Ashmead School

Autumn Term - Raiders of the Lost Ark

Wow! We have had an amazing first half term in years 3 and 4 and the children have really thrown themselves into our first topic - ‘Raiders of the Lost Empire!’. The children across both years have shown a great attitude to learning and we are really proud of how well they have settled into their new classrooms.

Since September, we have been working hard across the curriculum. We have been researching and informing others about the Roman Army. Including finding out about the different ranks and who was in charge, while also learning about how the soldiers had to train and use teamwork to be successful in battles.
In History lessons, we have been studying artefacts in our classrooms – including a very old helmet which we all had a chance to look at. This prompted lots of questions about the Romans. We’ve been learning about the Roman invasion and about Boudicca and her tribe!

In Science, year 3 have been learning about forces and how useful and important they are, while year 4 have been studying how sound travels. We have really enjoyed designing and creating our own Roman sandals in DT. The children were able to add a creative flair to a traditional Roman design! We have been very active in PE lessons, with sports across the team including basketball, gymnastics and hockey. Miss Bateman’s class have also started their swimming sessions.

We wish you a relaxing half term break and are looking forward to next half term, where we will learn even more about this fascinating period in history.

Click here to view photos of Years 3 and 4 

2025-26

Summer Term - Into the Wild

To begin the Summer term, the children gained an insight into our brand-new topic ‘Into the Wild’ – a topic embodying nature and everything that our local environment has to offer.

The children were introduced to the classic story of "The Wind in the Willows" and we relished the opportunities this brought us across the curriculum. In English, the children have created informative fact files and Top Trumps cards about the characters within the stories. They drew some wonderful drawings of the characters and decided on their scores according to their bravery, confidence, kindness and responsibility.

In Summer 1, we classified the characters in Science, as well as other animals and insects we have met in our local environment. Year 3 looked into what makes up a plant, what it needs to survive and stay healthy. In Summer 2, we learned all about rocks and soil. The children enjoyed observing, identifying and grouping different types of rocks, but a firm favourite was investigating how water moves through different types of soil. They compared sandy soil with loam and clay and discussed their fascinating results.

Geography this term has centered around a fieldwork investigations in the Environmental Area and Forest School. The children really enjoyed looking at the plants and animals that we are lucky enough to have and they even managed to see some frogspawn! They also explored how human development can affect habitats. Each class planned and carried out its own investigation, asking questions such as, “Are there more species of insects in Kate's garden or in the Forest School?” The children carefully collected data, chose how they wanted to present their findings and then designed eye-catching posters and campaigns to communicate what they had learnt about protecting our local environment.

Art has been a highlight for many of the children. We designed and created animal eyes using clay – the results have been incredible! In Summer 2, the children had lots of fun in their creative Design and Technology lessons. They explored different mechanisms before designing and making their own interactive creations inspired by "The Wind in the Willows". They experimented with pop-ups, pull tabs and simple levers, producing some fantastic moving designs - be sure to look at their wonderful work!

Of course, we cannot forget our wonderful experiences over the Summer! Year 4 thoroughly enjoyed their residential trip to Wick Court Farm trip in Summer 1. Of course, we can't forget our fantastic Sports Day! The children showed incredible determination, teamwork and resilience throughout the events, while also cheering on and encouraging their classmates. It was wonderful to see such fantastic sportsmanship and so many smiling faces. Well done to the winners, Hawks.

We are incredibly proud of everything the children have achieved this and year and can't wait to see what exciting adventures await them next year!

Have a lovely holiday!  The Year 3 and 4 team

Click here to see more Year 3 and 4 photos 

Wick Court Farm

Day 1 - Monday 27th April: 12:00 noon:  We arrived safely at Wick Court Farm! We can't wait to get started with all of the farm jobs. 8pm:  We had a wonderful first day and really got stuck into farm life. The children have eaten well and are about to go to bed happy and tired! 

Day 2 - Tuesday 28th April: Another fun filled day! Take a look at the photos below to see what the children got up to on their second day at the farm. 

Wick Court Farm Day 1 & 2

Day 3 - Wednesday 29th April: Wonderful Wednesday! Today has been all about bees, birds and conservation. The sun has also finally come out properly which we’ve all been enjoying.

Day 4 - Thursday 30th April: It's been a brilliant sunny day here on the farm and we've had lots of amazing experiences once again. A local story teller is coming in later which we are really excited for! 

