Foundation

Apple

This term in Apple Class has been full of excitement and discovery! From learning new skills to creating amazing artworks, we’ve had so much fun along the way.

In English, we’ve been diving into the world of interviews! We’ve learnt how to ask the right questions, listen carefully, and even conduct our own mini-interviews with staff at Heathermount!

In Maths, we’ve been busy exploring the world of volume and capacity. Whether we were measuring liquids or calculating how much our favourite drink could fill a bottle, we became experts at understanding just how much space things can take up.

We had an amazing Art Workshop where we put our creative hats on and made some true masterpieces. From splashes of colour to intricate designs, we loved experimenting with different techniques and materials.

And of course, we’ve had plenty of time to play outside with our friends as the weather warmed up. Whether it was racing around the playground or enjoying some sunny outdoor games, we’ve made the most of every moment.

It’s been a wonderful term in Apple Class, and we can’t wait to see what the next one brings!   

Cherry

Cherry Class has been supercharged with fun and learning, all thanks to our amazing topic: How To Be A Superhero! From Maths to Literacy to Art, everything has had a fantastic superhero twist — and we’ve absolutely loved it!

   

In Literacy, we’ve been reading and writing all about superheroes. We’ve thought about what makes a real-life hero, and even imagined what powers we would have if we could save the world!

In Maths, we’ve been spotting patterns in numbers — up to 20 and beyond! Just like superheroes look for clues, we’ve been using our maths brains to spot sequences, solve puzzles, and find clever ways to group and count.

Our creative sides came to life in Expressive Art and Design. We made Supertato-style super vegetables (yes, veggies can be heroes too!), crafted epic superhero masks, and even made our own superhero puppets ready to zoom into action.

One of the big highlights was our Art Workshop, where we became monster creator cartoonists for the morning! We designed our own monsters using shapes and colours.

It’s been an action-packed adventure in Cherry Class this term, and we can’t wait to see what our next mission will be!

Primary

Pine

Pine class enjoyed a fabulous trip to Legoland. They recapped their learning of the Continents and Oceans, then had the opportunity to build features from them! They also managed to get on some rides!

  

Willow

In PSHE, Willow Class has been learning all about the importance of keeping safe in the sun. They began by identifying different items we can use or wear to protect ourselves when it's sunny, such as sun hats, sunscreen, and sunglasses. The students then focused on sunglasses and explored how they help protect our eyes. They discussed the properties that sunglasses need to be effective and carried out investigations to test different materials to see which ones worked best. To finish off the project, the children used their creativity to design and decorate their own sunglasses, inspired by their favourite characters.

    

Elm

Elm Class have been busy becoming young geologists! They have been studying rocks, learning all about how different types of rocks are formed and what makes each one unique.

To make the learning even more exciting, they created edible soil layers using tasty treats to represent each part of the soil – a delicious way to understand science! They also had great fun making their own fossils, discovering how impressions are formed and preserved over time.

Beech

Beech class has been reading 'Holes' by Louis Sachar during guided reading. The story is filled with mystery, humour, and adventure and some relatable characters.  In science, students have been creating a display about the life cycle of different mammals.  Meanwhile, in history, learning was brought to life during the VE Day workshop on World War II which proved to be very engaging and informative.  

Oak

Oak Class have been developing their number skills by using number lines and counters to support their understanding of subtraction.

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Secondary

Earth

In their ASDAN cooking lesson, Earth class followed a recipe to make a delicious Dahl. Everyone worked brilliantly as a team, carefully following each step while developing their chopping, measuring, and teamwork skills. They finished by tasting their food and discussing the flavours together.

English

Mercury have completed their work on ‘Wonder’ by RJ Palacio and have now started the play ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child' by JK Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne. Students are excited to use their extensive knowledge of Harry Potter to approach this new text! They will be working on understanding the structure and elements of a play, including character development, plot and stage directions.

Saturn and Neptune are now studying ‘The Tempest’ by William Shakespeare. This introduction to Shakespeare’s work focusses on Shakespearean comedy and the supernatural and develops students' skills in analysing literature.

