News: Early Years Foundation Stage

Pre-School- Physical Development - Fun in the Snow

Today in Pre-school the children have enjoyed fun in the snow. We made a mini snowman, we threw snowballs, laid in the snow to make snow angels using our arms moving them up and down and moving our legs in and out. We had lots of fun playing with our friends.

Pre-School-P.S.H.E- What Do Our Bodies Need?-Making Fruit Kebabs

Today Pre-school In P.S.H.E discussed what our bodies need to be healthy. The children told me that we need to eat lots of fruit and vegetables and drink only milk and water to keep our bodies healthy because pop and sweets have too much sugar in them. The children told me they need to exercise like running, jumping and doing our P.E lessons with Mrs Corbally.

Pre-school - Communication And Language.

The children Listened to our story We're Going On a Bear Hunt, acting out movements throughout the story representing under, over and through movements.

Pre-School - Expressive Arts And Design- Creating Bug Houses

The children are creating bug houses for the bugs to keep warm over winter, selecting from different materials to create their own bug house.

Reception Maths - Learning About The Composition of Five With The Song "Five Little Speckled Frogs."

Today the children enjoyed using the song "Five Little Speckled Frogs" to learn about the composition of five. With the use of a five frame and frog counters they began to talk about how many were needed to make up the whole.

Nursery - Literacy - 'We're Going on A Leaf Hunt'

The story Nursery class have been enjoying this week has been 'We're going on a leaf hunt'. We used the scenes from the story and a bit of imagination to go on our very own leaf hunt. The children were observant of their surroundings and found areas in the nursery garden that had similarities to our story. The children were encouraged to copy sound effects and positional language used in the story as they made different movements with their bodies. The children climbed to the top of a big hill, walked through the dark dark forest, rowed across the cold cold lake, found a house to hide from the skunk and with a bit of help from Miss Cooney, the children experienced a waterfall! 

Nursery - Art And Design - Creating Hedgehogs Using Foraged Leaves

While enjoying time in our outdoor provision the children worked together to collect some different leaves to use in our craft activity. They used their foraged leaves to create some spikey hedgehogs! The children found it tricky to work on a cylindrical surface however they persevered and made some fabulous leaf hedgehogs!

Reception - Smoothie Bike!

Reception took part in the smoothie bike experience this morning, and although our feet didn’t touch the pedals, we had great fun! The children discussed different types of fruits that they liked and learned how many portions of fruit and veg they should eat every day. The children tried 3 different smoothies altogether; strawberry and banana, mango and pineapple and then one with all of the fruit together.

Reception - Maths - One More Than

Today the children have been looking at one more. We used a number line and blocks to support our work. Our sentence was one more than - is -.

Pre- School- P.E - To Move Safely Into A Space

In our P.E lesson we have used our imagination to be wizards, creating a magic wand and broom stick. The children moved around the room using the skills we have been learning over the last few weeks. We moved our bodies fast and slow to different movements, crawling, hopping, walking and running making sure to move around the room without bumping into our friends. The children learnt to stop on the spot when the wizard said freeze. We created a magic potion and the children threw in frogs and worms (hoops) to make the potion bubble, bubble, bubble POP!

Pre-School- Fine Motor Skills- Write Dance

Pre-School have been using their fine motor skills through the Write Dance program, using Ribbons and Chalk to make over and under arch movements.

Nursery - UTW - Exploring Elements Of Routine That Happen During The Day And Night

The children in Nursery class have been working on their understanding of routine and events that happen during the day and night. The little ones selected items of interest from the basket and we discussed what the item was, what we do with it and when we might need it. The children mimicked using the items and had a good understanding on what each item was for, however It was interesting to hear how many children wear wellies to bed, haha! Nursery class really enjoyed this activity, so it will be available in provision for them to continue to explore and further support their understanding on day and night routines.

Reception Class - Writing

The children in Reception Class have been developing their motor control through a range of different activities. The children have been writing their graphemes in the sand today, being encouraged to use the Letter-join formation, moving from left to right.

Reception Class - Art and Design - Firework Pictures

Reception Class have been learning all about bonfire night. Using different coloured paint and toilet roll tubes cut with patterned scissors, the children have created their own fireworks. Using a dabbing skill, the children explored mixing colours and printing on to black paper.

Reception- Class Worship - David Prays & Sings to God

In Class Worship today, Reception Class read the story of David, the Shepherd. They explored the different feelings David felt and talked about the kind of music we thought he might have played.

Nursery - Computing - Can You Fill The Fruit Bowl?

In Nursery class this week we have been reading 'Kitchen disco'. The children have been learning the names and characteristics of the different fruits in the story. During story time the children were tasked with identifying the fruit and drawing their representation on the interactive screen. They thought about the colour they may need to select, the shape of the fruit and the size of the fruit. The children worked together to complete our fruit bowl, great teamwork, Nursery class.

Pre-School-Maths-Joining In With Repeats

In Maths this week the children have been joining in with an arrangement of repeats such as singing nursery rhymes, If you're happy and you know it and five cheeky monkeys. The children also joined in with repeats of body percussion clap, jumps and a body movement of the children's choice.

Reception - Science - Exploring Autumn

This afternoon, Reception Class went on an adventure around the school grounds to observe signs of Autumn. Before we set off we discussed the kind of things we expect to see in Autumn. The children said leaves, worms, spiders and webs. We found leaves, twigs, sticks, acorns and lots of other Autumnal objects. We also saw a digger carrying out some work and our gardener’s blowing the leaves. The children also said hello to their friends and family over at nursery, which was lovely. It was a fantastic afternoon in the fresh air and the children were able to talk about the things we had observed.

Nursery - Literacy - Creating Marks And Following Patterns

Making links with Diwali celebrations, Nursery class have been making marks and following patterns in glitter. The children selected their mark making tools and used their fine motor skills to draw in the glitter, noticing the black void that their movements had made. The children were encouraged to copy the shapes made by their teachers, mimicking small and big movements. Some children were also able to slowly trace the patterns drawn under the glitter to reveal the lines.

Pre-School-U.T.W-Exploring The Environment

Today the children have enjoyed exploring our environment in Pre-School. The children have been developing their skills including gross and fine motor movements with our pumpkin picking. Using the tweezers to pull out the bugs and leaves in the water tray and creating bug houses in the Small World Area.

Reception - PSHE - Our Feelings

Reception has been talking about the different feelings we have throughout our day. They were able to show some amazing expressions for happy, cheeky, angry and sad. They were also able to talk about when they feel some of these emotions.

Reception - RE - Friendships

Reception has started a new topic in RE on "Friendships". Today they talked about what makes a good friend and who are their friends. They then had fun connecting up the picture pairs from their favourite film and television characters. Paw Patrol characters were their favourite examples of good friends helping each other!

Nursery - Maths - Categorising Objects

This week, Nursery class have been reading 'kitchen disco', two of the first fruits we have explored are lemons and oranges. We discussed the size difference, encouraging the verbal use of 'big' and 'small'. The children vocalised the shape of the sliced fruit segments being 'circle' and also used their senses to smell each piece to help differentiate between the lemons and the oranges. We then separated the fruit into piles of oranges and piles of limes, the children used their own methods to do this from their knowledge gained during the adult led part of this activity. Well done Nursery class!

Reception - PE - Balancing

This half term Reception Class are going to be learning fundamental PE skills. This week we started with balancing. The children had to walk around on their heels and their toes. For our next activity the children had to move around the hall, remembering to keep their space, running, jumping, walking backwards and hopping. I shouted stop and named a body part and they had to put that body part on the floor. Once they were feeling confident with this, the children had to move in different ways with a hoop on their head. This was tricky, especially when they had to step over the hurdles!

PreSchool-U.T.W-Science-Exploring Our 5 Senses.

Preschool have been exploring their 5 senses. Using Mr Potato we discussed each of our senses as the children dressed Mr Potato's face/head with the senses. The children explained what we use our senses for, eyes for looking, ears for listening, mouth for tasting, nose for smelling and our hands to feel.

Reception - PE - Following and Copying a Parter.

Today the children had to move in a variety of ways with a partner, trying really hard to stay in their space. They then had to copy actions with a partner, moving in and out of a hoop.

Reception - PSHE - Who Can Help Us?

In PSHE, Reception Class have been thinking about people they can turn to for help when they need it. They wrote the names or drew pictures of the people on a hand print. Lots of children said they would turn to "Mummy" or a sibling for help and enjoyed drawing pictures of them.

Preschool-Literacy- The story Hug- Who Hugs Me? How does it feel?

In Literacy this week we have listened to our story Hug and discussed Who hugs me? How it makes us feel and How others might be feeling and responding according to their understanding of the other person’s needs and wants.

