This week, your child received their end-of-year report. We hope you find it a helpful summary of your child’s learning journey, perhaps with one or two areas highlighted where you can support at home.

Sports day

We enjoyed another successful Sports Day on Tuesday – some amazing performances and great sportsmanship (excluding some of the mums and dads who became very competitive and cheated!). Thank you to everyone who came to support their mini-athletes, and a big thank you to Mrs Taylor for all of the hard work behind the scenes.

Summer Fair

Our Summer Fair is on Friday 10 July from 3.20pm. It starts with Reception children performing around the maypole.

One of the competitions that you can enter features some very cute pics of some of the staff in their younger years. For a small fee, you’ll get a list of staff and some photos of lovely wee cherubs. All you need to do is match the angelic faces with the correct staff member. Here’s a sneaky preview at some of the photos:

Key Stage 2 assessments (SATs) results

Yesterday, we received news from the Department for Education about the SATs results:

Schools were due to receive their results on 7 July 2026. However, results will now be available on 16 July 2026.

I appreciate that schools have been waiting for these results and that this delay will be frustrating… The delay relates to the readiness of the system used to make results available to schools. Importantly, this delay is not due to any concerns about the quality of the tests or the accuracy of results.

It certainly is frustrating. we’ll aim to get results to parents and carers as soon as we possibly can.

2026-27 classes

This section is a repeat of an earlier email, in case you missed it…

Your child met their new teacher on Wednesday. Here are the year groups and teachers from September:

• Reception – Mrs Wood (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) and Mr Wilks (Friday)
• Year 1 – Miss Birch
• Year 2 – Miss Newman
• Year 3 – Miss Wilson
• Year 4 – Mrs Wadsworth (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) and Mrs Taylor (Friday)
• Year 5 – Mr McGriffiths
• Year 6 – Miss Goswami

We welcome Mrs Wadsworth who is joining us from Scholes (Elmet) Primary School. Mrs Palmer is going to work at one of the other schools in Sphere Federation. Good luck to Mr Volpe who is moving on to a new job.

If you’ve any questions or concerns, please ask Mrs Weekes.

Junior Warrior

Year 6 children loved Junior Warrior last Friday. They got incredibly muddy! Despite this, we only had a few shoes come off too – what a win.

As always, we hope you have a happy and healthy weekend.

What a week – it’s been incredibly hot. Rest assured, we’ve taken lots of precautions to make sure your child remains happy and healthy and as cool as possible.

This week, we were delighted to welcome a former pupil back to Moortown Primary. Along with his older brother, Kojiro started Moortown Primary in the same year that Mrs Weekes and I joined the school – 2007. He recently returned to Leeds from Japan to undertake a short medical elective at Leeds General Infirmary.

Enterprise event

Our Year 5 and 6 children have been exercising their entrepreneurial skills! Pick your child up from 2.30pm and have a go at the stalls they’ve created.

Sports day – reminders and requests

Moortown Primary’s annual Sports day is on Tuesday, weather-permitting. (Too hot? Too wet? At the time of writing, it looks about right!)

Gazebos: To help shelter children from the sun, if you have a gazebo that you can lend us (and help assemble), it would be greatly appreciated. Staff will be on sight at Roundegians from 7.45am. Use the entrance to the rugby club off Chelwood Drive.

Suncream: Please make sure that your child has suncream applied before school. They should also bring a hat and water bottle. They can also bring cream to reapply at lunchtime.

Start times: KS2 starts at 9.30am; Reception and KS1 starts at 1.30pm.

Walkers: If you’re able to help us to walk the children from school to Roundegians, it would be really helpful. Please be at school from 9.00am for KS2 and from 1pm for Reception and KS1.

Tremendous times tables

Every year across England, children in Year 4 do an online Multiplication Tables Check. Last year, the national average was 21 out of 25. Just over a third (37%) achieved top marks.

At Moortown Primary, our Year 4 pupils have achieved an average of 23.6 out of 25 – way higher than last year’s national average.

Just as impressive, 60% of pupils got top marks – 25 out of 25.

Amazing! Well done to all our Year 4 pupils and thank you for your support at home.

Leeds SEND WhatsApp channel

Leeds has launched a new WhatsApp channel for families to find out more about the Leeds local offer. There’s news about Local Offer developments, SEND service updates and information about events for families. Join the WhatsApp channel here.

