Elder Class 2024 - 2025

WELCOME TO ELDER

Class teacher - Mr M Thomas

Learning Support Assistant - Mrs Rowlands

Mrs Turner teaches on Tuesday mornings and Mrs Rowland and Miss Graves on Friday afternoons.

Mr Parrish teaches PE on Thursday afternoons and Mr Thomas teacher PE on Friday mornings.

Follow us on Twitter @WhitegateElder

Elder class strives to live the values and vision that we have for our school life.  In the thankfulness and trustworthiness we demonstrate around school, we follow our faith that making wise choices and always striving to do the right thing by ourselves and others allows us to grow in confidence and maturity.  The wisdom that comes from endeavouring to make these wise choices enables us to make the most of the many opportunities we have to shine in Elder class.

Currently, Elder are embarking on an exciting journey into the past with the focus Tools and Tribes: the Bronze Age to the Iron Age. Together, we’ll investigate the changes in Britain from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age, focusing on how the arrival of the Beaker people brought new technologies, how tools and weapons evolved, and how settlements transformed over time. Our Big Question for this term will be: 'Does the land shape us, or do we shape the land?'

In history, we’ll study the fascinating timeline of events, from the arrival of the Beaker people and their introduction of bronze to the emergence of hill forts and the revolutionary impact of ironworking. We’ll explore how technological advancements changed the way people lived, traded, and protected themselves, as well as delve into the mysteries of Stonehenge and its importance in Bronze Age rituals.

Geography will link with our history topic as we examine how the landscape influenced settlement patterns and the development of trade routes. We’ll also explore how communities adapted to and shaped their environments through farming and fortifications.

In science, our work will see us investigate light and how it can be reflected and create shadows. We will also learn about plants, focusing on the functions of the different parts of flowering plants, the requirements of plants for life and growth and explore the part that flowers play in the life cycle of flowering plants.

Our English lessons will be inspired by the rich historical context of the Bronze and Iron Ages, as we write a non-chronological report based on Stonehenge and create narratives that imagine life in these fascinating times.

In art, we’ll be designing and making Beaker-style pottery, taking inspiration from the creative achievements of Bronze Age people. In DT, we’ll use our textiles skills to create items of Iron Age clothing. Our RE lessons will see us focusing on Jesus and the changes he made to people’s lives.  We’ll also learn about Easter, going beyond the familiar story to understand some of the deeper themes and concepts.

Computing will see us creating digital presentations about what we’ve learned, focusing on Stonehenge and its rich and mysterious past.  We will learn how to add text and images to new slides and will practise our public speaking skills as we share our learning.

Our educational visit for this term will be to Park Hall Farm to experience life in an Iron Age roundhouse and gain hands-on insights into the daily lives of tribal communities. This immersive experience will bring history to life and I’m certain that the children will love it just as much as our Stone Age visit!

Reading plays a fundamental part in all areas of the curriculum and is a gateway to imagation and adventure. Over the year, we will immerse ourselves in high quality texts which will help to drive our learning. In class, we have access to a wide range of fiction and non-fiction books which we are able to use not only within our Guided Reading sessions, but also when appropriate in our curriculum lessons to support our learning. We want our children to develop the love of reading and stories that their wonderful imaginations deserve so we do all tnat we can to encourage positive attitudes towards reading. If you are struggling to motivate your child with reading at home, please feel free to ask Mr Thomas for ideas or pop a note in their home/school contact book.  

Home reading expectations are detailed below, but should your child express an interest in a particular author, series or genre, please let us know and we would be delighted to order books from our library partners free of charge.  Visits to your local library are also encouraged!

PE will take place on Thursday and Friday afternoons. Please ensure your child comes to school in their PE kit on these days.

Homework, reading and spelling

We ask that your child reads at home at least four times a week for 10-15 minutes. For those who are still on the reading scheme, we ask that an adult supports them. In Year 3, children may start to record their own reading in their Home-School contact books; parents just need to sign off each entry. Please ensure that your child has also recorded a word or short phrase that they liked and want to use in their own writing or a word or short phrase that summarises their reading.

NumBots or TT Rockstars should be practiced at least three times per week for a minimum of five minutes per session. 

All Elder children will receive personalised spelling lists to practice at home. These are based on the statutory spelling lists, available at the bottom of this page. Please practise these three times per week in your homework book. 

Previously, there was sometimers additional work linked to English, maths or the term’s knowledge organiser. This has been replaced by the request for your child to practise on their ukulele. 15 minutes each week would help them to make the progress are aiming for.

If you have any questions or wish to share your child’s out-of-school achievements, please don’t hesitate to contact me through the Home-School book. We love celebrating our children' successes!

Elder’s Curriculum Evening Meeting for parents took place on Tuesday 24th September at 6pm in Elder's classroom. A copy of the presentation is available for download via the links below.