Our topic this half of the Autumn Term is ‘The Romans.’  Our learning will be based around this theme and subjects will be linked where possible.  We will learn why the Romans were important in history and the legacy they left behind.   

In English, we will be focussed on the following texts:

Romans on the Rampage by Jeremy Strong

A super-fun novel by Jeremy Strong that tells of the crazy adventures of Perilus, a Roman boy who dreams of riding chariots in the Circus Maximus.

Have you heard of the Romans? By National Curriculum: history for kids

March into the heart of the Roman Empire. Discover gladiators, grand architecture, and the legends of ancient Rome.

Paolo, Emperor of Rome: 1 by Mac Barnett

Paolo, a daring dog, takes a whirlwind tour of Rome in search of freedom in new picture book from beloved storyteller Mac Barnett and masterful illustrator Claire Keane.

The children will be developing their reading (decoding and comprehension) skills with activities such as answering questions about a text, looking for clues within the text to read ‘between the lines’, summarising stories by picking out key events and making predictions.  They will have ample opportunities to read across the curriculum.  Some of the class will continue working on the Twinkl Phonics Scheme, whilst others will start to look at spelling patterns.  The children will read books linked to the scheme as well as choosing books of their own interests.  The children will be developing their writing (handwriting and compositional skills) with activities such as describing a scene, describing a character and adapting story lines.

In Science, Swallowtail Class will continue to follow The White Rose Scheme where the topics this half term are Skeletons and Movement.  We will be learning about the bones in humans and other animals, the functions of the skeleton and joints which help us move.  The children will have the chance to look at x-rays to further their learning.

In Maths, we are continuing to follow the White Rose Scheme; the children will be streamed into relevant groups according to the level at which they are working.  For Computing, the children will be developing their word processing skills, including typing, learning about the different symbols used, saving work, the undo function and editing.  They will use BBC Bitesize Dancemat Typing to practise touch typing. They will also be revisiting Drawing and Desktop Publishing. 

In Art/Making, we will be using a range of mediums to create art around our topic of ‘The Romans’. Activities will include designing and creating Mosaics, charcoal Roman Coin drawings, drawing a Roman Soldier and making a Roman Chariot model.  We will be making a range of autumn foods in Life skills/cooking, including cottage pie, vegetable soup, old school cake with custard, vegetable chilli, ‘bangers and mash’ and Halloween biscuits.  The children will learn the importance of health and safety in the kitchen and will be responsible for cleaning up after themselves. 

Music will be linked to our topic of ‘The Romans’ and science, as well as developing a range of musical skills.  Some of the children will follow Charanga Music, where they will be experimenting with a range of instruments, including drums, rain makers/sticks and wind chimes and will be exposed to different genres of music. We will be following the Jigsaw Scheme of Work for PSHE and our topic will be ‘Being Me in My World,’ where the children will be thinking about their year ahead, being a citizen in their country, responsibilities, rewards and consequences and their Learning Charter. 

The children in Swallowtail Class will be focussing on Fitness and Hockey in PE with Charlene on Friday afternoons and off-site activities this half term include swimming at Dorking pool on Tuesday mornings.  Our community visits will be on Wednesday afternoons and the children will have the opportunity to experience the local community shops, parks, garden centres, libraries and other local places of interest.

We look forward to an exciting Autumn Half Term!

From Klara and the Swallowtail  Class Team