In the Childhood project, your child will learn words and phrases related to the passage of time. They will explore artefacts to help them to understand childhood in the past and how childhood has changed over time. They will explore the six stages of life and explore timelines and family trees. Everyday life in the 1950s will be explored, including shopping, transport, family life and childhood. They will also learn about the significance of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953 by studying photographs and online sources. The children will use maps to explore how places have changed over time and highlight any similarities or differences between childhood today and childhood in the 1950s. At the end of the project, they will create knowledge organisers for children who are about to study the topic of childhood.

In the Bright Lights, Big City project, your child will take part in a royal garden party and learn about Queen Elizabeth II. They will learn about the countries that make up the United Kingdom, including their location, capital cities and some of their physical and human features. They will have the opportunity to do map work, using compasses and positional and directional language to plan routes around London. They will research the cause and impact of the Great Fire of London and look at some famous London landmarks. They will learn about other capital cities around the world, including Kuala Lumpur, and compare how they are similar and different to London.

The countdown has begun. Are you ready for blast off?

This half term, we’ll travel through space to learn about the Solar System. We’ll investigate an alien crash site, write an incident report and try to find the aliens who have landed. Where could they be? We’ll make models of the Solar System and design spaceships, space buggies and space-related toys. Books and photographs will help us to learn about the first lunar landing and the astronauts who venture into space. Floor robots will be programmed to move around an alien landscape, and we will compose space sounds and dances. We’ll also explore satellite images, investigate rockets and use ICT to communicate our ideas and present our work.

At the end of our project, we’ll share our learning in a variety of different ways. We’ll read our exciting science-fiction stories aloud, sing space-themed songs and create an exhibition of our space models. It will be out of this world!

Help your child prepare for their project

There’s so much to learn about space! Why not stay up late and look at the stars? A stargazing app could help you identify well-known constellations. You could also visit the local library and find some exciting space stories and information books to share. Alternatively, create extraordinary aliens using modelling clay or a drawing app.

Let’s put on our coats, pop up our brollies and investigate the weather.

This half term, we’ll take a walk outdoors to find out about different types of weather and to look for signs of the seasons. We’ll study TV weather reports, make weather symbols and learn about the life and work of Sir Francis Beaufort. Creative opportunities will allow us to explore weather in works of art, make season trees and create seasonal music! We’ll compose weather poems and write postcards describing the weather in different places. Our thinking skills will come in handy when we experiment with thermometers, investigate the effects of the Sun and compare weather around the world.

When we are weather experts, we will share our knowledge with you. We will record and broadcast weather reports, perform weather songs and music and describe our ideal holiday destinations.

Help your child prepare for their project

Weather is wonderful! Why not go for a walk and observe the weather? Take photographs and make notes of interesting observations. Alternatively, study a weather app together to see how symbols are used to show the weather over the coming days. You could also fly a kite in the park on different days to find out which conditions are best for kite flying!

In the School Days project, your child will have the opportunity to take part in a traditional Victorian class and will learn about the differences between schooling in the Victorian era and schooling today. They will learn about objects found in a Victorian classroom and how they were used. They will research Samuel Wilderspin, an important figure in the development of schooling for young children in the Victorian era, whose ideals are reflected in schooling today. They will learn to describe the passage of time through study of past, present and future tense vocabulary.

Big cats, small rats, tiny fleas and buzzing bees!

This half term, we’re going to discover that animals come in all shapes and sizes! Meeting an animal expert will allow us to ask and answer questions, share information about the pets we have at home and write animal information booklets. We’ll study animal artwork, draw detailed animal pictures to capture their special features and make collages, sculptures and prints. Famous animal fables will make us laugh, and we will have fun reading them aloud. We’ll spot similarities and differences between animals, look at different habitats around the world and investigate camouflage. Designing a zoo is even on the agenda!

At the end of our project, we’ll share our work with you! An exhibition of our amazing artwork and performances of animal songs, with musical accompaniment, will allow you to take a walk on the wild side with us. We will also share our knowledge of animals and recite amusing rhymes that may include an animal noise or two!

Help your child prepare for their project

Animals are amazing! Why not take photos of a favourite pet together and describe their habits, likes and dislikes? You could also put bird food in the garden and visit a local park or nature reserve for a spot of bird watching. Make a note of their markings and features then use a simple spotting book or app to identify different species. Alternatively, visiting the local pet shop or petting zoo would allow you to observe a wide range of different animals.