Maple Class Blog – Autumn Term 1 2026

What a fantastic and incredibly busy first half-term it has been in Maple Class! The children have settled brilliantly into their new routines and have approached every challenge with enthusiasm, resilience and positivity. To make things even more exciting, we welcomed an Ofsted visit this half-term. The children represented both themselves and our school wonderfully, demonstrating excellent behaviour, excellent attitudes to learning and a real pride in their work. We could not be prouder of how hard they worked throughout the visit and the term as a whole.

In Writing, we have been inspired by the wonderful story Diary of a Killer Cat by Anne Fine. We explored the key features of diary writing before creating our own diary entries, carefully including thoughts, feelings and events in chronological order. The children showed great imagination and creativity in their writing. We also wrote short narratives based on naughty Tuffy and his latest adventure involving a plate of delicious sausages! The children worked hard to use exciting vocabulary, detailed descriptions and accurate punctuation to bring their stories to life.

In Guided Reading, we continued to explore Diary of a Killer Cat in greater depth. We focused on developing fluency, summarising key events and discussing the actions and motives of different characters. We also practised our dictionary skills, learning how to locate words efficiently and use definitions to deepen our understanding of new vocabulary.

Our Humanities lessons have taken us back in time to Ancient Egypt. We have loved learning about the fascinating lives of the Ancient Egyptians and their unique culture. The children discovered how important the River Nile was for farming, travel and daily life. We also explored Egyptian beliefs about the afterlife, learning about gods, goddesses, mummification and the importance of respecting pharaohs after they had passed away.

In Science, we have been investigating magnets and forces. The children explored push and pull forces, learnt how magnets attract and repel, and investigated which materials are magnetic. They have enjoyed carrying out practical investigations, making predictions and recording their findings like real scientists.

In DT, we have focused on the artist Beatrice Wood and her beautiful ceramic sculptures. The children carefully studied her work before designing and creating their own clay pots. I was incredibly impressed by their creativity, perseverance and attention to detail throughout the process.

In PE, we became explorers, working both individually and with partners to create our own sequences of movement. The children demonstrated excellent control, balance and coordination, and I was amazed by the imaginative ideas they brought to their performances.

It has been a wonderful start to the year, and the children should be extremely proud of all they have achieved. Thank you for your continued support. Have a happy, safe and well-deserved half-term break. We look forward to seeing everyone back for another exciting term of learning!

Mrs Legg 🍁