Dear Parents/Carers,
A warm welcome back! We hope you all had a relaxing Easter break. We are very much looking forward to another exciting few months ahead, filled with fantastic topics and opportunities for the children.
For details about what each year group will be covering this term, please see the Cottenham Primary School - Knowledge Organisers available on the website. We encourage you to read these with your children and talk about what they are learning at school.
As in previous terms, we are always happy to welcome parents into classrooms at the end of the school day to look at children’s books.
Year 1/2
Year 1/2 will be learning about the Great Fire of London (1666), with Year 2 pupils linking this to their knowledge of the Great Plague of 1665. In Geography, they will study hot and cold places, focusing on Ghana and northern areas of the United States (Alaska). They will link this with their Music work, composing music inspired by Handa’s Surprise. In Science, they will explore living things and their habitats, supported by a trip to the Cambridge University Botanic Garden. In DT, they will be making moving models, and in Art they will study Berthe Morisot and her flower paintings.
Year 1 will begin the term by learning how to write a recount in English while continuing to develop their accurate use of sentence punctuation and spelling through phonics and high‑frequency words. Similarly, Year 2 pupils will continue strengthening their grammar, spelling and punctuation accuracy while writing an adventure story based on Peter Brown’s The Wild Robot.
In Maths, both Year 1 and Year 2 will be deepening their understanding of place value and the number system before moving on to addition and subtraction, multiplication and division, geometry, measures, fractions and statistics - building on their work from the autumn and spring terms.
Year 3
Year 3 will conclude their study of pre‑Norman Britain with a focus on the struggles between the Anglo‑Saxons and Vikings. They will investigate where the Vikings came from through a geographical study of Scandinavia. Their Science topic is Life Cycles, supported by a trip to Wicken Fen. In Art, they will study the work of Giuseppe Arcimboldo, and in Music they will explore Indonesian Gamelan.
In English, Year 3 will be studying explanation texts, writing in the present perfect tense and using causal connectives. They will base their writing on life cycles. They will continue to strengthen their technical writing skills through regular grammar, spelling and punctuation work.
In Maths, Year 3 will continue to strengthen their understanding of key number concepts, beginning with work on statistics and place value before moving on to algebraic thinking. They will further develop their skills in the four operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division) while also exploring geometry through the properties of shape. Later in the term, they will focus on measures, including money, and build confidence with fractions and decimals. All of this learning builds on the foundations laid earlier in the year and prepares them for the more complex concepts they will encounter in Key Stage 2.
Homework
A reminder to continue using Numbots and TTRS regularly, as these are very supportive of the children’s mental maths skills (please contact the Office if you do not have your child’s login details).
At home, we would strongly encourage you to support your child/children to:
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Read regularly with an adult throughout the week.
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Spend around 30 minutes per week on Times Tables Rock Stars or Numbots. Short, frequent sessions are most effective.
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Practise spellings using the lists we will be sending home shortly.
Your support at home continues to play a vital role in helping us build strong foundational knowledge and skills. It complements and reinforces the work we do in school, and we greatly appreciate your contribution.
PSHE – Relationships Education
Our PSHE work continues to help children keep themselves safe, happy and healthy and to make good choices now and in the future. This term, children in Years 1–3 will focus on what to do in risky situations, including emergencies. We will also begin our RSE (Relationships and Sex Education) unit. All children will be taught that their bodies belong to them and how to keep themselves safe. They will learn the scientific names for body parts, including external reproductive parts. Please speak with your child’s class teacher if you have any questions.
Statutory Testing
This term, Year 1 children will take part in the national Phonics Screening Check. Year 2 children are no longer required to take SATs tests. Instead, they will continue to be assessed throughout the year, and their attainment will be shared in the end‑of‑term report.
Phonics Screening
Year 1 will complete the national Phonics Screening Check during the week beginning 8th June. Year 2 children who did not meet the expected standard last year will also be re‑tested. The check is carried out 1:1 with a Year 1/2 teacher and assesses children’s ability to decode using phonics. Children will be asked to read both real and pseudo (alien) words. We will continue to practise phonics daily in Read Write Inc sessions to support reading, writing and preparation for the check.
We aim to keep the test as low‑key as possible, but please speak to Mrs Hubbard, Mr Hemmings or your child’s teacher if you have any concerns. Results will be shared with you at the end of term.
Welcome to the Team
Following their placements before Easter, Miss Wood, Miss Lloyd and Miss White will be joining us for the first half of the summer term from the Faculty of Education, working with Mrs Salisbury, Miss Ison and Miss O’Connell respectively. Please do say hello and help us make them feel welcome!
A few requests and reminders...
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Please ensure children arrive at school on time, as latecomers often miss important information and can feel at a disadvantage.
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We kindly ask for your support in helping Year 1/2 children move safely through the playground at drop‑off and pick‑up. Encouraging children to walk and line up calmly helps keep everyone safe.
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Please ensure all clothing is named, as we accumulated a large amount of lost property last term.
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PE kits should be in school all week. Over the summer term, children will need shorts, a T‑shirt, socks and trainers.
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Please send only healthy snacks. KS1 children are provided with fruit at snack time.
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Toys and key rings should not be brought into school unless agreed with the class teacher. Please also avoid sending expensive water bottles or backpacks.
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Swimming sessions will begin once the pool is ready and the weather is warm enough. We will let you know your child’s swimming day soon. Children will need a one‑piece swimming costume and a swimming hat.
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As the weather warms up, please ensure your child brings a water bottle to school for classroom use.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me through the School Office or speak to me at the gate if you have any questions that your child’s teacher is unable to answer.
Key Dates for the term:
Tuesday 5th May – Year 3 visit to Cottenham Baptist Church
Monday 18th May 2:15pm - Year 3 Production
Week Beginning Monday 8th June - Year 1 Phonics Screening Check Week
Thursday 11th June - Year 3 Trip to Wicken Fen
Tuesday 16th June - 1/2SR and 1/2LW, 1/2TO Trip to Botanic Gardens
Wednesday 17th June - 1/2HR and 1/2GT Trip to Botanic Gardens
Wednesday 24th June - New Class Information sent to Parents
Thursday 2nd July - Transition Afternoon for new Year 1 and 2 Pupils
Friday 3rd July - 9:00am Year 3 Sports Morning
Wednesday 8th July - Transition Afternoon for new Year 1 and 2 Pupils
Thursday 9th July - 9:00am Year 1/2 Sports Morning
Thursday 9th July - Summer Fair
Friday 10th July - Reports sent to Parents
Wednesday 14th July - Whole-School Class Swap Day
Thursday 16th July - School Ends 2pm
Thank you for your ongoing help and support. We look forward to an enjoyable, exciting and happy summer term together.
With best wishes,
Chris Hemmings
Acting Deputy Headteacher
123 Team Leader