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! 

‘Meesha loves making things… but she finds it difficult to make friends. A warm and affectionate look at the joys and difficulties of making and keeping friends. The perfect picture book for helping children to navigate social situations and understand how to be accepting and inclusive of others.’

Year 1 have loved looking at this book and have spoken about how to be a good friend. The children have sorted different actions into two categories: ‘good friend’ and ‘bad friend’ and can explain why the actions make us a kind friend or how we can be a better friend. We have even made a poster to teach others how to be kind and inclusive of others.

Isaac states, “I’m a good friend because I listen and play nicely.”

Rayne believes, “It’s nice that Josh wanted to play with Meesha and helped her to be more confident.”

Alena says, “If we see someone on their own, we should ask if they are okay and see if we can play with them.”

We have been reading 'Who let the God's out' written by Maz Evans in our guided reading lessons. This is the story of a boy called Elliot who ends up in a heap of trouble and finds himself surrounded by ancient Greek god's trying to help keep his life on track. The children have absolutely loved this humour filled story and have just finished the story on a cliff hanger which has made them very eager to find out what happens next!

In our writing lessons, the children have read the story 'Until I met Dudley' which gives silly explanations for how different types of machines work. The children have written their own silly explanations for how a rocket launches and there has been some hilarious explanations!

We are currently reading the boy in There is a boy in the girls bathroom by Louis Sachar This is a fictional story about Bradley, he is the naughtiest boy in the school, he is always in trouble and has no friends, he struggles with school, but then the new school counsellor teaches him how to be kind to himself and others. With the help of a new child coming to school he gets a fresh start at making a friend. But this doesn’t last when the new student gets lost on their way to seeing the new counsellor and enters the girl’s bathroom by accident. This is a book about friendships of different kinds and how to navigate social situations.

Usman: I liked how funny this book is. It has many laugh out loud parts.

Havana: I felt sorry for Bradly sometimes but it was nice to know he became kinder.

Children in Year 3 have been totally captivated by the story of the BFG. We even tried being as quiet as the witching hour described in the book, it turns out it's very hard! They have been trying to work out what the BFG means when he speaks using words like human beans and using their inference skills to discover why Sophie feels the way she feels at different parts of the book. 

Santiago says his favourite part is when the BFG says things wrong and we have to work out what he means. 

Leen says she loves the description of the bloodthirsty giant.

Flat Stanley, by Jeff Brown, is a fun and imaginative story about a boy named Stanley Lambchop who becomes flat after a big bulletin board falls on him whilst he’s sleeping. At first, it seems strange but soon Stanley discovers that being flat has lots of positives! He can slip under doors, fly like a kite and even be mailed in an envelope to visit friends.

Avia said, “I like that he can travel all over the world and try to help people because he is flat.”

Ibrahim commented on how he thinks Flat Stanley might be “shocked and scared” when he woke up and found out he was flat.

Ayan thinks the funny part of the story was when the board fell on Flat Stanley.

Colby predicts that Flat Stanley might be flat for the rest of his life!

This week in Reception, we have focused on a poem called ‘I’m a little Hedgehog’. We have retold the poem using actions, described the Hedgehog and then edited our description of the Hedgehog to make it more descriptive. We then talked about where the hedgehog lives and watched clips of the woods in Autumn to help us understand the setting. Tomorrow we will be talking about the features of a poem and rhyme with in the poem.

In the continuous provision we have made hedgehog in the playdough area and explored Autumn through our senses.

In Nursery we have been reading a story called Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell.

“I wrote to the zoo to send me a pet….” The children loved lifting the flaps to discover the animals the zoo has sent - a monkey, a lion and even an elephant! But will they ever manage to send the perfect pet?

We have had so much fun moving like the animals in the story and making animal noises. We have talked about why the animals wouldn’t make a good pet and what might happen if we had them in our homes. The lion might even try to eat us!

Year 5 have done a lot of reading so far this year! Early on, we read Here We Are by Oliver Jeffers, which got us thinking about the world and our place in it. We used the book as inspiration for our alien journal entries in English, writing from the perspective of visitors exploring Earth for the first time. It was a great way to link reading with creative writing.

