Enchanting New Learning Themes for St Peter's 2-8

Thematic learning at St Peter's 2-8 gives each class a new, exciting theme every term. Throughout the term teachers let children’s curiosity lead the way, as they ask questions inspired by the theme.

Year 1's class text this term is The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton. Our pupils will be going on fun adventures into the lands at the top of the Magic Faraway Tree!

Throughout the term, Year 1 will explore some philosophical questions and key concepts linked to their School Values of Compassion, Hope, Trust, Humility, Wisdom, Endurance and Friendship.

• Are rules a good thing?
• Is it good to show our emotions?
• What does it mean to be kind?
• What does it mean to be respectful?
• How do our choices affect sustainability?
• Do our actions have consequences?
• Can dreams come true?

This term, Year 1 can look forward to:

• Bushcraft Adventures
• Gardening
• Science experiments
• STEM challenges
• Asking philosophical questions
• Collage
• Emulating different artists
• Surprise visits
• Challenging mindsets
• Baking
• Edible art
• Digital literacy
• Performance poetry
• Tree planting

This term Year 2's theme is Alice in Wonderland.

Year 2 had a visit from a White Rabbit at Forest School who gave each of the Year 2 classes their book before dashing off.

In their classes Year 2 will:

• Explore the themes and characters from the text using drama
• Write character and setting descriptions
• Create magical and wonderful adventure stories
• Compare the text and film versions
• Learn about plants and how they grow
• Investigate animal habitats and lifecycles
• Discover which animals are extinct and why
• Make potions to explore capacity and changing materials
• Learn how to tell the time and measure length and weight
• Bake using our maths skills
• Plan and prepare for a tea party and garden party
• Design book covers and illustrations
• Use ICT to make book trailers and explore green screen technology
• Explore famous artwork inspired by Alice in Wonderland

Year 3's class text this term is The Last Bear by Hannah Gold

When the Year 3 children arrived on Monday, they found a letter addressed to a man named Edmund Wood. Through extensive research and using Google Earth, they discovered that Edmund was a meteorologist who had been offered a job on Bear Island in the Arctic Circle. Edmund and his daughter April have embarked on an exciting adventure together which the children will discover more as they read their themed text.

This term our pupils in Year 3 will enjoy:

• Using drama to explore characters feelings and actions within the story
• Exploring the Arctic circle using maps and investigating the countries that lie within the region
• Identifying the physical features found in the Arctic
• Discovering which animals live in the Arctic and how they have adapted to their surroundings
• Discovering the Arctic climate and the differences between summer and winter in the Arctic, including the lengths of day and night
• Investigating the impact of climate change on the Arctic and the animals that live there
• Discovering the famous explorers of the Arctic
• Exploring different Arctic cities and towns and comparing them to York
• Learning about the traditional Inuit way of life, who they are and where they live
• Creating our own Inuit inspired sculptures
• Discovering the Aurora Borealis formations and using different art materials to recreate it
• Using Arctic animals and landscapes to inspire our own drawings, painting and sculpture’s using a range of media

Key questions our pupils will be discussing include:

• Where is the Arctic Circle? Where is Bear Island?
• How would you feel if you were told you were going to live in the Arctic for six months?
• What would you miss about your life in York? What would you look forward to seeing in the Arctic?
• What are the Northern Lights?
• Which famous explorers have ventured to the North Pole?
• Which animals live in the Arctic and what are their characteristics?
• What is climate change? How is it effecting the Arctic?
• What are the government doing to stop climate change?
• Who is Greta Thunberg?
• What can we do to help with climate change?