Spring Term 2025 

Our topics this term are TOYS and We are the UK.  A flavour of some of what the children will be learning and experiencing during these topics is given below.

Toys

During Literacy this term, we begin with poetry where we will explore rhyming words, performance poetry and have a go at creating riddles to describe our favourite toys. We will then focus on the story ‘Lost in the Toy Museum’. We will make a prediction before we read the story, then use adjectives to describe the settings and characters as we get to know them. Then, we will demonstrate our understanding of the story by retelling the story through drama and writing. We will also focus on our spelling, punctuation and grammar – specifically how to edit our work, use conjunctions and different suffixes correctly. Our final book focus will be ‘Tatty Ratty’, a story about a toy who gets left on a bus and ends up on an amazing adventure. We will discover and describe the characters and settings, then use these as a basis for planning and writing our own version of the story.  

In Numeracy, we will begin the term by consolidating our understanding of place value within 20. We will develop our ability partition teens numbers and confidently use a number line to 20. We will compare and order numbers and will use our acquired knowledge of place value within 20 to answer reasoning questions. We will develop our ability to complete addition calculations and solve addition problems by counting on, adding ones using number bonds and begin to understand how doubles and near doubles can help us with adding. After, we will focus on subtraction where we will subtract ones using number bonds, use counting back to solve subtraction calculations and revisit what finding the difference means. Then, we will also learn to compare lengths and heights and measure length using objects and in centimetres. Later in the term, we will explore multiplication and enhance our abilities to count in 2s, 5s and 10s.

In Science, we will continue our learning around the topic of ‘Everyday Materials’. We will explore and be able to describe the physical properties of a variety of everyday materials. Throughout the term, we will develop our ability to work scientifically when comparing and exploring how we can group together a variety of everyday materials on the basis of their simple physical properties. As part of our ongoing work with observing seasonal changes over time, we will carry out a winter walk around the school grounds taking note of, for example, the weather, what we are wearing and how the trees look.

In History, our focus is comparing the toys we play with to toys of the past. First, we will explain what our current favourite toys are to give us a basis for our comparisons. Then, from interviewing our families for our homework we will learn about the toys they used to play with. Next, we will discover the types of toys that Victorian children played with. After learning about these different toys we will spend time comparing them – the different types of toys, how they were played with and what they were made from. During our trip to the museum we will get to see some historical toys which will be fantastic at bringing our learning to life!  

In Computing, the children will be working on programming and moving a robot. The children will be introduced to floor robots and the different buttons on the robot. They will then use these to move the robot forwards and backwards and then in other directions. Finally they will programme the robot to follow a specific route.

In Art, we will be exploring 3D sculpture. First, we will learn how to manipulate paper in different ways to create 3D drawings. Next, we will use clay to create a toy model, using slip to join the different parts. After that we will paint our models.

In music, our topic will be “The Snail and the mouse”. Children will use bodies and instruments to listen and respond to pieces of music with fast and slow speeds. They will learn and perform a rhyme and a song focussing on fast and slow, having listened to it and understood how the song goes.

In PE, our indoor sessions will be dance where we will explore travelling actions, movement skills and balancing. We will understand why it is important to count to music and will use this within our own dances. We will develop our ability to copy and repeat actions and will explore how we can link these together to make short dance phrases. During dance, we will have the opportunity to work individually and with a partner to create ideas in relation to the theme. We will also be given the opportunity to perform and also provide feedback using dance terminology. Our outdoor PE sessions will be net and wall games. Within these sessions, we will develop our understanding of attacking and defending principles in net games. We will use and enhance our skills of throwing, catching, tracking and hitting a ball and will learn how to score points in these types of games whilst playing to the rules. Throughout the sessions, we will have the opportunity to work independently, with a partner and in a small group. We will begin to self-manage our own games and will demonstrate our ability to show respect and kindness towards our teammates and opponents.

Our RE focus will be on ‘why should be care for the world’. We will be following our new RE scheme Kapow and we will be looking at different religions and how they care for people as part of their religious beliefs.

