Investigating Number Patterns

In Year 3, to help us recognise different number patterns within each of the times tables, we used the digit wheel  and number lines to help us  determine if there were any patterns.

We spotted lots of different patterns such as, any even number when multiplied will only give an even multiple and when an odd number is multiplied the multiples are in a pattern of even, odd, even, odd.

We also discovered different repeating patterns within each of the times tables. This will help us to consider whether our answers are sensible during our weekly Ninja Multiplication Challenge and when we are multiplying larger numbers.

Preparations for our Year 4 Christmas Production!

Year 4 have been very busy preparing for this Year’s Christmas production. All of the children have been working very hard; learning their lines and perfecting their acting. A big thank you to all of those at home who have helped their children learn their lines and  have helped prepare their costumes. We’re all really looking forward to showing the school and those at home our production of Cinderella and Rockerfella.....!

3D map of Coleford

In Year 3, as part of our geography work, we have been studying our local area. As part of this study we put together a 3D map of Coleford.  We each created a wonderful model of a building seen in Coleford town for our homework and then, using our local knowledge, we put our own 3D map of  Coleford together.

Persuasive Devices

Year 5 have started a new literacy theme on Persuasion. On Tuesday the children had a variety of persuasive leaflets, letters and examples of debates to look at and to try to identify the persuasive features used. Year 5 also got to watch the persuasive debate on the new school IPads.
In the next few weeks year 5 will be chairing their own debates and writing persuasive letters.

Mrs Furness arrives back from Kenya!

Last week Mrs Furness arrived at our link school in Mombasa, Kenya as part of our ‘Connecting Classrooms’ work. On Monday she told Year 4 all about her exciting trip. She said that the teachers and families from Maridadi School had been extremely welcoming and friendly.

Before Mrs Furness went, we gave her a list of questions which we wanted to find out, about Maridadi School and the children that go there. We looked at different objects that she had brought back from her travels and tried to guess what they were used for. It took us a long time to identify that some twigs Mrs Furness brought back were used as toothbrushes and were from a very special tree!

This term we will begin some science work about the habitats around Maridadi School and what plants can grow there. We will then compare these results to our school grounds to see what is similar and/or different.

Year 4 children look forward to meeting the Kenyan teachers when they come and visit us soon.

Maridadi School in Mombassa

Mrs Furness showing us a Galimoto toy

Mrs Furness showing us a video of Maridadi School and the children that go there.

Year 3 Dean Heritage Centre

Today, we visited The Dean Heritage Centre to help us understand how the way people live their lives has changed over time.
We had lots of fun doing Ma Meek's washing in the Victorian cottage, using the wash board and wooden dolly and had a good look around her kitchen, living room and bedrooms, noticing some interesting objects along the way!

We also developed our understanding of the life of a charcoal burner in the Forest of Dean and why they cooked the wood into charcoal.

Learning about the life of a child miner was also very interesting and made us realise that school is not such hard work after all!