Welcome to The Lodge!

2023-24

In the Lodge, our teachers are Mrs Hardyman and Miss Irving. 

If you have any questions, please contact your child's teacher. You can speak to your child’s class teacher by phoning the school and requesting an appointment if they are not around at pick-up.

Keep referring back to this page for regular updates about the children's learning.

Curriculum Newsletter

• The Lodge Curriculum Newsletter - Summer 2024
• The Lodge Curriculum Newsletter - Spring.pdf
• The Lodge Curriculum Newsletter - Autumn 2023

Updated - Friday 12th July 2024

This week, in the lodge, we have been completing our end-of-term White Rose tests, and I am pleased to say that all the children really tried their best and should be very proud of themselves! We have been focussing on arithmetic skills this week and ensuring we are confident in this!

In English lessons, the children have been practising developing their own ideas and putting them into sentences more independently. This has shown exactly what the children are capable of and has boosted their confidence in writing! We have been doing many mini-pieces of writing and exploring our editing and checking skills. The children are getting much better at this, which is reflected in their work! 

Updated- Friday 5th July 2024

We have had a busy week in the lodge with INSET day! We crammed in as much learning as we possibly could into the four days we had, and the children have written some fantastic mini-stories. They have been practising writing sentences without the use of sentence cubes. This meant that they needed to develop their skills in reading through their sentences instead of editing them once they were written to ensure they made sense!

The green group has been learning about statistics and translating shapes on a grid in maths. Although some of the questions can be tricky to read and understand, they gave it a great go and did an amazing job!

Update - Friday 28th June 2024

This week in maths, the orange group started their shape unit and has been learning about parallel and perpendicular lines—very confusing! We recapped our 2D and 3D shapes and their properties, too, and showed how much we could remember from our previous learning! 

In English, we finished our unit on 'The Planets', and all the children wrote some lovely final pieces, pretending to be the tour guide on our spaceship as we moved from planet to planet. They created their planets, and it was lovely to see how much the children had grown in confidence, which showed their eagerness to develop their own ideas!

Update - 21st June 2024

This week in the lodge, the orange group finally finished the topic of time, which has been a very hard and confusing unit. We strongly suggest that the children practise telling the time as much as possible to help them understand and gain confidence in this area. Meanwhile, the green group finished their shape unit and will be moving onto statistics. 

In English, we have continued our space journey and begun writing persuasive paragraphs about each planet we zoom past. By the end of next week, we should be in unchartered territory and be looking at some brand-new planets of our own! Watch this space. 

Updated - Friday 14th June 2024

This week, we had to sit our online tests for math and reading. All the children were superstars and put 110% into them. We are so proud of how hard they have been working and the progress they are making! Keep up the good work guys!

Updated - Friday 7th June 2024

We started our new English topic this week, in which we will become tour guides on a space ship. The ship takes us to 12 completely different planets—all with weird and wonderful things happening on them. Over the next few weeks, we will learn how to create an interesting and slightly persuasive piece of writing that could describe each planet. 

Update - Friday 24th May 2024

This week in the lodge the children were tested in phonics to see how far their reading had progressed. Each child is showing amazing progress in their reading ability and it has been such a treat to see them becoming more and more confident when reading. This week also saw both groups move onto the topic of time in maths. This can often be an area that children find most confusing, but they all started off fantastically and showed their prior knowledge from previous years! 

Update - Friday 17th May 2024

It was a busy week in the lodge and Miss Jackman came to help us with our learning. We wrote some lovely diary entries in English and in maths both groups were looking at money and how to use money in context. 

Update - Friday 10th May 2024

The lodge had a lovely 4-day week this week, and the extra day at the weekend gave us all a bit more brain power! We started our new English topic with the short Pixar film - For the Birds. The children thought the short film was hilarious and would write different mini-final pieces to show their skills in different forms of writing. In maths, all the groups have been working hard to practise their addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division methods. The methods have proven tricky for some children, but we will keep practising and are already getting better and better. 

