Owls Class 

23.09.25

Another year, another class of owls. They've all settled very well into their familiar nest - they were here this time two years ago and it's lovely to have them back. In Year 6, unlike in other schools, we like them to receive their leavers' hoodies in the Autumn Term. That way, they get to enjoy them all year round and they set Year 6 apart from the rest of the school. Don't they looks smart and grown up?

20.06.25

This week, we received a visit from The Theatre Royal and Olive Branch. The session was led by a trained actress and involved a warm up where the children mimed being Formula One drivers. They had to check their tyres, put their seatbelts on, start the engine and drive.  The children then went on to create freeze frames based on the words teamwork, diversity, perseverence and trust. 

13.06.25

Many members of Owls Class are very keen sportsmen and women. This week, we put their ball skills to the test with a netball tournament. This was held at one of our local schools and involved four other schools in the area. The children played very well as a team and exhibited a determined attitude. In the end, we came third out of five schools which was a great achievement on such a hot day!

 

06.06.25

Our hall display has been in great need of being replaced for a while now. Therefore, Owls Class were asked to create a decorative display to fill the roof space. The space is large so we needed to create some impressive pieces. We spent two creative days, making giant, colourful paper lanterns based around nature and wildlife. Many decorated them with beautiful flowers, butterflies and origami fish. The display os gong to be great!

 

29.05.25

This week, we attended Crucial Crew at the Sudbury Arts Centre where the children were taught about the dangers in everyday life. The children participated in a series of seven scenarios that showed them how to be safe in various situations, such as around water and fire. The active aspect of the afternoon made it unique, memorable and successful. This was definitely more valuable than anything we could teach them in the classroom.

 

16.05.25

Wow! What a week! The much anticipated SATs are over and the Owls took them all in their stride. Throughout the year, we've wanted to instil into the children that if you are organised and put the work in, exams do not have to be stressful. We certainly proved the point - the Owls couldn't have been more calm and we are proud of every single one of them. They are a credit to their families. As a reward, we treated them to a visit to Abbeygate Cinema in Bury, followed by a trip to the bakery for a treat and then to a picnic in the park. Fun was had by all!

 

  

 

09.05.25

Throughout the school, we use the CUSP curriculum for most subjects. English is carefully sequenced to ensure that learning is taught and revisited over time so that pupils commit their understanding to their long-term memory. Over the last couple of weeks, in order to commemorate VE DAY, we have focused on planning and writing a news report based on a night in the Blitz. Each child is enjoying typing up their report on their laptop, which enables them to organise and present their work like a professional journalist. 

 

 

02.05.25

Being a school in the UK has its merits but these don't include the weather! However, this week, we have been spoilt with days of beautiful sunshine and we have taken full advantage. At the bottom of our playground, we have had an 'outside classroom' installed - designed for sunny days like these. In Art, we're exploring using watercolour and have been creating the effect of movement in water. For our practical task, we took all of our equipment to the outside tables and enjoyed painting in the shade of the canopy. It was blissful!

 

25.04.25

At Lavenham, we believe that musical achievement relies on hardwork, dedication and fun! Rather than reading about others doing it, we'd rather our children danced to, played and created music. Today, to let loose after a week of hardwork, we found the beat of a song and danced to the music with all kinds of animals. Here, they are bopping up and down to the beat with a snake!

 

28.03.25

On Tuesday, we enjoyed a visit to The Theatre Royal to follow up on our Tiny Plays, Big Ideas project. Many schools took part and hundreds of plays were submitted. One was chosen from each school and professional actors played out the scripts live on stage. Our very own Maggie Freeman was the talented scriptwriter chosen from our class and her hilarious 'Cheeseland' play was performed. It had us all in stitches!

21.03.25

In Art, we have started to create 3D forms using a variety of techniques. Throughout this unit, we will need to consider the use of colour, texture and pattern and combine several pieces to make one structure. This week, we used an armature to create a biomorphic form that, once dry, holds its shape. Some of us made flowers, some made fires, whilst one of us made the midnight sky.

