It has been wonderful to have all our children back at school! They are excit-ed to be back and we have enjoyed seeing so many smiles in classes and in the playground!
We continue to ensure that our chil-dren flourish here at Davies Lane, de-spite not being in school for much of last year and the difficulties posed by COVID 19.
Our recovery curriculum aims to reflect on the impact 2019-2020 had on many of us. Now, more than ever, we need to ensure the well-being and safety of all our pupils, both in school and at home. Positive mental health and well-being are at the root of any opportunities for learning and through our recovery cur-riculum we aim to ensure that children have a voice and a space to share their feelings. We have all had different ex-periences of the lockdown and may react to the return to school in differ-ent ways.
‘Caught being Kind’ is our motto for this term—we are focussing on care, creativity and compassion within our school and within the curriculum.
We continue to build an inquirer’s mindset by nurturing curiosity, critical thought and developing problem solv-ing skills.
We are addressing conscious and un-conscious bias and truth and reflecting on equality within the curriculum.
Welcome back to all our pupils!
Volume 4, Issue 1
Autumn Term 2020
Our focus this year is to continue to teach pupils to develop their creativi-ty and ideas and develop a critical understanding of artists, architects and designers, expressing reasoned judgements that can inform their own work.
Similarly, design and technology is an inspiring, rigorous and practical sub-ject. Using creativity and imagina-tion, pupils will have the opportunity to design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts. Through this, children acquire a broad range of subject knowledge and draw on disciplines such as mathematics, sci-ence, engineering, computing and art. Pupils learn how to take risks, how to be resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable citizens.
Through a variety of creative and practical activities, pupils will build the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to engage in an interac-tive process of designing and making. This will prepare pupils to strive in industrial contexts aligned with our concepts of engineering, construc-tion, agriculture (including horticul-ture) and energy (linked to sustaina-ble planet).
Page 1
Key Priorities for
2020-2021
Deepen the most able pu-pils’ exposure and experi-ence to a wider range of ‘The Arts’ through greater opportunities to appraise, appreciate and curate a wide range of art forms in-cluding artefacts, tech-niques and methods.
Expand and deepen how technology is used to design new products linked to con-struction, architecture, engi-neering and agriculture.
Explore prose, poetry and drama to deepen under-standing: plays and seminal world literature considering historical periods, forms and authors, including high-quality works from English literature, both pre-1914 and contemporary– includ-ing Shakespeare.
Develop our recovery curric-ulum to support emotional
and mental health.
Address the unconscious and conscious bias and ‘truth’ in our curriculum.
At Davies Lane we are striving to
ensure that your child’s mathe-
matics knowledge continues to de-
velop, especially during these chal-
lenging times. A focus on fluency
and understanding of place value at
the beginning of the year cements
strong foundations for reasoning
and problem solving later on.
Teachers have worked incredibly
hard to identify missing compo-
nents while also making links across
other areas of the curriculum. For
example, children have been repre-
senting data in Science, measuring
and converting weight in DT and
Mathematics
ing from a decodable book with a partner.
Y2 have been busy preparing for their Phonics Screening check. Staff and children have been working hard to close gaps in learning. They are being taught phonics twice daily as well as using decodable books to consolidate new sounds taught.
In September, we had a great num-ber of parents attend our online phonics coffee morning. It was a
Page 2 Davies Lane Primary
Phonics fantastic opportunity for parents to gain a better understanding of the way we teach phonics at school. Parents were able to have all their questions answered and leave with a bank of ideas on how to support their children at home. Thank you to all the parents who have been read-ing at home with their children reg-ularly. It helps move the children forward at a faster pace in their reading journey.
analysing mathematical algorithms
in Computing. Creating layers of
mathematical knowledge, devel-
oped across all areas of the curricu-
lum, ensures that children have a
deeper conceptual understanding
through exposure to mathematics
in variety of contexts.
