Welcome to Swans!
Swans is home to Year 3 and Year 4 at Southery Academy. In Swans, we're a team! We believe that everyone does their best when we work together. We encourage kindness, respect and teamwork every day, helping one another to learn, grow and achieve our best. We celebrate effort as much as success and always support each other. We aim to always be open and honest in any discussion to help make sure every child feels happy, safe and supported. We want the best for every child in Swans, and will do whatever we can to make that happen!
About our Staff
Miss Hattigan (Or Miss H for short) loves spending time with her family and mischievous cat, Merlin. Miss H loves teaching Reading and English, but her favourite moments at school are when she gets to combine these loves by reading all the amazing writing the Swans produce, especially in their Independent Writing sessions! When she's not at school, she is often found playing with her son in the garden or at the park on the swings.
Mrs Marsh’s favourite subject is English. She loves hearing children read and enjoys reading herself. When Mrs Marsh is not at school, she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren and spoiling them rotten! She can often be found relaxing in her garden, looking out at the gorgeous views of wildlife and nature.
Our Learning
In Swans, we like to keep our day nice and predictable! We stick to routines wherever possible to keep our classroom calm and settled. Each child has a peg in the hallway to put their bag and each morning they bring what they need into the classroom, bottles go in our kitchenette, and their reading book/record goes in their tray.
In class, each child has their own seat with a tray for their belongings. They also have their own Zone of Regulation at their desk which outlines a bit about them and what they like/dislike and how to help them when it comes to learning. They use these to let us know how they’re feeling without any pressure.
In Swans, we have our Calm Corner where children can go if they are feeling overwhelmed, having ‘a day’ or if they just need a minute. This space is open to any child who needs it. We also use flexible working spaces such as floor desks, concentration stations and The Hive.
There are so many interesting units that we learn throughout the year, we really enjoy getting stuck into topics like the Romans, Ancient Egyptians, Sewing and Electricity. We love learning in a variety of ways! We are such curious learners in Swans, we like to learn about the wider community around us and develop our understanding of the world.
Our Timetable
Home Learning
We often use apps to support learning at home. All logins will be sent home in reading records at the start of the year:
- Times Tables Rock Stars (TTRS) – To practise times tables regularly to improve speed and fluency.
Can be accessed here: Times Tables Rock Stars: Play
- EdShed – Used for spelling practice ahead of weekly tests in class.
Can be accessed here: EdShed - Educational products for spelling, phonics, literacy and maths
- Fonetti – An online reading platform that helps develop fluency, confidence and comprehension through regular reading.
Can be accessed here: Fonetti
- Doodle – Subject specific homework set to support learning – updated every two weeks.
Can be accessed here: Doodle for Students | DoodleLearning
Multiplication Tables Check (MTC)
The Multiplication Tables Check (MTC) is a statutory assessment that Year 4 complete in June. It checks how quickly and accurately they can recall their multiplication facts up to 12 × 12. The check is made up of 25 multiplication questions, with 6 seconds to answer each. There is no pass or fail mark; the purpose is to identify children who may benefit from additional support.
If you would like to practise this at home, please use MTC - Multiplication Tables Check - URBrainy.com or TT Rockstars Soundcheck.
ClassDojo 
In Swans, we love ClassDojo for earning points, sharing learning and for keeping you up to date with important class information. We use our points for our class Dojo Shop where the children can trade their points for different rewards! Please check regularly for updates, reminders and celebrations!