Pluto and Jupiter are continuing to work through ‘The Hunger Games’ by Suzanne Collins. They are learning about dystopian texts and the themes of power, control, oppression and resistance that are featured. When this is completed, they will start work on persuasive writing, to help to prepare them for Key Stage 4.

Mars are continuing to work towards their English Language exams which are fast approaching. We are practising questions from both papers, with a focus on understanding the questions and planning answers carefully.

Mercury, Saturn, Neptune, Pluto and Jupiter all had the opportunity to engage with a poetry workshop with visiting speaker Tomos Roberts (Tom Foolery). He shared his journey to becoming a professional poet and gave some helpful tips for how to start out with poetry writing.

Maths

Mercury finished their unit on fractions and have moved onto construction, measurement and geometric notation. This unit will continue into term 6.

Neptune and Saturn worked really hard on learning Standard Form in Maths, equating this to Scientific Notation in Science. They can add, subtract, multiply and divide numbers in Standard Form and swap between Standard Form and ordinary numbers. Next they will start looking at parallel lines and polygons.

In the last term of the year we will finish the units on geometry. There will be a unit on Data Handling that runs when the chicks are in school. Data on growth is collected, graphed and analysed.

Jupiter and Pluto have learnt how to perform transformations; specifically rotations and translations, of shapes on a coordinate grid. We have moved onto developing a clear understanding of Pythagoras’ Theorem, including when it can, or can’t, be used. In the last week we will start looking at Enlargement and Similarity.

In the last term of the school year, both groups will be starting work on their Key Stage 4 Maths. As there are topics for both GCSE and Functional Skills that overlap, we will focus on these in the last term of the year.

Mars GCSE will have completed the Paper 1 (non-calculator) exam already. The next two papers (4th June and 11th June) are both calculator papers. I would like to remind the GCSE Maths students that working out is required. Whatever is typed into the calculator, write on the exam paper. I wish you all the best of luck in the upcoming exams. You will all do amazingly! 

Science

Mercury have been developing their understanding of atoms and elements. They explored how scientists grouped elements by their properties, including an investigation into how Group 1 elements react with water. Most recently, pupils have been using Molymods to model simple molecules, helping them understand that atoms join together in fixed combinations. They’ve really enjoyed the practical side of science this term and have shown great curiosity about what elements are made of and how they interact.

Saturn and Neptune  have been exploring how plants support life on Earth. They investigated leaf adaptations and gas exchange, measured how our breathing rate changes with exercise due to respiration, and observed how yeast releases gas during fermentation. Pupils gained a clearer understanding of how energy flows through living things in different ways. 

Jupiter and Pluto have explored how substances move in and out of cells (diffusion, osmosis, and active transport), followed by cell division through mitosis and meiosis. They ended the unit by researching real-world uses of stem cells and sharing their findings in some fantastic presentations to their classes.

Mars have already completed their first two AQA Synergy Science papers and are now preparing for the final two exams in June. Recent lessons have focused on targeted revision of key areas such as resistance, momentum, genes and types of chemical reactions, as well as developing confidence with exam technique and formula application. Pupils have responded well to structured worked examples and low-stress practice tasks. With just a few lessons remaining, we are continuing to review core topics and boost self-belief ahead of the final papers. 

All the classes can look forward to meeting some chicks which will be hatching in Primary and in my Science room from the 9th of June!

Computer Science

The curriculum for year 9 has been enhanced to include Physical Device programming.  Students are programming BBC Microbit using Python. This will help students develop transferable programming skills.

History

To celebrate VE Day students across the school took part in a fabulous World War II workshop.

Geography

It's been a busy and engaging term in Geography across all year groups! Students have been exploring a wide range of fascinating topics, from the forces that shape our planet to the complexities of human interaction with the environment. We've seen enthusiastic participation in classroom discussions and creative project work. Keep an eye out for more details on specific year group activities in upcoming newsletters, but for now, a big well done to all our geographers for their curiosity and hard work this term!

