Velociraptor Class Blog - Spring Term 2

Date: 4th Apr 2025 @ 11:31am

It’s Easter time already – the time has flown by but we have covered a lot of learning once again.  The children also seem to be having a growth spurt just like the plants in Spring and the “carpet” seems to be shrinking in size as they take up more space!

Over the past half term, we have continued our daily phonics and reading lessons following our FFT scheme and we only have five more weeks of new phonics learning to go.  It will then be the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check in the week commencing Monday 9^th June and after that we will be consolidating the children’s understanding of the different ways of spelling the same sound.  As you will have gathered by now, phonics is a complex subject!  We are very pleased with the children’s progress in their reading as the pace, fluency and expression is shaping up nicely ready for Year 2.  They have come a long way as I am sure you will agree – well done everyone!

In maths, we have been learning and consolidating number facts involving adding 2, adding 3, the ways of making 10 and doubles.  These are incredibly important for the children’s future calculations skills so any help you can give them at home is always a bonus!  We have continued work on addition, subtraction, multiplication and division by three and four, as well as lots of work on using coins and working with 2D and 3D shape.

In history, the children have been studying the history of UK coal mining, focusing on the role of very young children like themselves in the early mining industry.  They have been loving these lessons, in one of which they had to pretend they were children down the old mines and had to push big “tubs” of coal (i.e. boxes) through a series of tunnels created by all the tables in the classroom being placed end to end.  Ask the children about “hurriers” and “trappers” and see what they can tell you.  We are looking forward to our visit to the Yorkshire Coal Mining Museum to learn more.  Some of the children are particularly looking forward to meeting the pit ponies.

In geography, we are just beginning our next topic on a local study involving Yeadon and the Greenway cycle path.  We will be doing some fieldwork down there next half term, looking for signs of the history of the Greenway as well as mapping it.

In science, we have been learning about wild and garden plants, trees and tree rings, the structure of plants, and have also been planting lots of seeds.  Let’s hope those sunflowers grow!

Mrs Gilligan has been continuing with her RE lessons which have included work on different celebrations, and has also been teaching the children music lessons about dynamics, tempo, sound effects and creating a soundscape.

Nicola from Leeds Rhinos has been teaching the children street dance this half term.  She is absolutely amazing and has improved the children’s skills and their ability to move independently, with a partner, into a circle and into groups as part of the dance (no mean feat) as well as calming them down with yoga.  Thank you, Nicola!

In Velociraptor class we have also been watching our various webcams and are excited that we have a tawny owl sitting on three eggs and well as barn owls and kestrels setting up their homes ready for the nesting season.  We also hope to be following the lives of a few osprey families now that they are returning from their holidays in Africa and hope to be watching them lay eggs, hatching chicks and following these chicks from the cute and fluffy stage to learning how to fly in the week or so before the summer holidays!

Have a great Easter everyone!  Fingers crossed for some lovely spring weather.

Thank you from Mrs Nolan and the Velociraptor Team!