Teachers
Mrs Trinh-Frost (Team Leader), Ms MacDonald/Mrs Sparrow, Miss Hills, Mrs Phipps
Support Staff
Mrs Wylie, Miss Wiseman, Mrs Butler, Mrs Peach, Ms Chan, Ms Thong, Miss Stanley, Mrs Swanepoel, Miss Dance, Mrs Wotton, Miss Platt, Mrs Howell, Mrs Evans
Arrival & Registration
The team doors are opened at 8:40am so the children can come in for their morning challenge.
We organise our belongings into our lockers, order our lunches or put our packed lunch onto the trolley . We put our water bottles and snacks in the trays. We then check the plan for the day and complete our spelling activity and the challenge. Staff then take the register promptly at 8.50am.
Snacks & Water
In the Middle Team, we bring in our own healthy snacks and water bottle to keep our brains and bodies active. We are encouraged to drink water throughout the day. We can eat our healthy snack during our morning break.
Break Times
We have a flexible mid-morning break that is taken between our morning sessions. This helps to keep our brains alert.
Middle Team Planner
We use planners to help us become more responsible and independent as learners. Everyone is given a planner that shows the different learning activities we will undertake. During a week, we have sessions called ‘Planner Time’. In these sessions, we can choose which activities to work on or be guided by ‘planner priorities’ listed by a teacher. When we finish a task, we put a hot cross bun or tick symbol next to the activity to show the teachers we have finished. We use the marking codes to know how to evaluate and improve a recorded learning activity.
We show our planners with our books. The teacher then looks at what we have done, address any aspects of our learning that need to be improved or ‘sign off’ the activities we have completed on our planner.
Spanish
In the Middle team we learn Spanish. this will consist of basic vocabulary around specific themes.
PE
Your child’s PE kit must be in school every day with each item named. Children need to have shorts (not baggy) and a red T-shirt, as well as a pair of trainers. A sweatshirt (without a hood) and joggers are needed for outside PE during the winter if it is cold. Trainers are also used when running the mile or additional outdoor activities. PE will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Forest School
Forest School sessions run on a fortnightly basis. These sessions provide children with opportunities to learn in a natural environment, building valuable skills beyond the classroom. For these sessions, children will need a change of footwear (ideally wellies or walking boots) and waterproof clothing to completely protect arms and legs.
Home Learning
Spellings: We are given new spellings every week on a Friday to learn by the following Friday. In the Middle Team, we learn new spelling strategies, rules and patterns to help in our writing as well as words from the National Curriculum Year 3/4 list. As well as learning the spellings, we complete a challenge using the words or spelling pattern from that week. It is important that we use these words meaningfully in our everyday writing. We also complete regular dictation activities.
Reading: To support our reading at school, we need to read aloud to an adult at home most evenings, to practise expression and help our understanding of the text. Please comment in the pink reading record at least 3 times a week as you read to and with your child. It is very important to discuss vocabulary meanings and stories in depth at this stage in their reading so that comprehension grows. You can use the reading bookmark with example questions to help you. Please encourage your child to write in their reading record to briefly review books and use their word card to record new vocabulary definitions.
We encourage children to take one or two books out of the school library at any one time and they can change library books before or after school, or during reading sessions. Parents are welcome to change books with their child after school.
Maths Challenges: We need to practise number skills and facts to help us with our calculations in mathematics. We use number bonds to help us with addition and subtraction and we learn all of the times tables to secure our learning of multiplication and division facts. We can use ‘Times Table Rockstars’ and other websites and games to help us learn our times tables and we will be quizzed on our mental maths every week at school. Our aim is to build up strategies for quick recall of number facts. Parents can support their child’s maths learning by referring to the Calculation Policy on our website and our MT guide.
Projects: Every term the Middle Team are given a major home learning project based on the topic we are studying. We have the chance to explore the topic in our own way. It is expected that the work will be completed at home, with optional help from family members.
Specific details will be sent home each term with plenty of ideas and suggestions. Members of staff are always available for advice or support. To celebrate our home learning, we invite families and the other teams to share our completed projects with us in our ‘Home Learning Exhibition’. This is also a time where we have a ‘sharing learning drop-in’ where children are able to show what they have learnt across the term.
Please read the Transition PowerPoint Presentation for more detailed information and see our MT guides to reading in the MT (in your child’s pink reading record book), learning spellings and times tables.
Parental Help
We are always delighted to welcome parents and other family members who wish to come in to help. Please contact Middle Team staff if you’re able to help. Thank you.
Year 4 Music Tuition
Berkshire Maestros will come into school for 10 weeks on Thursday mornings in the Autumn Term to teach pupils in Year 4 to play a tuned instrument.
Extra-Curricular Clubs
In the Middle Team we have lots of different clubs to choose from. Most of these are after school, but some take place during lunchtimes. An email is sent out explaining which clubs are running each term.
