Planning Overview

Our topic in the Autumn term is 'A Child of Our Time' 

Our topic this term will explore what life was like for children during the Victorian era and the Second World War. Children will discover how everyday life, education, family life and childhood experiences changed during these two very different periods in history.

✏️ Literacy ✏️

This term, our literacy learning will be closely linked to our topic, exploring the experiences of people and how they were impacted by the events of this time period. Children will develop their reading and writing skills through a range of engaging, purposeful activities linked to our topic.

Across the term, children will write a variety of text types, including non-chronological reports, letters, diaries, setting descriptions and newspaper reports. This will give them opportunities to develop their vocabulary, sentence structure and understanding of different writing styles, while deepening their knowledge of our topic.

🏛️ History/Geography 🏛️

In History and Geography, we will explore how childhood has changed over the last 200 years, from the Victorian era through to the Second World War and compare to the present day. Children will investigate what life was like for Victorian children, including education, child labour and Ragged Schools, and explore how events such as the 1870 Education Act changed childhood. We will also learn about the impact of the Second World War on children, including evacuation, while developing our understanding of the geography of the Allied and Axis powers. Throughout the topic, children will use historical evidence to consider how and why childhood has changed and whether childhood has improved for everyone.

🧱 Art/Design and Technology 🧱

In Art, we will explore the work of William Morris and his influence on Victorian interior design. Children will study his distinctive patterns and designs before creating their own print template. They will then use their designs to produce a final printed piece inspired by Morris’s work. 

In DT, children will explore pulley systems and how a drive belt, such as an elastic band, can be used to turn a pulley wheel. They will investigate how pulley systems work and how they can be adapted to increase or decrease the speed of rotation. The children’s final outcome will be to design and create their own working fairground ride, applying their understanding of pulleys and mechanisms.

📷 Computing 📷

This half term, we will be focusing on programming. Children will learn how to plan, programme and create their own variable-based game, developing their understanding of how code can be used to create interactive programmes.

Next half term, we will explore data handling and how spreadsheets are used in everyday life. Children will learn how to format cells and work with inputs and outputs to organise and present data effectively. 

🧲 Science 🧲

In Science, we will be learning about the circulatory system and the important role it plays in keeping our bodies healthy. Children will explore the functions of the heart, blood and blood vessels, and develop their understanding of how these vital parts work together to transport oxygen and nutrients around the body.