Update - Friday 3rd May 2024

This week, we planned, rehearsed and wrote our final pieces in English. The children wrote some amazing action scenes on what the dinosaurs did last night!! We even had a visit from Mrs Searle, who was impressed by all their writing! In maths this week, we finished our current learning topics and will start our new ones - Fractions for the orange group and decimals for the green group!

Update - Friday 26th April 2024

In maths, the orange group has been looking at mass and capacity. They have been practising how to read scales and liquid containers. We discussed how they needed to count the jumps to work out the intervals, and then, from that, they could work out the measurement. Green groups have been delving deeper into decimals and using tenths and hundredths. They have found this tricky at times, but they are much more confident after a bit of practice!

The children have enjoyed studying the pictures from our book this term, and their sentence writing is going from strength to strength. They are creating some superb sentences using fronted adverbials and subordinating conjunctions. On Friday, Miss Irving was so impressed with their writing that all the children were allowed to show their class teachers their writing and how much they had improved! It was a great week all around!

Update - Friday 19th April 2024

In maths this term, the children will practice their methods for addition, subtraction, multiplication and division daily. We will now only have two math groups this term. The orange group worked on mass and capacity before moving on to money, time, and shape. The green group will first look at decimals and then move on to money, time and shape as well!

All the lodge children have really improved in writing, and we are now able to focus on making their writing more exciting and engaging. Our first unit is looking at the pictures from ‘What the Dinosaurs Did Last Night’ by Refe and Susan Tuma. The children will write an action scene linked to one of the pictures and do their best to make it exciting and engaging for the reader using fronted adverbs!

Update - Friday 22nd March 2024

In English this week, we started focusing on particular skills needed to write our fact files about hedgehogs. We identified that it was essential that we included expanded noun phrases, possessive apostrophes and commas in a list. These are all skills we will practice and learn about over the next few weeks to make our final writes the best they can be. 

We have thoroughly enjoyed reading The Hodgeheg by Dick King-Smith. It has been so fantastic to see the children grow in confidence, and lots of them happily read aloud to each other. We have also been working on asking other children for help when stuck on particular words. 

In maths, the orange and green groups have continued their fractions journey. The green group seems particularly boggled by converting mixed-number fractions into improper fractions and vice versa. But after much hard work and persistence, they got there successfully! The blue group has moved on to learning about mass and capacity and has been using balancing scales and measuring scales to see how things differ in weight and mass. 

Update - Friday 15th March 2024

With our setting descriptions finished, we have started our new unit, producing fact files about hedgehogs. To link with this, Miss Irving has found us all copies of The Hedgehog by Dick King-Smith. Now that we are becoming confident in reading, we have challenged ourselves to read a chapter of the book every morning together. Most children have been brave enough to read out loud to the group, making us all feel very proud of ourselves this week!

In maths, the orange and green groups have moved on to learning all about fractions, whilst the blue groups are now moving onto measurement - starting with measuring the lengths of things. They went outside on Wednesday with metre sticks to see what they could measure with one of them.

Update - Friday 8th March 2024

This week, we finished our writing in English and wrote some lovely setting descriptions of the woods outside the lodge. We used expanded noun phrases and subordinating conjunctions to build the detail and description in our writing and transform our readers into our setting. 

In maths, all of the groups have been working really hard. The orange and green groups finished the length and perimeter and are now experts at measuring the lengths of things. Perimeter boggled our minds a little bit, but we persevered, and by the end, we understood exactly how to calculate the perimeter of different shapes.  

Update - Friday 1st March 2024

The children participated in Science Day activities this week in the lodge. We learned about three scientists: Louis Pasteur, Nikola Tesla, and Mae Jemison. The children found all three of them fascinating, and it was lovely to see how engaged and inquisitive they all were. After learning about each scientist and what they were famous for, we wrote mini-biographies about one of them. We used the facts we gathered and our best and neatest handwriting! Mr Tickle even displayed some of them in reception because he was so impressed with them!

