Tarka Class Blog
Summer 2 Blog posts:
We’ve had another exciting and busy week in class, filled with wonderful learning, creativity, and lots of smiles, even in the hot weather!
In Maths, our main focus has been on unit fractions. The children have been learning that a unit fraction represents one equal part of a whole, such as ½, ⅓, and ¼. Using practical resources and visual models, they explored how shapes and objects can be divided into equal parts. It has been lovely to see their confidence grow as they begin to recognise and talk about fractions.
Our Reception learners have been exploring patterns. We observed natural objects like leaves, flowers, and shells, identifying repeating patterns and discussing how they are formed. The children then created their own repeating patterns using a variety of materials, showing fantastic creativity and enthusiasm.
In Drawing Club, we have been inspired by the book Clean Up! by Nathan Bryon. The children have used this as a starting point to create their own ideas and drawings, and have been writing sentences to match. We have been focusing on using capital letters and full stops, and it’s been wonderful to see their confidence in writing develop.
We also enjoyed a fun (and very wet!) session in Forest School, which helped us cool down in the heat! The children had a fantastic time exploring and getting stuck into outdoor learning.
Everyone has loved using our new outdoor resources, and our polytunnel is really beginning to flourish-we are excited to see how it continues to grow!
Despite the hot weather, the children have been absolute superstars all week. We are very lucky to have air-conditioned classrooms to keep us comfortable while we learn.
Well done to everyone for such a brilliant week!
We have had a fantastic week full of learning, exploration and exciting experiences!
In English, we have started a brand-new book called Billy and the Beast. The children began by making predictions about the story, using clues from the title and illustrations. They came up with some fantastic ideas about what might happen! To bring the story to life, we also designed our own “Wanted” posters to search for the mysterious beast-there were some very creative descriptions and drawings.
In Maths, we have continued building our knowledge of fractions. The children have been working hard to understand how to find and recognise different fractions, showing great perseverance and growing confidence.
Our Reception children have been busy learning about where animals live around the world. This links beautifully with our KS1 Geography topic on Hot and Cold Deserts and our Science topic on Living Things and Their Habitats. The children have been making brilliant connections between different subjects, thinking carefully about how animals adapt to the environments they live in.
We also enjoyed a wonderful session at Forest School, where everyone had the opportunity to make wormeries. It was a fantastic hands-on experience, and the children loved observing how worms help our environment.
To finish the week, we had a very special visit on Friday from author Anne Parsons. She shared her book Archie Go! with the class. The children were fully engaged, really enjoying the story, and asked some thoughtful questions about being an author and the inspiration behind her book.
What an amazing week it has been, we are so proud of all the children and can’t wait for more learning adventures next week!
We’ve had a fantastic week full of creativity and teamwork! In Drawing Club, it was animation week and the children wrote wonderful short narratives inspired by Bagpuss. Year 2 showed great imagination by creating persuasive advertisements inspired by Rosie Revere, trying to convince us all to buy a rather unusual cheese hat!
In maths, we have been exploring cardinality in Reception, while Year 1 and 2 have continued developing their understanding of fractions. You could support this at home by asking your child to find and make halves and quarters using everyday items like sandwiches, fruit, or even sharing toys equally.
The children thoroughly enjoyed Forest School again this week. It’s been lovely to see them learning outdoors, developing their understanding of fire safety and engaging so positively with the natural environment.
We also had an incredible drama workshop with Roberta, where the children learnt and performed I Just Can’t Wait to Be King from The Lion King. They performed it brilliantly for the school-I was so impressed with how quickly they learnt it and the confidence and expression they showed!
We were delighted to welcome our new Reception children again, this time without their parents. Tarka Class were wonderfully supportive, helping them explore the activities and learn the routines, it was fantastic to see.
We finished the week by celebrating the children’s many achievements. Well done everyone, we are very proud of you!
It has been a fantastic return to school this week, with the children coming back refreshed, enthusiastic and ready to learn after a wonderful week enjoying the sunshine.
Outdoors, exciting changes continue in our learning environments. We have added a large rock to our tadpole observation area, giving the emerging froglets a place to rest as they prepare to leave the water. In the polytunnel, we have planted tomato plants-many thanks to Lucy for her very generous donation.
It has also been lovely to welcome our new Reception children back for another transition visit in preparation for September. They are already settling in beautifully and enjoying being part of the school community.
To make the most of the lovely weather, the children created and flew their own kites outdoors-such a joyful and memorable experience!
🌟 Welcome to Our Newly Designed School Blog! 🌟
Dear Families and Friends,
We are thrilled to welcome you to the new look School Blog-your refreshed, vibrant window into the life of our school community!