Nursery - PSHE - Birthday Celebrations

Our new story for this week is 'Happy Birthday Lulu'. The children have really enjoyed reading about Lulu's celebrations on her big day, so we also took a look at our own birthday celebrations. We took turns in tapping the gifts on the screen to reveal the images behind. The children loved sharing pictures of their birthdays with the class and likewise, they enjoyed looking at their friends celebrations too. We discussed what items we could see in the pictures, presents, cakes, balloons, family members and more!

Pre-School-E.A.D Exploring Print with Wild Animals

The children used Wild Animal figures dipped them in paint and used them to make prints.

Reception RE: Learning About Muslim Prayer

For our RE topic on prayer, the children learnt about Muslim prayer and the actions that are important to make during the times of prayer. Miss Dalal helped the class to say the names of each action and perform the action correctly.

Reception Class - Maths - Matching and Making Patterns

The children first found the cards that had the matching pattern on. Then they needed to choose blocks of just 2 colours and make a recurring pattern with them.

Nursery - Computing - Can You Design A Cake?

The children in Nursery class have been working on their computing skills this week. They have learnt how to navigate software on purple mash to design a birthday cake. Using their fingers, hands and even noses, the children have been able to select different cake toppings and make marks of their choice on the screen, watching their creations develop as they drew.

Reception Class - Name Writing

The children have had a go at writing their name using their name card. I asked the children if they could identify any letters from their name, some children could. As the children were writing, we discussed correct pencil grip and I supported the children to achieve this. Some children could form some letters and some children made marks to represent the different letters in their name.

PreSchool-P.S.H.E-I Am Special

Today the children Had to secretly look inside the box and not tell their friends what they saw until the last child had looked inside, the children then discussed what they saw which was themselves in a mirror, We then talked about Why we are special and unique and what makes us special and what makes our families special.

Reception Maths: Comparing Capacity.

In Maths, Reception class has been comparing capacity by using different size boxes. They enjoyed using the cuddly toys to find the perfect home to consider which was the right size to fit it in; small, medium or big.

Preschool-Worship-The Creation Story

In Worship with jack this week we have Looked at The Creation Story and discussed what we are Thankful for.

Reception Class - PE - Moving In Different Ways

In PE this week Reception have been moving in different ways through our imaginary forest. We had to walk or crawl over the tree stumps, jump over the flowers and over the lilypads and avoid the snakes. When the children heard 'the trolls are coming' the children had to find their space.

Nursery - PSHE - What Would You Like To Be When You Grow Up?

Our dressing up box has been the focal point of our learning this week. The children have explored different job roles as we have discussed what they would like to be when they grow up. Using our brilliant role play skills we have been able to take on the job roles of, police officers, fire fighters, postal workers, doctors and nurses, builders and chefs!

Nursery - Science - Exploring Shadows

This week Nursery class have accessed our sensory room to explore different shadows. The children used torches to shine light onto different objects, including their hands, balls, cars, animals and other objects from around our classroom. The children made links between the size of the shadows they saw and how far away their torch was, investigating this by moving the torches backwards and forward. The children loved this activity and have continued to develop their understanding of shadows throughout the week, during their independent learning time.

Reception Class - Maths - Sorting Objects By Size

Today in Reception the children have been helping the bears pack their picnic, choosing the correct sizes for the bears.

Preschool-Understanding The World -Science-Our 5 senses/Food Tasting

Today we discussed our 5 senses and talked about what things we use our senses for, The children also enjoyed using their senses to smell,touch,look and hear bubble bath then we used our mouths to taste some porridge and talked about how the bubble bath smelt,looked,sounded and felt and we discussed if we liked the taste of the porridge.

PreSchool-PSHE-Visitor-Toothbrushing

Today we had James The Dentist Visit us in Preschool and Reception class, James taught us the importance of brushing our teeth. James also showed the children how much sugar can be found in sweets and sugary drinks and discussed what a healthy snack should be.

Nursery - Science - Identifying Body Parts

This week, Nursery class have been learning all about themselves and we have focused on their different body parts. The children have really enjoyed incorporating songs into their learning so we have been listening to 'head, shoulders, knees and toes' to support their understanding. The class used their listening skills and did really well, engaging with the song and listening to the different body parts that they needed to find.

Reception Visit from the Dentist.

Today Reception Class had two visitors from a dentist. They learnt about how to brushed their teeth properly and how many times a day. They also learnt about what foods and drinks are healthy and which can cause tooth decay. It was surprising which drinks are not as healthy as you think!

Reception Class - Art and Design - What Can I See? Finding Circles

In Reception we have been exploring the question 'what can I see?' We looked around our envionment, hutning for circles. Look at how many we found!

Reception RE: Learning About When We Can Pray.

Reception are learning about prayer in RE and this week we acted out the story of Daniel in the lions' den. They learnt that God protected Daniel when he was scared because he followed his ways. We thought about times we might be scared and how we can pray to God for help.

Nursery - Maths - Capacity

Our maths focus this week in Nursery class has been capacity! The children have been encouraged to use the target language 'empty', 'full' and 'more' and correctly link those words with their experiences while exploring different areas of our classroom. Water play has been one of the main aids in this area of learning, the children have used different jugs, cups and containers to develop their pouring skills, hand eye coordination and also to further support their understanding of capacity.

Preschool- R.E-Creation with Jack The Bear

In R.E this week Jack the bear has taught Preschool all about God's Creation story, We looked at each day and what God created on that day.

Nursery - Maths - Using Language 'Big And Small' And Sorting By Size

This week we have used the resources on our malleable tray to support the children's understanding of big and small. The children were tasked to find big and small pompoms of various colours and were encouraged to repeat and label the pompom 'big' or 'small'. Some children extended their learning and were able to find lots of pompoms of the same size and colour and successfully categorise them. Great job Nursery Class.

Reception Class -Handwriting

Reception Class have started practising their pre writing shapes this week. These activities are a great starting point for writing. We will be working on our motor skills, building up to beginning to write.

Reception Class - Phonics

Today the childen in Reception began their phase 2 phonics and guided reading sessions. We have started short sessions, gradually building them up over the next half term. The children did a fantastic job and realy enjoyed participating in some of the activities, using some of these in independent learning too!

Reception Class - Maths - Sorting and Comparing

This week in maths, reception Class have been sorting and comparing different objects. Some had to be sorted by colour, some by shape and some by size.

Nursery And PreSchool - P.E - Gross Motor Skills

In PE this week Nursery and PreSchool have been working on their gross motor skills, exploring different ways to move their bodies! The children walked, ran, slithered, crawled and jumped around the hall. They also used their listening skills to stop and freeze when asked. We also worked on some colour recognition as the children were tasked to find specific coloured hoops between the different movements.

Preschool- Literacy- All About Me- Drawing Self Portraits and Hand Preference.

Our story this week is Marvellous Me - the children have been drawing/painting self portraits and showing their hand preferences and grip.

Maths-counting and Recognising numbers 1 to 5- PreSchool

This week in Maths we have been counting and trying to recognise some  numerals 1 to 5, counting objects and match numbers and playing counting games on the interactive board. 

Reception RE: What is Prayer?

Reception class explored the "Chatterbox" with lots of items connected to prayer. They learnt that prayer is talking to God, a bit like using a phone or writing letters to our special friends. They discovered prayer beads, prayer books, pictures of Jesus and prayer mats that can help with praying. They also thought about how they would make themselves still and quiet to pray to God.

Nursery - Music - Exploring Different Instruments

This week we have been reading 'Goat goes to playgroup'. In our story, Goat plays a variety of different instruments, so the children explored them too! They learnt the names of some new instruments and how to play them correctly, some of the children were also able to make loud and quiet sounds with their instruments. We had lots of fun exploring the different sounds and enjoyed making LOTS of noise!

Reception Class - PE -

Reception started their PE lessons this week, and we began our new Get Set 4 PE unit - Introduction to PE. The children learned what a space was and practiced finding their own, aay from other people and the equipment. Once we had done this, the children used their imagination, pretending to be witches and wizards, moving around in different directions, trying to avoid obstacles.

Nursery - Science - Scattering Wildflower Seeds

We took some inspiration from this week's story and decided to scatter some wildflower seeds! The children loved shaking the seeds into the soil and made some predictions about what colour they thought the flowers would be once they grow. The children used gentle hands to rake the soil and have worked hard watering our seeds. We will continue to take care of them and hopefully, in spring, our wildflowers will bloom and brighten up our flower bed! We can't wait to see them grow.

Nursery- Art-Colours

In Expressive Arts and Design this week we have been exploring colours. We watched the colours change when mixed together and gave meanings to our marks.

