Year 4 National Portrait Gallery

Year 4 had a fantastic trip to the National Portrait Gallery this week, where we travelled through hundreds of years of history — all through the power of portraits!

The children explored paintings and photographs of famous people from Tudor times right up to the present day. They were amazed to see how clothing, hairstyles and even facial expressions have changed over the centuries. Many pupils were especially surprised by how serious people looked in older portraits compared to the more relaxed and creative styles in modern artworks.

We spent time looking closely at portraits of important historical figures from the Tudor period, including monarchs and explorers. The children enjoyed spotting the rich fabrics, detailed jewellery and symbolic objects artists used to show power and wealth. They asked brilliant questions about why portraits were so important before cameras were invented.

As we moved through the gallery, the class discovered portraits from different periods in history, noticing how art styles changed over time. They compared traditional oil paintings with modern portraits, including photography and more abstract pieces. It sparked great discussions about how portraits today can show personality, feelings and identity in new and creative ways.

"I enjoyed seeing how the Tudors dressed. I can't beleive it was so diffferent to today. " - Maya, Maple

"I prefer the photogrpahs. I think they capture the moment better than a portrait can " - Millen, Willow

"The contemporary portraits were so much brighter but looks at the detail in the tudor ones." - Vikhyat, Elm
 

National Portrait Gallery - Year 4

 

On Friday 30th January, the Year 4 children will be visiting the National Portrait Gallery for a day of creative discovery and learning.

During the trip, pupils will experience a rich collection of portraits created by a wide range of artists across different time periods. They will explore how artists use different media—such as painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, and mixed materials—to tell stories about people and the times they lived in. This will help children understand how art has changed over history and how it reflects culture, identity, and important events.

The visit links closely to our art and history curriculum, encouraging children to look closely, ask questions, and share their ideas. It also supports key skills such as observation, critical thinking, and vocabulary development, while inspiring creativity and curiosity.

Please complete the permission form found here by the 20th January 2026. There is no payment required for this trip.

Year 4 Visit the British Museum

 

This half term, our Year 4 cohort has been diving deep into the fascinating world of Ancient Egypt — and what better way to bring history to life than with a visit to one of the most famous museums in the world?

Throughout the last few weeks, the Year 4 classes have each visited the British Museum. Beginning with the journey there which was an adventure: we travelled first by bus and then by train, with children chatting eagerly about what they hoped to see. For many, it was their first time visiting such a historic place — and the perfect way to enhance our learning on Ancient Egypt.

Once we arrived, we headed straight to the Egyptian galleries, where thousands of incredible artefacts from Ancient Egypt are on display. The children were amazed at the towering statues, intricate hieroglyphics, and beautifully preserved artefacts. The displays sparked curiosity and thoughtful questions as pupils connected what they had seen in class to the real-life items in front of them.

But without a doubt, the highlight of the day was discovering the mummies! Faces lit up with a mixture of awe and amazement as the children gathered around the glass cases to get a close-up look at the preserved remains. It was a powerful moment — seeing the actual mummies brought the topic of ancient burial rituals to life in a way that no textbook could.

We also had time to explore a few other parts of the museum, giving pupils a taste of the many cultures and stories the British Museum holds.

The day was not only educational but also truly inspiring. The children returned to school full of facts, questions, and excitement — ready to continue their history topic with a deeper understanding and real-world experience to draw from.

A huge thank you to the parent helpers who made the trip possible.

The mummies are incredible - Jessica

I can't believe there are so many artefacts! - Joshua, Elm

“I enjoyed looking at the Egyptian coffins.” Alice -Maple 

Year 4 Cinema Trip

 

We are delighted to inform you that a trip has been booked for our Year 3 children. In celebration of the Into Film Festival. The children will be attending a viewing of The Bad Guys 2 at Vue Cinema, Romford.

All of Year 4 will be in attendance and we will have a private screening of the film.

On Tuesday 11th November all children should be in school by 8.45am as we will be leaving promptly from 9.15am. We will be travelling by bus and expect to return to school by 12.30pm.

The children will eat lunch at school once we have returned from the cinema. In case we are back late that day, all children will need to bring a packed lunch  in a carrier bag that is clearly labelled with their name and class. 

To fill in the attached form

here

Year 4 - British Museum: Infomation and Permission Slip

Permission Form and Lunch Order: https://forms.gle/9CfedhNBXzacTsxTA

Reminder - Year 3 Parents

All parents/carers with children in Year 3 should have received a letter home all about our upcoming trip to Colchester Zoo on Tuesday 8th July 2025.

All of the information that you need is on the letter, however if you have any questions please feel free to speak with your child's class teacher.

All forms must be returned to the class teacher by Friday 27th June, alternatively, you can do this online by following this link.

If you haven't made a voluntary contribution yet but wish to do so, please do this by tomorrow, as at present, we do not have enough funds for the trip to go ahead.

With thanks

Year 3 Team

Year 3 Library Visit

 

During this half term, the Year 3 children will have the opportunity to visit Harold Hill Library. We will be walking to and from the library in our class groups during the morning. Due to limited space within the library, we will be visiting one class at a time.

Ash Class - Tuesday 28th January 

Cedar Class -  Friday 31st January 

Cherry Class - Friday 7th February 

This will be an enhancement to our Reading curriculum, where the children will be immersed in stories, learn how the library system works and will be given a tour and talk from one of the local librarians.

During the visit, the children will be given a form to join the library, this should be filled in and returned to the library.

