The children thoroughly enjoyed the wonderdome this week and it was a great way to introduce this half term topic of 'starry night'. This week we have been learning all about the planets in our solar system. The children are able to name all of the planets and even share facts about them. We learned that the planets orbit the sun and how day and night occur. During child initiated learning the children have enjoyed drawing and colouring the planets as well as creating their own.  

This week in science, the children explored the importance of air through an exciting, hands-on investigation. Using an air pump, they launched their own foam rockets and observed how air can be used to make objects move. The children also experimented with different-sized bottles to discover how this affected how high the rockets travelled. They made predictions, tested their ideas, and talked about what they noticed, developing their scientific vocabulary and enquiry skills along the way.

It was a fantastic, energetic lesson that brought learning to life and sparked lots of curiosity and excitement!

This week in Year 2/3 began with lots of excitement as it was Space Week and the Wonderdome visited our school. Throughout the week, the children took part in a range of engaging activities linked to the theme of space. In English, the children created information posters, researching and presenting fascinating facts about the Moon. As part of Art and DT, they designed and made their own planets using paper mâché, as well as designing imaginative space suits. The highlight of the week was the Wonderdome experience, which the children thoroughly enjoyed. They were captivated by the visuals and loved learning many interesting facts about space. Overall, it was a fun, memorable, and inspiring week for everyone.

It has been an out-of-this-world week in Year 4! The children had a fantastic experience in the Wonderdome, which they followed up by writing brilliant recounts in English. Our space explorers have also been busy researching and writing expert fact files on the planets, as well as getting creative by recreating Van Gogh’s "Starry Night" using vibrant pastels. To top it off, they have been putting their bodies to the test with "Astronaut Skills" training, focusing on memory, balance, and reaction time games in tight-space challenges.

It has been an "out of this world" week in Year 5 as we launched into our Space Immersion Week. The absolute highlight was our incredible visit to the Wonderdome, where children traveled through the galaxies without leaving the school grounds! Back in the classroom, the theme continued with an art lesson focused on painting planets and moons using a unique salt-texture technique. By sprinkling salt onto liquid glue and then applying watered-down paint, the children watched as the crystals soaked up the pigment to create realistic craters and swirling atmospheric effects, resulting in a "galactic gallery" of stellar artwork.

Year 6 have launched into the new term with an out-of-this-world Space Week. The absolute highlight was a visit to the Space Wonderdome, where the children were immersed in the wonders of the universe—it was a truly memorable experience for everyone.

Back in the classroom, the creativity continued with some stunning artwork. Inspired by artists online, the children experimented with paints and sponges to create galaxy backgrounds, carefully layering their sketches onto canvas for a professional finish. In English, we have been focusing on the lives of famous astronauts, including Tim Peake and Neil Armstrong. The children have shown great focus, answering comprehension questions and deepening their understanding of space exploration history.

At our Inset Day we began our whole staff training on Positive Regard behaviour training which places relationships at the centre of our culture and community. This is the beginning of our journey as we develop our behaviour approach ready for September 26.

At the staff meeting, we reviewed strategies for gaining and maintaining children's attention in class through the use of clear routines, short burst instructions and interactive opportunities. We also reviewed our use of assessment systems in school and considered a safeguarding scenario.