 

14.03.25

This week, we all enjoyed a trip to Thorpe Woodlands. We stayed for three days and two night and made some fantastic memories. We took on many great challenges including climbing on the high ropes, swinging in the Big Swing, canoeing and jumping into the feezing cold water. In the evening, we took part in scavenger hunts and woodland walks before settling down in front of the bonfire with riddles and Smores.

 

07.03.25

Tiny Plays, Big Ideas visited us this week. The Theatre Royal's playwrights taught us how to write plays. Two workshops were provided before we were tasked to write about anything that our hearts desire. An innovative, reflective or hilarious play will be chosen by the Creative Learning Team before being performed by professional actors on the main stage. We will get to witness the mayhem for ourselves!

 

19.02.25

As part of our Enrichment Day, Phillipa Gunn (a local artist) joined us for a fun, relaxing, supported two-hour painting class. Phillipa painted along with us and took us through the different stages, step-by-step, teaching us basic painting techniques along the way. As you can see, we're all super proud of our colourful Highland cows.

 

12.02.25

The aroma of delicious homecooking is permeating the school this week. In Food and Nutrition, we're asking the question - does food affect the way we feel? We're learning how to cook foods that are often pre-made and processed, such as tomato pasta, noodle soup and salads. By making them from scratch, we're recognising how homemade dishes can be designed to improve energy levels, mood and future health. 

 

07.02.25

We work hard and play hard in Owls Class. Being Year 6, we have the inevitable SATs in May and, this week, we've been sitting some assessments to gauge exactly where we are with our learning and what more the teaching team need to do to support the children over the next term. We're so very proud of everyone for their hardwork and determination, so much so, we rewarded them with cookies, donuts and pain au chocalat.

 

31.01.25

Our unit in Science this term is 'Light.' We're looking at how light appears to travel in straight lines and we're using the idea that objects are seen because they give out or reflect light into the eye. We're going to learn that we see things because the light that travels from light sources to our eyes or from light sources to objects and then to our eyes. Finally, we're going to appreciate that shadows have the same shape as the objects that cast them. There are lots of invetigations planned!

 

24.01.25

In PE this term, we're braving the cold and playing handball. Handball is an exciting and fast-paced team game that is popular which combines the techniques of soccer and basketball to create unique and competitive game play. In this unit, the children are learning to shoot, dribble and pass a ball in order to score goals over the opposing team. This week, the children learned to work constructively as a member of the team to support the ball carrier.'

15.01.25

In Art this term, we're looking at painting and textiles. We've drawn using perspective and have used a viewfinder to select a section of the drawing. This section was used to make reduction print and, today, we have used it as a basis for our batik art. Batik is a methhod of resist art, where the areas of a fabric surface are protected from paint and dye with wax which is applied with tjanting tool. This creates a patterned negative when the wax is removed from the dyed cloth.

 

19.12.24

Last day of term - time to have fun! Owls Class chose to have a Pyjama Day with films and hot chocolate with cream and marshmallows. In the afternoon, we enjoyed a disco with party games and food. They have worked so hard this term and it was great to see them relax and have some fun. Happy Christmas everyone!

 

12.12.24

In Years 5 and 6, all children have a statutory list of 109 words that they need to learn to spell before the end of Year 6. These words don't follow a any spelling rule, which makes them all the more tricky. This term, we set them the challenge of learning 30% more than they could in September. As you can see, many of them reached their target and were duly rewarded!

 

05.12.24

Today, Owls Class joined the members from the Good Neighbours Scheme for Afternoon Tea. The children enjoyed delicious cheese scones, warm sausuage rolls and blackcurrant squash while chatting with the elderly residents of Lavenham. Towards the end of the afternoon, there was a surprise visit from Father Christmas and a promise that they would all provide him with a carrots and a glass of Sherry!

 

 

29.11.24

Science again - this term's work is so exciting though! Today we were describing the interior of the heart and how it works. What better way to do this than with a real pig's heart? We dissected the heart and examined it carefully. Interestingly, we discovered the ventricles, atria, valves, purkinje fibres and the blood vessels leading to and from the heart. The children were most interested in how it felt, with one delving into the aorta and into the atrium! 

