Autumn 2

Christmas Wreaths

This morning, we went into the forest school area and had a grand old time making Christmas wreaths!

These aren't complete, however, as your children should be dragging you out around parks and woodland to find pinecones, rosehips and many other assorted decorations to add to your wreaths. Just don't eat any mistletoe!

We've had a busy afternoon in Charlies painting our clay pots and making a mosaic for our calendars.

Caratacus and Cartimandua

When Roman Emperor Claudius invaded Britain in 43 AD, the native Celtic Britons reacted to the mighty invading army in different ways. Some saw them as enemies to be fought. Others saw them as a means to grow richer. Today in school, we have done some drama based around two of the most influential Britons of the age.

Have a look at the video below to find out what happened to Caratacus in the end.

Spartacus and the Slave Rebellion

Today in Creative Curriculum, we have been learning about how Spartacus and his followers encouraged fellow slaves to rebel against the harsh treatment of their Roman owners.

We engaged in some drama, in which children were asked to act as a member of the Roman Senate. The Senate had been called together for an emergency session to debate how to deal with Spartacus and the slave rebellion. Three children were given the roles of real-life senators and, in character, they explained their view-points.

The other senators needed to listen carefully and consider what had been said in order to form an opinion and respond to the ideas that had been put forward. At the end of the Senate session, the senators were asked to cast their votes on how the Senate should act.

You'll be pleased to know that the overwhelming majority of the children voted to free the slaves and give them their own land. Even the children who had chosen to play greedy, selfish senators agreed that they would have freed the slaves, had they not been playing such a self-serving character!

Clay Work

Today in Charlies we had our second session of working with clay. Last week, we made a simple pinch pot and using tools to make patterns. This week, we've learnt how to add clay details such as handles and lids. We've been very impressed with how creative the children have been with their designs.

Romulus and Remus

We've been exploring the legend of the founding of Rome since returning to school this half-term. The children have really engaged with it and have been impressing us with their story-telling ability. I think that these respresentative examples speak for themselves!

A Day in the Life of Ancient Rome

Get in your TIME MACHINES, we're off to ANCIENT ROME!

In groups, our children went on an imaginative visit to different parts of Rome on their day in the city.

They needed to read the information carefully, then use their imagination and what they'd learnt to act out the scenarios for each location. There were some short conversation starters to get the ball rolling.

Can you guess what the children are acting out in these photos?

Then, go on a tour of a Roman villa.