Xylophones, Times Tables and a Journey to Jo’burg

Miss Steven • June 6, 2025

Xylophones, Times Tables and a Journey to Jo’burg

Miss Steven • June 6, 2025

A week of music, maths and meaningful reading

This Week in Ellen MacArthur Class:
  • We started reading Journey to Jo’burg and made predictions using the cover and blurb
  • Practised times tables daily in preparation for the multiplication check
  • Challenged Miss Steven to Rock Stars battles – and we’re winning!
  • Explored seasonality in Design and Technology, linking it to climate and availability
  • Played xylophone chords and began learning a full song in music class

This week has been full of exciting learning in Ellen MacArthur class.


We have started to read ‘Journey to Jo’burg’ by Beverley Naidoo and are delving into predicting what is going to happen in the book. We have used the blurb and front cover to help us make our predictions and are looking forward to reading on and seeing what happens next!


Every day this week have been practicing our times tables ahead of the Multiplication check coming up. We are getting super speedy and Miss Steven has

enjoyed trying to race us now she has her own Times Tables Rock Stars account – we are definitely winning at the moment! The children have been so resilient in tackling the tricky tables and giving it their best go every time; it isn’t easy but they’re showing our value of endurance by keeping going even when it gets tough.


When we’re not doing our times tables, we have enjoyed being creative. In design and technology, we are focussing seasonality. We have explored what seasonality means and looked at a calendar showing which fruits are available during which seasons. We then made good links to our previous knowledge of seasons and climate to explain why we can’t get every fruit all year round.


Music has been good fun this week too; we have been learning to play chords on the xylophone and are building up to playing and singing a whole sing together!


More posts

A young boy sits at a desk with a piece of paper that says 2 of 62
By Mr Crombleholme June 25, 2025
As the summer term wraps up, Year 2 have been busy with treasure maps, seaside snacks, sporty challenges and growing their own plants. They've also tackled tricky maths, dived into the past, and shared their most special books.
A group of children are posing for a picture in a classroom.
By Mrs Bushell June 13, 2025
Tim Peake Class have had a lively and fun-filled week! From earning the Attendance Cup and diving into drama with Pinocchio, to high-energy cone challenges and a taste of the West End, this class continues to shine in every way
A group of children are having a picnic in the grass.
By Miss Mew May 9, 2025
Reception have had a fun-packed week of learning, exploring everything from planting beans in sandwich bags to celebrating VE Day with a picnic. We’ve talked about important jobs in our community and had lots of hands-on fun along the way!
A group of children are sitting in a circle writing with chalk on the ground
By Miss Ramsdale May 2, 2025
From acting out Bible stories to exploring odd and even numbers, Mary Ellis class have had a jam-packed week of discovery. They've sorted materials, investigated castles, written about animals, and zipped through athletics—all while learning what it means to be a good friend
By Mr Crombleholme April 25, 2025
Before the Easter break, Tanni Grey-Thompson Class dived into Arctic adventures, cricket coaching, rugby sessions, and some impressive maths challenges. Their enthusiasm and hard work shone through across geography, science, RE, and sport — setting them up for another fantastic term ahead!
A group of children are holding plastic bags in their hands in a classroom.
By Ms Bushell April 4, 2025
Tim Peake Class have packed their week with geography games, science experiments, cricket coaching, and a lot of excitement. From planting broad beans to celebrating perfect attendance, it’s been a brilliant lead-up to the Easter holidays!
A group of children are standing in front of a dinosaur statue.
By Mr Craig March 31, 2025
It’s been a brilliant week in Year 4! The children finished their fairy tales, smashed their times tables, and explored the Natural History Museum – teeth, dinosaurs, earthquakes and all. A ferry ride to London made the adventure even more memorable!
A group of children dressed in costumes are posing for a picture.
By Miss Mew March 10, 2025
From a fascinating visit by the Wildheart Animal Sanctuary to pancake fun on Shrove Tuesday and World Book Day celebrations, Reception has had an action-packed week! With storytelling, outdoor learning, and creative activities, the children embraced every moment of fun and discovery.
A group of children are doing exercises in a gym.
By Miss Ramsdale March 3, 2025
From mastering numbers with fun visuals to exploring emotions like jealousy, Mary Ellis class has had a packed week! With cricket and tennis adding to the excitement, the children have been engaged, active, and eager to learn after the half-term break.
A boy and a girl sit at a table playing with a robot
By Mr Crombleholme February 16, 2025
From writing monster-battling tales to coding with Bee-Bots and sculpting with clay, Year 2 have been on an exciting learning journey! They’ve explored forgiveness in R.E., played invasion games, and even planned how to trap mythical creatures. Find out more!
Show More