Sainfoin
Welcome Back Sainfoin Class
Spring 2 2025
Dear Parents/Carers,
We’ve had a great start to 2025 with lots of progress and new experiences for all. I hope you all have a well-earned break over the week off. Please see below the details for Sainfoin’s learning in preparation for the second half of the Spring Term.
Curriculum
We are continuing to implement our new CUSP curriculum which focuses on using evidence-led approaches to inform teaching practices. This curriculum supports children to build strong schemas of knowledge and make cross-curricular connections in their learning, progressing through topics in a structured and innovative way.
An outline of what we will be covering in each subject area this half term is displayed in the table below:
Subject | Areas of Learning |
English | News Reports Extended Third Person Narrative |
Maths | Fractions, Decimals and Percentages Long Division Please see the attached knowledge organisers for further information. |
Science | Light |
History | Windrush Generation |
Geography | Settlements |
Music | Music Technology – The Music of Danny Elfman |
Computing | Be Internet Legends - Sharing Settings & Passwords, Relationships & Being Kind and Handling & Reporting Mean Behaviour |
Art/DT | Painting and Collage & Mechanisms |
French | Basic conversation and vocabulary |
RE | What does it mean to be Human? Is being happy the greatest purpose in life? |
RSHE/PSHE | Growth Mindset & Changing Friendships |
PE | Tag Rugby, Swimming & Forest Schools |
PE and Forest Schools
Sainfoin will continue to go swimming every Wednesday this half term – please ensure your child has a swimming costume (one piece), hat, googles if required and a towel. It has been wonderful seeing the children developing their skills and confidence so far. Swimming is a basic and incredibly vital life skill that can save lives, and also be a lot of fun when they are confident in the water.
The additional PE session this half term will take place on the Thursdays for the 2nd half of this half term beginning 20th March. This half term will be Tag Rugby.
Forest Schools will take place in a 3 week block this half term: Thursday 27th February, 6th and 13th March 2025.
Forest Schools education is led by Mrs Shreeve. On Forest School days, children should come to school in their uniform and have a complete change of weather appropriate clothes, including footwear, for Forest Schools – muckiness is part of the joy of the session as the children fully immerse themselves in the experience.
Reading
Your child will be given an opportunity to change their reading book each Wednesday on a 3-week rotation. On Wednesdays, children are encouraged to come straight in to share books, read with adults and other children and for their turn in the library. Your child will have a reading book and at least 2 reading comprehension sheets per week, they can read from. Their Reading Folder must go between home and school every day. Your child must read 5 times per week and record each read in their Reading Record; at least one of these reads must be aloud to an adult and their record is to be signed each week by their parent/carer. Their reading records will be checked every Monday for these 5 reads.
Research shows regularly reading aloud to someone, even if your child is a competent decoder, helps to develop vital reading comprehension skills, nurture a love of reading and become a successful all-round reader, which supports all subjects and interests. Sharing stories, discussing character motives, talking about what you've just read and trying to predict what will happen next, will all support your child's reading comprehension, vocabulary and spelling development. As well as all of this, reading helps develop an understanding of people and the world around them and feeds their imagination. All of this from one skill…Wow!
Homework
- Reading - As mentioned, reading is part of your child’s expected homework – a minimum of 5 times a week. Reading Folders and Reading Diaries must taken home and must be in school every day.
- Spellings - Issued every Friday and will be tested the following Friday. Your child’s spellings will be stuck into their Spelling book which they must bring to school every Friday.
- Maths, Grammar & Reading Comprehension will be set on a rotation on Friday’s and must be handed in on the following Thursday. These will be in their homework books or online and will be indicated in your child’s homework diary each Friday.
What your child needs in school
Your child must have a named water bottle with them in school, at all times, which will be placed in a box in the classroom each morning. Reading Diaries, Reading Books and Reading Folders must be taken home and returned to school every day. Spelling books should be in school every Friday. No other items need to be brought into school unless requested by your child’s teacher. This includes toys and fidget tools. If your child requires a fidget, I can issue a school one.
Uniform
Please consult the school website or recent letter to see what is expected to be worn to school in terms of uniform and PE kit. Smart trainers may be worn, as long as they are completely black.
Bags and Wellies
The children may bring in one bag, which must be a suitable size for hanging on their pegs, and a separate, named bag for their wellies (both of which must be named) to be kept at school. In addition to wellies, your child should have a set of alternative clothing (waterproof trousers/all-in-one/old joggers) for playing on the field during break times.
If you have any questions at all about these or any other matters, please email me using the following: jlincoln@pulham.norfolk.sch.uk. If you would prefer to speak in person, please let me know and we can arrange a mutually convenient appointment.
Kind regards,
Mrs J Lincoln
Sainfoin Class Teachers