Earrings

Last week, we let you know about our updated Uniform Policy, so you’ve plenty of time to start thinking about any changes ready for September. This week, we’d like to focus on just one part of the policy – earrings.

Discreet (small, not brightly coloured) stud earrings are allowed. However, earrings can cause serious injury: imagine a bang against the ear… serious accidents occur as a result of contact between pupils wearing earrings or studs and other pupils or equipment, thus damaging the ear, or where items of jewellery have caught in apparatus and torn the ear lobe.

We expect your child to remove earrings before PE lessons and put them back in after the lesson. This will be carried out by your child. If they’re unable to remove or put their earrings back in by themselves, they must not wear them on the day they have PE.

Please consider the risk of injury during other active times such as an after-school club or class trip.

If you do want to pierce your child’s ears, please do so at the start of the summer holidays so sleepers and studs can be removed in September.

Marvellous mathameticians

Yesterday, some of our Y5 children went to Allerton Grange to take part in their annual  ‘Primary Maths Challenge’.

Humayrah, Aaniyah, Oliver and Raphael represented the school brilliantly. Not only that, they performed so well that they scored higher than all the other primary schools who attended and won the challenge. Amazing job – well done!

Finally this week…

Three of our Y1 friends had a very active weekend last week. They took part in a 2.5K inflatable obstacle course and raised over £500 for St Gemma’s Hospice (one of our previous chosen charities) – well done for thinking of other people!

Have a happy and healthy weekend.

Well done to all our Year 2 skippers who took part in recent the Year 2 Skipping Festival. Sadly, we weren’t the winning school but we were so pleased to have received so many awards. Read more in the Year 2 Class News.

Thanks to everyone who completed the annual survey. We’ll review the results and update you soon.

Dates for your diary

Here’s an example of how we’ve previously acted on your feedback… In previous annual surveys, you’ve said the earlier you know dates, the better. That’s why we’re busy adding dates for next year into our calendar.

Most of the 2026-27 dates are already there. On rare occasions, we sometimes have to change a date. For next year, we’ve had to move a training day due to a clash out of our control. The training days when school is closed are now:

• Tuesday 01 September 2026 – straight after the summer holiday
• Friday 02 October
• Friday 23 October – just before the October half-term break
• Monday 07 December
• Monday 07 June – just after the Summer half-term

There’s a lot going on as we approach the end of the school year. Please check our calendar for what’s going on.

Uniform update

Another thing we’ve done based on feedback in previous annual surveys… Around this time of year, we review and update our Uniform Policy. This is so you’ve plenty of time to start thinking about any changes ready for September. Please read our updated policy.

The main points haven’t changed:

• Pupils should dress appropriately and respectfully for school (including on non-uniform days)
• All clothing should be clearly labelled
• Avoid expensive items – we don’t accept responsibility for any loss or damage to an individual’s property

Sports Day

This year’s Sports Day takes place on Tuesday 30 June at Roundhegians Rugby Club, LS8 2AT. (If weather conditions mean we have to change the date, the reserve date is Thursday 02 July with the same timings.)

• Key Stage 2 events take place 9.30am-11.30am
• Reception and Key Stage 1 1.30pm-3pm.

Spectators are welcome. Access to Roundhegians Rugby Club is from Chelwood Drive. Please bring your own seating.

We’ll be walking the children to Roundhegians on the day. If you’re able to help accompany the children, please let the office know.

Our teams will be green, blue, white and red. Your child has been told their team. If possible, please could your child wear a t-shirt to wear to match their team colour.

On the day, your child will need their water bottle and a cap/hat at school. It would also be useful if you could apply sun cream before your child comes to school.

Normal lunch time and end of school collection arrangements still apply on this day.

SEND inspection

Yesterday, Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission published their Area SEND Inspection report for Leeds. Its inspection outcome is:

There are widespread and/or systemic failings leading to significant concerns about the experiences and outcomes of children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), which the local area partnership must address urgently.

The local authority fully accept the findings and welcome the report as ‘an important and independent assessment of our services and a clear starting point for the next stage of improvement’.

The report identifies areas where the wider system must improve. It does also recognise that important steps are already being taken to strengthen leadership, governance and partnership working.

We know that some parents are unhappy with the support that we’ve provided for their child with SEND. We hope you recognise we’re working in a very challenging context. Locally and nationally, we’re told systems and support will improve.