In our normal English lessons, we have started to think about using more interesting and specific vocabulary in our noun phrases rather than using colours and the word 'nice'. This has shown that many of us know some fantastic words to describe things, and we have been using them to create brilliant sentences!

Update - Friday 23rd February 2024

Throughout the week, we carried on our learning from before half term and also tested how much we could remember from previous units. These were tricky, but we all did well!

In English, we started our new topic, ' Into the Woods'. We will be writing a setting description and have started learning all about the importance of expanded noun phrases to create an image in our readers' minds!

Update - Friday 9th February 2024

The green and orange groups in maths have been looking at measuring length and perimeter. The green group have been thrown straight in with learning how to find the perimeter of rectangular shapes. In contrast, the orange group have started by understanding how to measure things in millimetres, centimetres and metres. Blue groups have focused on multiplication and division, specifically sharing and grouping. 

In English, we finished writing our final pieces for Miss Charman to look at. These reports analysed data and evidence we found as to who was to blame for the mess in her office! We found that it was Mrs Cameron! Our reports were very factual, and we worked hard to apply our learning of possessive apostrophes in these. 

Update - Friday 2nd February 2024

The lodge has been very busy this week. We worked really hard to write our final piece in English, and the children have produced some fantastic instructions for their LEGO models! Then we were given a special task by Miss Charman to investigate the mystery of who left a mess in her office! We have put on our detective hats and studied the evidence left behind. We have 4 suspects in mind and will be solving clues to determine who is to blame for this horrible crime. Throughout this, we will focus on our use of apostrophes for contractions and possession, which we will then use in our final report to Miss Charman. 

In maths, orange and green groups are coming to the end of their multiplication and division units. They will then be moving on length and perimeter! The blue group have finished their unit on money and is now looking into equal groupings and how this links to multiplication and division. 

Updated - Friday 26th January

This week, we completed our final writing in English. We wrote a set of instructions. We had to include prepositions, imperative verbs, conjunctions and time words in our sentences. We used sentence cubes to help us. 

In Maths, the blue group finished their maths unit on money. They used their knowledge of addition and subtraction to find change and solve 2 step problems. The green group learnt to multiply 2-digit and 3-digit numbers by a 1-digit number. The orange group also learnt to multiply 2-digit numbers by a 1-digit number (no exchange). 

Update - Friday 19th January 2024

This week, we have begun to work towards our final write, which will be writing instructions on creating our own Lego model. We have created our own Lego models and verbally rehearsed our instructions. 

In Maths, the Green group have been learning to answer questions involving informal written methods for multiplication. The orange group has been practising its reasoning with multiplication. The blue group have been adding different amounts using coins and notes. 

Update - Friday 12th January 2024

In English this week, we were learning about coordinating and subordinating conjunctions. We worked in pairs to finish the end of sentences using words such as before, after, because, as, since, and when.

In Maths, the blue group have begun to learn all about money. We have been recognising and identifying pounds and pence. Orange group have been learning about the 8 times tables (multiplication and division). The green group have been learning to multiply by 10 and 100.

Friday 5th January 2024

This week, we have started our new topic, instructions, in English. We enjoyed creating Lego models and drawing a picture by following instructions. Some of these instructions were not very easy to follow, and we thought about why this might be. We learnt that instructions needed to be clear and precise. 

In maths, the blue group have continued to learn about shapes. They have been exploring 3D shapes and finding the number of edges, faces and vertices on each shape. Orange group have been working on the 3- and 4-times tables. The green group have been learning to multiply numbers by 1 and 0. 

Update - Friday 8th December 2023

In English this week, we have begun our new unit, which is all about performance poetry. We enjoyed exploring poems and learned to use our voices and actions when performing. We have begun to learn the poem we will perform for all our parents at the end of the term. 

In Math, the blue group has started to learn about shapes. We have been identifying the number of sides and vertices on 2D shapes. The orange group have continued to explore multiplication and division. They have been learning to share and group to solve problems. The green group continued to learn about the area before moving on to multiplication and division. 

