The Nursery children have enjoyed re-telling the story Brown Bear, Brown Brear, What Do You See?

It is a bright picture book which has helped us to build language and memory skills through repetition while learning the names of animals and colours.

We love joining in the repeated refrains in this story, it is so fun!

Wonder is a heart-warming and inspiring story by R.J. Palacio. It tells the story of August Pullman, a ten-year-old boy who was born with a facial difference. After being homeschooled for most of his life, Auggie begins attending a mainstream school for the first time. The book explores the challenges he faces as he tries to make friends, fit in and show others who he really is.

At the beginning of the story, Auggie is nervous about starting school because he knows that people may stare at him or treat him differently because of his appearance. At school, he experiences bullying and unkind behaviour, but he also meets people who become his true friends.

Throughout the book, Auggie learns to deal with difficult situations and discovers that there are people who accept him for who he is. His family and friends support him, helping him develop confidence and courage. The story shows how small acts of kindness can make a huge difference in someone's life.

Freddie: I really enjoyed reading Wonder because it is an emotional and meaningful story that teaches readers an important lesson about kindness.

Alissa: I especially liked Auggie because he is brave, funny and determined, even when other people treat him unfairly. I also liked how the author shows the story from different characters' points of view, helping us understand their feelings and experiences.

This half term, Year 4 have been exploring How to Train Your Dragon through both the exciting text and the action-packed movie. Inspired by the story, the year 4 have been writing their own instructions on how to train a dragon. As part of their writing journey, they have been learning the difference between statements and commands, helping them to give clear and effective instructions to fellow dragon trainers. The children have also been using the conjunctions or and yet to add extra detail and variety to their writing.

To make their instructions even more exciting, Year 4 have been practising using fronted adverbials to show when, where or how an action should happen. Their work has included examples such as Carefully, approach the dragon and Before sunrise, gather the dragon's food. These features have helped the children create engaging and well-structured instruction texts.

We have been incredibly impressed with the creativity, enthusiasm and growing confidence shown by Year 4. We look forward to reading more fantastic dragon-training guides over the coming weeks!

Reading the World Around Us 🗺️

This week, Year 3 have been thinking about reading beyond books!

In Geography, we explored why we use maps and discovered that maps are another important way of communicating information. We used our reading skills to look carefully at map symbols, labels, directions and the map key, working out what the different features were telling us.

We talked about how we use reading every day to help us understand the world around us — not just when we pick up a book!

Who knew that being a good reader could also help you find your way around the world? 🌍

The Danger Gang - Tom Fletcher

Franky can't wait to move to his new town - although he wishes he didn't have to leave his best friend Dani behind.
But everything changes after the storm, when strange green lightning and powerful thunder crash down on the town. From that night on, the kids who live on Franky's street start to change. One by one, they become a little odd. A little unusual. A little... magical. Franky's always wanted to be part of an amazing gang - just like his hero, super-spy Zack Danger! And soon, he realises that there's real danger in store for himself and his new friends.

And so, the Danger Gang is born...

Meshach says, “I love this book! There is so much action and so many funny moments. My favourite part is when the Danger Gang have a food fight!”

Daniel says, “This has been one of my favourite books – it’s incredible! I loved following the Gang on their spooky and mysterious missions across Freaky. I wish I could be a part of the Danger Gang.”

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In Phonics, the Blue Group have started reading their first book, Barker. Barker is a mischievous dog who gets into all sorts of trouble. The children have enjoyed reading the story with a partner and have shared their own experiences of pets getting into mischief. They have also been developing their comprehension skills by answering questions at the end of each story.

Reyansh- “I wish I had a dog, I would be fun to take it on walks and play with it”.

Abigail- “Barker is so naughty; he eats grandad’s slippers and throws up a hot dog”.

Issac- “Maybe they should take Barker to pet school and he can learn to behave.”

Zainab- “Barker is a hero later because he barks the burglars away”.

We have been reading Ready ‘Ready for Spaghetti’ by Michael Rosen and Polly Dunbar

The book has lots of fun poems in it that the children really enjoy reading. One of their favourite poems is:

I’m ready for spaghetti Will you getti the spaghetti? Don’t say, “Not yetti spaghetti!” ‘cos I’m all setti for spaghetti.