Summer savings

The Great British Summer Savings scheme starts next week. Running from 25 June to 01 September 2026, its aim is to help families feel a bit less squeezed this summer.

The scheme includes reduced VAT on days out, including tickets at attractions like soft play, adventure centres and theme parks, children’s tickets for theatres and cinemas, and children’s meals in restaurants. Children aged 5 to 15 in England will also be able to travel free on local bus services throughout August.

Have a happy and healthy weekend.

You’ve still time to complete our parent/carer survey – it closes on Monday at noon. We really want to hear your views, especially about mobile phones in school.

Near the start of each half-term, we like to give you an overview of the topic in Key Stages 1 and 2…

What is this half-term’s topic?

Design and Technology is the driving subject for this half-term. It’s a great topic to finish the year! The focus for all classes this year is textiles (next year, it’s construction). Children will be busy designing and making products using fabric.

A key aspect of the Design and Technology curriculum is the understanding that products don’t just get made. Instead, they go through a design process that includes three key elements: evaluate, design and make. Think of this process as a cycle. For example, Sphere Motors want to create a new family car. Before the car is made, they need to evaluate existing products and talk to customers so that they’re clear about what the new car needs to have. They will then design the car and evaluate those designs. They may make a prototype of the car to help them evaluate the designs. Next, they’ll decide on a final design that will go into production and get made. This finished product will be evaluated and the whole process starts again.

Each phase has age-related specific knowledge, skills and vocabulary that they’ll learn, use and apply across the topic. See page 14 and 15 of the Topic Curriculum Guide.

Each phase has age-related specific knowledge, skills and vocabulary that they’ll learn, use and apply across the topic. See page 14 and 15 of the Topic Curriculum Guide.

Each phase has age-related specific knowledge, skills and vocabulary that they’ll learn, use and apply across the topic. See page 14 and 15 of the Topic Curriculum Guide.

Years 1 and 2

The product the children will be designing, making and evaluating is a hand puppet. They’ll start by learning about the design process before looking at and evaluating existing hand puppet products. They’ll then learn to use an over stitch and practise threading needles and tying knots. Following this, they’ll be introduced to all the materials they can use to create their puppet. Once they’re familiar with the materials, they’ll design their puppet. Next, it’s on to the making stage. They’ve already honed their sewing skills so they should be confident making and then decorating their puppets according to their designs. Finally, it’s evaluation time: children will compare their designs to their finished products. They’ll reflect on successes and things they’d do differently next time.

Years 3 and 4

The product the children will be designing, making and evaluating is a pouch. The function of this pouch is entirely up to them. It could be used to store some pens, trading cards, a shell collection. Children can be as creative as they like – as long as the pouch can be made using a 20cm² piece of felt!

Before they begin to design their pouch, they’ll learn about a famous designer and how they became a designer. They’ll also learn some important skills that a designer needs to have. Children will then evaluate existing pouches, with a focus on fastenings, and then design their pouch. They’ll practise their sewing skills, becoming proficient using a running stitch. They’ll then begin to make their pouches. First, they’ll create a template which they’ll use to cut out the pieces. Next, they’ll join the pieces using their running stitch and create a fastening for their pouch. Finally, they’ll evaluate their designs by comparing them to their designs, testing whether they’re fit for purpose and reflecting on their successes and areas to improve.

Years 5 and 6

The product the children will be designing, making and evaluating is a cushion. However, before they get stuck into their cushion, they’ll learn about some designers who changed the world. They’ll learn about their creations and their impact and look for things that link the designers. Following this, children will learn about the importance of design criteria when designing a product. After this, they’ll be practising their sewing skills and develop their skills in using a running stitch and possibly a backstitch. Next, they’ll evaluate existing cushions to get inspiration for their designs. They’ll then decide on the specific design criteria for their cushions and create their designs using an annotated sketch, detailing the dimensions of their product. They’ll learn about the importance of using sustainable materials when researching the filling used for their cushion (the plan is to use old, unwanted pieces of fabric to stuff the cushions rather than Polyfill so please have a look through your wardrobe and keep hold of any old t-shirts or other clothes as we’ll need them later in the half-term).

Children will use a template to cut out the shapes, use a running stitch or backstitch to applique decoration to their cushion before finally sewing the pieces together and stuffing them. The final stage is to evaluate the designs against the design criteria.

