Atwood Newsletter 17th October 2025

This week, we have had children from Year 1 visiting the park, children from Year 5 visiting the Gurdwara and visits from Transport for London for Year 6. The children have learnt about Sislin Fay Allen (the first black female police officer in the Metropolitan Police Force) and been making healthy muffins. Then, to cap it all, this evening is the first FOAP disco of the year. What a busy week!

In Nursery, the children have been playing lots of sound games and going on a bear hunt.

https://www.pegasusacademytrust.org/news/atw-nursery-news-17th-october

In Reception, this week the children have been thinking about Black Histoy and repeating patterns. You can read more here: https://www.pegasusacademytrust.org/news/eyfs/atw-reception-news-black-history-diwali-and-patterns

This week, Year 1 had a great time going on a trip to the local park. They travelled safely to the park, taking note of the different local features they passed. They then used this knowledge to make a map of their route to the park. In English, the children have worked in pairs to create a poem inspired by ‘Julian is a Mermaid’. They chose a sea creature and verbs to describe how it moved. They rehearsed the poems with actions and using an exciting voice before performing them to the rest of the class. In maths, the children have begun adding numbers up to ten. They used part-whole models and ten frames to help them add and recorded these as number sentences. In Science, they observed signs of Autumn and recorded them in a table.

This week, in Year 2 the children have been designing and creating a muffin box and making a healthy muffin as part of their DT/Science project. In English, the children have been retelling the story of The Bear and the Piano thinking about how they can build really good sentences to describe what happens. In PE, the children put together a sequence of balances, jumps and rolls thinking about how they could balance on different body parts.

This week, Year 3 have had a busy and exciting week full of rich learning across the curriculum! In English, they explored the mysterious image Under the Rug from ‘The Mysteries of Harris Burdick,’ using high-level adjectives and expanded noun phrases to write suspenseful descriptions. In maths, they have been developing their understanding of the expanded column method to add 3-digit numbers, particularly when bridging 10. During science, Year 3 have learnt about the three types of skeletons in animals — endoskeletons, exoskeletons, and hydrostatic skeletons — and have been categorising animals accordingly. In thematic lessons, they have been honing their history skills by comparing life in Victorian England before and after the Industrial Revolution. Each morning, Year 3 have been practising their maths problem-solving skills, and in computing, they have begun exploring their new coding topic. In whole class reading, they have been enjoying Young, Gifted and Black, learning about the lives of inspirational individuals from around the world. Well done, Year 3!

This week, Year 4 have been writing their Boudicca speeches in preparation for today’s performance in role. The children showed passion and used powerful rhetoric as a call to arms to wage war on the Roman Army. In maths the children have been rounding numbers to the nearest thousand and in art the children have been using their sketching skills to draw portraits of Boudicca. In PE the children have performed their final dance piece and in whole class reading the children are reading Henry’s Freedom Box.

In Year 5, Teal class started the week with a visit to the Gurdwara a part of their learning in RE. In English the children have been making final edits to their Alma stories in preparation for publishing next week. In maths, the children have been looking at column addition and subtraction and thinking about the inverse relationship between the two operations and in science the children conducted a parachute investigation seeing how different sizes of parachute affect the speed of descent.

This week, Year 6 have been writing powerful speeches in the role of Emmeline Pankhurst. They have used emotive language and modal verbs to call for ‘Votes for Women’. In maths they have been looking at fractions converting improper fractions to mixed numbers and vice versa. In whole class reading, the children have studied the powerful and thought -provoking poem ‘Refugees’ by Brian Bilston. They also had a visit from Tfl where they learnt all about how to keep themselves safe on public transport.

Sports News

On Tuesday, we welcomed Croydon High to Atwood for the first netball matches of the season. We played two matches and both were extremely exciting to watch. The standard of netball was high and the girls rose to the occasion, using their defence skills and excellent teamwork to stay positive throughout. Although both games ended in a defeat, it was a great opportunity to play in a competitive match. Croydon High awarded Player of the Match to Salihah and Jess – well done to them both.

Congratulations to our year 6 team – Amelie, Evie, Megan, Salihah, Mary, Mia, Grace, Penny, Leila, Jess, CeCe, Arianna, Harlowe and Iona.

On Thursday, a keen team of Year 1 and 2 children took part in a fun Cross-Country event at Coombe Wood. They were all full of energy and enthusiasm which was used in abundance as they tackled the 1km course. Our main aim as a team was to cross the line with a smile and our Atwood team did not disappoint!

Many congratulations to all of the runners.

Show Racism the Red Card

It was great to see so many children dressed up in red today to show their support for our ‘Show Racism the Red Card’ Wear Red Day’. This important awareness raising event aims to highlight that we must all make a stand against racism wherever we see it. That we should be a proud anti-racist and be the difference. To find out more about the work of this organisation, you can follow the link here;

https://www.theredcard.org/wear-red-day/

And finally…

Please can I remind all children and parents using the Reception and Nursery entrance that the bikes, trikes and scooters are not for playing on at this time.