This week in reception the children have been lucky enough to have a visit from the fire brigade along with their peers in Y1. They listened to a talk on how to stay safe in the event of a fire and got an up close look at the contents of a fire engine, which they thoroughly enjoyed. They have also showcased their recall of our class story in which they have had a go at adapting it and adding in their very own characters.

This week for Children’s Mental Health Week, Year 1 explored the theme "My Place." Through our PSHE lessons, we discussed the environments and activities that make us feel calm, relaxed, and happy. The children created wonderful "Islands of Me" maps, featuring everything from dinosaurs and gymnastics to trips to Cassiobury Park. We also took time to celebrate the people who make us feel special—including our families, friends, and teachers. It was a beautiful week of reflection, reminding us all of the importance of finding our own 'place to be.'

This week in Year 2/3, the children have enjoyed a range of exciting learning experiences. In Art, we learned about the significance of urban landscapes through the work of L.S. Lowry. The children then worked in groups to create their own collages using pictures of Watford landmarks. They had a great time designing and making their own little landscapes. We also had a special visitor from the Watford Synagogue, who spoke to us about the importance of Judaism. The children had hands-on experience exploring some of the artefacts used in Jewish worship. They were even given the opportunity to blow the shofar, an ancient musical horn that is used on special occasions.

It has been a fantastic week in Year 4! The children successfully completed their independent setting descriptions, bringing their writing to life through the clever use of personification and a range of powerful verbs and adverbs. In Maths, we have been mastering the perimeter of 2D shapes, learning how to accurately calculate the distance around the edge of various polygons. In DT, the children showcased their creativity by hand-crafting clay Bankura horses, carefully adding intricate details to complete their sculptures.

Year 5 had a fantastic time exploring Cassiobury Park this week, using the natural scenery to inspire their latest Expressionist artwork. The children focused on capturing mood and bold color, resulting in some truly stunning and emotive pieces.

We were incredibly proud of their excellent behaviour; several members of the public even commented on how polite and respectful the group was. It was a wonderful day of creativity and a true credit to Lanchester. Well done, Year 5!

Over the last half term the children have worked incredibly hard on their learning across all subjects. In preparation for the parent expo they created slides, posters and interactive games to showcase their knowledge. They were excited to be the experts of their topic areas and present to all the adults. We were pleased to welcome so many of our parents and carers, seeing them taking part and discovering out about learning in Year 6.

This week we reviewed the use of our assessment and intervention software. We explored the data from the recent assessments and used it to inform the teaching for next half term. Mrs Henney trained four of our team on the Read, Write, Inc approach to phonics giving us more teaching capacity and smaller group sizes, helping to improve our provision.