How can you help?

Talk to your child about what they’ve been learning in class. The Class News page of the school website is a good place to go to find out more about what the children are doing.

The school library and local libraries will have some books about Design and Technology which your child will be able to borrow and develop both their reading skills and design knowledge.

Finally, there’s a lot of programmes on CBBC and CBeebies with a Design and Technology focus:

• Bitz and Bob
• Grace’s Amazing Machines
• Junk Rescue
• Maddie’s Do You Know?
• The Dengineers

Finally this week…

Two of our Y5 friends visited the Civic Hall to take part in the Leeds Children’s Mayor Summit. As well as learning some sign language and visiting the council chambers, they also met the Lord Mayor and Sienna, the current Leeds Children’s Mayor.

A great day with some very different experiences!

We hope you enjoyed a happy and healthy half-term break, whatever you and your family got up to.

Just before the half-term break, we had our Staying safe themed week. During this, all classes learnt important knowledge around water safety. To emphasise this and in light of recent events in the warmer weather, here are some top tips for keeping children safe around water.

This week’s message continues with a couple of reminders…

Your views matter

There’s still time to complete our whole-school parent/carer survey. This year, as well as questions closely related to what Ofsted might ask, we’re asking a few extra questions about mobile phones – we really want to hear your views.

Complete the Moortown Primary survey here. The closing date is Monday 15 June at noon.

Relationships and Sex Education

In the first three weeks of this half-term, children in Years 1 to 6 are taking part in Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) lessons. Please be assured that RSE is delivered at a level appropriate to both the age and development of pupils. Lessons are led by children’s class teacher and take place in a safe learning environment.

Please check out these sections of our RSE policy:

• Section 9 provides a list of the vocabulary that will be used (pages 7 and 8)
• Section 11 includes an overview of the topics that will be covered (page 11 includes a table to show the learning across each year group)

If you’d like to find out more, discuss any concerns, or speak to someone in more detail, please contact your child’s class teacher or Mrs Weekes.

Staying safe on our roads

Sadly, not everyone parks their car safely or respectfully. If you’re aware of an ongoing problem, make your views heard: please report it to Leeds City Council. There are various options, including:

• report a road safety issue
• report a speed concern

Attendance matters

The national attendance rate for primary schools is 94.9%. Moortown Primary’s attendance rate is 96.3%, well above the national figure. Thank you for helping to make sure your child is in school as much as possible.

This week’s message is a day earlier because of the training day tomorrow.

Your views matter

Every year, we invite you to complete a short survey. Your views matter. They help to shape what we do in the forthcoming year(s).

This year’s survey features a series of questions closely related to what Ofsted might ask parents during an inspection. Towards the end, we’re asking just a few extra questions about mobile phones – we really want to hear your views.

Complete the Moortown Primary survey here. We’ll send a few reminders before the closing date, which is Monday 15 June at noon.

It’s worth bearing in mind that if you raise in the survey something very specific that needs to be addressed, we can’t easily act on this without your child’s name. In fact, the survey isn’t the best place to raise individual, specific concerns – hopefully, you’re comfortable to speak with your child’s class teacher or Mrs Weekes about these instead.

You said, we did

Last year, you told us you’d like food offered at breakfast club. We now offer breakfast (non-sugary cereals; toast or crumpets; yoghurts; fruit). Linked with this, we’ve extended times in breakfast club: we now start half an hour earlier in the morning. This change has been welcomed by parents and wraparound care is well attended.

Last year, some of you also expressed some concern around some of the food served at wraparound care. A school leader has now attended training about food standards and the offer of food is gradually changing over time, with more nutritional snacks offered.

Last year, you told us you’d like children to use The Green more often. We now have a Trim Trail (courtesy of PTA) to create different experiences in that area. The introduction of Forest School has also expanded ways that the children can explore the outdoors and has given more opportunities for play without structured equipment eg building dens; rope swing.

School meals prices

To enable Catering Leeds (our school meal service provider) to ensure the financial sustainability of the service, we’ve been informed that, unfortunately, school meal prices are going to increase from September. The increase in prices is to cover rising food costs and increased labour rates for all frontline catering staff.

From September, the price of a school meal for children in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 will be £3.20 per day. (Children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 will continue to receive Universal Infant Free School Meals.)