This is the place where you’ll be able to discover all the exciting learning taking place across the school. From creative classroom projects to hands-on exploration, you’ll get a front-row seat to the wonderful experiences our children are enjoying every day.
Our blog will also shine a spotlight on how our pupils are growing in their personal development, citizenship, and spirituality. We are incredibly proud of the thoughtful, compassionate young people they are becoming, and this platform gives us the perfect opportunity to share their journeys with you.
We hope you’ll visit often, celebrate the children’s achievements with us, and feel even more connected to the life of our school.
Thank you for joining us on this new chapter-there’s so much to look forward to!
06/03/26
Tarka Class have had another exciting week of learning!
We are very lucky to have an incubator in our class, we are making sure we keep the humidity at the right level and we are counting down the days until the eggs hatch by crossing off the days on the calendar.
We have pretended to be beekeepers this week, wearing the beekeepers veil to protect our heads and pretending to use the smoker to make the bees sleepy. We also looked at the frames from the bee hives. It created some great discussion and learning from the children.
World Book Day was amazing! The children's outfits were so good, they all really enjoyed the activities, reading and writing. It was lovely to hear how enthusiastic everyone was.
Reception have been planting this week, we can't wait to watch the plants grow! KS1 have been dissecting bean seeds and creating scientific illustrations. We will be planting over the next few weeks as well.
Year 2 have been finishing their final writes, creating their own versions of The Bear and The Piano, whilst reception and Year 1 have been creating their own stories of The Odd Egg. The quality of their writing and handwriting has wowed us this week!
13/03/26
A Wonderful Week of Learning in EYFS & KS1
What an exciting and busy week it has been across Reception, Year 1, and Year 2! Our classrooms-and the great outdoors-have been filled with curiosity, concentration, and hands‑on learning.
Year 2: Marvellous Magma Maths
Year 2 have been working hard using Magma Maths as a visual and interactive tool to support their learning. Their focus has been fantastic, and we are so proud of the determination they’ve shown. It’s been brilliant to see them growing in confidence and enjoying their maths sessions.
Year 1: Super Star Readers
Year 1 completed their NFER reading assessments this week, they were complete superstars! The concentration, positivity, and brilliant achievements are a testament to how hard they’ve been working. Well done, Year 1!
Forest School Adventures
Forest School was a highlight for everyone. Children helped to build a fire and then used fire strikers to practise creating sparks-it was really quite tricky but they stuck with it and were able to do it! They also made fire sticks and enjoyed melting marshmallows over the flames. Well done for being so resilient in the sudden chill!
In science we explored germination and what that means. We watched a fascinating film about how seeds grow. After lots of discussion, the children have decided they want to plant a blueberry, banana, tomato and avocado next week as a special experiment to see which will grow. We can’t wait to observe what happens!
Reception: Signs of Spring Everywhere
Reception have loved spending time outdoors, spotting the early signs of spring. They have also been planting seeds, enjoying drawing club, and feeling excited about their writing. We have also been patiently waiting and the tadpoles have almost all hatched! There’s a real buzz around the classroom as the children watch these tiny creatures grow each day. We are checking every day to see if the chicks have hatched, one more week to go! We can't wait.
20/03/26
Tarka Class
What an amazing week we’ve had in school! Year 2 were absolute superstars completing their SATs assessments. We are so proud of the resilience, focus, and progress they’ve shown. Their hard work really shone through!
Our RWI development day and assessments also highlighted just how much effort the children are putting into their reading. We love seeing how often they read at home-it makes such a difference. Thank you for your continued support.
🐣 Exciting News from the Incubator!
This week, three fluffy chicks hatched-two black and white ones and one bright yellow chick! The children have been absolutely fascinated watching them settle into their new world. We will see them once more before they start their next adventure on a farm.
🌱 Science Adventures
We planted seeds after discussing what plants need to grow, including some speedy cress. We have put some in the fridge and some in a cupboard, as well as on the windowsill, predicting what will happen. Now we’re eagerly watching and waiting to see which sprouts first!
🌞 Outdoor Learning Fun
The sunshine has made our amazing outdoor area even more exciting. The children enjoyed lots of outdoor learning opportunities, from exploring nature to taking part in practical activities.
Reception have been especially busy-clearing the polytunnel, planting new seeds, and exploring life cycles through hands‑on activities.
➕➖📏 Maths Moments
- Years 1 and 2 have been working on addition and subtraction.
- Reception explored length and measure. They even measured themselves and compared their heights on the wall-great mathematical thinking!
✝️ R.W.
