This week in reception we have been looking at festivals of light. The children have learnt about birthdays, Diwali, bonfire night and Remembrance Day. In maths we have been looking at the numbers 4 and 5. The children have demonstrated a great understanding of these numbers and have confidently shown how to represent these using concrete resources.  

This week, Year 1 have been letting their imaginations shine! Inspired by the idea of catching a star, the children created some wonderful pieces of artwork to show us how they would catch one of their very own. We had some fantastic and creative ideas, from building a ladder all the way to the moon to designing clever ways of reaching up into the night sky. The children used their creativity, imagination and artistic skills to bring their ideas to life.

We were so impressed by the thought and imagination that went into every piece. Perhaps we have some budding inventors in Year 1!

Year 2 has been studying the features of planet Earth. The children began by exploring how our world is divided into key landmasses and seven continents, framed by oceans and seas. Building on this geographical knowledge, they focused on local habitats, examining the different types of animals that live in our local environment and how these habitats provide what they need to survive. 

This week in Year 3/4 RE, we have been learning about Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights. The children explored how it celebrates the victory of good over evil and light over darkness. We also enjoyed listening to the story of Rama and Sita and learning how people welcomed them home by lighting beautiful lamps. To bring our learning to life, the children made their own diya lamps, just like those used to decorate homes during Diwali. The children are also looking forward to enjoying the fireworks for Diwali and Bonfire Night this weekend.  

 This week, Year 5 launched their new unit on explanation texts. To hook their imagination, the children created artwork depicting "shadow panthers"—a fictional creature that became extinct due to light pollution. They used oil pastels to draw glowing street lamp beams and layered cut-out panther silhouettes over the light. This creative starter acts as a gateway to writing explanation texts across a variety of topics.

Alongside this, we started our first geography lesson by tackling our initial enquiry question: "How is the Earth's structure similar to an onion?" It has been a busy and inquisitive start to the second half-term.

This term Year 6 are thrilled to welcome coaches from Watford FC Community Sports & Education Trust to launch the Premier League Primary Stars PSHE programme. During this week's launch session, the children explored the essential values that foster strong teamwork and collaboration, while also taking time to reflect on the personal goals they hope to achieve before the end of term. To help everyone connect, the class took part in a lively game of bingo, racing around to discover 20 unique facts about their peers!

We look forward to seeing Year 6 build on these teamwork skills as the programme continues over the coming weeks.