Nursery-PSHE-Exploring The Environment

The children have had a fantastic week back, meeting new friends and exploring the environment. Learning how to use new resources and engage in different activities around the classroom.

Reception Class - Computing

As part of our settling in week, the children have been exploring the different challenges set on the interactive board! The children have been developing their motor skills and their hand/eye coordination.

Reception Class: Exploring our World

Reception have discovered lots of things to ignite their imaginations in our classroom. As we have explored the room they have enjoyed learning through role play, counting blocks into the maths corner and painting colourful pictures in the creative corner!

Reception Class: Exploring our world.

Reception class have been enjoying "Exploring their World" in our yard! They have had lots of fun on bikes and have been showing us what great climbers they are.

Pre School-PSHE-All About Me

The children have been getting to know each other this week and have talked about their likes and dislikes. The children then created pic collage adding materials and pictures to show what we had talked about. The children explored the classroom and showed their interests throughout the week.

Pre School-Phyiscal Development-Outdoor Fun

The children have been exploring the outdoor provision and enjoyed playing with the water, making mud pies and drawing with the large chalks making gross motor movements.

Reception RE: Eid.

Reception had their last RE lesson on the topic of "Special Times" and had fun learning about Eid. They took things out of the Chatterbox that were related to Islam such as prayer beads, a prayer mat and prayer hats. They were able to talk about how each thing was used. Then the children who celebrate Eid explained how it was a time to eat and have a party after Ramadan (when they fast from eating, singing and dancing.)

Pre School- Graduation 2024

The children have celebrated their Graduation this week. The children's parents came into nursery to celebrate this special occasion, remembering all the special experiences and progress they have made over the last few years. The children are ready for their new adventure to big school.

Pre School- UTW- Celebrations

We have had lots of fun at our Pre School party. We played party games, popping bubbles and catching balloons with our friends. The children enjoyed being together and sharing the experience of doing different activities for the day.

Nursery- UTW-Celebration

We have had lots of fun playing party games in Nursery. Learning to play pass the parcel and musical chairs and trying to understand that we might not always win. We developed our fine motor skills popping bubbles with our fingers and catching the balloons when they went up into the air. We enjoyed sharing the celebration with the Pre School children.

Reception Class - Maths

The children in reception Class have been consolidating thir mathematical skills today. We worked in teams to order our Numicon sets 1 -10, then we had to sort them into odds and evens. We finished by finding our numberbonds to 5 and theen to 10. The children did a fantastic job and showed lots of sticky knowledge!

Nursery - Maths - Link Octopus

This week the children in Nursery class have been using their fine motor skills to assist them with our maths challenge. Using their knowledge of colour, the little ones were able to select different links and join them to the corresponding coloured tentacle on our octopus. This was very fiddly and needed a lot of perseverance! The children were encouraged to name or repeat the colour of the link they had chosen and some children also correctly identified which tentacle was the longest and which was the shortest. Great work, Nursery!

Reception Maths: Part and Part Make Up A Whole.

By using a hoop and some pompoms Reception class have been thinking about how two parts make up a whole. They threw the pompoms into the hoop but some fell outside. The ones inside the hoop were one part, those outside were another part. Adding the two parts together makes the whole!

Reception Music: Joining the Line with Chicken Licken.

In Music, Reception class has sung a song about the story of Chicken Licken. They learnt that he thought the sky was falling down! Gradually the class joined in the song and joined the line to go and tell the king!

Pre School- Science- Magnets

The children have been developing their understanding of how the magnets work. Learning that there are two poles, one that will attract and one that will repel. The children watched as the magnets repelled and moved away from the other magnets without touching the other magnet. When they attracted the magnets stuck together and were hard to separate.

Pre School- Computing and Maths- Recognise Numbers

The children have had lots of fun this week developing their knowledge of numbers and counting 1 to 1 correspondence. The children added legs to the octopus and used different colours to add spots as they counted, recognising numbers as they go.

Reception Class - Phonics - Writing a Sentence

Reception Class have been busy practising their writing skills, trying hard to remember ther capital letters, finger spaces and full stops.

Reception Class - Outdoor Provision

Reception Class have been making the most of the lovely weather and beign in the great outdoors! There are so many learning opportunities outside; taking turns, developing motor skills, climbing, running, jumping, problem solving, being active ...... and all through play!

Nursery - Computing - Can You Draw A Sea Animal?

The children in Nursery class have accessed the interactive board to create a picture of a sea animal. They each chose their favorite sea animal from the basket, we discussed what it was called and what characteristics we could see on the animal. The children then selected a colour or texture for their picture and began to make marks on the board to represent their sea animal. They made some fabulous masterpieces and were very proud of their work!

Nursery - Geography - Exploring Sea And Land Animals

This week we have been looking at different animals and the places where they live. The children did really well in distinguishing between the land animals and sea animals and were able to place them in the correct habitat.

Pre School-PSHE-Taking Turns

The children have been developing their sharing and taking turn skills playing the game, Pizza, Pizza. Working in groups to collect the correct pieces to add to their board, but some pizza toppings had bugs on and they needed to go in the rubbish meaning that the children's boards did not get filled. We all supported each other until we all had a complete board of pizza.

Pre School- P.E- Balancing

P.E- Balancing In Pre School we have been making great progress with our balancing skills. Climbing onto jumps and walking, crawling and balancing with no support along the beams. Some children balanced bean bags on their heads as they moved across the beams.

Nursery - Maths - Sorting By Size

In Nursery class, the children have been using the shells in the sand pit to explore size. We used the target language 'big' and 'small' to describe each shell and also grouped the shells together with others that matched in size.

Reception Maths: Taking away

Reception class have been learning about taking away in their maths lessons. They are now able to form number sentences that include the "minus" and "equals" symbols.

Reception Picture News

During Picture News Reception discussed the qualities of friendship and discussed how valuable friends are to us. Qualities such as kindness, caring and forgiving were discussed and the children enjoyed talking about their friends.

Pre School- Physical Development- Fine Motor Skills

This week the children have been busy developing their finger muscles, using the water bottles to spray coloured water on to the floor and paper in the garden. We have used the clear film to create patterns with fine and thick paint brushes and watch the colours mix. The children enjoyed using the sticks to hook the fish out of the water and count how many fish are in the rock pool.

Pre School- Literacy- Mark Making

Pre-School have been practicing their drawing skills, copying different marks and then using what they have learnt to draw an object and talk about what they have created. We had spiders, caterpillars, worms and faces, and the children were very pleased with their work.

Nursery - Literacy - Remembering Parts of A Story

In Nursery class this week we have really enjoyed reading 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' together. The children have been encouraged to join in at story time, helping to read the story and using our story props to support their understanding. Some of the children recalled the beginning middle and end of the story and could order our story props to represent this.

Reception Class -Visit to the Beach

Reception Class had a fantastic day at the seaside! The children took part in a beach hunt looking for different beach related objects, including shells, driftwood, a feather and seaweed. We also found a crab, a jellyfish and a dead seagull which the children were fascinated by! The children had a great time splashing in the water, exploring the sand and having an ice cream, even if one was pinched by a seagull! We received so many nice comments from the public about how well behaved the children were, and I agree, they were fantastically behaved and great ambassadors for our school!

Reception PE: Sports Champions

At school today we had a visit from an Olympic kayaker. We all found out about how she trains and were inspired by her story. Then the children all engaged in some exercise circuits and talked about the need to warm up properly.

Pre School- Computing-Making the Robot Move

The children have been shown how to use the robot truck. Using the buttons to move it forward, backwards and side to side. We used the cards to plan and give instructions to the robot and watched it move.

Pre School-R.E- Noah and the Ark

Noah and the Ark In our R.E lesson the children have been learning about the story of Noah and how God sent a big flood. Noah and his family saved two of each animal from the flood. They waited 40 days before seeing land again. The children enjoyed role playing with the different animals and adding them into the Ark. The children also created their favourite animal from the story.

Reception Maths: How Many Now?

In Maths today we have been thinking about how we can say number sentences to express how many things we have. The children are getting so much quicker at noticing how many things have been added and counting in their heads.

Nursery - PE - Throwing Skills

Following on from our PE lesson the children continued to develop their throwing skills. They enjoyed throwing balls into our sticky spider web and persevered with their aim, celebrating with each other when they succeeded to get their ball stuck in the web.

Reception Music: Welcoming Characters to our Party with Musical instruments.

In Music, Reception class were thinking about different fairy tale characters. As they all arrived at our party we greeted them with different musical instruments depending on their characters. When Cinderella arrived, the children played bells because she was graceful and beautiful. When Rumpelstiltskin knocked on the door the drums were banged because he was not a friendly person. Finally, when the Big Bad Wolf arrived the cymbals were crashed together loudly!

