Welcome to Oldaport Class!

Scroll down to find out what we have been up to each week, as well as handy information such as our timetable. 

Autumn Parent Letter

Spring Parent Letter

This week Oldaport class have been learning about perspective in self-portraits. Thinking carefully about the position of something, colours used, the expression of the sitter, clothes and hand placement. In science, the children have been looking at day and night and different time zones. We also discussed the solar eclipse and when the next might be. On Thursday, we visited ICC for world book day activities. We had a great afternoon!

In Oldaport class, they have been learning about the planets in our solar system and how far they are from the sun. They children created posters to show this information. The children have been busy in English researching their animal/plant for their final piece of poetry. They have worked really hard to think about the poetic devices they could include which they shared with peers and parents today. In RE, the children have been revising what Good Friday and Easter Sunday are and how Christians celebrate it.

This week in science, Oldaport class have been looking at mnemonics for remembering the 8 planets in the solar system. Test your children - can they remember which order they go in? In PSHE, we have been looking at what is suitable to watch for our age group and why. We looked at different scenarios and decided what was the best action to take. 

This week in English, Oldaport class have been looking at poetic devices, for example: onomatopoeia, similes, metaphors, alliteration and rhyme. They have been studying several poems from a book and spotting some of these devices.  In D.T. the children have been creating their fairground rides which they planned last week. At times, perseverance was needed especially when their pulley or gears didn't work. They worked well as groups. In our last session of music, the children chose which songs they would like to practise and performed it to the class. 

This week in Oldaport class, the year 6s have been doing practise SATs papers. They have shown great perseverance and tried their best to apply everything they have been taught so far. In science, we have been looking at evolution and how fossils help to tell us about the past. This week, we looked at how horses have evolved over millions of years, with some very noticeable differences. In English, we have started our new literacy unit using the text 'The Lost Words' where we have begun to immerse in the different poems within it. 

This week in Oldaport class, the children have been writing a report about their chosen animal. They are trying to apply the grammar they have been taught this unit and ensure the information is factual and precise for the reader. In science, the children have been looking at evolution and how animals have had to adapt to ensure their survival - we focussed on the peppered moth. In PE, the children have been continuing to practise their throwing for accuracy within a game situation of rounders. 

This week, we have continued to play the melodicas and learnt how to play Mary had a little lamb. In maths, year 6 have now begun their topic on ratio and Year 5s have begun their second unit on multiplication and division. In science, we have been looking at how animals have adapted to their environment. The children then had the opportunity to create their own animal and explain why it is suited to their environment. 

This week in Oldaport class we have been learning about the three sentence structures used in writing and how to write noun phrases to aid description. In music, we have continued to play the melodica and looked at different dynamics of sound. The children are now getting used to pressing one key at a time to make a note. In DT, the children experimented with making gears and pulleys and were able to recognise objects that use them. 

It’s been a great start to the term so far in Oldaport class. This week in music the children have been learning what a melodica is and how to play the keys using each finger whilst blowing into it to make the sound. On Wednesday, the children had an Indian dance workshop which they really enjoyed and performed what they had learned to parents. In science, the children have begun their new topic Evolution and Inheritance. They were looking at what traits they inherit from parents. 

This week, Oldaport class have been making cinnamon swirls in cooking. They tasted great! They have continued to learn about fractions in maths thinking carefully about what they need to do when the denominators are not the same. We got to watch the KS1 nativity on Monday which was very exciting! The children have been getting into the Christmas spirit with Christmas card making, watching Monty the penguin Christmas advert and writing about it, enjoying Christmas dinner and playing board games. Have a lovely Christmas everyone!

It has been a busy week in Oldaport class! First, we went to sing our carol songs to the residents at Douro Court on Monday followed by gingerbread making. We have been doing some rehearsals and then our performance in the church for our carol concert and all the children sounded amazing. The soloists have worked really hard! Children have continued their final task in English using some fantastic language and grammar features.

This week in Oldaport class, the children have started writing their final task in English. They are writing a narrative to the silent film we have been using in our unit. The children had to think about what person they are writing in - 1st or 3^rd - and apply the grammar we have learned so far. In RE, we have been looking at some of the commandments from the bible and deciding what they mean and how they fit into society today. 

This week in science, Oldaport class have been observing what invertebrates (insects) we could find in the park. They recorded their results in a table and a bar graph. In English, the video clip we have been using as our text model is silent, so the children have started to add dialogue to it; thinking carefully about how effective the dialogue is and then writing it down using the correct punctuation. In RE, the children have been looking at key figures in relation to justice and freedom and why they are important.

The children in Oldaport class have worked hard this week, including starting a new English unit based on a short film called 'Paraphernalia’.  They have been using a thesaurus and have been coming up with some fantastic synonyms to improve and vary vocabulary in their writing.  In science, Oldaport created some detailed posters offering information on a chosen vertebrate animal, including details of their scientific characteristics in order to identify which one of the five groups they belong to.  Y6 have worked hard to complete their final task in maths and Y5 have been concentrating on factors/common factors with a view to moving on to prime numbers.  That is just a snapshot of their work this week - what a lot to digest!  Well done to them!

This week in Oldaport class, the children have begun writing their final tasks based on a topic of their choice. They needed to think about both presentation and the content keeping their reader in mind. In science, the children have been looking at classification keys to sort invertebrates and vertebrate animals thinking about the characteristics. 

In English this week, the children have been working as groups to create a shared piece of non-fiction writing about fast animals. They will now begin to research ready for their final task. In science, the children have been looking at how we classify animals and the reasons why. In RE, the children have recapped the story of Moses and how he felt at different points in the story.

This week Oldaport class have been little chefs. The children designed their soups in groups and then throughout the week, they made and tasted them. The children then evaluated the soups, thinking about taste, appearance, texture and smell. In English, the children have been learning about relative clauses: identifying them in a text and using them in their writing. Enjoy a well-deserved half term, Oldaport.

This week in Oldaport has been very different. Both year 5 and 6 have been doing Bikeability all week working towards their level 2 certificates. They listened carefully to the instructions given and were very safe when out on the roads of Ivybridge. In DT this week, we have planned our soup flavours which the children will be making next week. In science, the children have been learning about the gestation period of different animals and they had to interpret their results and see if they could spot patterns. 

This week, the children in Oldaport have been writing their final piece which was a story linked to hope. The children carefully planned it out and then implemented the grammar taught throughout the sequence. There were some really thought-provoking stories produced. In swimming the children have really improved with the technique with many children now practising certain life saving techniques. In computing, the children have been learning how to print screen and crop photos but also how to adjust the brightness, saturation, tone and contrast. 

This week we have been doing NFER tests and SATs tests as a baseline assessment for the beginning of the year. The children were focussed and tried their very best. Well done! We went on our class trip to Merrivale and Postbridge Visitor Centre linked to our topic about Bronze Age settlements. Mr Hall was an excellent tour guide and we learnt a lot about the Bronze Age, explored the remains of an old village and heard some exciting stories. In DT, the children were able to try different soups and discuss their thoughts about them.

In Oldaport, the children have been looking at what qualities they believe God should have and what evidence there is in the bible to support this. In swimming, the children have been making great progress whilst thinking about improving their technique and lifesaving skills. In DT the children made French onion soup with cheesy bread as part of French Day. The children all got to celebrate their effort by trying the food!

Oldaport class have been busy voting this week. House and Vice captains were voted in by their house colours. Well done to everyone who gave a speech. The class voted on who they wanted our class Eco, Sports and School councillors to be, too. We have begun our first unit in English where we are focusing on the book 'The Book of Hopes' which was put together during the pandemic. A really great first week back!