We are looking forward to exploring the poems more this half term as it’s one of our spine books that we read each day. It also helps our children to get to know a different text genre.

Why not listen to the poem with your child:

In Nursery we have been reading a really fun story called 'Baby Goes to Market'.

"Market is very crowded.

Mama is busy shopping.

Baby is busy, too!

Can you count all the tasty treats Baby collects and eats along the way?"

The children love listening to this story and looking at the bright illustrations of a market in Africa!

They love hearing about the different stall sellers and the wonderful things they have for sale.

Which one of the items would you like to taste?

To celebrate the end of SATs week, Year 6 enjoyed a very special treat — watching the film adaptation of Hugo!

Over the past few weeks in our guided reading lessons, we have been reading the book Hugo Cabret and exploring its fascinating characters, mysterious setting and exciting plot twists. The children have loved making predictions, discussing the themes of friendship and determination, and uncovering the secrets hidden within the story.

Watching the film gave us the opportunity to compare the movie with the text and spot similarities and differences between the two. The children especially enjoyed seeing the setting of Paris come to life on screen and discussing how the director created suspense and emotion in key scenes.

After working incredibly hard during SATs week, Year 6 deserved the chance to relax and enjoy this wonderful story together. It was the perfect way to celebrate all of their effort, resilience and determination.

Well done, Year 6 — we are so proud of you all!

Year 5 have been enjoying a range of different books for their home reading this term.

Luke is reading Gulliver's travels:

"I like this book because it has an amazing plot. It's about a man who goes to an island and turns into a giant and then is attacked!"

Helen is reading 'The Star Outside my Window' 

"It's about a girl and her sister who get adopted. Aniyah wants to become a star so she can find her mum again." 

Ava says "I am reading The Naughtiest Girl is a Monitor. I like this book, it's crazy but funny and the harder she tries, the worse she seems to behave!"

Jehovana says "I have been reading 'Quiet Storm' and wow! It has just been amazing and it has shown me that kids who are shy have to be so brave to talk".

Damarlo has been reading 'The Double Trouble Society'.
"This book is about two friends, a witches curse and the mystery of the Hokom House."

Dan Freeman will be visiting our school next week! The children are every excited to interview the author of the brilliant book below:

I Am Lenny Brown by Dan Freedman is a really emotional and interesting book that is a gripping read.

The story is about a boy called Lenny who is eight years old and finds it hard to speak at school, even though he can talk at home with his mum and his dog, Rocky. When he has to move house and go to a new school, everything feels scary and stressful for him.

The book takes us through a journey of Lenny’s feelings because it made us understand what it might be like to feel nervous or left out. It was sometimes upsetting, but also inspiring because Lenny finds a way to express himself and starts to become more confident.

Overall, I think this book is really good and meaningful. It is a story about real-life problems and characters who are brave in their own way.

Charlotte - The book is easy to read with short chapters, and I liked how it includes things like friendship, kindness, and not giving up.

Sri - I felt sorry for him because he just wants to be understood and wasn’t brave enough to express himself, but it was amazing when he turned that around.

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At Seymour Road, our love of reading goes far beyond the classroom. This week, a group of teachers came together after school to take part in a staff book club—an idea thoughtfully introduced by Mrs Williams. Over the holidays, we each spent time reading the same book before meeting to share our thoughts, discuss key moments and reflect on how the story made us feel. It was a wonderful opportunity to experience reading purely for enjoyment, as well as to hear a range of perspectives and opinions.

The session was full of lively conversation, laughter and thoughtful discussion, reminding us all of the joy that reading can bring. We even took time to rate the book and, together, selected our next read ready for our upcoming meeting. I’m very much looking forward to hosting the next session! By sharing experiences like this, we hope to show our pupils and families that reading is not just something we teach—it’s something we truly love, value, and make time for in our own lives too.

In year 2 we started the term learning about Neil Armstrong and his journey to the moon along with Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins. We are now applying this knowledge in our English to write a set of instructions for future astronauts to travel safely to the moon.