Nursery - Maths - Capacity

During independent learning this week we have focused on capacity. The children have explored our water area and the mud kitchen outdoors and used the pots, pans and pouring apparatus to explore full and empty. The children have been encouraged to use the language 'full' and 'empty' to describe what they could see.

Reception - Maths - Doubles

Reception class have been busy learning about doubling numbers, we used a tens frame and counters to identify and double numbers 1 - 5.

Reception Class - Pizza Making

Reception Class had a wonderful morning aking pizzas with our chef from Aspens Catering. The children had a selection of toppings to choose from and learned lots of information about the different food groups.

Pre School- Maths-Number Hunt

The children had a fantastic time searching the classroom for treasure maps with different numbers on. The number was written down on the board and the children went around the room finding them. At each number map the children had a number task to complete, jump 5 times, 7 hops and so on. The children then created their own map adding their own numbers on.

Pre School- Physical Development- Cutting skills

On our fine motor table this week, we have been developing our cutting skills. Learning how to hold the scissors correctly and move along the lines that are on the paper. The children worked really hard cutting out and making cuts into the paper.

Nursery - Maths - Science - Using Magnets To Create A Caterpillar

The children in Nursery class have really enjoyed using the magnets to create their own caterpillars. During this activity some children noticed that their caterpillar wasn't sticking together, with perseverance and problem solving skills being used, they were able to adjust the magnets accordingly so they would link together. We also discussed the colours used, identified big and small caterpillars and some children joined in with counting the links on their caterpillars.

Pre School- Physical Development- Making Bubbles

The children have been learning how to make their own bubbles. We used water and liquid to make the mixture and then the hoops to make the bubbles. The children loved popping the bubbles with their fingers and watching them bounce up and down in the hoops. We tried to make them blow in the wind but they popped.

Pre School- Music- Rhyme Time

Today the children have enjoyed using the musical instruments to create loud and quiet sounds and singing different nursery rhymes to match the sounds they are making with the musical instruments. The children began by tapping quietly and then changing the sound when we move the instruments faster and louder.

Reception Class - A Visit from Rev Kev!

As part of our Courageous Advocacy Day, Rev Kev came in to visit the Reception to talk about the work he does in the community. He talked about the food bank and helping those around us.  The children also enjoyed drawing pictures of Rev Kev doing his work!

Reception Class -David and Goliath - Exploring Courage

As part of our Courageous Advocacy Day, Reception talked about what it takes to be brave and courageous. We learnt that we do not have to be big in order to be brave. By acting out the story of David and Goliath, we learnt that when God is on our side we do not need to be afraid. A little person can make a big difference!

Reception Class -Maths - Complex Patterns

In Maths, Reception Class has been learning about patterns as part of our topic on shapes. Today the children brightened up the houses of Darwen by drawing complex patterns on their houses!

Reception Class - Jonah and the Whale

As part of our Courageous Advocacy Day, the children in Reception learnt about justice and speaking up for doing the right thing. They learnt this through acting out the story of Jonah and The Whale and they enjoyed creating whale pictures and sentences about how God wants them to be.

Nursery - PSED - Understanding Feelings

The children in Nursery class have been exploring facial expressions and feelings this week. During story time we have discussed the different characters and how they might be feeling, some children were also able to give a reason why the pirates were sad. The children were able to group together pictures of sad and happy expressions and displayed these in our emotions area.

Nursery - Maths. PE. - Building and Throwing

In Nursery class we have been following a pirate theme, linking with this the children used their construction skills to build walls out of our jumbo lego bricks. We discussed the colour and size of the bricks and the children also persevered to get them linked together. They then selected a 'cannon ball' and used a throwing skill to knock over the walls that they had built. The children really enjoyed this activity!

Pre-School- UTW- Art- Colour Mixing

The children have been exploring colours, we used the three primary colours and watched what happens when the colours got mixed together. The children then went on to mix paint colours on their hands to watch the effects change in front of them.

Pre-School- Physical- Exploring The Outdoors

The children have been interested in finding different bugs in the garden. Together we created a digging area to see what we could find. Using different tools the children found beetles, snails, worms and slugs. The children created an area with the blocks to look at the creatures closer using the magnifying glass.

Reception Music: Musical Patterns.

In Music, Reception have been making musical patterns by playing a drum and tambourine in different ways (tapping, shaking, banging and scratching in a particular order). They have also used their listening skills to identify how an instrument is played without looking!

Reception RE Lesson learning about The Mosque.

In Reception, we have continued our RE topic on Special Places. This week we were learning about The Mosque. Ms Dalal, Mrs Patel and Sohail from Year 6 answered many questions and showed us how they pray using a special counter. We were impressed that many children, including Sohail, go to The Mosque every day to learn the Quran. We were told that the boys and girls go in separate rooms and everyone takes off their shoes to show respect.

Reception Class - Introducing the Bee Bots

Today in Reception the children have been programming the Bee Bots to follow an instruction, referring back to the arrows we learned about last week. The children had retained the names of the arrows, along with being able to correctly identify left and right. They could navigate the Bee Bot to fllow the directions of the arrow, explaining what was happening.

Nursery Class - PSED - Can You Dress The Pirates?

Nursery Class have been exploring all about pirates this week. The children were tasked with choosing some clothing and dressing the pirates. We spoke about the name of the item of clothing and where on the body it would go.

Ordering School Meals Via ParentPay

We have listened to your feedback regarding wanting to know what your child eats in school and we have now activated ParentPay meal ordering so that you can order what your child will eat in school (please note thaat this will be compulsory form September). Please familiarise yourself with this by logging on to your ParentPay account and selecting your child's meals with them at home. Dinners need to be ordered before 9am. Please message Miss Greenwood if you have any problems logging on, thank you.

Reception - Maths - Representing 9 and 10.

Reception Class have been busy developing their knowledge of the composition of number. They had to use the different resource savailable to repreent 9 and 10 on their tens frame. The children had to explain how they had composed the number and how many spaces were left on their tens frame.

Nursery Class - Physical Development, PE - 'The Floor Is Water' Balancing Obstacle Course.

The children in Nursery Class have been working really hard on their balancing skills. An obstacle course was set up in our garden for the children to try and navigate around. We named this 'The floor is water' and the aim was to complete the obstacle course and not get eaten by the sharks! They have shown a great growth mindset and have not given up when they have fallen off. Brilliant Perseverance Nursery Class!

Pre-School- Literacy and Maths- Calendar

Everyday Pre- school children take part in Calendar time. In this short activity we learn the day, date, month and what letter sound they start with. The children learn to recognise their own name card and letter sound. We then count how many children are in our class and put them into groups, recognising which group has more or less.

Pre-School- Maths-Rocket Shapes

The children have used different materials and shapes to create Rockets. The children recognised squares, rectangles and triangles and we counted how many sides each shape had.

Reception - Understanding the World - Understanding Arrows

Reception class discussed what the different arrows mean and their names (forwards, back, left and right). They then had to follow my instruction when I showed them an arrow, moving one step in that direction.

Reception - Maths - Finding 9 and 10

Reception Class have been continuing developing their understanding of number by identifying 9 and not 9 and 10 or not 10. Some of the pictures tried to trick us, so we had to be very careful when subitising and counting!

Nursery - Music - Using Instruments to Support Rhyme Time

Nursery class have introduced instruments to rhyme time. The children have been encouraged to select their own instruments and have enjoyed listening to the different sounds that each instrument makes. We have been practicing how to use the instruments and how we can make loud sounds and quiet sounds.

Pre-school- Art-Space pictures

Space Art The children have been exploring space. We have been very creative using different materials that are 3D, hard, soft and shiny to add texture to our pictures. The children used stars, glitter and foil to make their amazing Space art.

Pre-school-Literacy-The Giant Jam Sandwich

Literacy We have started reading the story of 'The Giant Jam Sandwich'. The children have been creating different pictures and learning new words but today we decided to make our own jam sandwiches with different styles and tastes of bread. The children selected which bread they would like and added jam if they wanted to. We discussed the sweet smell and how the wasps were attracted to the town.

Reception RE: Talking about our Special Places.

In Reception class we have been talking about places that are special to us and also where people go to pray and learn about their faith.

Reception - Understanding the World - Testing How Different Balls Bounce

Reception class have continued looking at forces and today they have been exploring how different balls bounce. The children had a selection of balls to choose from, some hard, some soft, some leather and some spongy. The children had a chance to bounce their balls, swapping with a friend. They then talked about their findings to the rest of the class.

Nursery Class - Understanding the world - Finding Hidden Animals in our Environment.

