Sugar Beet Trip

This week the children have been extremely lucky because Matthew Hawthorne asked them to carry out a mini investigation that will support him with his farming. Matthew wanted to know the estimated yield of sugar beet, so that he could pass this information on to British Sugar. He took us to four different fields where the children had to measure the weight of six sugar beet (in kilograms); they had to complete this task for three different samples. 

Once this information was gathered, we had to go back to the classroom and then work out the mean average weight of sugar beet in the four different fields. Then finally, to calculate the yield for each field, the children had to multiply the weight by 86, 000 (because this is roughly how many sugar beet have grown out of the 110, 000 planted). 

Click below to check out the photos!

Rocks and Soils 

Badger Class have been learning about Rocks in Science this half term. We have learnt about the 3 types of rocks and how they are formed. 

We we moved our learning on to look at the contents of soil and the layers of the Earth. 

We we can find lots of things in soil, including: 

• animal poo
• oxygen
• water
• dead animals and plants 
• bones 
• organic matter 
• nutrients and minerals 

Mr. Hawthorne shared the different souls types that can be found on his farm. He shared the positives and negatives he experiences with each one. The children learnt that this can vary depending where you are in the UK. For example sandy soil is best in Scotland because there is a higher rainfall. 

The children were brilliant at using the knowledge they have learnt to make links to the farm. 

Thank you Mr. Hawthorne. 

Filtration Experiment

Year 5 have been learning about materials and filtration in Science. Mr Hawthorne came in to explain how filtration and drainage are needed in farming. They did some experiments to see how this works for different soil types.

Woodland Adventure

On Wednesday, Hedgehogs went on a Woodland adventure to enrich their learning about the four seasons. They learnt all about trees and why they shed their branches and leaves. The children also learnt how to calculate the age of a pine tree! Of course, a woodland adventure would not complete without a bug hunt. We found centipedes, spiders, woodlouse and ants all hiding under the logs. The tractor and trailer ride was a bit bumpy but we all had a great time.

Harvest Live

Children across the school were lucky enough to take part in some live lessons about harvest. 160,000 children from across the country were able to be involved, thanks to the NFU. Key Stage 2 learnt about Carbon-Crunching Carrots.

Did you know…? 

-Carrots are 90% moisture 

-They really do help you see in the dark 

-They need 3-4 hours of sunlight per day to grow 

-One field can contain about 24, 000, 000 carrots 

-Nematodes get into slugs to realise bacteria and kill them so that the slugs don’t damage the crop

Key Stage 1 had great fun looking at the world’s largest Combine Harvester.

Did you know…?

-The combine has a spout like a tea pot

-There are three types of crop - a root, a stem and a seed crop 

-The header cuts crops such as corn or wheat.