Kestrels Class

 

Years 5 and 6

Upper KS2 - For children aged 9 to 11 years
Class Teacher: Ellie Farmer and Sue Levy
Teaching Assistants: Sharon Bubb, Val Carter and Pedro Carreira for PE and Spanish 

Life in Kestrels Class

In Kestrels class, we try to develop a strong culture of high achievement through independent and group learning. The class are able to take on leadership responsibilities such as; play leaders, peer mediators and office support. Year 6 also have National Curriculum Tests in May (SATs).

We have National Curriculum objectives that need to be covered but the journey we take to cover these objectives is developed through dialogic conversations with the class. With a strong emphasis on choice and independence, the children are able to deeply engage in the process of finding answers to their own questions.

For example, recently, we discussed the importance of humans and wondered what our purpose was on Earth. This led to a child explaining what Christians believe. We wondered if all religions had the same thought. The class decided to break off into smaller groups and research into different religions creation stories.

We looked at an artist, Emma Yarlett’s, ‘The Big Frieze’ from Understanding Christianity and looked at the way Emma interpreted the Christian’s Creation story through a picture. The class decided that they too would like to create their own picture to show their interpretation of a chosen religion’s creation story.

 

 

Meet the Class Teachers:

 

I am Ellie Farmer and I was born in rural Sussex so it seems fitting I now work in a school in rural Sussex. I did my degree in Business Management in London and then worked in Guernsey running advertising campaigns. When I moved back to Sussex, I began volunteering as a TA in a local school. I knew instantly that I wanted to retrain and become a teacher. I first experienced working at Danehill during my training year then became the Year 2 teacher. I now teach Kestrels Mondays-Wednesdays.

 

 I am Sue Levy and I teach the Kestrels class for 2 days each week. I have been teaching Year 5/6 at Danehill since September 2021, following over 10 years teaching Year 5/6 at another East Sussex village school.

Before I worked here I often passed Danehill School whilst cycling towards Lewes and thought what a lovely setting for a village school it was.  When I discovered Danehill’s principles of Enlivened Learning and the way this helps to build curiosity, collaboration, persistence, imagination and discipline, I was very  to work here.

  

Meet the Teaching Assistants:

 

I am Sharon Bubb, and all three of my (now fully grown) children went to Danehill School. I started volunteering as a mum, listening to children read and was then offered a job as a TA. I’ve worked in most of the classes over the last 25 years and am currently in Kestrels. I love working with the children, every day is unpredictable but highly rewarding.

 I am Val Carter and I’ve been involved with the school since 2006. Initially, I helped out in the nursery which was based where Hedgehogs class is now. I trained as a nursery assistant and qualified in 2010. I’ve worked with children ever since and have been a teaching assistant for over 8 years at the school. I’ve worked mainly with the younger children in Hedgehogs and Foxes.

It’s a great place to work with the enlivened approach to teaching. The children learn through real experiences and are encouraged to be curious, ask questions and work together. The staff and the children support each other and the school feels like a very large family.

 

I am Pedro Carreira. I am a HLTA and I teach PE and Spanish across the school.   I also run all the very popular After-School Clubs, for more information, click on this After-School Clubs link.

 

 

Learning in Kestrels