Classrooms

Housman Class Message

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4 months ago
Posted on 06th Feb 2026 by

Housman update 06/02/25

This week in science, children continued building their own electrical circuits using a variety of components, including motors, multiple lamps or buzzers and LED’s. Children are becoming more confident in troubleshooting and working out why a circuit might not work, for example, changing a cell for a battery, systematically trying alternative components, checking crocodile clips are connected to the metal part of a wire not the plastic coating. This knowledge will be really helpful when children study electrical circuits at secondary school when equipment can be frustratingly problematic – they will hopefully be well-equipped at solving problems with their circuits when this time comes!

In Geography, the children have been learning about the features of the earth.  We used a key and discussed definitions of new words. We explored Atlas’ and used our new vocabulary to describe where a country was in the world using longitude, latitude and which hemisphere it was located in.  The children really enjoyed coming up with lengthy clues for their friends to follow!

The year 4’s are having a really big push on times tables at the moment.  They know which ones they find tricky so if they could practice at home on any maths games that would be greatly appreciated.

We have finished reading our book “Our Tower” in English.  We ended the week by looking at the features of a journal, particularly looking at which tenses we should be using.  As a class, we planned our journals and wrote the first two paragraphs together.  We have been working on editing each others work under the visualiser.

Have a lovely weekend, lets hope it is a little drier!

Ms McLean and Dr Roberts.

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4 months ago
Posted on 30th Jan 2026 by

Housman Update 30/01/26

How are we at the end of January already?!
It has been a busy week with some children attending Young Voices on Monday. It is always such a wonderful experience for the children, and adults!  The children all behaved impeccably and represented Stoke On Tern incredibly. Well done everyone!
The children have began looking at nutrition and processed food in D and T this week.  We looked at the packaging and ingredient lists for some foods and discussed what we noticed.
In their last science lesson, the children learnt how electrical circuit components can be represented in circuit diagrams using circuit symbols. This week, children used this knowledge to assess whether different circuits had a fault and to suggest and draw the correct, functioning circuit diagram.
They then went on to build their own electrical circuits using a variety of components. For each circuit, they drew the circuit diagram and investigated whether the circuit worked. If it didn’t work, they suggested what needed to happen to make the circuit function, e.g. close the switch, use a battery rather than a cell. Children did an excellent job and really enjoyed building the circuits – there was a real ‘buzz’ in the classroom (from the children as well as the many buzzers that were being connected)!
As always, if there you have any questions about anything relating to your child’s time at school please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Have a lovely weekend.
Mrs McLean and Dr Roberts
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5 months ago
Posted on 22nd Jan 2026 by

Housman Update 23rd January 2026

In English, our reading book this term is about volcanoes. We have been looking at the features of a non-fiction book, including the contents, index and glossary, as well as clarifying relevant vocabulary to help understand the text. Children have been practicing their fluency at reading sections of text at a conversational pace.
As part of our science topic on Electrical circuits and components, children have been learning how different circuit components can be represented by symbols when drawing circuit diagrams. We discussed why scientists use symbols instead of just drawing the actual components – quicker, easier, takes less space, clear, a universal language – then children had a go at drawing their own circuit diagrams correctly using a pencil and ruler. They did a super job and are keen to put their knowledge into practice when they build and draw their own electrical circuits in future lessons.
In History, the children listened to a podcast about the abolition of slavery.  The class were divided into groups either being a plantation owner, a former enslaved worker or an abolitionist. They then discussed the abolishment of slavery from their new view point. We were all shocked by some of the facts that we discovered!
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5 months ago
Posted on 08th Jan 2026 by

Friday 9th January 2026- Remote learning info.

Please see details of remote learning for Housman Class due to closure.

English –

Following from Thursday’s English lesson where the children wrote a diary entry, your task is to write a diary entry of a snowy, winters day.

Remember a diary is written in the past tense and includes your feelings. You may want to use the plan below to help you organise your ideas into paragraphs.

 

Maths-

Children can use Home – Times Tables Rock Stars or Topmarks – Free Interactive Learning Games, Maths Worksheets & Teaching Resources to practice their times tables.

Year 4- Your child has a Maths sheet to complete. The following link will support the children’s learning. Explain where zero can be part of a multiplication or division expression and the impact it has KS2 | Y4 Maths Lesson Resources | Oak National Academy

Year 5- Your child has been given Maths work to complete from Mrs Brotherhood.

 

Art-

We are starting a new Art unit  based on Inuit Art.  Please use the following links to find out more about Inuit Art and observe examples of it. Cape Dorset, Nunavut: The Epicentre of Inuit Art

(3) Pinterest

Children should observe the different examples of Art, focusing on the subject, shape, form, pattern and colour.

Finally, have lots of fun in the snow! Take care and see you all next week.

Ms McLean

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6 months ago
Posted on 02nd Dec 2025 by

Housman Update 2/12/25

Hi all,

Well, we are officially in Christmas territory with the children learning lots of Christmas songs and creating some Christmas crafts which will be placed on the Christmas tree at St Peter’s Church.

Maths

In maths, the Year 4 children continue to focus on learning their times tables. We cannot stress the importance of children being able to recall their times tables rapidly. The Year 5 children are now focusing on short multiplication and because they are proficient in their times tables, they are absolutely flying through the content!

Celebrating Differences

We continue to focus on the importance of children learning about other cultures and religions. We welcomed a representative from the Jewish community who talked to the children about their unique traditions and customs.

Homework 

A reminder that homework will be sent home on a Friday and must be returned by the following Wednesday. Please can you also ensure the children are reading regularly and completing TT Rock Stars.

Many thanks,

Housman Teaching Team

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7 months ago
Posted on 20th Nov 2025 by

Housman Update 20/11/25

Hi all,

Parent Consultations

It’s been a busy week in Housman Class with lots going on. It was great to meet with lots of parents to discuss the progress of the children. If you weren’t able to make an appointment this week then please do get in touch to arrange another suitable time.

Following feedback from parents, we have hopefully extended the time that the children can access Times Table Rock Stars. They can now play until 8.30pm.

Curriculum Update

In English, we have been looking at how to correctly punctuate direct speech using inverted commas. Children wrote a short piece of dialogue between two of the characters in our book, ‘Nen and the Lonely Fisherman’, then practised punctuating it correctly. They have already demonstrated excellent progress with this and will continue to work on this in the coming weeks.
In Science, having learnt about the circulatory system, we are now looking at factors in our lives that can affect it, both positively and negatively. We started with the effect of diet and spent time looking at traffic light nutrition labels on food packaging. These show us the levels of salt, sugar and saturated fat in different food products in a clear, easy-to-understand way. Children were surprised that some foods contained much higher levels of salt, sugar or saturated fat than they expected – for example, many breakfast cereals have high salt levels! Children decided if they would change any future eating / shopping habits based on our findings so apologies if you get any unexpected requests or comments next time you go shopping! This week, we talked about legal and illegal drugs and their impact on the body. In the next couple of weeks, we will look at the impact of smoking and alcohol on the body. We have had some excellent discussions and the children have raised lots of interesting questions and hopefully some misconceptions have been addressed, e.g. thinking that ALL drugs are bad for us (when, in fact, many drugs help us when used correctly).
Assessments
Next week the children will be completing assessments. We try and make the experience as ‘stress-free’ as possible for the children but understand that some children can become a little anxious. Please do speak to a member of staff if you (or they!) have any concerns.
We hope you all have a great weekend.
Housman Teaching Team
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7 months 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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8 months 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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8 months 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