We learned the story of Easter and explored its meaning in a child‑friendly way.
🎵 Music
The children enjoyed singing Viking-themed songs with Ruby class
27.03.26
What a busy and exciting week we’ve had in school!
Miss Holland brought the chicks back in for the children to see, and there was a real buzz of excitement around the classrooms. We were amazed at how much they had grown. We watched them eat their chick crumb and even got the chance to hold them gently. The children loved observing their colours, size, and movements, and it sparked lots of brilliant questions and conversations.
We have also been working hard on our singing as we get ready for our upcoming celebration assembly. The children have shown great enthusiasm and teamwork, and their voices are sounding fantastic. We can’t wait to share their hard work with families next week!
In science, we explored bulbs by slicing an onion in half and taking a close look at the layers inside. This hands-on investigation helped the children understand how bulbs store food to help plants grow. They were fascinated by what they discovered! We then discussed how a plant changes as it grows.
It has been a week full of curiosity, creativity, and progress-and we are so proud of everything the children have achieved. They continue to wow us each and every day.
27.04.26
This week has been full of fantastic learning across the school, and we are incredibly proud of all the children. Mr Bridge commented on how impressed he has been with the focus and determination shown in lessons-a real reflection of the positive attitudes to learning we are building every day.
In our wider curriculum, we have been taking our learning outdoors to consolidate our knowledge of plants. The children explored how plants grow and identified their different parts, bringing their classroom learning to life in a hands-on way. In history, we have been making thoughtful comparisons between Sacagawea and Michael Collins, linking this to our previous learning about the history of transport and using timelines to deepen our understanding.
In maths, the children have been using manipulatives effectively to support their understanding of multiplication, helping them to visualise and solve problems with confidence.
English has also been a highlight this week. Year 2 have worked incredibly hard on their final writes, producing detailed and engaging non-fiction information leaflets about wolves. Meanwhile, Reception and Year 1 have created some wonderful writing inspired by The Tadpole’s Promise, showing great imagination and creativity.
Well done to everyone for such a focused and productive week!
04.05.26
A Busy and Brilliant Week in Tarka 🌿📚
We’ve had a wonderfully busy week full of curiosity, creativity, and collaboration! In our learning about trees, we consolidated our knowledge by becoming science detectives, carefully identifying different leaves and matching them to the trees they come from. Reception also continued our growing project by planting more seeds and watching closely as they begin their exciting journey towards becoming plants. We also marked the birthday of the inspirational Sir David Attenborough, learning about his incredible work and love for the natural world in assembly.
Creativity was in full swing too. Drawing Club celebrated Animation Week, where children loved writing and illustrating exciting new adventures for Bananaman. Reception also had a chance to experience ‘Helicopter Stories’ with Miss Holland which they enjoyed immensely.
In maths, we used our manipulatives to deepen our understanding of multiplication and division, exploring ideas practically and confidently. Reception are deepening their understanding of their numbers through practical and engaging activities. We’ve also been really focussing on our phonics, practising sounds and blending to support our reading and writing. Alongside all this learning, we’ve taken pride in keeping our classroom clean and tidy, showing respect for our shared space.
Well done everyone for another fantastic week of learning! 🌟
11.05.26
Tarka Class Weather Learning 🌦️
This week in Tarka Class, we have been consolidating our knowledge of the weather. We spent time outside observing what was happening around us- and there was certainly lots to see! We experienced a mixture of rain, wind, sunshine, and clouds all in one session.
Over the next few weeks, we will be keeping a weather chart to help us track and understand these changes. This is something you might also enjoy doing at home to support your child’s learning. It’s a great way to encourage observation skills and conversations about the world around us!
We have also been observing how our tadpoles are changing. They are starting to grow little legs, which has caused great excitement in the classroom!
In Religion and World Views, we have been learning to retell the story of Creation. In Drawing Club, we read The Night Pirates and enjoyed creating fantastic sentences and imaginative stories inspired by the book.
Well done everyone it has been another fantastic week!
In our science learning, we have been observing the changes in our tadpoles. The children have been very excited to notice their legs beginning to appear, and this has sparked lots of curiosity and discussion. Our plants in the polytunnel are also growing well, and the children have taken great interest in caring for them and watching their progress. We are also becoming excellent weather watchers. We are keeping a weather diary to see how the weather changes over the weeks, we are also noticing the weather that is coming over the hills to see if we can predict how the weather will change.
We had a wonderful afternoon welcoming parents, aunties and grandparents into school to share activities on Friday. Thank you to everyone who came in. We wish you a very happy half term and we look forward to seeing you in a week!