 

22.11.24

Following on from our lesson on the compoents of blood, we focused on the circulatory system as a whole. We learned that our blood flows through a closed network of veins, arteries and capillaries. Deoxygenated blood is found in the veins and passes to the heart to be pumped to the lungs to be oxygenated. This is then taken back to the heart to be pumped around the rest of the body for the cycle to start again. We represented the circulatory system using resources of our choice. Some of us were even confident enough to label the name of each blood vessel.

 

 

15.11.24

In PE, we are concentrating on Gymnastics. This week, we were performing symmetrical and asymmetrical counter tension balances and using transitional moves to link these. 

07.11.24

In Science, we are studying the human circulatory system. Our first lesson concentrated on the components of blood and what they are needed for. Our practical work involved making artificial blood. To a bottle, we added:

- Yellow water to symbolise the plasma

- Red smarties to represent the blood cells

- Marshmallows to symbolise the white blood cells

- Poms poms to represent the platelets

- A pinch of salt to symbolise the nutrients

Learning in this practical way certainly encourages us to develop and retain our knowledge in our long-term memories. We were so fascinated, so much so, we might even become haematologists!

 

25.10.24

In November 2022, Gainsborough's House re-opened after a transformational refurbishment, becoming the international centre for Thomas Gainsborough. As part of our enrichment programme at Lavenham Primary School, Gainsborough's House provides interactive and creative workshops across our year groups. This time, they brought their landscape studio to Owls Class and inspired the children to create artistic pieces in the style of Thomas Gainsborough.

Dance is an important part of the physical education curriculum. It is a creative activity that helps pupils develop coordination, flexibilty, strength and spatial awareness while learning together in groups too. Dance can also encourage social interaction and provide a positive outlet for emotions. With the benefits of Dance being so huge, we thought it would be great for the professionals from Dance East to provide a lesson for our Enrichment Day. 

 

16.10.24

In Design and Technology, we've been focusing on Food and Nutrition. We studied and created street foods from different cultures, such as burritos; pittas and humus; and samosas. The aim was to encourage us to think about our own diet and snacks and to think about how the nutritional value could be improved. 

 

 

 

08.10.24

In RE, we have been studying Hinduism and looking in particular at 'How questions about Brahman and atman influence the way a Hindu lives.' At the heart of Hindu tradition is the concept of Brahman. This term may simply be used to mean ‘God’ but God beyond any possible human classification, without form or attributes. Brahman may also mean a ‘world soul’ which is present through everything in the universe. Whichever meaning is used, Hindus talk of all living things containing a ‘spark’ of Brahman, which in humans is known as the ‘Atman.’ We made silhouettes to represent the 'spark' of Brahman shining out.

 

25.09.24

The focus of Modern Foreign Languages teaching in primary schools is on introducing children to basic language skills, such as listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The aim is to develop children's communication skills in a foreign language and to foster an interest in and enthusiasm for language learning. At Lavenham Primary School, the children learn French. In addition to teaching language skills, we feel it is equally important to immerse them in French culture. Therefore, we arranged a visit from a French native. He was very passionate about his country and took great pleasure in answering Owls' questions about food!

 

20.09.24

In Art, we've been looking at Surrealism and the artist, Frida Kahlo. We've admired the dreamlike quality of her work and have been bemused by the many different animals in her paintings.  We've realised the importance of proportion and applied this to our own self-portraits. Our final piece is a surreal portrait with images that reflect our many interests. 

This term, in Science, we're looking at electricity. Today, we learnt about what electricity is and how it moves around a circuit. We made series circuits and talked about how the potential difference forces the electrons through the conductive wires to the bulb, which lights up, before returning to the battery.

 

03.07.24

As part of our History unit, The Roman Empire, we visited Colchester Castle. This trip also encompassed the Iron Age which consolidated our learning from our last History unit, The Stone Age to the Iron Age. In the castle, we examined artefacts, dressed as Iron Age citizens, and built roundhouses and Roman villas. We also toured the base of the Norman castle, which was created from the foundations of the ruined Temple of Claudius. This was built when Colchester was the capital of Britain - this fascinated the children!