Nursery class explored their outdoor environment to find some hidden animals. The children used their brilliant searching and looking skills to find all of the animals from our story and match them to our checklist. As the children found the animals they were encouraged to voice the animal sound, some children began to make movements like the animals they had found and could even remember where some of the animals would usually live.

Pre- school- Physical development- Catching and throwing

In P.E the children have been learning to throw and catch small balls. The children started at a short distance throwing balls to each other and then moved further away from each other to make longer throws. The children showed great understanding and skills in our lesson and worked well together.

Pre-school- PSHE- Me and my friends

PSHE- Me and my friends The children listened to the story of Elmer and Rosie. Within this story the children discussed their friendships and how they like and dislike different things. We talked about who we were friends with at nursery and at home. We discussed how we have similarities and differences between us. The children created Elmer the elephant of their own and talked about how everyone had created different ones.

Nursery - Communication and Language - Which Animal Made that Sound?

Nursery class have used their brilliant listening skills to identify which animal from our story 'Where's spot?' made the sound that they could hear. They worked really hard to link the sound with the correct animal picture and then mimicked the animal sound. The children took this new knowledge and found different animals during independent learning and were very excited to voice the correct animal sounds.

Reception Class - Handwriting

Reception Class have been working hard on their letter formation through our Letterjoin scheme. They have been learning the rhymes to help them with their formation and sharing their work with a friend, talking about how their letters look and if they have been formed correctly.

Reception Class - 3D Models

Reception class have been busy creatign 3D models using the available resources. Using the skills they have been learning they have been cutting, joining, sticking an linking together different 3D materials to create rockets, ships and telescopes!

Welcome to DSJ!

We would like to say a huge welcome to the families who found out that their little one got a place in our Reception class in September. Whether you are new to the DSJ family or already part of our Pre-School We can't wait to have your little one on their journey with us. We will be in touch shortly with transition information, once everyone has accepted their place. Our transition afternoon is booked for Wednesday 12th June 2024 at 2pm, so please save the date!

2 Year Old Funding Information

WORKING FAMILIES - Applications are now open for families with children who are turning two before the end of August 2024, ready for a funded place in September 2024. You can apply on www.childcarechoices.gov.uk and YOU receive the Eligibility Code. To be eligible for a funded place in September children must already be 2 or turn 2 between 1st April 2024 and 31 August 2024 AND must have a Valid Eligibility Code. We recommend you apply for the Eligibility Code from Mid June (so you don’t have to reconfirm before the start of term) Eligibility Codes obtained after 31st August 2024 will mean the code is not valid and the child isn’t eligible for funding in the Autumn Term (September)

Two's Room Exploring the outdoors!

We have had lots of fun today exploring the outdoor area in the beautiful sunshine. We practised riding on the bikes, using our legs to push ourselves. We enjoyed climbing on the climbing frame and sliding down the slide. We had fun popping bubbles too!

UTW- Celebration of Eid

Celebration of Eid The children today learnt about Eid. How it is celebrated and what happens before and on this special day. We had children from Year 6 that came down to nursery to talk about Ramadan and how they fasted for 30 days and did not eat in the day time. After this time the children talked about Eid and how they celebrated with family and friends, they went to the Mosque and received gifts. We then sat together to enjoy some food.

Reception - Purple Mash - Spring Flowers

Reception Class have been using the Purple Mash program- 2Paint to create their flowers. The children had to select their paint and use the toolbar to adjust the thickness of their paint. They used the pen on the interactive board to place their marks and create their flowers.

Reception - Comparing Cars Move Down Ramps

Today Reception class have been comparing how different cars and othher objects move down the ramps. The children observed that the cars went faster when the ramp was at more of an incline. The children then extended this activity by building ramps using different objects and they used boxes and blocks to create different structures to roll their cars down.

Two's Room, Exploring Transport.

We have been busy exploring the different types of transport that we have. We have enjoyed playing in the tuff tray with the trucks, filling and emptying them with the different cereals. We had fun using the ramps to see how far the cars could go. We had fun colouring in the different pictures of transport too using paints and felt tips.

Pre school - Maths

Racing cars The children enjoyed racing different cars down the ramp to see which number it landed on. The children subitise how many cars landed on the same number and recognised numbers 1-5.

Reception Class - Story Time - Whatever Next!

Today during story time the children acted out the different parts of our story Whatever Next! baby Bear and Owl met up and flew to the moon on a fantastic adventure! The children had remembered lots of vocabulary from the story and they were able to sequence the different events.

Pre-School - Transport

In Understanding the world this week we have looked at old and new transport. We looked at different pictures of new transport and we recognised a lot of them but then we looked at old transport pictures and how they used to be. The children picked out features and questioned why it was like that. We then played a matching game with the objects and pictures.

Reception- RE - The Wise and Foolish Builders

Yesterday in R.E we looked at the story of the wise and foolish builders. After reading the story together we decided to create this scenario ourselves. The children built two lego houses, one of them stood on a solid foundation and the other stood on the sand. We used lots of water to mimic a flood, one house stood strong and the other fell down! The moral of the story being, if we listen to the words of God we will be wise and stand strong just like the builder who built his house on the rocks.

Reception - Maths - Number Bonds to 10

Today the children have continued exploring number bonds to 10. We showed the different number bonds using our fingers. We then drew them on to our boards, representing the different numbers.

Reception - Floating and Sinking

In science today we have been exploring different items that float and sink. The children made their predictions about each item before we tested their theories. We definitely had some surprising discoveries! The children had some great observational comments and explained why they thought some items sank while others floated.

Henry Program - New Course Available!

The next Henry 0-5 will be held at Darwen Family Hub (Lord St) starting on Wednesday April 17th from 12.30-2.30. It is an 8 week programme with a creche available for younger children if needed. Parents/carers can self refer by telephone 01254 585000 or by using the new family hub website https://familyhubsbwd.org/looking-after-your-family/parenting If you have any questions please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Easter Competition Winners

A huge well done to the winners of this years Easter competition! Rev Kev and Miss Greenwood had the difficult decision of selecting 3 winners form each class. We had over 20 family entries too, which was great! Congratulations to those winners.

Easter Egg Competition

This year our competition theme was the Paris Olympics and we have had some eggstrodinary entries! Well done ot every family that entered this years competiton, the judges have had an eggstremely dificult decision this year! The winners will be announced in our special Easter Worship tomorrow, you are all welcome to join us.

Pre School - Making Easter Bunnies

The children have had so much fun making Easter bunnies at the workshop table. The children used different materials and techniques to create their own bunny.

Two’s Room - Egg Hunt

This afternoon, we went on an egg hunt in the outdoor area. We had to find lots of different coloured eggs. We all worked together as a team and found them all!

Reception Class - Easter Crown Craft

Reception class have been busy working on their Easter crowns for our competition. They have been selecting different shapes and sticking them on to their Easter crowns.

Reception - Maths - Using a 10's Frame

Today in maths the children have been exploring a tens frame, representing numbers to 10. The children had to work with a partner to decide which Nuberblock had lost their 10 frame and whether they had represented that correctly on their frame.

Reception - DT - Making Fruit Rockets

This afternoon the children have been making fruit rockets. The children had to follow the pattern to create their rocket, selecting melon, strawberries or marshmallows. Although the children enjoyed making them, they loved eating them even more!

Reception Class - Design and Technology - Creating Rockets

As part of our space theme the children have been using diffferent materials to create a rocket. The children used joining, linking, cutting and sticking skills to create their designs, they worked really hard to finish their creations.

BwD Family Hub Website

Fantastic news! Our website is live! The Start for Life Family Hub Website is the gateway to information of where services are, it details everything a family will need in those 1001 critical days and beyond. Our Family Hubs and Children Centres are our Single point of access to those start for life, wider services and family help. The Hubs and Children Centres are the physical places where a family can visit and speak to a trained staff member, face to face, who will provide them with straightforward information or advice on a wide range of family issues spanning the 0-19 (25 with SEND) age range and connect them appropriately to further services across that age range if they need more targeted or specialist support.

Toileting Drop In Support Group

Lord St Family Hub are running a number of sessions to help and support you with toilet training your little one. Please see the dates and times listed in the photo, these sessions are ideal for ensuring your little one is ready for school in September.

Two’s Room - Cars and Ramps

We have been exploring the cars and different ramps, to see how fast the cars will go. We had lots of fun doing this!

Two’s Room - Art and Design - Creating Flowers

We had lots of fun making our own flower pictures today, just like in our story.

