Hello everyone!
Term 3 is always a busy period with lots of exciting events taking place. Please make sure to read the newsletter to stay up to date with everything happening at school. I also hope you have seen my separate email regarding next week’s trip and the class photos.
In English, we began our unit on ‘War Poetry’ how writers present conflict, emotions, and the realities of war while developing key analytical and writing skills. In the first five lessons, students are introduced to poetry and its structure, before exploring the experiences of soldiers in the First World War through descriptive writing. They then analyse contrasting perspectives of war in poems such as The Soldier and Dulce et Decorum Est, examining ideas of patriotism versus the harsh realities of conflict. The sequence concludes with The Manhunt, where students consider the lasting emotional impact of war on soldiers and their families.
In Science, students began the new unit by exploring their existing ideas about space and Earth. Working collaboratively, they discussed questions such as why we have day and night, seasons, and the different phases of the moon. They then compared their ideas with others, identifying similarities, differences, and new questions they would like to investigate further. This activity helped to build curiosity, highlight prior knowledge, and set the direction for their learning throughout the unit.
In our first History lesson, students were introduced to the Transatlantic Slave Trade. They explored what the slave trade was, how it operated across Africa, Europe and the Americas, and the roles different groups played within this system. Through discussions and visual sources, students began to understand that this was a large, organised network involving many people working together, and they considered the human impact of this system.
This week in Geography, we introduced our new unit on trade with a knowledge harvest, where students shared what they already know about topics such as imports, exports, and how countries are connected through global trade. They began exploring a focus country, discussing what it might buy and sell and who it trades with. This helped identify prior knowledge and misconceptions, allowing future lessons to be tailored to support and challenge all learners as we continue to explore how trade impacts people, economies, and the environment.
Year 7
This week, students started thier summer study with the unit “Constructing, measuring & using geometric notation”
They worked on:
- Understanding and using letter and labeling conventions, including those for geometric figures
- Drawing and measuring line segments including geometric figures
- Understanding angles as a measure of turn
- Classifying angles
Year 8
This week, students learned the topic “Angles in Parallel Lines & Polygons.”
They worked on:
- Understanding angle relationships in parallel lines
- Investigating properties of special quadrilaterals
- Identifying and calculating sides and angles in quadrilaterals
- Exploring properties of diagonals
- Learning the sum of interior and exterior angles in polygons
Students are developing their understanding of geometry and improving their problem-solving skills.
Year 9
This week, students have been learning about “Enlargement & Similarity.”
They covered:
- Enlarging shapes using positive and negative scale factors
- Understanding and applying similarity in shapes
- Finding missing sides and angles in similar figures
- Solving problems involving similar triangles
- Exploring ratios in right-angled triangles
Reminder:
Students will have a test on Monday based on these topics. Please encourage them to revise and practice.
Residential Trip
Please remember to read this week’s newsletter for information about our planned residential trip.
There will an information session for students and parents on Friday 17th April at 2.30pm
Mr Green