Housman Class

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3 days ago
Posted on 05th Nov 2025 by

Housman Class Update

Welcome back to the new half-term. We hope you had a lovely break.

Times Table Rockstars

We are very excited to be able to launch Times Table Rockstars for all the children in Housman Class. We know that the Year 5 pupils are already familiar with this resource and have been a big help in supporting the Year 4 pupils to get started. Your child will be coming home with their username and password today.

https://ttrockstars.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/TTRS-Parent-Guide.pdf

Why is multiplication important?

Much like building a house, you need a strong foundation to build math skills that will withstand the test of time. Along with addition and subtraction, basic multiplication and division is one of those foundational skill sets that need to be secure before moving on to more complex math lessons. Developing math skills from a young age is crucial, as it supports logical thinking and problem-solving abilities. It’s not uncommon for children who are missing this strong foundational knowledge to begin struggling right around the time they are learning long division.

Teaching multiplication effectively and emphasising the concept and its value prepares students for more complex math tasks in the future. This is particularly important in primary school, where mastering basic multiplication lays the groundwork for understanding more complicated equations and concepts. Recognising the importance of this foundational skill can significantly boost a child’s confidence in their education and overall mathematical ability.

Multiplication Tables Check

The multiplication tables check (MTC) is statutory for all year 4 pupils.
The purpose of the MTC is to determine whether pupils can recall their times tables fluently, which is essential for future success in mathematics. This assessment takes place in June each year. It will really support your child if they can practise their times tables as much as possible- just 10 minutes a night can make all the difference.

We are confident that we will have a class of times tables whizz kids!

Any issues, please don’t hesitate to speak with a member of staff.

Housman Teaching Team

 

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2 weeks ago
Posted on 23rd Oct 2025 by

Housman Update 23/10/25

We have finally reached the end of what feels like a very long half-term! We are so incredibly proud of all the children in the class and the brilliant work produced.

Below are some links to some fun and engaging activities which will support the learning the children have been completing over the term:

Click here to access rounding games

Click here to access colour theory activities

We hope you have a really wonderful and restful half-term.

Thank you for your ongoing support.

Housman Teaching Team

 

 

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3 weeks ago
Posted on 17th Oct 2025 by

Housman Class Update 17.10.25

A super week in Housman Class with the children working hard in all curriculum areas.

A highlight of the week was some of our class members taking part in the annual Cross Country competition which took place at the Grove School. The children showed real determination and excellent sportsmanship as they took part.

We are really delighted to be able to let you know that Mrs McLean will be gradually returning to her teaching commitments over the coming month. Mrs McLean will be in the class on Monday and Tuesday morning next week. We are all so excited to see her!

Have a lovely weekend.

Housman Teaching Team

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4 weeks ago
Posted on 10th Oct 2025 by

Housman Update 10/10/25

Hello all,

We have had a great week in Housman Class.

In maths, the Year 4 children have been adding and subtracting multiples of 100. The Year 5 children have been using their knowledge of column addition when adding decimal numbers.

We have also been focusing on the different units of measurement. We love a song in Housman class and the children have enjoyed learning the lyrics to the song below.

Click here to play the ‘Measurement’ song

We continue to focus on the children becoming more proficient in the rapid recall of their times tables. Below is a link to a website which we use frequently. We would encourage children to spend time focusing on the times tables they are unsure of ( particularly 3X, 6X, 4 X and 8X).

Click here to access the Multiplication Tables Check

Have a really wonderful weekend everyone!

The Housman Teaching Team

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1 month ago
Posted on 05th Oct 2025 by

Housman Class Update

A busy couple of weeks for Housman Class – the children have been getting up to lots of learning, some of which you have hopefully heard about!
In English, we have been looking at the book ‘Seal Surfer’ and children have been focusing on using prepositions and fronted adverbials in their writing. There have been some super setting descriptions completed and it is great to see the children voluntarily using a thesaurus or dictionary to support them in improving the quality of their work, something we will continue to encourage.
In Science, we have had an exciting couple of lessons looking at the circulatory system. Children dissected animal hearts and really enjoyed exploring the structure of the heart that we had learnt about previously – there was certainly a buzz in the classroom when this was going on and most of the children got stuck in! Last week, we made model blood samples using household items and learnt about the four components of blood. This topic has really sparked the children’s curiosity and they always have loads of intriguing questions!
Thank you for your continued support.
Housman Teaching Team
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2 months ago
Posted on 22nd Sep 2025 by

Class Update

Year 4 Maths

We are having a big push on the children learning their times tables. At the moment, the children are learning their 9X tables. Below is a link to a website we use frequently in class to support the children in the rapid recall of key number facts.

https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/daily10

Year 5 Maths

The Year 5 children have been introduced to decimals. We are currently focusing on tenths.