We loved reading our Little People, Big Dreams book about Neil Armstrong to go through his journey from being a young boy in Ohio to becoming the first man to walk on the moon.

Our children commented on some new things that they had learnt from reading this non-fiction text:

“I didn’t know that something broke on the mission control board, so they had to use a pen to fix it.” Hadiya

“I didn't know that Neil Armstrong got his pilot license at 16 years old.”- Excel

“I learnt that Neil Armstrong’s footsteps are still on the moon because there is no wind to move the dust over them.”- Aiza

“I realised that the rocket could break off and some of it landed in the sea.” - Declan

Year 1 have enjoyed reading ‘The Storm Whale’ by Benji Davis and ‘The Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch’ by Ronda and David Armitage. We have talked about how lighthouses work, what we use them for, what we could take on a picnic to the beach, and also what we like to do at the beach. The children have made their own lighthouses and have also written instructions on how to make sandwiches and lunch for a picnic.

Alena says, “I had so much fun making the lighthouses and putting the stripes on it. It was cool when we made them light up!”

Zainab states, “I would take pizza and ice cream on my picnic. I hope the seagulls wouldn’t steal it like they do to Mr Grinling!”

The children have worked so hard this half term and have produced some brilliant work! Well done, Year 1!

In Reception: We have been reading my most exciting Eid by Zeba Talkhani. We have made Eid cards ahead of Eid celebrations this weekend and been talking about how some of our children will celebrate Eid.

Our children said: 

Aaliyah - I celebrate Eid with presents, decorations and food. 

Alisha - I celebrate with presents. 

Tyler - I don’t celebrate Eid. 

Idrees - I celebrate by decorating biscuits. 

Clio - I don’t have Eid. 

We hope all who are celebrating Eid have a lovely day. 

Year 6 Reading Blog – Beetle Boy Review

This term we have been reading Beetle Boy by M.G. Leonard and WOW — what a book! I honestly think it is one of the best class novels we have ever read.

The story is about a boy called Darkus whose dad suddenly disappears after acting very strangely in a beetle exhibition. Darkus then goes to live with his Uncle Maxy, who is not very good at looking after himself but is very kind. Soon Darkus meets some amazing beetles (including one very special one called Baxter ) and realises that beetles are much cleverer than people think! Together with his friends Virginia and Bertolt, he tries to solve the mystery of his missing dad.

What We Loved About the Plot and Characters

I loved how the plot is full of mystery and adventure. It keeps you guessing all the time. Every chapter made me want to read on because something surprising always happened.

The characters are brilliant. Darkus is brave and determined, even when things are scary. Virginia is bold and confident and says exactly what she thinks. Bertolt is kind and thoughtful. Uncle Maxy is funny but caring deep down.

But the most shocking character is the villain — Lucretia Cutter. She is creepy, dramatic and obsessed with beetles. She pretends to be glamorous, but she is actually cruel and selfish. I love how the author makes her seem larger than life, almost like a supervillain.

The Shocking Getaway!

The biggest surprise in the book was when Lucretia Cutter escapes at the end! Just when you think she has finally been caught… she dramatically gets away. I could not believe it. It made the ending feel unfinished in a good way — like there is more to come. It left our whole class gasping.

How We Used the Book for SATs Skills

We didn’t just enjoy the story — we used it to practise our SATs reading skills too!

• Retrieval – finding facts directly from the text (like clues about where Darkus’s dad went).

• Inference – reading between the lines to understand how characters feel, especially when Darkus is worried or when Lucretia is hiding her true intentions.

• Summarising – writing short summaries of each chapter.

• Comparing – comparing Darkus and Lucretia, or Uncle Maxy at the start and at the end.

• Understanding vocabulary – learning tricky words about insects and emotions.

It made SATs practise much more fun because we actually cared about the story!

Our Sequel Idea!

We have loved this book so much that we are planning to write our own sequel based on the dramatic getaway of Lucretia Cutter. We want to imagine where she escaped to and how Darkus might stop her next time. Maybe she is planning something even worse…

Our Predictions – What Happens Next?