As you’ll no doubt have heard in the news, school budgets are becoming increasingly tight. We have no choice but to pass on the cost increases to parents/carers, to ensure we have as much money as possible for teaching, learning and providing a varied curriculum for our children.

Relationships and Sex Education

Nationally, all primary schools are required by law to teach Relationships Education and Health Education. In Sphere Federation schools, we’ve provided RSE lessons successfully as part of Living and Learning for many years.

In the first three weeks of Summer 2, children from Year 1 to Year 6 will take part in Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) lessons. Please be assured that RSE is delivered at a level appropriate to both the age and development of pupils. Lessons are led by children’s class teacher and take place in a safe learning environment.

In the latest update to the statutory guidance for Relationships, Sex and Health Education, we welcome the inclusion of correct terminology for body parts, including genitalia. This reflects established best practice when it comes to giving children the knowledge they need to stay safe, including the ability to identify and report signs of abuse. We’ve been teaching the anatomical names for body parts for many years.

We refer you to these sections of our RSE policy:

• Section 9 provides alist of the vocabulary that will be used (pages 7 and 8)
• Section 11 includes anoverview of the topics that will be covered (page 11 includesa table to show the learning across each year group)

We know that you may have some issues / concerns. If you’d like to find out more, discuss any concerns, or speak to someone in more detail about the teaching and learning planned for this important aspect of your child’s education, please contact your child’s class teacher or Mrs Weekes.

Similarly, you have the right to request that your child be withdrawn from some or all of the lessons that can be regarded as ‘sex education’. For our school, this comprises lessons in Year 6 on what human reproduction is and how babies grow. Please see the government’s factual guide to RSE for parents: Understanding Relationships and Health Education in your child’s primary school: a guide for parents. If you wish to withdraw your Year 6 child from RSE, please contact Mrs Weekes to discuss the matter. (See page 6 of the RSE policy for more information about your right to withdraw your child.)

We’re committed to working in partnership with parents. Parental feedback indicates that the overwhelming majority of parents are highly supportive of our Relationships and Sex Education programme.

Staying safe

This week has been our Staying Safe themed week in school.

The Junior Leadership Team were busy on Monday making sure The Green is safe. They looked at all the different areas with Mrs Weekes and created a risk assessment so that The Green can be used safely by everyone. They then tested the trim trail to make sure it was safe!

One of the most important ways to help your child stay safe is when they’re online. Gov.uk has a site dedicated to online safety for children. Find practical information from trusted places to help you feel more confident on the steps you can take to protect your child online.

Have a happy and healthy half-term.

First this week, a big well done to our Year 6 pupils. This week has been SATs week. It can be a tough week, but the children have approached the week with a happy and healthy attitude. 

Next week…

It’s World Baking Day on Sunday. Celebrate by baking and bringing your treats into school for a PTA Bake Sale on Monday 18 May.

It’s our Staying Safe themed week. Due to the rising costs of visitors to school, we’re asking for a voluntary contribution of £2 per pupil to go towards paying for visitors. This can be made on Arbor. Thank you for your support with this.

Talking about staying safe…

Does your child have a squishy, squashy toy?

We’ve heard of reports that children and young people are microwaving squishy silicone toys after seeing online videos claiming this makes the toys softer and more pliable. When the toy is squeezed afterwards, it can burst and spray boiling material – this can lead to children’s hands and faces being seriously burned.

We’ve two pieces of advice…

• Obviously, don’t allow your child to use a microwave to heat up any toys like this.
• Make sure you supervise your child if they’re online so you can review messages such as this one.

Are you struggling to get your child to see a dentist?

The Leeds Dental Institute Student Clinic has introduced a scheme in which they’re accepting parental referrals for children to receive a course of treatment. This means they’re able to offer appointments to children on
a first-come first-served basis. (It’s not intended for emergency treatment.)

Find out more and access the referral form.

The Big Future

It is the Children’s Commissioner’s role to promote the views and interests of children in England. To build on two previous surveys (The Big Ask and The Big Ambition), she’s launched her final survey: The Big Future.

I am asking children about the changes they want to see in their communities, their biggest concerns, and their hopes for the future. More than anything, I want to know what they think a good childhood should look like today.

Your child can complete the survey here.

Family hub support

Family hubs are support families by bringing together a range of services into one easy-to-access space. Whether you need parenting advice, health support, education guidance, or help navigating local services, family hubs might be able to help.