Reception Class - Science - Exploring Space

This afternoon Reception has been exploring space! We took off from earth in our rocket and flew to the different planets! We visited Mercury - making our bodies small, we used telescopes to view Venus - the hottest planet in our solar system. Then we headed to Mars, we didn’t spot any Martians! Next we went to Jupiter which has a never ending giant storm. Then we visited Saturn and we pretended to be the ring around the planet. After that we went to the coldest planet in our solar system, Uranus, it was freezing! Finally we got to Neptune, the planet that is furthest away from the Sun, it also has the strongest winds. Finally we took a walk on the Moon before heading back to Earth in our rocket! What a busy afternoon!

Nursery - PE - Balancing on a Ball

We had lots of fun in our PE session today. We have been learning how to sit and balance on a ball. This was very tricky to do but we all did so well. We also tried balancing with a partner using our feet and legs.

Pre School - Collage Creations

Today in funky fingers we used the scissors to cut the different wild animal prints to make a collage picture. Very impressed with our cutting skills.

Reception - Literacy - Plot Point 4

Today in literacy we have been looking at plot point 4 of our story Pig's Might Fly. In the story, Wilbur pressed the big red button to activate the rocket booster! We were finding things that are red and we had a go at writing a sentence "Wilbur pressed the shiny red button". Some of the children had a go at changing the word shiny to other words, such as ruby and bright.

Pre School - Maths - Dinosaurs

In Maths this week we have been counting dinosaurs and learning to give the correct amount asked for. We then sorted the dinosaurs and looked at which had more and less or the same.

Reception - Train Journey

Reception class experienced a train journey today! We walked from school to Darwen Train Station and took the train to Blackburn as we were going to the cinema. The children were so excited and enjoyed talking about the different scenery they could see through the window.

Reception Class - Trip to Vue Cinema

Today Reception Class ticked an item from their bucket list by visiting Vue Cinema to watch Paw Patrol! The children had an amazing time and their behaviour was wonderful!

Pre - School - Van Gogh - 3D Flowers

The children have been exploring the Artist Van Gogh and this week the children have created 3D flowers to stand out of the picture. This also links to our Literacy story Katie and the sunflowers. The children learnt new skills, rolling up the tissue paper in different ways to get a different effect.

Nursery - World Book Day

Nursery have had a wonderful day today celebrating World Book Day. They have dressed up, brought in teddies and shared stories!

Reception Class - World Book Day

World book day 2024! Today we have listened to many stories via different methods. First the children shared their guided reading books with their favourite teddies, our reading pals love having stories read to them! Then we enjoyed an exciting dinosaur book together as a class. This afternoon the children gathered on the carpet and we listened to a calming ebook which was a different experience for us, reception class listened very carefully, and were able to recall the characters and retell parts of the story. Then to end the day we were joined by some parents and we partnered up with Year 4. Mr Twist read two books for us all which included actions and the children's participation to help tell the stories. The children have all had a great day!

Reception - RE - The Last Supper

In RE yesterday the children were learning about the last supper. They washed their feet, just like Jesus and his disciples would have done. They then re-enacted the story together.

Inclusion Coffee Morning

Yesterday we held a coffee morning to find out how we can represent all cultures in our Early Years. We had a fantastic turn out and we have some great ideas on how to move forward with this. Thank you to Mrs Adamson for leading this session. If you are interested in coming along to our next session, please send Miss Sears or Mrs Adamson a Dojo.

Reception - Science - Solids and Liquids

During our Science lesson today we explored solids and liquids! The children guessed what liquid would be inside the balloons and what would happen to the contents once the balloon was popped. Some balloons were liquid and some were frozen solid! The children also described what they could see and feel during this experiment. We have challenged your little ones to find something solid in their freezer at home, please support them with this and send us a picture with what your little one has found so we can share their discoveries with the class.

Two’s Room - Messy Fun!

We enjoyed having some messy fun, using the tractors to create marks with paint.

Two’s Room - Exploring Outside

We had fun exploring the outdoor area and we found some wiggly worms and slugs.

Two’s Room - On the Farm

We have had lots of fun today looking at our new story all about the farm. We enjoyed playing with the farm and the animals. We created pigs today using paper plates and pink paint.

Pre School - Keeping Ourselves Safe

Today in PSHE we have been looking at keeping ourselves safe looking at safe and unsafe things to put on our bodies and in our bodies. We looked at different medicines and shampoos. We talked about sand and mud and how we have to try and not get it in our eyes and make sure we wash our eyes.

Two’s Room - Minibeasts

We have had a fantastic week in nursery this week. We have been learning all about minibeasts and creating our own bees. We had lots of fun during rhyme time with our family members. We had fun playing in the water with the ducks. We looked at the word sitting and what it means to us. We all practiced doing this and we also showed this with other objects. We enjoyed playing a colour matching game where we had to match the different colours to the different coloured objects. We have spent time exploring the outdoors and we even found some worms.

Supporting your Bilingual Child

Speaking two languages is an amazing skill to have! So if you're raising a bilingual child here are a few ways to support them

Two’s Room - Rhyme Time

The parents and children in the Two’s room had a fantastic time during our rhyme time today. Thank you to all of the parents who could make it. Please don't worry if you couldn't make it this week as it will be running it every week.

Nursery - Story and Rhyme Time

We are pleased to announce our new story and rhyme time sessions in nursery. Tuesday for the Two's class children Thursday for Pre School children Parents are welcome to come to the session from 11.00 am for morning children. 2.30 pm for afternoon children. In this time we will have a lovely story/ rhyme session and before we finish you will be able to change your child's reading book with them before you go. We will now be changing books on Tuesday for Two's class children and Thursday for Pre School.

Reception Class - Group Reading

Reception have been working hard to apply their phonics knowledge to their reading. They have been working on ‘speedy reading’ breaking down the word into sounds and blending together to read the words.

Pre School - Katie’s Sunflowers

In literacy this week we have started a new story called Katie and the sunflowers. Katie goes to a gallery and sees a beautiful picture of some sunflowers. We discussed what we would see in a gallery and learnt some new words from Grandma Fantastic. We decided to create our very own sunflowers.

Two’s Room Fun!

We have had lots of fun today. We have started looking at a new book this week, which is all about being a good friend. In our book, there are lots of different things to look at. We had a picnic together sharing all of our yummy food with our friends, just like in our story. We also created beautiful butterflies using lots of different materials. We had fun in the tuff tray making caterpillars and spiders by threading the cereal and pasta onto the pipe cleaners.

Reception Class - Things that Matter to us

This afternoon the children have been discussing what matters to them. They transferred these thoughts on to paper and they are bringing them home.

Pre School - Chinese New Year

In Understanding the world we celebrated the Chinese New Year. In class we learnt that it is the year of the Dragon and how it is celebrated. We created dragon masks, lanterns and noodle dishes. We had lots of fun dancing to music with our masks and ribbon.

Two’s Room - Dear Zoo

We have had a good week so far in nursery. We have been looking at our story, Dear Zoo. We dressed up like the different animals and moved our bodies and made noises like the animals. We made animal footprints using the different coloured paints. We also made elephants which have long trunks and big ears! In our physical development room we have been practising our crawling and climbing skills. More fun to come!

Reception Class - Bug Hunt

This afternoon, Reception class went on a bug hunt around the school grounds. We found an array of bugs including slugs, worms and a millipede. We observed the environment and explored under stones and equipment to find dark warm places that the bugs might like to live in. The children really thought about where the bugs might be and gave some great observational comments about what they discovered.

Two’s Room - Exploring Outside

We had fun exploring the outdoor area and we found some wiggly worms and slugs.

Reception Class - Our Local Area

This afternoon the children have continued to develop their geographical knowledge by exploring their homes and the local area on Google Maps. The children loved directing me to their houses and pointing out familiar landmarks.

Pre School - Little Red Riding Hood

This week the children have been learning about the fairy tale Little Red riding hood. We have developed our fine motor skills using the tweezers to get the pom poms out of the forest. We developed our skills for maths with Grandma's cakes, giving a plate to Red riding hood, Grandma and wood cutter, even though we gave out the cakes the total remained the same. We played a game of hide and seek with Grandma and revisited a lesson on our senses.

2’s Room - Exploring light and dark

We have had lots of fun this week, taking part in lots of different activities. We had fun exploring light and dark. We switched all the lights off in our classroom and used a torch to look around. We talked about what happens at night time and the stars and the moon shine in the sky.

Reception RE - The Walls of Jericho

In RE, Reception used their amazing acting skills to learn the story of Joshua and the walls of Jericho. Some children built the city of Jericho and then others followed Joshua with their trumpets and walked around the city 7 times. The walls came down with a lot of noise!

Pre School - PSHE - Feelings

Today in PSHE we talked about our feelings, exploring happy and sad and what makes us feel like this. We talked about who we would go to if we felt sad and who we would share our happy news with. The children then explored different textures that link to how we would feel in our tummy when we are happy and sad. The children had some fantastic answers and loved touching all the different objects and discussing how that made them feel.