Here are some predictions from our class:

• Child A: I think Lucretia Cutter will build an army of trained beetles and try to take over London.

• Child B: I think Darkus’s dad will invent a new beetle gadget to track her down.

• Child C: I think Virginia will discover a secret about Lucretia’s past that explains why she is so evil.

• Child D: I think Baxter the beetle will save the day again and become famous.

• Child E: I think Lucretia will pretend to be good but secretly plan revenge.

Overall, Beetle Boy is exciting, mysterious and full of adventure. I would recommend it to anyone who likes animals, villains and surprising endings. It is definitely a 10/10 from Year 6!

In year 5, we have been reading "The boy at the back of the class" by Onjali Q.Rauf. This is a fictional story about a group of friends who notice there is a strange new boy that joins their class. Until they learned the truth that Ahmet wasn't strange at all, he was a boy who had run away from a war torn country and the teachers called him a "refugee". This tale shows themes of friendship, understanding and compassion and follows the group of friends as they scheme a plan of how to befriend Ahemt anf gain his trust. 

"I like how the story runs, it's mysterious in places and makes you feel sad and happy all at the same time"- Xavia

"What I like about the boy at the back of the class is that the foreign boy was saved from the war and managed to make lots of new friends at his new school"- Saya

"I thought the story was interesting as it explains how refugees arrive at new countries"- Alex

In year 4, we are currently reading Malamander. Malamander is a spooky and imaginative mystery set in the eerie seaside town of Eerie-on-Sea. The story follows Herbert Lemon, a young lost-and-found keeper, who helps a girl named Violet uncover the truth about her missing parents and the legendary sea creature known as the Malamander. As they investigate strange clues, secret societies, and old legends, the town’s dark past slowly comes to light.

The book does a great job of blending mystery and adventure making it exciting without being too frightening. The setting is especially strong; foggy beaches, strange hotels, and creepy legends create a chilling atmosphere. The characters are likable and curious, and the plot keeps readers guessing until the end.

Usman :  It's an engaging and fast-paced read, perfect for readers who enjoy mysteries with a spooky twist.

Aisha: I especially like the Cameraluna. The way it works is really cool.

Year 3: Exploring poetry from The Lost Spells

In Year 3, we have been enjoying reading and exploring poems from The Lost Spells by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris. The children have been developing their confidence with poetry by listening carefully, joining in with recitals and discussing the meaning behind the words.

This week, our focus poem has been ‘W�Ǵǻ��𳦰���’. The children loved learning how to recite the poem with expression and enthusiasm. We spent time identifying key poem features such as rhythm, repetition and powerful vocabulary, helping the children to understand how poets use language to create vivid images and sounds.

To deepen our understanding, the children also explored the meanings of unfamiliar and ambitious words from the poem, using dictionaries and discussion to uncover what they meant and why the poet chose them.

One of the highlights of the week was performing the poem together. Half of the room became the woodpeckers, while the other half took on the role of the badgers. This brought the poem to life and made the reading experience both memorable and fun.

Year 3 have shown fantastic enthusiasm and teamwork and we look forward to continuing our poetry journey with The Lost Spells.

'Ellie and the Cat' by  Malorie Blackman

Ellie's bad behaviour is driving Grandma mad! It's time to teach her a lesson she'll never forget... by swapping Ellie's body with Jolly the cat. There's only one way for Ellie to break Grandma's curse, and time is running out. Can she change her ways and find some friends to lend a hand? Or will Ellie be trapped as a cat for ever? 

Year 2 have loved reading this book and have spoken with each other about the importance of being kind, respectful and how to work effectively as a team. Each day we have explored exciting vocabulary, looking at the word in context and began to think of synonyms and antonyms. In addition, we have discussed the advice that we would give to each character at pivotal points throughout the book. 

Harper thought that at the start Ellie was disrespectful to her Grandma but learns by the end of the story to be kind and respectful.

Riley commented on how "Ellie shows kindness to the others so they can help each other".

Hadiya noticed at the start of the story that she didn't have any friends but now she has lots.

Reggie commented on how much he enjoys the book and always asks if we can read more!