In Literacy we will be reading one of my favourite books, Marcy and the Riddle of the Sphinx by Joe Todd Stanton. It tells the tale of Marcy Brownstone, a reserved girl who goes on an adventure to rescue her father and ends up finding her courage as well. We’ll be working on developing our vocabulary and writing some exciting text types, including warning letters to Marcy, and suspenseful retells as Marcy delves into the belly of the Sphinx. In our Reading lessons, we will be using the text Humans: Ancient Civilisations by Jonny Marx. This beautifully illustrated non-fiction book will provide great opportunities to develop our vocabulary and discuss the author choices.

In Maths we will finish our unit on multiplication and division. We’ll progress from learning our times table to applying them in formal methods. Please continue practising the 3, 4 and 8 times tables at home. Practicing at home is imperative for children to memorise these which supports their progress at school.

Our topic for Science this term is forces and magnets. Our big question is ‘Does the size and shape of a magnet affect how strong it is?’ Children will make systematic, careful observations and take accurate measurements using a range of equipment. They will observe how magnets attract and repel each other and describe them as having two poles. They will apply their understanding to predict whether two magnets will repel or attract.

The History question we’ll be tackling this term is ‘Should Tutankhamun be the most famous pharaoh?; a relevant and exciting question as King Tut was crowned when he was just 9 years old. We will be examining the social structure of ancient Egypt and analysing the achievements of the New Kingdom Dynasty. We’ll explore the theories of his death and the discovery of his tomb by Howard Carter. Throughout the unit, children will develop their chronological understanding and explore how to use sources to build understanding.

In Art, the class will be completing a unit of work on sculpture. After exploring the work of early potters during the ancient period, children will design and construct their own sarcophagus. Children will learn how to construct and join slabs to create a 3D unit. Finally, they will apply surface decoration to enhance their design.

In Music, we will continue learning how to play recorders, focusing on pulse, rhythm, pitch, harmony, and reading music. Lessons are on a Wednesday. Children need to remember to bring in each week for their lessons.

In P.E. children will be practicing the rules and strategies of different games. As always, teamwork and cooperation will be a focus. PE will be on Monday and Wednesday. Please ensure your child comes to school in their PE kit on those days.

In PSHE (Personal, Social, Health Education) we will be answering the big question ‘Are all prescription drugs good for you?’ We’ll establish and differentiate between drugs and medicine and look at the effects drugs have on human bodies. We’ll also touch on online safety in this unit and learn about how the internet may not always be factual.

In Computing we will be learning about Computing systems and networks focusing on emails. We will learn how to edit an email, add an attachment and how to write an email using positive language, with an awareness of how it will make the recipient feel.

In R.E. we will spend this half term learning about Christianity and answering the big question ‘Could Jesus heal people? Were these miracles or is there some other explanation?’’ After retelling some bible stories about Jesus healing people, children will explain the Christian viewpoint and recognise some questions people may have about these miracles. Children will look at the deeper meaning of these stories and what Christians may learn from them.