Atwood Newsletter 8th May 2026

Even though it was a slightly shorter week due to the bank holiday, the children have been so busy.

The Nursery children have been feeding their tadpoles and learning the sound ‘j’.

https://www.pegasusacademytrust.org/news/atw-nursery-news-8th-may

In Reception, this week the children have had some ‘eggciting’ visitors!

https://www.pegasusacademytrust.org/news/eyfs/atw-reception-news-what-an-eggcellent-surprise

Year 1 have been using exclamation and question marks to make some exciting sentences. In maths, the children have been solving multiplication and division problems using their knowledge of counting in 2s, 5s and 10s. In Science they have learnt about the characteristics of mammals, birds and fish in order to sort different animals into categories. In geography, they sorted different geographical features of Africa into human and physical features. Finally in computing the children added animations and sounds to their animated story books. What a busy week!

This week, Year 2 began learning all about telling the time in maths. In their Thematic learning, the children began using their knowledge of how certain colours can evoke a mood to help create their seascape backgrounds. In Science, the children went outside to get creative and think what they already know about their new topic of living things and their environments/habitats. The also talked about what they would like to learn. In PE, the children have been developing their athletic skills focusing on their explosive starts for their sprints and how to transfer a baton in relay races.

Year 3 have had another fantastic week of learning across all subjects! In English, the children began exploring their new book, ‘Leon and the Place Between’. They have been making thoughtful predictions about the story and analysing the different characters in detail. To link with the magical theme of the book, the children were invited to bring in magic tricks from home and perform them for the class. We were so impressed by their confidence and bravery — we certainly have some talented performers in Year Three! In Maths, the children made their own analogue clocks to support their learning about time. They have been practising reading the time in five-minute intervals, carefully identifying the correct hand and using “past” and “to” accurately when telling the time. In Thematic learning, the children sketched Stonehenge, focusing on shadow from a light source and completed research about this fascinating prehistoric monument. We also learnt about primary and secondary sources and discussed how to identify them using different examples. The children explored the role of archaeologists, excavations and museums in helping us learn about the past.

In Year 4, the children have been finding the perimeter of rectilinear shapes in maths. They have also investigated how to find the perimeter of regular and irregular polygons. In English, the children have been studying the book ‘Once Upon a Wild Wood’ focussing on the poem ‘Goldilocks caught on CCTV’. Linked to this unit, the children in Indigo class went to the British Library for a fairy Tale Workshop. In their thematic studies the children have been learning about Anglo-Saxon jewellery in anticipation of making their own versions with clay.

This week, Year 5 have been publishing their biographies of Katherine Johnson with some very impressive results. They have also been getting creative making their biomes based on the different regions of Australia.

Lavender class treated us to a class assembly where they shared their learning from the term. We learnt all about the life of Katherine Johnson who worked at NASA and helped put John Glenn into space. They also shared a lovely song about our Solar System. However, the highlight was perhaps the working model of a guillotine as part of their Crime and Punishment unit. We even found time to finish with singing Happy Birthday to David Attenborough.

Year 6 have been busy preparing for their SATs. We would like to wish all of them good luck for next week and we know they will do us proud. Although the SATs are an important measure of what the children have learnt in English and Maths during their time at primary school, we also know that they are a very narrow measure and don’t take account of all the other wonderful talents and skills the children have. Across Year 6, we have wonderful artists, dancers, singers and musicians. We have actors and sportspeople, ambassadors and future politicians. Most of all we have children who are kind and enthusiastic. None of these things can be measured by SATs yet they are so important and should be celebrated.