Year 5 Art - Sewing

Year 5 children have been practising the values of patience and resilience whilst completing a challenging sewing project. They have built upon previously taught skills and developed their independence.

Year 6 Birch Class Mini Chef - Food Technology

Last week, Birch Tree took part in their annual Mini Chef day. The children learnt about seasonality and the benefits of eating seasonally before creating their very own seasonal recipe. Based on what they had learnt, the children decided they wanted to make leek and potato soup. 

They then chopped all of the vegetables needed for the soup and cooked them. 

Christmas Lunch at Manor Way

Last Friday, children across both sites enjoyed a festive Christmas lunch whilst wearing their winter jumpers.

Wesak Celebrations in Year 6

 In RE this term, Year 6 have studied Buddhism. Through our learning, we explored the significance of Wesak for Buddhists, understanding that it commemorates the birth, enlightenment and passing of Buddha. We learned about the various ways Buddhists observe this festival, including giving gifts, meditating, following a vegetarian diet for a week, and bathing Buddha statues as a symbolic act of cleansing. 

To enrich our understanding and celebrate this meaningful occasion, we participated in activities such as creating Wesak cards, crafting origami, and designing kindness calendars, reflecting the values of generosity and kindness central to the festival.

Boccia in Year 5

As part of their experience of Paralympic sports, Year 5 have been playing boccia, a game that is typically played by athletes who use wheelchairs and have limited mobility. They took the rules very seriously and enjoyed playing competitive games.

Art in Elm Tree - Year 6 Art and Design Technology

This term, Year 6 have been learning about Mayan Stelae which are large stone monuments created by the Ancient Maya Civilisation. They are intricately carved slabs of stone and were used to commemorate important events, rulers and dates in Mayan history. They provide valuable insights into the culture, religion and politics of the Ancient Maya. 

Year 6 studied a range of Stelae and identified some of the common carvings (such as Mayan glyphs). They then designed their own stelae, drawing on their research. Many children chose to add faces or glyphs meaning 'jaguar'. 

Then, children created their wire frame by bending, twisting and shaping wire. This was to form the basic structure of their stelae. 

Finally, children used clay to create slabs and assemble their stelae. They then used tools to add their own carvings. 

Mini Chef in Elm - Year 6 Food Technology and Design Technology

This week, Elm Tree took part in their annual Mini Chef day. 

The children in Elm learnt about seasonality and the benefits of eating seasonally before creating their very own seasonal recipe. Based on what they had learnt, the children designed their own 'curry casserole' using a range of vegetables that are currently in season. 

They then chopped all the vegetables needed for the curry casserole and cooked it, first boiling the potatoes and carrots and frying the onions and garlic. 

Pupils also looked at food miles, calculating how far each food item in the recipe had to travel to make it to Bannockburn. 

The children had a great day and said their curry casserole tasted 'amazing'! It was also super healthy - with 2 servings of vegetable in each portion!

PLG - Debating Team

 Yesterday was the first meeting of the Debating Team.

The children discussed the importance of oracy and of sharing their opinions. They discussed what they would like to do in their next session and made chatterboxes with discussion prompts to share in their classes.

Boccia in Year 6

This term, as part of their indoor PE, Year 6 have been improving their Boccia skills. Boccia is a Paralympic sport. It is similar to sports like bocce or lawn bowls but has been adapted for athletes with limited mobility. Boccia emphasises strategy, accuracy and teamwork. 

Year 6 have been developing their precision and control of the ball, attempting to aim for the 'jack'. They have also started to think about tactics and strategy by blocking their opponent's balls, knocking them away from the jack or trying to position their ball defensively.

Year 3 - The Story of Hannukah

This half term we have been learning about the story of Hannukah and why it is so important to Jewish people. We worked in groups to act out the main parts of the stories: the Greek army trying to conquer the Jewish promised land, the rise of the Maccabees to defend the Jewish temple and, most importantly, how God performed a miracle to ensure the Menorah would burn for 8 nights. 

We talked about how Jewish people celebrate this important story recorded in the Torah by joining together with friends and family, giving presents to children and reading scripture. 

Science in Year 5

As part of their learning about the human life cycle, Year 5 have been learning about gestation. This week, they have been exploring what happens to the length and mass of a foetus as it develops in the womb.

Children made models of foetuses at different stages of gestation. They weighed the mass of dough they needed and measured the length to try to make the dimensions accurate.

Next lesson, Year 5 will be learning about the gestation period of different animals, investigating whether there is a correlation between the size of an animal and the length of its gestation period.