During this term, across the early years and key stage 1, children have been taught synthetic sys-tematic phonics daily following our Letters and Sounds pro-gramme. Flashcards, magnetic letters and phoneme frames are used effectively to support chil-dren in decoding, blending and segmenting new words. To apply their taught sound of the day, children spend each session read-
The computing curriculum allows children in all years the chance to learn how to investigate, code and debug computer programs. For example, in Year 3, the chil-dren were tasked with debugging a racing car computer game on SCRATCH. The pupils needed to read the programming code, un-derstand the actions that were being undertaken and decide
Computing which variables produced which output, when they had this knowledge, they were able to ad-just the variables to get the game to play properly. As a school we are also looking forward to the arrival of a new set of Google Chromebooks. These new devices will allow many of our lessons to become much more interactive and promote critical, evaluative thinking at a greater
depth. We are encouraging all pupils to access their homework via the Google Classroom, even if it is completed on paper and upload-ed. Having access to the virtual classroom now means that if you have to self-isolate as either an individual or a bubble, you will still be able to access your learning.
how language functions and how
best to use this when writing
themselves.
A well-chosen text provides rich
language models and structures
from which children can learn
how writing works and the effect
it can have on a reader. To devel-
op the children into confident
young writers, shared reading les-
sons are a part of the daily timeta-
ble in which high quality texts
across a variety of genres are
read, reflecting a range of writing
styles.
Texts chosen are rich in vocabu-
lary, and enable children to com-
prehend beyond their own read-
ing fluency level.
Creating a rich reading environ-
ment demonstrates the written
word in all its forms and shares
how writing can be used for thinking,
for communication and as a means of
expression. With a rich diet of quality
texts and enriching experiences chil-
dren will be able to find their own
reasons to write and develop a style
that fits the purpose, audience and
form intended.
Developing children as writers is so
much more than asking them to re-
member grammatical constructions
or tricky spellings. It is a complicated
and intricate process – and if you
enable a child to become a writer
you have given them a voice, sup-
ported them to communicate and
provided them with a skill that is vital
for all of their schooling and to their
life beyond. This is our aim for all our
children at Davies Lane Primary.
Volume 4, Issue 1 Autumn Term 2020 Page 3
English
Reading
At Davies Lane Primary, high-
quality children’s literature lies at
the core of the English curriculum,
inspiring children to develop as
independent readers and confi-
dent writers. Starting with our
phonics scheme in Reception, the
children explore the possibilities
of the English language through
daily lessons in creative writing,
comprehension, grammar,
spelling and handwriting.
Speaking is a vital component in
writing and recognising this, Da-
vies Lane participated in debating
contests with other academy
schools.
We know that children draw on
their experience of reading when
shaping their own writing. When
children have explored a range of
texts across genres, they form an
understanding and appreciation of
Events This Autumn term, children cele-brated Roald Dahl day by wearing his favourite colour yellow or dressing up as one of his books characters. The children in the foundation stage and KS1 have been incredi-bly lucky to have had Craig the sto-ry teller in over the term, telling them his enchanting, cultural sto-ries from around the world. Novel Studies We believe that reading is at the heart of our curriculum and cele-brate the joys reading can bring through daily shared reading and listening to stories for enjoyment. Children have had the opportunity to read and focus on at least two books through shared reading
and literacy lessons. Through our ‘novel studies’ children are im-proving on their reading, compre-hension, vocabulary and writing. Here is a list of some of the books the children have focused on this past term: Year 1: The Robot and the Blue-bird, How to find Gold
Year 2: Horrid Henry, Flat Stanley
Year 3: Cliffhanger, Gregory Cool
Year 4: The Iron Man, Street Child
Year 5: Kensuke’s Kingdom, Shake-speare Stories
Year 6: Good Night Mr Tom, Storm breaker
French
Page 4
Bonjour !
We had an exciting first half term back with many opportunities to practise our French language and to learn new skills.
Year 3 children have started to learn French this September and they are now very proud as they can say their name and their age
and they can have a short conversa-tion with their classmates. Children in Year 4 have learned about Fran-cophone countries and they have improved their writing skills by cre-ating a postcard in French.
