Oak Newsletter - 23.1.26

Find out what we have done this week!

This week in English, the children have been developing their news report writing skills. They explored what makes an effective news report, including clear headlines, factual language, third-person writing, and answering the key questions: who, what, when, where, why and how.

The children wrote news reports based on two exciting scenarios:

• The Titanic – pupils researched and reported on the famous historical event, focusing on presenting information clearly and sensitively.

• A Space Crash – using a fictional scenario, children used their imagination while still applying the formal structure and tone of a news report.

  
  

Throughout the week, the children worked on organising their ideas, improving sentence structure, and using appropriate vocabulary to engage the reader. They showed great enthusiasm and creativity, especially when writing catchy headlines and eyewitness statements.

In Maths this week, the children have been learning about multiplication and division. They have been practising using different methods to solve problems, developing their understanding of times tables, and learning how multiplication and division are linked.

The children have worked hard to improve their accuracy and confidence, and regular practice is really helping to build fluency.

Please continue to practise multiplication and division at home, especially times tables, as this will support your child’s progress in class.

In Art this week, the children have been creating landscape artwork using collage techniques. They explored how to build pictures by layering different materials, textures, and colours to represent natural features such as the sky, land, and foreground details, inspired by Ansel Adams.

The children practised cutting, tearing, and arranging materials carefully, thinking about composition and how different textures can add depth and interest to their work. They showed great creativity and focus, producing some fantastic landscape pieces.

In Design Technology this week, the children have been planning and designing adventure maps. They began by thinking carefully about the purpose of their map and who it was for, before sketching ideas and deciding on features such as routes, landmarks, symbols, and obstacles.

The children practised labelling their designs clearly and explaining their choices, showing creativity as well as thoughtful planning skills. This work helped them develop problem-solving, organisation, and design skills.

We were very impressed with the imaginative ideas the children shared.