Art 

In Art the children have been learning about Colour Theory. Click on the link below to mix and match the different colours.

Colour Mix Game

 

 

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2 months ago
Posted on 12th Sep 2025 by

Weekly Update

We have got to the end of the first full week in school and we are really impressed with how well the children have settled into Housman Class. They are getting used to being back in school and are becoming familiar with new routines, as well as being with some new classmates and teachers! A super start to the term – well done!

In English, children made some interesting predictions about a story in which a young girl moves to another country. We have used the book as a focus for practising writing expanded noun phrases and the children have demonstrated an amazing choice of adjectives in their work. We then started to extend our noun phrases by adding propositions to tell us where something is in relation to something else. Again, some excellent prepositional phrases were created!

In Science, we have been learning about the circulatory system and discovered that it consists of the heart, blood vessels and blood. Children were asked to suggest a question about the circulatory system that they would like to know the answer to – they then researched the answer. There were some intriguing questions suggested, including:

  • how much blood is in an adult human and is this different for children?
  • where in the body has blood vessels?
  • how does the heart not run out of blood?
  • why do our veins look blue if our blood is red?
  • children have more bones than adults – does the number of blood vessels change too?

As you may have noticed, your child has received their first set of spellings this week and may have brought them home to practise. The words are from the National Curriculum statutory word list for English and include a mix of words that pupils frequently use in their writing and those that they often misspell. We recognise that many children find this area tricky so hope that some additional focus will enable children to identify and correct spelling errors with greater confidence. Spellings will be introduced on a Tuesday, completed twice per week in class time and reviewed on the following Monday. It would be really great if you could go over these spellings with your children at home (and sign/initial and date to show that you’ve done this).

Thank you for your support. Enjoy your weekend.

Housman Teaching Team

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2 months ago
Posted on 03rd Sep 2025 by

Welcome Back

Welcome back to the new school year. We thought it would be helpful to provide information regarding the routines and systems in Housman Class.

Arrival 

Please can you ensure your child attends school on time. The door opens at 8.40am and registration takes place at 8.45am. If you arrive late then please can you access the main Reception area.

Homework

Homework ( usually maths to consolidate the work they have been completing in class) will be given on a Friday. The expectation is that the homework is returned on the following Wednesday. If there are any issues ( e.g. your child is struggling, they have been unable to complete the work for reasons out of their control), please let a member of the Housman teaching team know. The first homework will be given next week ( 12/9/25).

In the coming weeks, your child will also be given an individual log in to access Times Table Rock Stars. This is an online platform that enables children to practise and develop their rapid recall of times table facts in a fun and engaging way. This will be used both in school and also at home.

Spellings

We will be having a focus on spelling words accurately. New spellings will be handed out on a Tuesday and there will be a spelling check on the following Monday. Children are encouraged to practise their spellings at home but we will also be focusing on the spelling patterns/keywords during the school day. The first spellings will be given next week ( 9/9/25).

PE

PE will take place on a Monday and Thursday. The children will need to be in the correct PE kits ( plain red t-shirt and black shorts/dark tracksuit without large logos).

Snacks

Please can your child bring in a healthy snack for breaktimes and also ensure they have a water bottle each day.

If you have any questions or any concerns, please do speak to a member of staff and we will do our very best to address any issues promptly.

Kind regards,

Housman Teaching Team

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2 months ago
Posted on 30th Aug 2025 by

Autumn Term

We’re very much looking forward to welcoming all of our pupils back to school on Wednesday, as we begin a new academic year full of possibilities.

To help ease to the transition and strengthen our home-school partnerships, we warmly invite parents and carers to drop in for an informal chat with class teachers on Tuesday 2nd September (between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.). This is an opportunity to ask questions, share any thoughts ahead of the term or to just drop in and say hello!