Children in Year 5 have discovered how important bread is in French culture and cuisine and they wrote a pizza recipe in French, using only
their favourite ingredients.
In Year 6 we shared our opinions about school, school subjects and we created an ideal timetable, sharing in French what time we would love to start school and what subjects we would love to study.
We are looking forward to improv-ing our French speaking skills this year with new topics!
Volume 4, Issue 1 Autumn Term 2020
Science
This academic year, we have continued to develop our Science curriculum, providing learning experiences that allow children to ‘know more and remember more'.
This year in Science, we are en-hancing our learning experience through the use of our forest school area. Outdoor learning offers a unique experience for our students and brings learning to life. Over the term, pupils in year 1 and year 4 have used the forest school area to chop vege-tables and cook a soup using the fire pit. In year two, the children created structures to protect plants as the seasons change.
Our Year 3s thoroughly enjoyed their experience in the forest school and made a bug hotel for the many mini-beasts that our school provides a habitat for.
Agriculture
Our Agriculture curriculum runs parallel with most of our founda-tion subjects and seeks to en-hance and develop an apprecia-tion of life. It teaches an under-standing of the origins of prod-ucts in our everyday life. This curriculum aims to increase awareness of agricultural pro-duce and the essential role it
plays in our daily life. Farming plays a vital part in all our lives; without it, our ability to feed the world would be under threat. The role of agriculture is increas-ingly topical in an era when food security, climate change and energy security is of global concern. Throughout this cur-riculum, children learn to ask ques-tions linked to cur-rent affairs and begin to appreciate the way agriculture may their future on a more global scale. Our forest school and eco gardens provide practical opportu-nities to put theory to practise; en-abling ample hands-on opportuni-ties to explore the different types of farming and method of sustaina-bility.
The Agriculture curriculum aims to:
Develop an appreciation of the origins of product in our everyday life
Understand the importance of food security and the im-pact it has on a global scale
Be equipped with scientific knowledge on sustainability and understand the uses and implication on a global scale
Evaluate findings through re-search and present an in-formed conclusion clearly and accurately
Like our science curriculum, agricul-ture addresses matters of citizenship and sustainability and provides many opportunities to reflect upon being responsible citizens on a global scale. Agriculture raises some moral ques-tions and social questions and the opportunity to discuss topical issues and research ways to make a signifi-cant contribution to our planet.
History, Geography and Architecture
Page 5
This term we have been studying
many different periods throughout
history across the school, from An-
glo Saxons to The Great Fire of Lon-
don, The Stone Age to Ancient
Greece! Year 4 have been studying
the Anglo Saxons and learning
about their homes, culture and the
way they lived. They have been
looking closely at the places that
they called home and even have
drawn a reconstruction of an au-
thentic Anglo Saxon home.
While studying the Ancient Greeks
Year 5 have looked at the open air
theatres of Ancient Greece com-
paring them to the theatres of
today and how they were built to
best serve their purpose.
Year 1 have also been studying
buildings by looking at the homes
we live in, now and in the past.
They have ordered these different
homes into a timeline and looked
closely at the differences between
them. They have even began to
design some of their own build-
ings using influence from the past.
Year 2 have been studying the Great
Fire of London and learnt that after
the fire Sir Christopher Wren built St
Pauls Cathedral. They then designed
their own Baroque style building
using the same features used in St
Pauls Cathedral.
We have also been looking at a wide
range of historical sources across
the school. These sources tell us
about the past and we can learn
about what happened and how peo-
ple lived long ago. In Year 2 for ex- ample they have looked at Samuel
Pepys diary to discover what really
happened during the Great Fire of
London and Year 4 have looked at
the finds of Sutton Hoo.
Volume 4, Issue 1 Autumn Term 2020
mental lessons was really good this term and the majority of pupils learning before lockdown are con-tinuing their lessons in school.
Whole class instrumental lessons have resumed in years 1 to 6 as part
We were delighted to be able to welcome all our music tutors back into school in September, albeit under new and ever-evolving COVID guidelines! We are so pleased that uptake for instru-
Music of the Music Curriculum.
