The Willows 2024 - 2025

Dear Parents, Carers and Children,

Welcome back! We hope that you have enjoyed a relaxing and enjoyble break! The children have looked very smart on their return to school and have settled into work really well and have been happy to see each other. Please do ensure that your child continues to wear full school uniform, including black school shoes or black trainers. Children may wear their own clothes as a treat when it is their birthday. 

Children may bring a water bottle to school, please ensure that the drink is plain or flavoured water. Should your child require a snack they are very weclome to bring in a piece of fruit, cereal or cereal bars. School will provide bagels and fruit for the children. 

This term we have many things to look forward too including our visits Lache Library on a regular basis. We hope to enthuse the children and to continue to develop their reading skills. Please do read at home with your child and encourage them to read more independently. Reading really is key to the children accessing the majority of the curriculum. 

The children will again have the opportunity to attend the school choir at lunchtime on a Tuesday.  Where possible the children will be encouraged to take part in after school clubs, including tag rugby, basketball and footbal rounders and dodgeball.  Willows staff will send home information letters and will often contact you about the details of these events. 

A copy of The Willows weekly news will come home with your child each Monday, giving you more information about teaching and learning that week, and any special events for the week. This half term will include and INSPIRE afternoon where family members are warmly invited to come and work alongside their children, taking part in a range of Art tasks. The children are always pleased when family members come into school.

The Willows website and school Twitter site will be regularly updated with photographs following events and activities in the classroom. The school's  Facebook page will feature photographs each Friday. Do have a look at your children in action!

Children will be encouraged to take a reading book home each Monday. It would be very beneficial  if you could read with your child on a regular basis. A reading record book will also come home, please do put any comments in this and sign and return both the  reading book and the reading record book each Tuesday morning. 

The children should bring their PE kit into school each Wednesday. PE kit is black shorts, blue t-shirt and trainers. Please do ensure that PE kit and school uniforms are labelled with your child's name. Whenever appropriate the children will be encouraged to take part in PE and Spanish lessons alongside their mainstream peers. 

Children will continue to take part in Celebration assembly at 2.45pm each Friday. You are very welcome to attend the assembly and whenever possible Willows staff will let you know about the assembly in good time. Our children are very pleased and proud to see family members at the assembly. The Willows staff will regularly phone you to celebrate your child's achievements.

Included below is some information about the topics the children will be learning about this term. Should you have any questions or concerns at all, please do phone, email or call  into school and speak with Mr Mohan or Miss Russell. It is especially important that if there is any change in your child's medicaton that you inform school as soon as possible. 

Thankyou for your continued support and for the very positive feedback that we continue to receive from you. The Willows staff are looking forward to another memorable, successful and happy term for the children.

Very Best Wishes

Mr Mohan and Miss Russell

AUTUMN TERM-CURRICULUM OVERVIEW

Physical Education

Our focus this term is 'Multi Skills Throwing and Catching'

Physical Education will take place each Wednesday afternoon. 

PE kit is a blue t-shirt, black shorts or black joggers, black pumps or trainers. Children may also bring a warm tracksuit to change into if the weather is cold. Please ensure that your child has a suitable bag to carry belongings and that belongings include name labels.

English

On arrival at in school each day the children will complete a phonics/spelling task. Each child will read with an adult each day and will complete a weekly handwriting task. English lessons will be based around the story 'When the Giant Stirred' by Celia Godkin. Mr Mohan or Miss Russell will read with the class each day and out story is 'The Enchanted Wood' by Enid Blyton. The children will find out about the life of Enid Blyton. 

Maths

Each day upon arrival at school, the children will complete a maths challenge task that reinforces and develops the children's number formation and ability to reacall mulitplication facts. Maths lessons will use Power Maths as a starting point for lessons and the websites below may be  helpful in developing mathematical skills:

Early Years Foundation Stage 

https://www.topmarks.co.uk/learning-to-count/gingerbread-man-game

Key Stage One 

https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/mental-maths-train

Key Stage Two                                           

https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/hit-the-button

Science

The children will focus upon the topic 'States of Matter', identifying liquids, gases and solids. 

Information Technology

The focus topic will be 'Creating Media Stop Frame Animations'.

Art

The children will learn about Greek pottery.

History

The children will learn about 'Greek and Roman Life and Culture'

Personal Health and Social Education

At the heart of our teaching and learning will be our school rules:

• Be Respectful
• Be Ready
• Be Safe

The children in the Willows collect dojo points for outstanding work and a positive attitude towards learning, good behaviour choices and for demonstrating good manners towards peers and adults.

Staff will make regular telephone calls to family members, often throughout the school day, in order to share the positive achievements of each child. 

Should you also wish to share the positive achievements, events of your child or to discuss any concerns, please do contact school.

As a 'No Outsiders' school this half term we will use the following books to develop an understanding of how we reasonably express opinions  within society. We also celebrate divrsity within society. 

This is Our House by Michael Rosen and Bob Graham

The Hueys in A New Jumper by Oliver Jeffers

Jigsaw lessons will focus upon the themes of 'Dreams and Goals'

Raising Aspirations

Will focus upon the theme of being accountable to ourselves and others. The picture book 'What We'll Build' by Oliver Jeffers will be used as the starting point for our work. 

Geography

The children will be introduced to the topic 'The Pyramids to Costa Brava'.

History

The children will study 'Greek and Roman Life and Culture'

Art

Children will continue tasks related to the topic 'Stone Age to Iron Age' and be introduced to activities around the topic 'Pyramids to Paris'.

Spanish

Children will learn how the numbers to 10 and how to greet each other.