In Latin, our lessons have included reading some comic strips, which helped us understand the language in a more visual and engaging way. These also inspired 5TH's recent class assembly, where we brought some of the stories to life.

For our DEAR (Drop Everything And Read) time, we’re currently reading Wonder by R.J. Palacio - it’s been interesting to follow the story from different characters’ perspectives and think about how people experience the same events in different ways! 

Children in Year 3 and all children across the Trust have been exploring the book Here We Are by Oliver Jeffers. We have used the book to help us create an explanation text about Earth.

In Year 3, we have been focusing on making sure all our sentences have a capital letter and full stop. We have also been creating self-portraits by tracing our picture, because we know that we are all different and unique.  Each year group will be creating a display to show case all out lovely work - keep your eyes out for these popping up around the school!

 Helping our Year 6’s find their voice as they prepare for high school

As part of our transition programme for Year 6 into 7, our students are about to dive into the powerful and thought-provoking novel Quiet Storm by Kimberly Whittam. The book follows the journey of Storm, a quiet, thoughtful girl navigating the challenges of secondary school, friendships, and finding confidence in her own voice.

We chose Quiet Storm for this year’s transition read because it beautifully captures the emotions many students feel as they prepare to leave primary school. Storm’s story is one of resilience, courage, and growth—offering a reassuring reminder that it’s okay to feel unsure, and that confidence doesn’t always have to come from being the loudest in the room.

The transition to secondary school is a big step, and Quiet Storm is helping us make that leap a little gentler—and a lot more inspiring.

We are reading the Firework Maker's Daughter by Philip Pullman who is a significant author that we read many of his books throughout KS2. This story is about a young girl who would like to grow up to be just like her Father, a firework maker. However, her Father doesn't think she is up to the task. She goes on a perilous journey to prove him wrong and to develop her skills as a firework maker. She encounters some clumsy pirates and some exotic creatures. Her journey takes a turn when she finds out she has to return to save her Father. We go on this journey with her. 

Blake and Ismail said they are excited to read more of this exciting adventure book!

In Year 5 we have been researching the life cycles of different animals in science. Students have enjoyed comparing different animal groups and learning lots of fun facts about various animals. 

Liam has been enjoying reading more about the life cycle of a frog. 

"This book has been fantastic! I loved reading about frogs and think this book will be really helpful giving me ideas for when I write a non-chronological report in English."

Here are a few of our favourite frog facts...

Oliver Did you know frogs can get diabetes?!

Kayla When frogs eat they use their eyes to help swallow food - they go back into their throats to help push the food down.

Jaiden There are over 7500 different species of frog!

Leonie Frogs can breathe through their skin.

Petra My favourite frog is the glass frog because you can see through its skin and see its organs. 

Zdena Frogs can show a range of emotions

Scarlett Frogs have been around for 200 million years! 

Keytlin They can lay up to 4000 eggs at a time.

Kayden 4/5 frogs die as tadpoles!

In year 4, we have been reading Tamarind and the Star of Ishta by Jasbinder Bilan. This is a thrilling story of self-discovery and adventure. The Star of Ishtar is about this young girl in her early teens called Tamarind. She travels to India for the first time to meet her mother’s family. Tamarind’s mum passed away when she was a little girl and she knows nothing about her but after her dad remarries, he takes Tamarind to meet them and she is eager to find out all about her. She is ready to connect with her mum however she encounters many obstacles. Whether its her mum’s family not wanting to tell her what happened or her spoiled cousin who will not except her, she feels alone and lost.

We join Tamarind on her journey of discovery of who she is and who her mother was, through making friends with her other cousins and a cheeky, golden monkey named Hanu. We join her as she finds her voice and confidence. We join her while she makes friends that only come out at night.

Ibrahim: “We really love this story; it uses so many incredible expressive phrases that helps us imagine what is happening in the story. The way the author right makes it feel like we are watching a film.”

Roya: “It is such an enjoyable book to read and we can’t wait to read the next chapters. This author loves a cliff-hanger.”