This term Year 4 and Year 2 will be taking part in their musicals, which will be performed in the classroom with each class presenting their own interpretation. Parents will be invited to watch the Musicals online and the dates and times of these performances will be sent out via email.
Year 5 pupils have been invited to take part in the online Civic Carol Concert, which will be streamed on Youtube this year. Children taking part will work with a videographer in school to pre-record their sing-ing, which will be included in the livestream.
School council
School council have had to be very adaptable and we have changed how we would normally meet and work to ensure that we are fulfilling the social distancing and COVID safety rules. We have been meeting virtually every other week to discuss how we can improve safety around the school. Every school council member has met with their class to share ideas from school council and collect ideas about what needs to be improved or changed next.
We have been happy to discover that all classes are following the COVID safety procedures. Classes are washing their hands or using hand sanitiser at least 6 times a day. Staff are regularly cleaning the ta-bles and are reminding the children to use the one-way system and to keep their distance . Through feed-back, we have found that social dis-tancing needs to be improved when the classes are on the stairs and we are trialling in some classes whether it is better for the children to clean their own tables instead of the teachers.
Next term, we will continue to mon-itor that all the COVID procedures are being implemented and that the school is reacting effectively to any new government directives. We will also be reviewing the school lunch-es, both the current packed lunch and the standard hot meals from pre lockdown. We will be looking at
us.
Children had the opportunity to
learn and be aware of the changing
seasons and what birds eat during
the year. In reception, the children
made bird feeders to encourage our
birds to become regular visitors,
especially during winter when food
is scarce.
In our outdoor area, children have
been using the fire pit to cook. With
this experience in hand, the children
have gained a lot of knowledge and
key vocabulary that has then been
reflected in their learning. Children
access the outdoors in a fun, sociable
setting and gain a deeper under-
standing of the natural world around
Volume 4, Issue 1 Autumn Term 2020 Page 6
the nutritional value of our meals and seeing if and where we can make any improvements.
This has been an exciting term so far and we are looking forward to continuing our work next term.
Learning Council
The learning council have been fo-cusing on the impact of the recov-ery curriculum since returning from lockdown. They agree that the ad-justments made to the timetable to allow children to have more PHSE lessons as well as art lessons to ex-pressing feelings and emotions, and personal journals have enabled them all to come back and reflect on their personal experience and acknowledge the impact that the lockdown has had on them.
We have also been discussing and looking at bias in the curriculum and they have had an opportunity to challenge bias views. The learn-ing council will continue to look at the impact of the curriculum and review their learning over the next term.
Eco-warriors
This term, the Eco-warriors have launched a project called – ‘Farm to Fork’. The Eco-warriors are explor-ing the journey our vegetables trav-el before they make a delicious meal. The challenge of this task is to grow vegetables out of season- using a range of different methods.
Early Years Foundation Stage
Pupil Groups
The eco-warriors have been re-searching and sharing ways in which their classes have risen to the challenge. Through research, many year groups have identified chal-lenges farmers endure when grow-ing their seeds out of season. Some year groups are considering grow-ing their seeds indoors to simulate the summer seasons; while others are growing their vegetables out-side and using a range of materials to keep the soil warm. The Farm to Fork projects encourages us to demonstrate the 3C’S; which are courtesy, care and creativity.
Playground Advocates
This term our Year 5/6 playground advocates have been busy review-ing and refining rules for break and lunchtimes which they have shared in phase assemblies. As well as this, they have also helped Miss Mal-colm order new equipment to sup-port pupils with fun and engaging activities during their break times. Our pupils are keen to encourage pupil voice and so have worked hard at creating a pupil survey which will be used to ascertain pu-pils’ attitudes towards lunchtimes; they will soon share this online through google classroom. In order to promote the 3Cs, our pupil advo-cates will be rewarding pupils this term who are 'caught being kind' which they hope to share in the upcoming newsletter- watch this space.....