You can drop in during opening hours or contact your nearest family hub to schedule an appointment. Some services may require booking in advance, so it’s best to call ahead if you need a specific service.

Call 0113 535 0185 or email [email protected] to find out more.

Have a happy and healthy weekend.

Now that we’re into the Summer term, please remember to make sure your child is protected from the sun: sun cream, hat, plenty of water.

We hope our Year 4 children enjoyed their residential to Herd Farm which was this week.

We kick off this week’s message with a question…

Have you thought about becoming a governor?

We have vacancies on our Governing Board. The role involves acting as a ‘critical friend’, providing support and challenge at a strategic level. There are six core Governing Board meetings in the year, three online and three in person, plus occasional additional meetings. There are also visits into school, the focus of these would depend on your role as governor.

If you’re interested, please contact the Chair of Governors, Rachel Cooper: [email protected]

Read more about the Sphere Federation Governing Board.

Staying Safe themed week

Our next whole school themed week, based around Staying Safe, is from Monday 18 May 2026.  The key message is how to be safe in a range of situations – at home, at school, online and in the environment.

A variety of events and visitors are planned to help us deliver this key aspect of education including road safety (Leeds City Council); water safety (Canal and River Trust and RNLI); fire safety (West Yorkshire Fire Service); first aid; safety in our community (PCSOs), martial arts (BMMA) and drug education (d:side). Some of the events require parental permission and these letters have been sent out separately.

On Tuesday 19 May, from 3.00pm to 3:30pm, there’s a drug education drop-in information session in the playground. A representative from d:side, a health education provider, will be available to discuss details of your child’s drug education learning in the themed week.

The themed week is a good opportunity to continue to think about healthy, active and safe ways to travel to school.  Children are encouraged to travel to school in a sustainable way, keeping safe along the way. For a chance to win one of three £10 vouchers, we’d love to see their active travel staying safe photos, maybe using a traffic crossing or wearing their bike helmet (send photos to [email protected]). Photos should be sent by 10am on Thursday 21 May and winners will be announced on the same day.

Can you help? Does your job involve an aspect of safety?  If you’re able to support our Staying Safe themed week by coming into school to speak to children, please contact us via the office or your child’s class teacher.

Due to the rising costs of visitors to school, this year, we are requesting a voluntary contribution of £2 per pupil to go towards paying for visitors. This can be made on Arbor. Thank you for your support with this.

We’ll keep you up to date about events during the week on the Class News pages. Thank you for your support to keep Moortown Primary a happy, healthy and safe school.

Bike marking

Prior to the Staying Safe themed week, our PCSOs are holding a bike marking event at school. Please bring your child’s bike to school from 8:30am on Thursday 14 May. You’ll need to provide your name, address, phone number and email address for the bike to be added to the national bike register.

To our Year 6 children: All the best for your end of Key Stage 2 SATs assessments next week.

And to everyone: Have a happy and healthy weekend.

Don’t forget Monday is a bank holiday, so we’ll see you next week on Tuesday.

Now, let’s find out more about our Summer 1 topic…

What is this half-term’s topic?

This half-term we are geographers. The topic is called Explorers.

In this geography-driven topic, we’re comparing a place in the United Kingdom with a place in another country. Y1,2 children are heading to Kenya in Africa, Y3,4 children are having a mini-break in Venice, and finally, Y5,6 children are trekking through the Amazon Rainforest in South America.

Across the year groups, children will develop their understanding of some key geographical concepts:

• Location is a position (eg a country, a city), often described in a clear, precise way (ie using a latitude and longitude). It is separate from people’s perceptions and experiences.
• Place = location + meaning. This will include the physical and human geography that make a place unique. Importantly, place is not rigid. It is changing and can be perceived in different ways.
• Scale is defined by the relative sizes of places. This could be differences in area, population or distances. Scale can also be defined by our view of the world. For example, we may consider an aspect of geography on a local, national and international scale.
• Interdependence is the idea that the world is connected and that countries or individuals do not act in isolation. Our actions here affect people in different countries around the world, for example, food, energy, holidays, climate.

Check out our Topic Curriculum Guide for more information about key concepts (page 17) and age-related expectations and vocabulary (page 20 and 21).