Drama

In drama students have been looking at the different acting styles and techniques of naturalism and non-naturalism. Using a ‘night circus’ stimuli they have been working towards creating their own non-naturalistic performance. Students have also been finishing their ‘movie making’ topic, recording and acting as crew members to bring each student's storyboard into reality. This offers students the chance to look at the many different roles drama has to offer, and gives them experience of filming and editing their content, as well as managing and directing the rest of the group.

Music

The children in Foundation have been learning lots of songs and nursery rhymes. They have been using the chime bars to play with the pulse and accompany their performances. I am really proud of the way they have treated the instruments really carefully and shared them with their friends.

Pine class have been learning how to play the PBuzz. They found buzzing into the mouthpiece quite tricky to start off with but have worked hard to master the skill.

Beech and Earth.  There has been the sound of Hawaii coming out of both Beech and Earth class, as the children have been learning how to play the Ukulele. Learning to do different things with each hand has been very challenging, but they have had great fun trying.

In Secondary, Lucas has been working hard on composing his own music. He has recently written a piece called Bits In Space, and we were so impressed we entered it into a composition competition. We’ll have to wait a while before we get the results.

Art

It has been another inspirational term in Art. Read our Art in Term 5 News article and see our photo Gallery to learn more.

PE

Primary students have been developing their skills in a range of time games which have focused on problem-solving in small teams. The students have engaged really well and found the games/activities challenging and fun. Some of our older students have also been introduced to cricket. Cricket is a difficult sport to play. It tests a range of skills and consists of many roles. The students have shown excellent resilience throughout the topic and we have been thoroughly impressed with their attitude towards learning.

With the start of the summer term secondary students have been learning about cricket and tag rugby.  The students thoroughly enjoyed both sports.  They have been learning the different roles in cricket and developing their understanding of each one.  It has been impressive to see the students' attitude towards the sport and their understanding of the importance of teamwork.

  

They have also looked at tag rugby which is now becoming a favourite. Although we don’t do full contact (as desperate as some are) we have spent a bit of time learning how to execute an effective tackle outside of the game. The students found the sport hard at first due to the sideways/backwards passing, but we have been so impressed with their attitude and their perseverance.

PSHE

In PSHE this term Pine and Beech have been learning about online safety. Understanding how to be a responsible and respectful digital citizens. Elm class worked on their presentation about protecting the environment and did amazingly in their assembly. Mercury class have also been learning about online safety, as well as about the differences between local and central government. Saturn and Neptune have done some work on Religious Education, discrimination and political rights. They are now getting ready to do their creative project next term. Pluto and Jupiter have been learning about finance and how to look out for fraud and scams. This term Pluto went on a trip to Bracknell to help to work on their life skills and build independence. They bought their train tickets, games from shops and ordered their food all independently.

Business Admin

At the Enterprise Assembly, Mars students shared their experience of selling to the public and promoting their student company T-shirts at the trade fair.

Catering

Elm class have been practising making scrambled eggs using the hob. They tried and ate their dish.  The activity gave them the opportunity to revisit the skill of cracking eggs.  Eggs are used within many dishes and learning to crack them correctly really helps when baking dishes.

During bread week, students learnt that yeast is a living organism and that it needs food and liquid (warm water) to activate.  Year 9’s made stuffed bread, following a Level 2 recipe, to prepare for their Level 2 qualification in food production and cooking.   They filled their bread with mozzarella, basil, tomatoes and rocket. 

Construction

Construction students have been working exceptionally hard as they approach the final stages of their BTEC qualification. With only two units remaining, they are fully focused on completing their assessments and securing the full BTEC award before the end of the school year.

Their dedication, determination, and commitment to producing high-quality work are truly commendable. Each student is striving to achieve the best possible results, and their enthusiasm for the subject is clear..

Well done to all involved—keep up the fantastic effort as we head into the final stretch! 

Horticulture & Forest School

This term students have been busy planting lots of vegetable and flower seeds, then once they have germinated and grown into seedlings, students then potted them up or planted them out.

Foundation classes got the first pick of the year with some radishes that they then delivered to the kitchen.

  

Duke of Edinburgh

On the 7th–8th May, students successfully took part in their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh expedition.