28.06.24

Years 3, 4 and 5 learn to read and play music with the Suffolk County Music Service. Over the last few years, they have been learning to play the cornet. Today, we performed in the beautiful surroundings of Lavenham Church and we truly sounded wonderful. We followed up our performance with an Afternoon Tea for our families - it was a great opportunity to build a sense of community.

 

20.06.24

At Lavenham, we believe that teaching RE encourages our children to respect others and helps them to gain a broader understanding of views and beliefs. It contributes to and builds a more cohesive community.

So far this year, we have studied the religions Christianity and Islam. This term we are learning about Judaism and how symbols and stories help Jewish people to remember their covenant or agreement with God. In our first lesson, we all made a Mezuzah - a little box with some Jewish rules inside. It reminds Jewish people that they have a covenant with God. It is placed on door posts within the home and is often touched as a person walks past and helps them to remember.

14.06.24

What a week! Our Year 4 children tackled their Multiplication Tables Check this week and we're so proud of how they all took it in their strides. We talked about how we were well prepared for this and that this was their chance to shine - and they certainly did that!

 

To add a little relaxation time to our week, we enjoyed some painting. We looked at the work of Kehinde Wiley, experimented with creating gradients with watercolours and manipulated poster paint beneath plastic wrap. Our final piece concentrated on positive and negative spaces and how they can contrast or compete with one another.

   

 07.06.24

We all know that practice makes perfect, so, to improve our reading, we need to read frequently. To encourage and reward the children for their efforts at home, we have set up the Book Buddy Challenge. 

The challenge is to read to an adult at least 50 times before the end term. Once those reads are complete, the children are able to choose a buddy to take home and read with.

The first to achieve our challenge are two of our most avid readers, Isla and Molly. These two really do enjoy their reading!

 

 

 

 

 

16.02.22

The East Anglian Railway Museum was the location of this term's trip and we weren't disappointed - we had an incredible day learning about all things 'railway.' The day started with a trip on the train from Sudbury Railway Station through to Chappel and Wakes Colne. It was the first trip on a train for three of us!

We spent the rest of the day mesmerised by the mechanics of the steam engines, pulling the levers in the signal boxes and dressing up as Victorians. Porters moved the luggage, children were weighed and 'First Class' was enjoyed! Bridges were crossed, crossings were opened and lunch was devoured. The day was finished off in the engine shed, with a viewing of Toby, Percy and  Thomas the Tank Engine!

    

  

    

  

 

11.02.22

How do you eat yours? That was the title of our first RE lesson on the Hinduism concept of Moksha. Owls learned about the belief that Hindus must follow a pathway to break the cycle of birth-death-rebirth in order to reunite with God.

They learned: 'There are hundreds of paths up the mountain to God, all leading to the same place, so the pathway you take does not matter. The only person wasting time is the one who runs around the mountain telling everyone his or her path is wrong.'

The children used their eggs as a metaphor - it didn't matter which way they chose to eat it, ultimately, they all had the same goal - to eat it!

 

 

09.02.22

Owls put their artistic skills to the test by creating printing blocks and using them to make abstract prints. Firstly, the children drew an observational drawing of a model steam engine. Next, they used a viewfinder to find their favourite sections of their drawings and created templates from these. Then they made a series of block prints from Styrofoam, cardboard and string. Finally, they enjoyed the process of creating block prints on fabric and paper, and monoprints using paper on porcelain tiles. They were most impressed with their fabric prints  - we had lots of 'WOW' moments!

    

20.01.22

As part of our current English unit, 'Float,' Owls brought in their snuggly blankets and enjoyed a blissful hot chocolate with fluffy cream and squidgy marshmallows. They all found a comfy spot and brainstormed descriptive vocabulary for their next sentence stacking session, where a drenched, dishevelled young boy arrives home to find the warmth of a soft, cosy blanket and a sweet hot chocolate.