English

Over the term, Elm will explore ‘Stig of the Dump’ by Clive King. We will be paying particular attention to the author’s intent behind his vocabulary and grammar choices and how the author shows dialogue between the characters. The children will begin by writing a biography of Clive King, using a range of compound and complex sentences and recapping how the conjunction used can change the meaning of the sentence. We will then focus on some narrative writing with a particular focus on the punctuation used in speech and dialogue and the use of prepositional phrases to describe the setting. The children will then apply their skills by writing a letter from Barney to Stig, before ending the term by writing an explanation text linked to their science topic, ‘The Human Body’.

At the end of the term, Elm will be introduced to ‘The Jabberwocky’ by Lewis Carroll, where they will review similes and metaphors and learn about the layout of poetry, including narrative poetry, rhyming couplets and free verse. The children will then learn the poem and perform it to their peers. 

Throughout their English learning, the children will take part in a range of drama activities to support their understanding and have opportunities to create a map of the texts to support them with planning their writing.

Maths

The children will develop their mathematical understanding through a range of topics, building confidence in problem-solving and reasoning.

They will begin by exploring place value, learning how to recognise the value of each digit in a number and apply their knowledge to real-world contexts. This will include comparing, ordering and estimating numbers on a number line and rounding numbers to the nearest 10, 100 and 1000 as well as learning the Roman numerals up to 100. 

We will use our place value knowledge in our learning about addition and subtraction, where we will learn to add and subtract 3- and 4-digit numbers using the most efficient methods and crossing place value boundaries. We will also look at number complements to 100 and 1000 and how we can use the inverse operation to check our work for accuracy.

We will then learn about arrays to support multiplication and sharing and grouping techniques to support our division knowledge. We will look at each of our times-tables in turn during this unit and investigate patterns in the number sequences. We will also consider how we can use our times-tables to help us to solve-real life problems, such as the number of wheels on our families’ bikes or cars. 

We will end our maths learning for the Autumn Term by considering ‘what is area?’ and comparing the area of shapes by counting squares.

Science

In science, Elm will be learning about the human body. They will learn that all living things are made up of cells, too small to be seen without a microscope. Cells make up tissues and tissues make up organs. The organs work in systems such as the digestive system, which helps our bodies to process the food that we eat. 

The children will learn that humans need a balanced meal to be healthy and get all the nutrients they need. We will look at the parts of the food pyramid and recognise which foods contain the essential vitamins and minerals needed in our body.

We will also explore the different types of teeth humans have, and how our teeth are different to the teeth of other mammals, linked to our diet. 

After the half-term break, we will learn about the classification of plants and animals and how things are classified in relation to their characteristics. 

We will learn about the difference between vertebrates and invertebrates by looking at the skeletons of different animals. We will also learn to classify fish, amphibians, birds, reptiles and mammals using pre-prepared classification keys and then creating our own. 

We will also learn about the different classes of invertebrates: molluscs, arachnids and insects and discuss their similarities and differences. 

At the end of this unit, we will learn about the job of a botanist and how they compare both flowering and non-flowering plants. We will look at the differences in how they reproduce, and we will draw diagrams to show both types of plants.   

History

This term, we will be learning about Ancient Greece in our history lessons. The children will learn that Ancient Greece was made of independent city-states and that Athens is considered the birthplace of democracy. We will consider the lifestyles and beliefs of Ancient Greek people, particularly the spartan warriors, as well as some of the important rulers from the time, such as Alexander the Great.

The children will learn about the Persian Wars, a series of conflicts where the massive Persian empire tried to conquer each of the Greek city states. We will consider the motivations behind the battles and why the Persian wars are considered a turning-point in history. 

We will end our learning by considering the Ancient Greek legacy and how they have influenced the way we live and learn today. 

Geography

This term, the children will explore Spatial sense. This will build on their learning about maps and compass points from key stage one. During this unit, the children will create a map of our local area, using symbols and keys to represent the local amenities. We will then learn about 4- and 6-figure grid references on maps, using the terms ‘northings’ and ‘eastings’ to describe the gridlines. Once children are confident in locating landmarks by their grid-references, they will have a go at plotting landmarks on their own maps according to their grid reference.

The children will also build on their mathematical knowledge of scale by looking at large-scale and small-scale maps and calculating the distances between locations using the scale provided. 

Later in this unit, we will begin to compare the physical and human features of two locations by looking at maps and photographs. We will consider their climate and their transport systems and how their physical features have influenced the choice of human features built. 

We will finally bring together all of our learning by creating an information booklet about our local area. We will use Ordnance Survey maps to locate the main human and physical features and record their grid-references as well as creating a key with symbols that can be used by our audience. 

Art

The children will be learning about how artists use a range of techniques to create tone, which creates the effect that something that is 2D appears to be 3D. 

We will particularly look at the work of Caravaggio and his use of chiaroscuro (dramatic dark next to light) to create dramatic effects. We will then look at the work of Vermeer, who is known for using strong contrasting tones to create realistic paintings.

Throughout the unit, children will use a range of media in their work; starting with charcoal and chalk, then moving onto using and mixing acrylic paints where we will explore ground and underpainting 

Finally, we will look at the work of Goncharova, a Russian artist who shows light as a physical thing by painting rays of light in her images. The children will then create their own still-life painting using the skills they have learnt. 

RE

Our RE. learning this year will begin with the unit ‘Ways of Knowing’. We will consider the values and characteristics shown by different people throughout their lives and work. Our learning will take place through the lenses of several different characters.

We will learn about Theo, a theologian, who asks questions about religious and non-religious worldviews so that he can understand more about the things that people believe and value. 

We will then consider Livvy, a human and social scientist, who is interested in the way that people live their lives and make decisions. We will consider how context may alter our decision-making process. 

Our final character is Sophie, a philosopher. She is particularly interested in finding out more about how people reason. Sophie will help us to consider whether everyone thinks about things in the same way and how our experiences or values may affect our reasoning process. 

Design Technology

This term, Elm Class will be designing and making cushions using applique techniques in our Design Technology lessons. We will begin by researching applique cushions, considering the materials used, size and joining techniques. We will then design our own cushions and practice the sewing techniques we plan to use (running stitch/backstitch and overcast stitch (or whipstitch)) before making the final product. 



Once our cushions are finished, we will evaluate them, considering whether the product is suitable for its purpose and whether there is anything we would change in future projects.