Reception Class - English - Writing about Penguins

Reception class have been learning all about penguins this half term. During our English lesson the children wrote the sentence ‘the daddy penguin hugs his baby.’ The children applied their phonetic knowledge, identifying tricky words and using their segmenting skills. Great effort everyone!

Reception Class - Phonics and Early Reading

Reception Class have been settling into their new routine of guided reading and phonics. We are developing our blending, segmenting and writing skills.

Pre School RE Epiphany

We have had a great first week in nursery and today we have had our R.E session. We have explored the meaning of Epiphany. The children played with the three kings and went to meet Baby Jesus in the stable. We had to think about what we would give baby Jesus if we went to see him.

Two’s Room - Kitchen Disco

We have started looking at our new book, Kitchen disco! It has lots of fruits and vegetables inside the book and so we have been exploring the different kinds of fruits and vegetables today. We touched and smelt the fruits and vegetables and talked about what they were called. We also played with the carrots and the lettuce in the water. We have lots of fun activities planned for this week. Here are some photos of what we have been up to today.

Reception - Playdough Christmas Trees

This morning we have been creating some christmas trees at our playdough table. The children have moulded their playdough into tree shapes and used lots of materials to decorate them, including gems, beads, pompoms and pipe cleaners. They did a great job and have created some Fabulous trees!

Nursery Nativity

A huge well done to our Nursery superstars who have worked so hard on their nativity. They acted out the Nativity story and sang sone Christmas songs.

Pre School - North and South Pole

This week in Understanding the world, we learnt about the North and South pole and what we would find there. We discovered lots of ice and different animals to what we would see in Darwen. We put the polar bears and reindeer in the North pole and whales and penguins in the south pole. The children then explored ice and what happens to the ice when it starts to get warm.

Reception - RE - Diwali

In R.E this week we have been looking at Diwali, the Hindu festival of light! We spoke about the victory of light over darkness and good over evil. Even the smallest light cannot be dimmed by the darkness. We used glow sticks and torches to test this theory, the result was beautiful and the children thoroughly enjoyed our own mini festival of light.

Nursery - Decorating the Tree

We have had so much fun today decorating our Christmas trees! We decorated one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The children learnt lots of skills including turn taking and teamwork. They developed their fine motor skills hanging up the baubles. I think you will agree that they both look amazing!

Reception - Scavenger Sort

Yesterday we went on a scavenger hunt around the school grounds to see what we could find in nature! The children found an array of items including leaves, berries and ice. The children sorted all of the objects into groups before we took a look at our haul! We spoke about why the leaves were on the ground instead of in the trees. What animals may need the berries as a food source. How the ice was formed. Why it is important to put our rubbish in the bin. Reception class did a great job working scientifically and they had lots of ideas and comments about what we had found.

2’s Room - Dinosaur Art

We have been very creative today making big dinosaurs together, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. We used natural materials to create our dinosaurs.

Nursery PE - Throwing and Passing

This week in P.E the children have been developing their throwing and catching skills, passing the bean bags to each other and developing our core strength.

2’s Room - Exploring Ice

We have had a great day exploring ice today and what happens when we put it into warm water. We were excited to find out that when the ice melted, some dinosaurs appeared! We counted the dinosaurs that we found and also talked about what colour they were.

2’s Room - Dinosaurs

We have had lots of fun today cleaning the dirty dinosaurs. We talked about being dirty and how we could get clean. We had so much fun!

2’s Room - Finger Painting

The children have been using their fingers and paint to make marks on the dinosaur picture.

Nursery - Children in Need

We have had such a fun day celebrating children in Need! We even had Pudsey bear come and see us. Have a look at some of the photos of us all enjoying this special day.

Pre School - Hibernation

The children enjoyed learning all about Hibernation yesterday. We explored which animals hibernate and how they store their food for winter. We went out and collected leaves, twigs and food that the animals might need. The children then made houses for the hedgehogs to sleep in for winter.

2’s Room - Exploring Outside

We had lots of fun exploring the outdoors today! We made leaf soup in the mud kitchen and enjoyed climbing on the climbing frame. We love exploring in Autumn time with all the leaves crunching under our feet. We made sure to wrap up warm today and had so much fun!

Reception Class - Phonics - Popcorn Pop

During our phonics lesson today the children were introduced to our phonics game 'popcorn pop'. Inside our popcorn box we have some graphemes, tricky words and some CVC words to help the children with their blending. We really enjoyed this game and we will definitely be playing it again to help us with our phonics knowledge.

Reception Class - Anti Bullying Posters

Today the children have been talking about how we can be a kind friend. We discussed what bullying means and what we can do if somebody is unkind to us. W then made some posters to put up in our classroom and around school.

Reception Class -Maths - Parts That Make a Whole

Tooday the children have been learning how to; Identify the 'whole' when shown 1 part of a familiar object identify that the parts are still visible when they are assembled to make the whole hear the language of 'whole' and 'parts'. I’ve got a basket full of different parts here. Do you think you can help me sort out a problem? In my basket I have collected some things that I found left out, and they need sorting. Do you think you can help me decide which whole thing each part belongs to? We can say that parts can join together to make a whole. 

Pre School - Literacy - Where The Wild Things Are

In Literacy this week we have started our new story,' Where the Wild Things Are.' The children went out in the garden to find wild things using our imagination like Max from our story. The children found bears, witches and owls in the forest and loved running away from them and hiding in different places. The children moved their bodies to the action words we have been learning, skipping and marching. We even made some magic wands.

Reception Class -Acting out a Story

In Reception Class we have been acting out the story of Owl Babies. The children took on the role of different characters, repeating familiar phrases from the story.

2’s Room - Physical Development

The children in 2’s room have been exploring their new room, designed to promote their physical development. They are able to climb, jump, balance and develop their motor skills.

Reception Class - Phonics

Today in phonics the children have been practising their blending skills by playing Dragon's Den. The children had to read the words on the egg and decide if they thought the word was real or fake. They voted on this using our coloured fans.

Pre School - Counting Songs

In maths this week the children have been learning different counting songs. We used the blocks to touch count each object in our songs. We enjoyed singing five little ducks, five cheeky monkeys and five currant buns.

Reception Class Name Writing

Reception Class have been working hard on identifying and writing their names. Some of our children are self correcting their pen grip too which is great!

2’s Room - Birthdays

We have had lots of fun this week in the 2’s room learning about birthdays and how we celebrate them. We enjoyed looking at photos of when we were babies and how much we have grown! We have enjoyed making cakes using the playdough and inserting candles into the dough and counting them. We have had another week playing with the flour, making cakes and making marks using our fingers. We have all explored the classroom and we even created a birthday cake using the interactive board. What a fun week we have had!

Pre School - Bear Hunt

In literacy this week we have continued exploring our story of We're Going on a Bear Hunt. We have now reached the dark forest and explored the different sounds we would hear in the forest, selecting pictures of the animals we would find. We used the sensory box to find hidden bugs and twigs. We created forest pictures, painting with twigs and leaves. We then went outside to make a bear cave, collecting twigs, leaves and recalling the story as we worked together to make the cave. I think the bear would be very happy.

Handwriting in Reception

Reception Class have been busy practicing their handwriting this afternoon. We are working on following a simple pattern on our boards, moving from left to right and holding our pen correctly.

Pre School - Birthdays

This week in Pre school we have explored birthdays and how we have celebrated birthdays before. We talked about how many candles we had on our cake, if we received birthday cards and presents and if we had birthday parties. We listened to the story of Kipper's Birthday and explored our objects on the carpet. The children then got to create their own present and wrapping paper on our workshop table.

Reception -UtW - Humans

We will be learning all about humans in Science this term. Reception class explored their faces this week, the children took it in turns to look into our mirror and describe what they could see. The children were able to name some of their features, eyes, nose mouth etc. They looked very carefully and started to notice their differences, some children have brown eyes, some have blue. Some children have freckles while others don't. Some of our friends have long hair and some have short hair. The children really enjoyed looking at themselves and each other, noticing new things about their faces.

Pre School - Literacy

In literacy the children in pre-school have been exploring our story; We're Going on a Bear Hunt. We experienced warm and cold water, damp and dripping wet clothes and listened to different sounds of dripping water and splashing. We learnt new words from Grandma Fantastic's basket.

