The focus for Year 4 this week was a Non-Verbal Reasoning topic that often proves tricky even for older pupils: 3D Shapes from Above. Visualising three-dimensional structures as flat, bird’s-eye views can feel surprisingly abstract when seen only on a screen, so the boys tackled the challenge in a far more hands-on (and enjoyable!) way.

Armed with Duplo bricks and working in pairs, the boys began by constructing a simple 3x4 rectangle. They then removed selected bricks and recorded what the structure would look like from above on a grid. As confidence grew, so did the complexity: towers were built, shapes became more intricate, and eventually the boys moved on to replacing Duplo for Multi-Link to create ‘overhanging’ bricks — a real test of spatial awareness and careful thinking.

The classroom was buzzing as each pair discussed, adjusted, and refined their designs. Each stage built on the last, and the boys rose impressively to the increasing challenge, demonstrating excellent teamwork, resilience and problem-solving skills.

To bring the learning full circle, the lesson finished by looking at how a similar question might appear in an online format, particularly seen in the Year 6 ISEB test. Pleasingly, the boys could immediately spot key clues and strategies — the abstract suddenly made sense thanks to their practical exploration.

Hopefully the photos below give you a snapshot of their enjoyment:

Becca Higham
Deputy Head (Academic)

As a final challenge, can you correctly identify which of the options shown is the correct bird’s eye view from the shape shown from a real 11+ test?!