Year 1,2

Children have begun the topic by learning about the different continents and oceans in the world. They’ll learn about the equator and how it splits the Earth into two hemispheres. They’ll then focus on a specific continent, Africa, and a specific country within that continent, Kenya. They’ll compare a city in Kenya, Nairobi, to Leeds with a focus on the physical and human geography of these two places. They’ll then take a visit into the countryside and compare features of the Yorkshire Dales with a National Park just outside Nairobi.

Year 3,4

Children will develop learning about the equator and hemispheres by learning about the tropics and climate zones. A focus on European and world cities and countries will follow and will link to climate zone learning. They’ll then focus in on Venice in Italy and its physical and human geography which they’ll compare with York. They’ll learn about the positives and negatives that tourism brings, putting themselves in the shoes of both tourists visiting the places and locals who live there. Finally, they’ll learn about the problems posed by flooding in both localities and the solutions introduced to limit the consequences of flooding.

Year 5,6

Children will learn about the different types of biomes found on Earth and how these are linked to climate. They’ll then focus on the biomes found in Brazil and the UK. They’ll then focus on Brazil more generally, building their understanding of it as a place. Next, they’ll focus on the Amazon Rainforest and its importance to Brazil in terms of the economy as well as its importance ecologically. They’ll learn about the threats to the rainforest and the impact that deforestation is having. Finally, children will learn about what Brazil needs to do to slow deforestation and what we can do to slow deforestation.

How can you help?

Regardless of the year group your child is in, Google Earth is a brilliant tool to help develop children’s understanding of space, place, scale and interdependence. Zoom right in on your home and then zoom out to reveal the area of Leeds that you live in. Zoom further out to see what city you live in. Zoom further for the county. A little further and you might start to spot some national parks. Further still and you can see the country that we live in. Keep zooming and you’ll see the continent we live in (though this isn’t labelled). Before you know it, you’re floating in space and circling the Earth!

Google Maps is another great tool for comparing places. Try the street view option and you can walk along a street in Nairobi and a street in London. Take a drive through the lush Yorkshire Dales and compare this to the Kenyan countryside. You could wander down the Shambles in York and compare this to the streets in Venice. You can also compare images of the same street from different points in time.

Quizzing your children about some locational knowledge will help them to remember important information. I’ve listed some examples below. Use the age-related expectations to find the right pitch for your child.

• Which continent do we live in?
• Which country do we live in?
• In which hemisphere is our country located?
• Which county do we live in?
• Which city do we live in?
• Which part of Leeds do we live in?
• Which four countries make up the United Kingdom?

If you can, go to the library and get some geography-related books, especially an atlas. You could compare maps of the same place to see what type of information they show. For example, you find lots of maps of the United Kingdom. One might show the countries and capital cities. Another might show the mountains, rivers and national parks. Another might give information about the climate.

For KS2 children, there are lots of different games and activities on Ordnance Survey Mapzone. I especially like the jigsaws in the Map Puzzles section of the Games.

Also for KS2 children, there is lots of information and some tasks and quizzes on BBC Bitesize.

Have a happy and healthy long weekend – see you on Tuesday.

We hope you had a good break over Easter.

A quick reminder: if you’ve got any new contact details for you or other contacts, please remember to let us know. We need up-to-date details for the people on our lists in case of emergencies. (The people on our lists are the ones you gave us when your child started school – in most cases, this will be three different people.)

Living and Learning

Next week’s Living and Learning theme is an important one: I know that a person’s body belongs to them.

The NSPCC’s Speak Out, Stay Safe message is an important one. It helps children understand more about this week’s theme and supports them to speak out if they have any concerns. At home, make sure your child is aware of Childline.

Attendance matters

The national attendance rate so far this year for primary schools is 94.8%.

At Moortown Primary, the attendance rate is 96.4%. That’s comfortably higher than the national figure. It’s even higher than last year’s figure for Moortown Primary (96.2%). Sadly, some pupils have attendance much lower. This might be because of illness and we’re happy to work with families to support this. But it also might be because of repeated term-time holidays – we’ll refer such an absence for a penalty notice or take other legal action.

Brushing teeth

We love this new guide all about brushing teeth. Even though it’s part of a series of guides for younger children to give them the best start in life, it’s full of good advice for everyone.

For example, one of the top tips is to try different flavours of toothpaste or brushes of varies sizes and textures.

Have a happy and healthy weekend.