Update - Friday 1st December 2023

This week, we have written our final piece based on the story 'Think Big!'. We wrote our diary entries like Humpty Dumpty using conjunctions, adverbs and inverted commas. 

In Maths, the blue group worked with Mrs Hardyman and finished their maths unit on addition and subtraction. They explored comparing number sentences using the language greater than, less than and equal to. They also worked in small groups to solve missing number problems. The green group worked with Miss Irving and began to learn about the area, whilst the orange group started their new topic on multiplication and division. 

Update - Friday 24th November 2023

This week, we continued our new topic based on the book 'Think Big!'. We read the story and wrote a diary entry like Humpty Dumpty. In our writing, we focused on using the suffix -ly and considered using inverted commas for speech. 

Miss Irving's group finished their maths unit on addition and subtraction. They learned to estimate numbers and looked at a range of word problems. Using practical resources, Mrs Hardyman's group learned to add and subtract 2-digit numbers.

Update - Friday 17th November 2023

This week we started our new English unit all about diaries. We explored the features of a diary and the use of adverbs to make our sentences better.

In maths, Mrs Hardyman's group learnt to add 2-digit numbers using practical resources. Miss Irving's group practised subtracting 3-digit numbers (across 100). 

Update - Friday 10th November 2023

Last week in English, we wrote stories about a dragon who didn’t like fire. We used the story ‘The Crocodile Who Didn’t Like Water’ to inspire our writing. 

In Mrs Hardyman’s maths group, we have been learning to subtract 1-digit numbers from 2-digit numbers across a ten. We solved various questions using dienes and had to remember to exchange our ten for 10 ones. In Miss Irving’s group, we have been learning to subtract two 3-digit numbers across a ten. We also had to remember to exchange!

Updated - Friday 3rd November 2023

In English this week, we have started our new topic based on the book 'The Crocodile Who Didn't like water'. We read the story, devised actions for each part and sequenced the story. 

In Maths, we have been continuing with addition and subtraction. Miss Irving's group have been learning column addition with no exchange of numbers, and Miss Hardyman's group have been learning to subtract numbers using their number bonds to ten.

Update - Friday 20th October 2023

In English, we learned all about Floella Benjamin. We thought about her early life, her dreams, and her achievements. We then wrote a mini biography about her. We also read the story 'Coming to England' by Floella Benjamin. We reflected on her thoughts and how she felt at different points in the story. 

Mrs Hardyman's group has been learning to add numbers using our number bonds to ten in Maths. Miss Irving's group have been learning to add and subtract ones and tens from a 3-digit number. 

Update - Friday 4th October 2023

This week, we continued with our new English unit on mini biographies linked to Black History Month. We have learnt about Laurie Cunningham and have been learning to write sentences using coordinating conjunctions (and, but so). 

In Maths with Mrs Hardyman, we have also looked at number bonds to ten and fact families. With Miss Irving, we have been learning number bonds to 100 and adding and subtracting 1s from 3-digit numbers. 

Update - Friday 29th September 2023

In English, we have begun our new English unit all about mini-biographies, which will lead into the work we will be doing about Black History Month. This week, we have learnt about the features of biography. 

In Maths,  we have been practising skip counting. Some of us have been working on counting in 2s, 5s and 10s, and others have been counting in 50s and 100s. 

Update - Monday 25th September 2023

We wrote our final piece in English based on the story 'The Professional Crocodile'. We sequenced the story and considered statements, questions, commands, and exclamatory sentences we could write.

In maths, we compared numbers using the language of greater than and less than. We identified whether numbers were bigger or smaller using our knowledge of place value. 

Update - Monday 18th September 2023

We have been learning to write statements, questions, commands and exclamatory sentences using accurate punctuation in English. We have also been writing our noun phrases.

In Maths, we are becoming more familiar with place value. We have been partitioning numbers into hundreds, tens and ones.