Badgers Class newsletter Term 1 2026/2027

I hope this letter finds you well. It has been a pleasure to welcome your children back after a delightful summer break. The Badgers have settled back into school very well. This year, we are lucky to have Mrs Shanks as our class teaching assistant every day, Monday to Friday, and we will also have Mrs Barker on Thursdays and Fridays.

This year, Milton has introduced Enquiry-Based Learning, which means children take on meaningful roles within their learning. Instead of ‘doing English’, we become authors, and instead of ‘doing science’, we become scientists. This approach is already sparking curiosity and independence across the class.

We also have some exciting changes in maths. Year 4 will be taught by me in the Badgers’ classroom. Year 5 will be taught by Miss Oakes. This allows us to create smaller, focused groups where children can thrive.

Curriculum overview:

Enquiry title: What does Earth look like from the Solar System? This is a science-led enquiry enriched by art and geography.

As authors, we are learning to develop our key reading skills to strengthen comprehension and support our writing. Children will create a narrative based on a traditional tale, write a non-fiction report based on our enquiry, and also write a poem.

As mathematicians, we will be revisiting place value to secure strong foundations for the year ahead. Both Year 4 and Year 5 will use White Rose Maths to support our curriculum. Year 5 will also have lessons using LBQ (Learning by Question) and will have access to this brilliant resource at home.

As scientists, we are investigating Earth and Space, and the children are already showing a great deal of interest in the topic. If your child has any books, models, or resources linked to space, we would love to share them in class to enhance our learning.

As musicians, we will be exploring how music is shaped and structured through improvisation and composition. There will also be opportunities to learn notation and singing. Excitingly, this term the year 4 children will have ukulele lessons every Wednesday.

In PSHE this term, we are being philosophers, and our topic is titled Being Me in the World. Children will explore what it means to be part of a class team, reflecting on inclusion, friendship, and how their actions affect others. They will learn about roles in school and how to contribute to their community.

In RE this term, our big question is: How does believing Jesus is their saviour inspire Christians to save and serve others? We will explore Christian beliefs, stories, and traditions to help children understand this concept.

Timestable Rockstars: The children made fantastic progress last year using TTRS. Please encourage regular use at home—it makes a huge difference to their understanding of number, progress and overall confidence. There will be more battles between the classes as well as other schools this year. 

Purple Mash: Purple Mash is becoming an important part of our Computing curriculum and offers a wide range of creative, interactive activities across many subjects. I will be setting optional home‑learning tasks throughout the term to help further support and enrich your child’s learning, linked to topics we are covering in class. When a task is set, an email will be sent home. These activities are designed to be completed independently, but children asking questions or discussing what they are doing can be a great way to deepen their understanding.

Spellings Children will have a spelling test every Thursday, and new spellings will also be sent home on Thursdays. Daily practice at home is incredibly supportive and helps children secure the spellings more confidently.

As a school, we are currently awaiting delivery of our new spelling books (same design as last year’s). In the meantime, this week’s spellings have been placed in your child’s reading record to keep them safe.

If you have any questions about spellings, please catch me on the playground or send an email and I will get back to you as soon as I can.

Reading: We are working hard to promote a love of reading at Milton. Daily reading at home is incredibly valuable. Please record any reading in your child’s reading record—it doesn’t have to be a school book; recipes, magazines, and comics etc all count. I look forward to reading your lovely comments.

PE days this term: Mondays and Wednesdays. Please ensure children arrive in PE kit on these days. As the weather gets colder, joggers are recommended. Long hair should be tied back and earrings removed or taped. This term one of your child’s PE lessons will be taught by Prime Sports and the other lesson will be taught by me.

Diary dates this term:

• Moors Valley Trip: 14th September (Year 5 & 6)
• Meet the Teacher: 21st September (straight after school)
• Family learning: Monday 16th November at 5:30pm Stargazing. We will enjoy an evening family learning experience and the clocks will have changed so we will have darkness for our stargazing experience.

Family learning; Each class will have two Family Learning sessions this academic year. Badgers’ first Family Learning Session will take place on Monday 16th November from 5:30pm to 6:30pm. Badgers and Foxes Class will join together for this family learning session. During this exciting session, we will enjoy a night walk around the local area, exploring the night sky and observing the stars to support our Earth and Space enquiry. We look forward to learning together and discovering together.

Please remember:    

•             Record reading daily.

•        Spelling test every Thursday.

•        PE days are Monday and Wednesday.

I look forward to a fantastic year in Badgers working alongside your brilliant children!

Mr Banton