Reception - Working Scientifically- Incy Wincy Spider

This morning a group of children took part in an experiment! We needed to select a good material to make a roof so that Incy-Wincy spider would stay dry and cosy in this wet and soggy weather. Firstly we inspected each material, the children had a very good look and they also felt the materials before making their predictions. They all had a good knowledge and some good ideas as to why certain materials would or would not keep Incy-Wincy dry. Then we put out predictions to the test! We worked as a team to hold the different materials tight and steady, then took turns to pour the water on top. The children really enjoyed seeing how the water moved and settled on the different materials. We found some very good materials that would definitely keep Incy-Wincy spider nice and dry!

Explorers Exhibition - Reception Class Visit

Throughout today, Reception class have been in small groups to visit our 'Explorers Exhibition' that was kindly set up by Mrs Thompson. The children have thoroughly enjoyed looking at the different items and learning about some of the more obscure objects. The children had some very good ideas and opinions about the items set out. Ask them about some of their favourite pieces of exploration equipment or memorabilia when they get home.

Two’s Room Fun

In the two’s room the children have been exploring puzzles and patterns. Using the play dough to make mini beasts and using their imagination to role play in the house making tea for their friends.

Pre School - Spring and Mini Beasts!

This week the children have been exploring Spring and mini beasts. Today we have been planting seeds to watch them grow. The children added soil and seeds into their pots and then we discussed what the seeds will need to grow. The children were aware that they needed the sun and water to help them. We are excited to watch them grow over the next few weeks. We will keep you updated.

Reception Class - Easter Cutting Activity

Reception class have developing their cutting skills by creating their own Easter scenes.

Nursery Stay and Play

Nursery held a stay and play on Thursday, the children and their families had a fantastic time! Thank you to everyone who attended.

Reception - French - Names of Animals

In French this week, Mr Miakukila has been helping Reception class with animal names. So far have we have practised le chat, le lapin and le chien. Do you know which animals they are? Ask your little ones about these three animals when they get home, they might be able to name a few more too!

Reception Class - English Experience Day

This afternoon Reception watched a video of the Red Arrows as part of our experience day for Pigs Might Fly. We then explored flight by making our own paper aeroplanes and testing how well they flew.

Reception Class - Creating Rockets

Reception Class have been creating rockets by cutting out 2D shapes and sticking them together.

Reception - Class Worship

During class worship we have been looking at the biblical story of Ruth and Naomi. We worked together in two teams to 'stick together' as Ruth and Naomi did. Our task was to carry a balloon around the classroom without using our hands. The children came up with some very good ideas on how to transport the balloon.

Nursery - Toddle Tots

This morning both pre school and two’s class walked up to church to attend the playgroup. We had lots of fun meeting new friends and playing with the different toys.

Reception - Colours in French

Reception have had their first French lesson of this term today and they have been learning how to say different colours! So far we have worked on rouge, bleu and jaune.

Reception Class - Pompom Spiders

We have made some pompom spiders this afternoon! The children did a great job at following the instructions. Once we had finished the children decided where they wanted to hang their spiders.

Chat, Play and Read Together

Every chat you have with your child helps them develop their social skills, so they can make friends more easily. Here are some simple things you can try to get your child talking: nhs.uk/start4life/chatplayread #ChatPlayRead

Start for Life

When you play with your child, you give their brain a boost. Get easy ideas for working more play-time into your day: nhs.uk/start4life/chatplayread #ChatPlayRead

Reading with your Child

Kids brains are like sponges, soaking up everything around them. And when you play with them, you give their brains a boost. Get support at Start for Life nhs.uk/start4life/chatplayread #ChatPlayRead

Pre School - Exploring Autumn

We have had lots of fun this week learning all about Autumn and the wonderful things that happen during this time. We have talked about what animals hibernate and then we have painted these. We have been on a leaf hunt and collected lots of leaves to then make pictures with.

Story Time

Each day in reception the children will be voting for the story they would like to listen to at snack time. They will choose their photo and put it into the corresponding pot. This gives the children an opportunity to listen to some new texts alongside some classic stories!

Two’s Room - Motor Skills

In the two’s room this week we have been working on our fine and gross motor skills. We have been doing lots of funky fingers activities such as painting with ear buds, using the peg and peg boards, making marks in the icing sugar and many more! We have also had lots of fun exploring the outdoor area and building on our gross motor skills.

Pre School - Letters to the Bear

Pre-School have been reading We’re Going on a Bear Hunt this week. Some of the children created some invitations to give to the bear because he is lonely and the children asked him to come and play at nursery. The children left the invitations in the garden and this morning we had a reply, the bear had left a note and some biscuits to share with the children.

Pre School - The 3 Bears

This morning in pre school the children were looking the different sizes of the bears, big, small and medium. They had to place the big, small and medium bears in size order. We created our own bears using paints and paper plates and then we explored the outdoor area.

Two’s Room - Gross Motor Skills

In the two’s room this morning we had so much fun exploring the outdoor area. We practiced our running, jumping and balancing skills.

Two’s Room - Messy Fun!

In the Two’s room this afternoon we have been exploring icing sugar and how gloopy it is when you add water to it! Lots of messy fun.

Pre-School - Exploring Autumn

In Pre school this afternoon we have been exploring the outdoor area and enjoying the Autumn weather. We have collected leaves to create pictures with tomorrow. We had so much fun!

Reception - Phonics

This afternoon in phonics Reception have been practising writing their graphemes and names, this is something they will do every day. They will be talking about print going from left to right, using the dot on our board to help them. They will also be looking at holding their pens properly.

Reception - Self Portraits

Today Reception have been creating self portraits, looking at our features in the mirror and drawing what we could see.

Reception Class Phonics

This week in Reception the children have been introduced to Phonics Bug. We have started learning about different phonemes, so far we have worked on 's' and 'a' sounds.

Reception Class - Picture News

In Picture News this morning the children in Reception designed posters to stop people from flushing wet wipes down the toilet.

Reception Class Transition Afternoons.

Our new Reception children have joined us for three transition afternoons this week, and what fun we had! The children were able to explore their new environment, meet their new teachers and each other, and take part in lots of fun games and activities. We can’t wait to see you all again in September!

Two’s Room - Planting Seeds

Last week in the two’s room afternoon group, we planted some cress seeds. We talked about what the seeds needed in order for them to grow and we used a watering can to water our own seeds. We have been watching them grow and when we checked on them today, they had grown so much!

Nursery - 2's Room and Pre School, Collaborative Art.

The 2's room and Pre-School have had lots of fun today creating a collaborative piece of artwork together.

Spring Time in the 2's Room!

Spring is finally here! Nursery have been making the most of the lovely weather and exploring our outdoor area. We have found lots of different bugs and some of us even held a spider!

EYFS - Police Visit

This afternoon we had a visit from PC Ros and PC Gail. They came to talk to the children about the jobs that police officers do, and how they help keep us safe.

2's Room - Minibeasts.

The Two's Room have been busy exploring Mini Beasts this week. Creating caterpillars with the play dough and using Mini Mash to create a garden centre adding flowers and bugs to go.

Pre School - Minibeasts

This week Pre-School have been exploring mini beasts and have created houses for the bugs to live in. They have discussed where they live and what they like to eat and created snails, spiders and caterpillars at the workshop table.

Reception Class - Browning Apples

Reception Class have been exploring change over time. They have added different liquids to apples; lemon juice, vinegar, milk, water and some apples with no liquid. The children had to predict which liquid they thought would turn the apple brown first and explain their thoughts. The children checked the apples and different liquids at regular intervals throughout the day, discussing the changes they had witnessed.

Nursery - Learning Through Play

The 2's room and Pre School have been learning new skills through play, including turn taking, learning new vocabulary and developing their physical skills.

Nursery - People Who Help Us

We have had a fantastic week in nursery. We have been learning all about people who help us. We have looked at police, doctors, postal workers and dentist. The children have had lots of fun doing different activities.

Reception Class - Name Writing

Reception Class have been working hard to write their names, including forming their letters correctly.

Blending CVC Words

Today the children in Reception have been working hard with their blending skills in phonics. Great job everyone!

Nursery - Exploring Autumn

Nursery have had lots of fun exploring Autumn this half term. There has been lots of outdoor learning.

Nursery Places Available!

Nursery Places Available Now for 2,3 and 4 year olds. 2 year funding is available. 15 hours free education for ALL 3 and 4 year olds. 30 hours funding for 3 and 4 year olds available for working parents. High quality teaching through play in our fantastic Nursery environment. Please contact us on 01254 703260 for more information or to arrange a viewing.

Reception Class Outdoor Fun!

Today the children finally got to experience our fantastic outdoor area and what fun they had!

Our New EYFS Play Area is Finished!

EYFS Play Area

We are delighted to have @coolcanvas with us this morning to start work on the development of our outdoor EYFS area. We are excited to watch it unfold over the next couple of weeks…. Watch this space!