I have discovered a scheme that Sainsburys are currently running, which will support learning in Geography. Cards are given to you each time you shop and there is a collection book, which has many interesting facts. What great alternative to football/Pokemon collection cards!

We have been taking a close look at flowering plants to learn the names and jobs of the parts of a flower. We had some excellent ideas about what each part could be for and we thought of many questions too! Super Science skills!

I was delighted to receive a letter yesterday from Birmingham Botanical Gardens praising the excellent attitudes and behaviour of our Year 4 classes on their visit last last week. Two elderly members of the public visiting the gardens also
praised our pupils manners and behaviour. Look out for their newsletter piece this week about their Glasshouse Tour and the activities they participated in to research their garden project. I’m looking forward to seeing how they transfer their learning to our environmental garden once the mobiles are removed.  

To fit in with several of our topics, Year 4 went to Birmingham Botanical Gardens for the day. We had a tour of the tropical, sub-tropical, arid and Mediterranean glasshouses where we learned about the different places that useful plants actually come from, such as coffee, tea, rubber, cocoa and vanilla, as well as how they are adapted to survive where they live. For example, tropical plants have pointed, waxy leaves to help shed the heavy rainfall while Mediterranean leaves are soft and furry to protect them from the hot summer sun.

We also did a maths trail and explored the gardens including browsing the bamboo, rambling through the rock gardens and examining the exotic birds.

Year 4 had a fantastic day out and learnt lots too!

Reception have been busy outside in the garden planting tomato seeds for eco week, designing seed packets and making ‘turnip soup’ or mud pie!