Year 3 Visit the Synagogue

 

Year 3 had a fabulous visit to the Synagogue this week, where we were warmly welcomed by the Jewish Community. 

Both mornings were fun and  informative. We began with the children being shown around the different parts of the Synagogue, including the prayer area, where they were able to see and hold, the Torah and Scrolls. They looked at Hebrew writing and discussed how it was different from their handwriting. The children asked some very thoughtful questions and were extremely respectful at all times. 

Every Synagogue has at least seven Torah Scrolls  - Theo

I learnt that the Ner Tamid light shines forever - Jace

The special scrolls were hidden behind the curtain - Roza

Year 3 Visit

 

As part of our school trips to enhance learning, Year 3 will be visiting a local Synagogue.

As the Synagogue cannot accommodate all 90 children at the same time, we will be visiting over two days.

The dates of the visits are:

Monday 16th December 2024 - Cherry class, half of Cedar Class

Tuesday 17th December 2024 - Ash Class, half of Cedar Class

If your child is in Cedar Class, your child will have a letter that states which day they will be attending.

We will be returning back to school between 11.30 -11.45 so the children will have their lunch in school as normal.

Please fill in the form here to give permission for your child to attend the visit the Synagogue.

Year 3 Cinema Trip

 

We are delighted to inform you that a trip has been booked for our Year 3 children. In celebration of the Into Film Festival, the children will be attending a private screening of 'Migration' at Vue Cinema in Romford. 

On Tuesday 12th November, all children should be in school by 8.45am as we will be leaving promptly from 9.15am. We will be travelling by bus and expect to arrive back at school between 12.45 - 1.15pm.

The children will eat lunch at school once we have returned from the cinema. In case we are back late that day, all children will eat a packed lunch (provided by school or home). All children are now eligible for a free school meal (including a packed lunch for a school trip). Should your child require a lunch provided by the school, please select this below so that we can process your order in time for your child’s trip. Alternatively, children can bring their own packed lunch in a carrier bag that is clearly labelled with their name and class.

Please fill out the form here.

Any questions please email us at year3@broadford.havering.sch.uk

Year 3 Colchester Zoo

 

On Wednesday, Year 3 had a wonderful day seeing all of the different animals at Colchester Zoo. 

First, the children had to decide within their groups which animals they would like to see and come up with the best route to take around the zoo. Then, we set off in our groups to find all of our favourite animals whilst learning lots of new and exciting facts along the way!

The children all got to have an up close and personal experience with the goats, and had the opportunity to feed and stroke them as they walked through the enclosure, this took resilience for some children, who had never experienced a large animal so close before. There was so much to do whilst at the zoo, including taking the zoo train into the lemur enclosure and feeding the parrots in the giant bird house! 

We finished the day with a lot of tired, but very happy children!

'I loved seeing the ferocious lion!' - Tesha

“ The goats were so soft to touch !”- Carter 

'I loved seeing the wolves because they were so close and we could see them eating!' - Max

Year 3 Visit to the Synagogue

 

As part of our school trips to enhance learning, Year 3 will be visiting a local Synagogue.

As the Synagogue cannot accommodate all 90 children at the same time, we will be visiting over two days.

The dates of the visits are:

Monday 11th December 2023 - Cherry class, half of Cedar Class

Tuesday 12th December 2023 - Ash Class, half of Cedar Class

If your child is in Cedar Class you will be informed of which day your child will be visiting the Synagogue.

We will be returning back to school between 11.30 -11.45 so the children will have their lunch in school as normal.

Please fill in the form to give permission for your child to attend the visit.

Year 3 Cinema Trip

 

On Wednesday 8th November, Year 3 will be visiting Vue Cinema to see a showing of Julia Donaldson's The Snail and the Whale and Stick Man.

All of the details can be found on the following link Cinema Trip

Year 3 Colchester Zoo Trip!

 

All parents/carers with children in Year 3 should have received a letter home all about our upcoming trip to Colchester Zoo on Friday 16th June 2023.

All of the information that you need is on the letter, however if you have any questions please feel free to speak with your child's class teacher.

All forms must be returned to the class teacher by the 6th June 2023, if you would prefer to do this online please follow this link.

With thanks

Year 3 Team

Year 4 - Roman Workshop Day Reminder - 29th September

 

Dear Parents,

Year 4 will be holding a Roman Experience Day on the 29th of September. 

On this day, the children will travel back in history to the Roman Time and will take part in lots of different, fun activities including a workshop! 

We are so excited to see Year 4 dressed up as the ever so powerful Romans! 

What to look forward to:

- Exploring what Roman's eat

- Making Roman coins

- Singing the Roman song!

- Finishing off our Mosaics

- Reading lots of interesting facts about Romans

- lots of Roman marching

Dress up: Your child doesn't have to be in a specific Roman costume, wearing red and white will do! 

Example of dress up: 

Year 3 Colchester Zoo Visit

 

If you have selected a school pack lunch for your child, when we visit Colchester Zoo, then please click here for the dietary requirement information. 

If there are any issues please call the school or email at year3@broadford.havering.sch.uk 

Ash Visit Harold Hill Library

Yesterday Year 4 took a trip down to Harold Hill Library. We met RJ (Rob) Thompson, who is the author of the series 'The Uncuddibles'. Rob read some stories to us, showed us how he illustrates all his books using his iPad, and prepared us for some brilliant activities.

Some children wrote their own book covers and blurbs, whilst others played an Uncuddibles-themed board game. Other children drew their own Uncuddibles super-bear!

Thank you Rob for the pleasure of meeting you and reading your captivating stories.