In PSHE, we will discuss how to be responsible when accidents happen such as ‘a water spillages’. We will also learn about different emotions such as ‘jealousy’ and learn how to handle different scenarios with our emotions in mind.

We are the UK!

During Literacy this term, we will be studying information texts. First, we will remind ourselves of the features of information texts and spot these in examples of texts. Once we are confident with the features of information texts we will link our writing to our geography learning by creating our own information text with information about each of the four countries of the UK. Next, we will consider the features of letter writing and write our own letters related to the story ‘Coming to England’ that tells the story of a young girl moving from Trinidad to England as part of the Windrush Generation. Finally, we will explore instructional writing and link this to our science work by writing instructions for how to grow a plant.

In Numeracy, we will start by following our counting in 2s, 5s and 10s work by applying this to money where we will count in both coins and notes. Then, we will continue our learning on multiplication. We will learn to recognise and add equal groups as well as make arrays. After, we will explore division where we will explore how to solve division questions by grouping and sharing. In addition to this, we will also learn to recognise and find a half of an object or shape and a quantity. Finally, we will recap our place value from earlier in the spring term and consider how this can help us to solve missing number questions.

In Science, we will be learning about plants. We will develop our ability to identify and name a variety of common wild and garden plants, including deciduous and evergreen trees. We will also explore and be able to identify and describe the basic structure of a variety of common flowering plants, including trees. As part of our ongoing work with observing seasonal changes over time, toward the end of the term, we will carry out a spring walk around the school grounds taking note of, for example, the weather, what we are wearing and how the trees look.

As part of Geography, we will be learning all about the UK. Firstly, we will ensure that we can locate the UK on a world map, building on our local area topic we studied earlier in the year. We will then learn the names of the 4 countries that make up the UK, their individual capital cities and some features of each country. We will consider the seasonal and daily weather patterns the UK experiences, and how this links to weather around the world. We will also extend our geographical vocabulary knowledge by identifying a variety of human and physical features of the UK.

In Computing, the children will be working on grouping data. We will look at how labels help us to identify a group of objects. We will be sorting and grouping objects in different ways.

In Art, we will be exploring textiles. We will be looking at different textile artists and discussing textiles from other cultures. We will develop skills such as weaving, plaiting and creating a knot. This will link with Design and technology for this term, and we will practise our sewing skills using a running stitch.

In Design Technology, we will begin by thinking carefully about how we are going to design a puppet, for example which colours we will use. Then, we will use a running stitch to join the front and back of our puppets before following our design to complete the front. Finally, we will evaluate our puppets, thinking about what went well and what we would change if we were to make it again.

In music, we will be looking at “The Seaside”. Children will look at how they can turn sounds in different environments into music and use percussion, vocal and body sounds to represent the seaside. They will also look at how music emotions change by making the music loud or soft, which we know as dynamics.

In PE, our indoor sessions topic will be fitness where we will develop our understanding of the benefits of exercise and a healthy lifestyle on our physical body, mood and overall health. We will work independently, in pairs and in small group to complete challenges in which we will need to demonstrate an ability to preserve to achieve our personal best. During our outdoor P.E sessions, we will develop our sending and receiving skills which will include throwing and catching, rolling, kicking, tracking and stopping a ball. We will apply the skills we acquire and develop when working individually, in pairs and in small groups and will begin to organise and self-manage our own activities. Within these sessions, we will gain an understanding on the importance of abiding by the rules to keep ourselves and others safe.

In RE this term, we will explore Judaism. We will find out about the Pesach story, when Moses brought the Jewish people out of Egypt, how they crossed the Red Sea and received the Torah and the Promised Land. We will explore the features of a synagogue and understand that is where Jewish people celebrate most of their festivals. We will find out about Shabbat, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur and explore the different ways that Jewish people express their faith

In PSHE, we learn about online safety with a focus on online bullying. We will discuss the positives and negatives of using technology and discuss how our online activity can affect others. We will be able to recognise kind and unkind comments and discuss how to ask for help when we need it.