Willow Class

Welcome to Willow Class!

Class Teacher: Miss Watson

Higher Level Teaching Assistant: Mrs Smith

Welcome to Willow Class. We are a mixed Year 4 and 5 class. This year, we're looking forward to many inspirational learning experiences that will ignite a love of learning for all students and enable them to develop as confident, articulate and independent learners who are prepared for the wider world ahead of them.

Key Information

• P.E. in the Spring Term is on Wednesdays. Please ensure that your child comes into school wearing P.E. kit on these days.
• Further to the questionnaire last December, homework will be moved from SeeSaw to workbooks. Homework will be set on Fridays and due the following Friday.
• Spellings will be learned on a weekly basis, and tests will be half-termly to review and revise what we have learned.

What does learning look like in our classroom?  

All learning in Willow Class starts by revisiting prior knowledge and this is scaffolded to support children to recall previous learning and make connections. Exploration and discussion is encouraged across a range of subjects by modelling subject-specific vocabulary, knowledge and skills relevant to the learning to allow pupils to integrate new knowledge into wider concepts to help them gain a deeper understanding of the curriculum and the wider world.

Literacy

In English lessons, we cover a range of skills which enable children to communicate their ideas with the wider world. 

Our writing is inspired by the term's writing purpose and a key text which children will spend time looking at in detail. Learning is supplemented through a range of experiences that are based around our key text. This might include writing stories, poems, letters, information texts and instructional texts. 

We understand the importance of reading and how it allows children to acquire knowledge and build on what they already know. Through reading in particular, children have the opportunity to develop culturally, emotionally, intellectually, socially and spiritually.

Children in Willow take part in Guided Reading sessions throughout the school week. This focuses on two concepts, word reading and comprehension. During our Guided Reading sessions, children use the acronym VIPERS to aid the recall of the 6 reading domains that are part of the national reading curriculum, these are: 

Vocabulary 

Inference 

Prediction

Explanation

Retrieval

Summarise

We aim to provide opportunities for children to read daily and promote a continued love of reading at home.

Mathematics

In Willow Class, we focus on securing children's fluency in the four operations, which include addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Our aim is to ensure that children develop their confidence with efficient written and mental methods, children should also develop the ability to solve a range of problems within a variety of contexts.

During our Maths lessons, children experience a range of mathematical representations to key concepts. This allows children to embed the systems and operations that children are learning, as well as giving them the opportunity to discuss relationships and patterns mathematically. 

We also follow the Maths Mastery approach in order to deepen the children's understanding of mathematical concepts. The Mastery approach helps children acquire a deep, long-term, secure and adaptable understanding of the subject. 

We also have daily Maths fluency sessions which include maths games and activities to stimulate the students' learning.

Science

Science lessons in Willow Class aim to ensure that children are provided with opportunities to explore science in a range of exciting and practical ways to gain a deeper understanding of the world around them and deepen children's ability to think and work scientifically.

In Willow Class, children are encouraged to ask questions about key scientific concepts. They are then able to explore, investigate and conduct experiments to find the answers for themselves. As they do this, they will learn about concepts such as fair testing, taking measurements, gathering and recording data and reporting their findings. 

We also provide STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) challenges to further encourage the development of scientific skills. 

In Willow Class, children engage in a series of Science topics, including: all living things, properties, changes of materials, sound, forces and Earth and space.  

Foundation Subjects

Our learning in the afternoons focuses on foundation subjects including Geography, History, Art, Design Technology and Computing. Our afternoons provide some fantastic opportunities for cross-curricular teaching and learning.

How can I support my child's learning?

One of the most vital ways that you can support your child's learning is by reading with them regularly. Discussing what your child is reading will help them secure their comprehension skills and encourage a love of reading.

We follow the VIPERS approach to reading comprehension, and you will find a guide below to the approach along with question starters to help support you.

If you wish to support your child's Maths fluency, regular practice of the four operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) at home will help secure your child's base of mathematical knowledge. Below, you will find guides with fun ideas for you to try with your child at home to help them further.