What a busy and exciting start to Summer 1 we have had in Year 1/2! Our topic this half term has been ‘Land Ahoy’, where we have been learning all about pirates, explorers, continents and oceans. One of the highlights this half term was our fantastic trip to Port Eynon beach, where we enjoyed exploring the coastline and learning more about sea exploration. It has been a fun, creative and memorable half term, and we are very proud of all the children for their enthusiasm and hard work.

 

LLC

In Language, Literacy and Communication this term, we have explored a variety of exciting text types through our work with Into Film. The children thoroughly enjoyed using the film The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists as inspiration for their learning and creative writing. We have written imaginative stories inspired by pictures, created diary entries and have even started producing our very own news reports. 

In our SPaG lessons, we have been focusing on fine-tuning our punctuation, improving our sentence structure and using exciting adjectives to make our writing more engaging for the reader. We have also explored conjunctions and practised joining our sentences together, and we are now beginning to learn about the use of apostrophes. 

We continue to practise our phonics skills daily and the children have worked very hard on developing their reading fluency and confidence through regular reading activities. In Welsh, we take part in a daily ‘drilio’ session where the children enjoy fine-tuning their Welsh language skills and are encouraged to speak as much Welsh as possible throughout the school day.

 

Maths and Numeracy

In Mathematics and Numeracy this term, the children have continued to develop a wide range of mathematical skills through practical and engaging activities. Year 2 began the term by fine-tuning their understanding of fractions, learning how to confidently find halves, quarters and thirds. Meanwhile, Year 1 focused on counting in twos, fives and tens, whilst also exploring how to divide fairly and share equally. 

Both Year 1 and Year 2 have recently been learning about measurement and capacity, where the children practised measuring carefully using centimetres and metres. We also enjoyed exploring the topic of position and direction, linking our learning to our ‘Land Ahoy’ topic. The children discovered how positional language can help pirates locate treasure and used their skills to create their very own treasure maps. 

We thoroughly enjoy taking our maths learning outdoors, where the children are able to use practical resources and hands-on activities to help strengthen their understanding of different mathematical concepts and skills. Outdoor maths has provided many opportunities for teamwork, problem-solving and applying our learning in meaningful ways. 

We are now beginning our learning about time and discussing how important it is in our everyday lives. The children have shown great enthusiasm throughout their maths activities and have continued to grow in confidence when explaining their mathematical thinking.

Science and Technology

In Science and Technology this term, the children have enjoyed exploring a range of exciting activities linked to our ‘Land Ahoy’ topic. In Science, we have been learning about different animal groups and sorting animals into categories such as mammals, reptiles, amphibians and fish. The children have also continued developing their understanding of food chains and how animals depend on one another within different habitats.

In Technology, the children took inspiration from David Attenborough and worked together to create their very own sea animal documentaries. The children carefully researched their chosen sea creatures, wrote informative reports and used technology to present their findings creatively. They also had opportunities to evaluate their work with a partner and discuss ways to improve and develop their presentations.

The children have thoroughly enjoyed exploring the underwater world this half term and have shown fantastic enthusiasm during their investigations and research activities.

Humanities

In Humanities this term, the children have enjoyed exploring a variety of exciting learning experiences linked to our ‘Land Ahoy’ topic. In Geography, we have been learning the names and locations of the world’s oceans and continents, whilst also developing our understanding of physical and human features found along coastlines. The children have particularly enjoyed learning how to use compass directions and applying these skills through practical map activities.

We have also explored the inspiring story of Grace Darling, alongside learning about the Ace Sisters and the Mumbles Lifeboat Disaster. The children were fascinated by these real-life stories of bravery and rescue at sea.

As part of our learning about coastlines and oceans, we have had many thoughtful discussions about climate change and rising sea levels, considering how coastal areas such as Penclawdd could be affected in the future. Children also enjoyed completing a bug hunt for Earth Day, where they explored the different minibeasts living around our school grounds and discussed the habitats they live in.

In RVE, the children have been learning about different communities and exploring how people from different cultures and backgrounds belong to a variety of communities. The children have shown kindness, curiosity and respect throughout these important discussions.

Expressive Arts

In Expressive Arts this term, the children have explored a range of creative activities linked to our ‘Land Ahoy’ topic. In Art, the children created beautiful pieces inspired by Jenny Lambert, using pastels and pencil techniques to replicate aspects of her distinctive artistic style. The children worked very carefully to experiment with shading, colour and texture, producing some fantastic final pieces.

In Music, the children thoroughly enjoyed creating their very own sea shanties inspired by the song Wellerman. The children worked creatively to write their own lyrics before performing and listening back to their finished sea shanties. It was wonderful to see the children building confidence through performance whilst having lots of fun singing together.

Health and Wellbeing

In Health and Wellbeing this term, the children have continued to enjoy taking part in weekly PE sessions where they have been developing important physical skills such as balance, throwing, catching and running. The children have shown great enthusiasm during these sessions and have worked hard to improve their coordination, teamwork and confidence.

We have also been very fortunate to have visits from Luke from the Children’s Mental Health Service, who has spoken to the children about emotional regulation, kindness and the importance of looking after our mental health and wellbeing. The children engaged thoughtfully in these sessions and enjoyed discussing different strategies to help manage their emotions.

During Mental Health Awareness Week, the children designed colourful bunting and explored different ways to support themselves and others when experiencing different emotions. We have also loved spending time outdoors in the garden, enjoying the fresh air and taking part in activities that help us feel calm, happy and relaxed.