Month: June 2025

Exploring friction.

Scott Grason-Taylor

In science this week, we have been finding out about friction. What better way to do this than to explore it for ourselves. We set ab out measuring how far an object travelled down a ramp while changing the material at the bottom to test varying friction. We made sure it was a fair test by keeping all the elements the same, such as the steepness of the ramp and the same vehicle each time. We tested furry material, smooth books, the hall floor, our school jumpers, sandpaper and carpet, Numicon boards and carpet. we measured how har the vehicle travelled each time. We found that materials with higher friction slowed the vehicle down, whereas the vehicle travelled much faster over a low friction material. Learners were fascinated by the results.

Learners had a lovely day in Whitby on Friday, looking for signs of Captain Cook to consolidate our history work around explorers. We visited the Captain Cook exhibition in Pannet Museum, stopped to sketch the replica of Captain Cook’s Endeavour, which resides in the harbour and visited the statue of Captain Cook, that stands proudly on the west cliff. 

We are looking forward to Sports day, which is coming up this week and are hoping for good weather.

Keep an eye on our class page, to see what we are learning!

Exploring Collage

Scott Grason-Taylor

We continue to be delighted by collage. This week we added our painted paper to our willow lanterns and onto wet strength tissue paper. We had additional single colour paper to combine in our collage. The Pioneers used cutting,ripping and crumpling to add a variety of textures.

We also had a go at combining colour , exploring how wool worked. One Pioneer identified that the strands needed to look like candy floss and this was the perfect comment to get everyone started on the right road. This took patience and focus and control. 

While working we listened to Carnival of the Animals and the variety in the music certainly changed how we worked!

 

Structures

Scott Grason-Taylor

In DT this week, Learners have enjoyed building stable structures. We demonstrated excellent  problem solving skills. We tested different shapes and noted how they affected the strength of the structure. We experimented with different designs and materials and we were able to evaluate and then improve as we built. Some learners chose to work as part of a team, where others preferred to work alone. We soon found that triangles made the strongest shapes and that a wide base helped with strength too. The activity was calm and very focused. I think there are some budding engineers among us!

In English, we have begun writing our newspaper reports around A Midsummer Night’s Dream and are keen to include the writing skills, learned over the last weeks.

We are perfecting our time knowledge in maths, and regularly stop to check the current time on our class clock!

In geography, we have been watching the weather closely and have been recording data using an okta, thermometer, rain gauge and checking daily wind direction. We are looking forward to analysing our data next week.

We are looking forward to our class trip to Whitby next week, where  we will be searching for links with Captain Cook to consolidate our history learning this term.

Learners are amazing and are bursting with enthusiasm for learning!

Choosing and arranging materials.

Scott Grason-Taylor

Learners have had a busy week and have particularly enjoyed art activities. Our focus this term is collage and this week we have been sorting different materials into groups. We used many different materials including card, paper, felt, wool and feathers. The children first sorted the materials into groups by colour. We then sorted the same materials in groups by texture. This proved to be a little more tricky. We identified materials that were bumpy, rough, smooth and soft.

On Friday, we had a lovely morning in Church, celebrating our families. Learners, together with Pioneers sang a wonderful song, giving thanks to all the people in our lives that care for us.

We are looking forward to our sports day over the next couple of weeks and will hope the weather stays fine.

Check in on our class page next week, to see what we have been learning!

Exploring Structures

Scott Grason-Taylor

The atmosphere in Pioneers was wonderful as we explored new building materials, how to join them and make strong and stable structures.

Using dry willow, we made tripods joined with paper tape. One of the Pioneers recognised that this was a similar structure to the ancient Egyptian pyramids. Another Pioneer described this process as “very satisfying.” They worked together to make three frames before beginning the wonderful work of putting on the wet strength tissue paper to form a skin. We will add our collage tissue paper once it has all dried. The final shapes are fabulous.

We then moved on to building with a huge selection of cups and the collaboration and cooperation we a privilege to observe. They began setting out structures individually but then moved to all work together on one big building suggested to be a castle with doors and windows and the addition of carpet. We used the words hollow, stable, base, arch and structure.

The tidy up process was wonderful and all the resources were collected and sorted to explore further with the addition of flat paint mixing sticks.

 

Whether the weather be fine, or whether the weather be not.

Scott Grason-Taylor

In school, we have been thinking about our new value of respect. This is also one of our three school values. To aid discussions, we have been thinking about one of our own Bible readings “So in everything, do to others what you would have then do to you’ (Matthew 7:12). Learners have had some wonderful, heartfelt discussions about this week and we all agreed it was of the upmost importance to behave in this way and to treat the people around us with respect.

In geography this term, Learners have been finding out about the difference between weather and climate. This week, we have been looking closely at some of the different weather instruments used to measure the weather. We have been taking daily observations of temperature, wind direction, precipitation and cloud coverage. In meteorology, cloud cover is measured in oktas, or eighths of the sky. We have enjoyed using an okta tool this week to measure the clouds ourselves. We used a scale linked to the number of oktas covered, to determine the coverage. We were fascinated to find out if the okta showed it was overcast, partly cloudy or clear each day.

We also enjoyed a fun drama day this week with Louise from Red House Theatre. Our focus was on exploration and explorers through history. We became different modes of transport such as ships, planes and rockets, using movement to soar, glide and whoosh. We used musical instruments to create ferocious storms that hindered our voyages. Like Captain Cook, we searched for land through imaginary telescopes. We became rockets and astronauts and looked into space, like Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong. We packed the necessary tools to navigate our way through the Antarctic, just like Ernest Shackleton. We enjoyed every moment, what a fun way to bring our history learning to life!

We are busy preparing for our upcoming Family Service. Please visit our page next week, to find out what we are learning!