Pupils at the Beeches Independent School enjoyed many enrichment activities last term, including a visit to the local Sikh and Hindu Temples as part of their Religious Education studies where they learned about the beliefs and practices of both religions, and had the opportunity to ask questions.
The inaugural Beeches Independent School Poetry Café was a huge triumph, with parents and carers gathering in the garden to celebrate the end of a successful term’s learning, and listen to our pupils recite their own handwritten poems.
The King’s Coronation generated huge excitement, and provided the pupils a chance to learn about the history of coronations and the Royal Family. They all wrote their own letters to the King, and made posters about the big lunch. In Period 3, they used a hexagon to write out their British values and made their own silhouette.
In the PE, our pupils visited Central Park to play football, badminton, go on the swings, climbing frames, and look at all the different species of birds in the park.
The pupils really enjoyed reading in the garden whilst enjoying the sunshine and fresh air. In English they have been reading Harry Potter and were given the chance to explore the Warner Bros. Studio in London. The visit deepened their love for reading and enabled them to see the books come to life. They also visited the park to collect sticks to make a Stick Man like the book.
In Art, they created various patterns in clay using different pieces of equipment, and drew scenes from books such as Mrs Armitage on Wheels.
In Science, pupils conducted experiments to test the friction of their shoes with Newton-metres on different surfaces and with different weights. They also investigated the capacity of different containers, made a compass for their Forces and Magnets topic, and tested air resistance by making a spinner of three different sizes and checking what the average was for the spinner to hit the ground.
In Geography they took a trip to Ferry Meadows to answer their fieldwork question: “Is litter a problem?” They also studied road safety, and completed activities to embed this learning and understand the role we must play to keep ourselves safe whilst cycling, such as creating a helmet.
In History, the pupils learnt about the Normans and made their own Norman shields using junk modelling and art resources.
Pupils have been cooking up a storm in their Food Technology lessons and learning new skills like how to safely use kitchen equipment, plate dishes, use cutlery correctly, and tidy up afterwards. They learnt about nutrition, different food production techniques, safety and hygiene practices, and research and development across the world. In one Italian themed lesson, they learnt about art and language, how to make orzo, and about how mozzarella is made. They also learned about the importance of Fairtrade and what sustainability means in fishing, before having a go at making their own dishes.
At our annual Sports Day, pupils, parents, carers, and staff all participated in various games, showing great teamwork and friendly competition. We then held an awards celebration where all pupils received certificates for their hard work this year.
As we have finished the academic year, we have had the chance to reflect on the progress and achievements made by our team and pupils. The school continues to provide our pupils with opportunities to expand their knowledge, as well as open their minds to a world of opportunity. We are excited to move to our new school site in September, and look forward to creating new memories.
