Reception- Maths- How many ways can we make 10?
Our Reception classroom was absolutely buzzing today as the children got stuck into a making ten challenge. With piles of brightly coloured Numicon shapes scattered across the tables, there was a lovely sense of focus in the room. It was wonderful to watch them work it out for themselves. Rather than just looking at numbers on a page, they were using their hands to test their ideas—layering a six and a four or a seven and a three over the big blue 10 plates to see if they fitted. By turning maths into a hands-on puzzle, the concept of adding up really started to click. There was so much excitement as they swapped pieces and shared what they’d found with each other. It didn’t feel like a heavy lesson to them; they were simply playing their way towards a proper understanding of how numbers work.
Reception- EAD- Building For A Purpose.
Our construction area turned into a proper building site today as the Reception children got to work with the wooden blocks. It was brilliant to see them moving past simple towers and starting to build with real purpose and some great ideas.
Nursery And Pre-School - PSHE - My Family
This week, the children in Nursery and Preschool have been exploring the theme of "Important People" by focusing on their own families. The lesson began with a lovely group discussion where the children talked about who lives in their houses. This was a wonderful way for the children to build their confidence in speaking and to celebrate their own unique identities and home lives. To represent their families, the children created special "family bracelets." They used individual pieces of pasta to represent each person in their family, carefully threading them together to create their designs. This activity allowed the children to think deeply about their loved ones while also providing a fantastic workout for their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Once finished, the children wore their bracelets with great pride. It was heartwarming to see them showing off their creations to their peers and teachers, happily explaining exactly who each piece of pasta represented. This session successfully fostered a sense of belonging and community, helping the children feel proud of their families and excited to share their stories with others.
Nursery/Pre-school- Continuous Provision-Independent Learning
The bank holiday weekend clearly did wonders! Our nursery is buzzing today as the children dived straight back into our continuous provision. Continuous provision is at the heart of what we do in the Early Years. It’s about more than justplay—it’s where the magic happens for developing independence, problem-solving, and those all-important turn-taking skills. By creating an environment where they can lead their own learning without needing an adult’s hand, we’re helping them build the confidence they need for the big step up to school.
Nursery And Pre-School - Music - Whats In The Bag
Taking advantage of the beautiful sunshine, the children in Nursery and Preschool gathered outside this week to enjoy a lovely session of refreshments and music. This outdoor setting provided a wonderful, relaxed atmosphere for the children to engage in a group singing activity using our "What’s in the Bag?" mystery bag. The children practiced their patience and turn-taking skills as they waited to see what was hidden inside the bag. Each child had the opportunity to choose a toy, which acted as a visual prompt to identify a specific nursery rhyme. For example, finding a star prompted a rendition of "Twinkle Twinkle," while a bus led to "The Wheels on the Bus." This activity was a fantastic way for the children to build their confidence in singing as part of a group and to practice their memory skills as they recalled the lyrics and associated actions. It was a joy to see everyone happily singing together in the fresh air, enjoying the sunshine and the company of their friends.
Reception- Fine Motor Skills- Supertato
The classroom was a hive of focused energy as the Reception children transformed into little heroes to create their very own Supertato characters. Using the Mr. Potato Head sets, the children carefully exercised their fine motor skills, pinching and pushing colorful ears, eyes, and capes into the plastic spuds to bring their defenders of the fruit aisle to life. The creative mission continued at the art station, where the children demonstrated impressive hand-eye coordination and scissor control to navigate around the curves of their paper potatoes. Once the cutting was complete, the real decision-making began; with tongues poked out in concentration, they sifted through a tray of vibrant felt, glittery masks, and paper boots to select the perfect heroic ensemble for their new starchy sidekicks.
Reception- Literacy- Evil Pea Tricky Word Hunt
Equipped with their trusty clipboards and a sense of urgent mission, the Reception children transformed into miniature detectives on a high-stakes scavenger hunt. The "Evil Pea" had been up to his usual mischief, scattering the Phase 3 tricky words across the nooks of the classroom and the hidden corners of the garden. While the group initially set themselves the modest challenge of uncovering five elusive words, their competitive spirit and growing confidence quickly took over. As they ticked off words like was, my, and they, the thrill of the chase proved infectious; rather than stopping at their goal, the children eagerly pressed on, scouring the flowerbeds and bookshelves to ensure no word was left behind in the Pea's villainous wake.
Nursery/Pre-school- Maths- My Pattern
In Maths this week the children have been working on an arrangement of Patterns. Working on patterns helps children understand simple pattern routines which this later translates into spotting patterns in numbers (like the 10s times table ending in 0) and recognising the structure of phonics in reading.
Reception- Physical Development- I Hear Thunder
The school hall was alive with energy as the Reception children transformed their PE lesson into a rhythmic exploration of the elements. Using their basketballs to mimic the sounds of the weather, the children practiced focused ball control to narrate a passing storm. To represent a gentle spring rain, they used light, pitter-patter fingertip taps, before transitioning into heavy, rhythmic bounces that echoed like loud claps of thunder. The highlight of the session was the drop and catch sequence; the children released their balls to the floor and caught them sharply on the rebound, perfectly synchronizing the "crack" of the ball hitting the wood with the visual of a lightning strike. Their coordination improved with every "storm," showing impressive concentration as they balanced the imaginative storytelling with the physical skill of keeping their balls steady and secure.
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Nursery / Pre-School - Computing - Creating Butterflies
This week, the children in Nursery and Preschool used the computers and touchscreens to create their own colorful butterflies using Purple Mash. The activity began with the children exploring the digital tools, picking their favorite colors, and making marks on the screen to see how their movements left bright trails on the wings. As the children became more confident, we looked at real-life photos of butterflies to identify different patterns. The children then worked on making conscious marks, such as lines and spots, to mimic the characteristics they could see in the reference images. This was a fantastic way for them to practice digital control and intentional design, moving from simple scribbles to purposeful patterns. An exciting moment occurred when our older learners noticed that the program was "mirroring" their marks on the opposite wing. This sparked a meaningful conversation about symmetry, as the children looked back at their reference images and realized that butterflies always have the same patterns on both wings. They were fascinated to see their designs appear on both sides at once, helping them to understand that nature often creates matching patterns.
Nursery/Pre-school-Literacy-Handwriting-Pencil Control
In Literacy we have focused on Handwriting and pencil control this week, This is a great way to get all our preschoolers ready for their next step moving forward to their school journey even with the little ones starting their journey into preschool this was a lovely way to see their pencil control and grip. Developing handwriting in the Early Years is all about building the physical strength and coordination required to use a pencil through fine and gross motor activities.
Reception- Science-Colour Changing
In the vibrant buzz of the science corner, the Reception children transform into mini-scientists as they explore the magic of color mixing. With focused expressions and developing fine motor skills, they carefully use perpets to squeeze, suction, and release primary-colored water onto soft white cotton pads. This hands-on experiment allows them to observe capillary action firsthand as the fabric drinks up the liquid. As the vibrant reds, blues, and yellows bleed into one another, the children witness the "wow" moment where new secondary colors emerge. These dyed pads aren't just an experiment; they serve as the delicate, marbled petals for their handmade flowers. By blending scientific inquiry with creative art, the children learn to make predictions and observe changes, all while crafting a beautiful garden of their own making.
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