Wick Court Farm Day 3 & 4

Day 5 - Friday 1st May: What an incredible week it has been! We have made memories for life. The farm staff were so impressed with the children's work efforts, teamwork and their brilliant manners. Wick Court Farm, we've loved every minute. 

Wick Court Farm Day 5

Spring Term - One Giant Leap

What a fantastic half term it has been in Years 3 and 4! The children have shown great enthusiasm, curiosity and creativity across the curriculum.  We launched our learning by stepping back in time to witness Neil Armstrong taking his first steps on the moon. This exciting hook led into our topic on the innovation of transport over the decades, where the children have started to explore how travel has changed and developed over time.

We were very lucky to welcome Mr Waugh, our ‘Rocket Man’, who brought in real-life rocket parts and explained how thrust is created. We watched some exciting, and rather noisy, experiments! The children were fascinated and asked some brilliant questions! 
In English, the children enjoyed some imaginative and thoughtful writing. They wrote a diary entry imagining they were Armstrong Mouse – the first mouse on the moon, before moving on to write a debate discussing whether Armstrong should have been allowed to go to the moon. The children impressed us with their creativity, reasoning and use of emotive language.

In Science:
• Year 3 investigated magnets and forces, exploring how magnets work and where
forces can be found in everyday life.
• Year 4 learned all about sound, including how it is made, how it travels and how pitch and volume can change.

We also enjoyed celebrating Roots and Wings Day, where we celebrated every child’s individual culture, language, beliefs and hobbies. The children spent time reflecting on where they are now in life and where they would like to be in the future, leading to some thoughtful discussions and wonderful insights into the children’s lives.

We finished the half term by practising dances and learning lines, ready for our performances to parents next half term. The children are very excited and have been working incredibly hard.
Thank you, as always, for your continued support. We hope you all have a lovely break and look forward to seeing you next half term!

Autumn Term - Against All Odds

It is hard to believe that the first half term has finished already!  What a cracking start to the year everyone has made.  The staff have all been amazed at how positive, hardworking and kind the children are, and if this half term is anything to go by, it's going to be a brilliant year.

In English, the children have been writing comparative descriptions, and in the final days before the holidays, these were presented in class, which was a lovely way to celebrate all of the children's hard work. 

 In History, the children have been learning about the history of the Paralympic Games and the legacy that Sir Ludwig Guttman left behind.  In addition to this learning about the amazing resilience and determination of Paralympic athletes, they have also been learning about inspirational people from all areas of life who have overcome some form of adversity. Last week, we visited Stoke Mandeville Stadium, where we had a tour of the stadium and visited the Heritage Centre. Some of us were lucky enough to have a go on the running track! Local Paralympian, Ella Beaumont, visited Ashmead and told us her story. She brought in some of her own wheelchairs for us to look at and try out, and she explained the different types of chairs needed for different sports.

In Science, Year 3 have been learning about the skeleton and Year 4, all about the digestive system.  In Geography, we learned about the incredible journey of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah who he took his inspirational 400 mile bike ride across Ghana from Accra to Kumasi. The children have been looking at the human and physical challenges he would have faced and we are all in awe of how brilliantly Emmanuel did.

In DT, we created our own sandwich or wrap. We spent the day trying different fillings and then planned our own, which we made later that day. This was then used in our English to write persuasive adverts trying to encourage others to buy our healthy snack. We created adverts and came up with our own slogans and statistics to make our snacks sound the most appealing. We loved watching the children beam with pride as they shared their adverts with their class. In Art, the children thought about their heritage and they created collage flags of the countries where they have family members; the results were truly stunning.

Earlier in the term, we had a wonderful workshop led by Karl from Kidz Fit where the children learnt about keeping their bodies and minds healthy, and of course, they all thoroughly enjoyed the Mini First Aiders Course which they participated in a few weeks ago. 

 In Autumn 2, the children thoroughly enjoyed the physical opportunities that the topic gave them. We all recently took part in our ‘Move A Mile’ session, where we ran, walked, danced or jogged one mile! Thanks to your generous sponsorship, we raised well over £1000! The final total will be released once all the money is in. Thank You so much!

 To end the term, we took part in the Santa Dash around the playground! A great time was had by all as we ran laps of the playground (again!) in Christmas hats and antlers while listening to festive songs! We have been learning lots of festive songs and we had a lovely, festive afternoon sharing our songs together – everyone sang so well!

We are very proud of how the children have worked this term and hope you all enjoy a well deserved rest over the holidays.  

Spellings