getting the respectful award for making better behaviour choices and engaging in her learning.
Jimmy for getting the ready award for spending so much time on his art work and producing a beautiful piece.
Jane for getting the safe award for always being a fantastic role model and a kind friend.


Notices: Information has gone about our school trip to the Box - please make sure the permission slips are filled in and returned. Many thanks.

In Science, we took our learning from our previous lessons to investigate a variety of everyday materials and sort them into a variety of categories. We had a lot of scientific talk during our investigation as we used our senses to explore the materials and describe their many properties. 

In RE, we learned the story of Prophet Muhammad. We will be exploring this story further next week and use it to help us understand why the Prophet is so important to Muslims. 

We finally used sketchpad this week in ICT to design our rockets. Working in groups was fun as we shared skills and knowledge to create the best design possible for our rockets.  

Finally, in Art, we explored all the different printing methods we have explored so far to try to understand which ones work best for us.  

Class 3 Blog for W/E 7th February

This week in Class 3 has contained plenty of good quality learning and progress.

Painting with Scissors

In art, we have been continuing with our "painting with scissors" project, inspired by Henri Matisse. Using bold shapes and colors, we’ve been practicing cutting and layering techniques. The final pieces are coming together nicely, and it’s been great to see everyone’s creativity in action.

Written Multiplication in Maths

In maths, we’ve been learning written methods for multiplication. Alongside this, we’ve been focusing on improving the presentation of our work. Many of the children are noticing how neat and clear presentation helps with solving calculations.

Sounds in Science

In science, we’ve been discussing why some animals make noise and why others avoid it. This has led to some interesting discussions about survival strategies and communication in the animal kingdom. We have also been learning about how sounds can damage our ears and how we can protect them from damage.

Learning About the Romans

Our history and guided reading sessions this week have continued to focus on the Romans. We’ve explored their way of life and read texts that give us a deeper understanding of their impact on the world.

Dodgeball Tournament

Six children took part in a dodgeball tournament yesterday, representing our school. They enjoyed the competition and performed well. Thank you to Mr. Hunt for supporting them throughout the event to a 5th placed finish in their league.

Biographies of Queen Victoria

We’ve completed our biographies about Queen Victoria this week. It’s clear that our handwriting practice is paying off, as the presentation in our work has really improved. The biographies are informative and well-written—a great effort from everyone.

We’re looking forward to building on our learning next week in what will be the last week before half term!

Update from week ending Friday 7th February 2025

This week we had a visit from Blast from the Past for our Viking Day.  We did many activities such reading runes, forming a Viking longship and going into battle with shields.  Thanks to Mr. Chapman for leading the activities during the day.  

This week in Maths, Year 5 continue subtracting fractions with denominators that are multiples of each other such as 1/4 - 1/8.  Year 6 have moved on to multiplying fractions by integers and multiplying fractions by fractions such as 2/3 x 4 and 1/3 x 1/4.  

We have started to plan and write our own newspaper report based on the class novel, The Coming of Dragons.  Watch this space for some examples of our writing next week. 

There are no spellings next week as Year 6 have practice SATs but here are the Kirfs and a photo of our own Viking boat with a very special figurehead.  

We have had another few busy weeks in Art in Class 1! Continuing on our Simple Printmaking pathway, we have used plasticine to make printing plates. The children chose objects from around the classroom and pressed them into their plasticine to create an impression. They then placed their plates face down into ink pads, applied A LOT of pressure using rollers to ensure the ink was evenly distributed and then finally printed with their plate into their sketchbooks or large sheets of paper. Prior to this session, the children had prepared their paper using Brusho washes to create stunning effects! We’re sure you will agree that the finished prints onto such vibrant paper looked really spectacular! We also used small mount board squares and printing foam to make our own additive print plates. We cut a variety of shapes out of foam and glued them onto the board and then used rollers (in the same manner as last week) to print them onto sugar paper. We didn’t wash our rollers or plates between changing colours leading to a lovely array of colours being produced. When our prints were dry, we cut them out and arranged them carefully against a striking black backdrop. Next week is sadly the last week of our Simple Printmaking pathway, we have thoroughly enjoyed it (me included!) and look forward to our next pathway, ‘Playful Making’ in the summer term.

Class 3 Blog W/E 31st January 2025

Class 3 have had a busy and productive week with a variety of activities both in and out of school.

Earlier in the week, we went on a school trip to Plymouth’s Immersive Dome, where the children enjoyed a rainforest experience and learnt lots about the life cycle of bugs. A memorable part of the visit was being placed inside a giant lemon, which caused plenty of smiles and curiosity.

Back at school, we’ve been preparing for our performance at Cotehele which will take place on Tuesday 4th March. The children have been working with the group Perghenegi during singing rehearsals, and a trip letter with further details was sent out yesterday.

In art, we’ve been creating pieces inspired by the work of Henri Matisse, focusing on his use of bold colors and shapes to ‘paint with scissors’. The children have approached this with creativity and as you can see the pieces are starting to come together well!

Our PE sessions this week have continued to develop skills in netball, with the children practicing passing, movement, and getting away from a defender.

Overall, it’s been an interesting week with lots of opportunities for learning and exploration. Well done to Class 3 for their hard work! Next week, there is plenty to look forward to including a cross Country race on Friday afternoon!

Wider Curriculum

In Science, Class 2 have also continued their enquiry into the world of Everyday Materials by going on a material hunt. We concluded the lesson with a very heated class discussion around why we use certain materials to make different objects. Some of these opinions and comments have been captured on our Science wall for everyone to read.

In RE, we summarised our learning about Islam so far by discussing what we thought God meant to a Muslim based on our understanding of the Shahadah and the 99 names of Allah. On wednesday,  we continued our enquiry into using music to create mood and pictures with Mrs Lane.

Year 1s from Class 1 joined us again for another afternoon of Computing. We reviewed our rocket design and have begun to look at what digital softwares can help us with our design. We are all really excited about using Sketchpad to design our rockets next week.