Reception- EAD- Going To The Shops
There’s a lovely buzz in the Reception classroom at the moment, especially around the role-play shop, which has quickly become a real hub for working and playing together. The children are developing their social skills so naturally through this, and it’s clear how much they’re enjoying it. There’s a real sense of excitement as they take on the roles of shoppers and shopkeepers, chatting away as they “buy” and “sell” items. Whether they’re scanning wooden food or deciding how much a plastic pear should cost, their conversations are becoming more detailed and confident, helping to move their play along. The till and pretend money have been a big hit too, giving them a chance to explore early maths in a hands-on way as they count coins and make sure everything is “paid for” before leaving. Just as importantly, they’re learning to take turns, listen to each other, and work together, showing real care and understanding in their interactions. It’s been a joy to watch their confidence grow as they turn a small area of the classroom into a busy little shop full of chatter and teamwork.
Reception- Maths- What Time Is It Mr Wolf?
The Reception class enjoyed a lively game of “What Time Is It, Mr Wolf?”, which gave them a fun and purposeful way to practise counting beyond ten. As the “Wolf” called out times like thirteen or fifteen, the children counted aloud together, taking one careful step for each number. This combination of speaking, listening and movement really helps to strengthen their understanding of number order and one-to-one counting. Moving across the space while working through the “teen” numbers made the learning feel exciting and meaningful. It was great to see their confidence grow as they became more comfortable counting larger numbers in such a playful and engaging way.
Nursery/Pre-school- P.S.H.E-Me And My Friends
This week in P.S.H.E: Me and my friends Our focus this week has been all about "Me and My Friends," and we’ve had a lovely time exploring what makes us unique. We started by sharing the story of Elmer the Elephant. The children really connected with the idea that Elmer looks different from the rest of the herd and enjoyed chatting about how being different is something to celebrate. It was great to hear them discussing their favourite colours with one another and finding out what they have in common with their peers. Getting stuck into provision The children had plenty of chances to get creative with the theme during their play: Colouring: Lots of brilliant patchwork Elmers were brought to life using the children’s favourite colours. Playdough: We saw some fantastic fine motor skills in action as the children sculpted their very own versions of Elmer. It has been a brilliant week of building friendships and learning that our differences are what make our class such a vibrant place to be.
Nursery / Pre-School - R.E - Palm Sunday, Walking In Jesus' Steps
This week, the children in Nursery and Preschool continued their exploration of the Easter story by focusing on the events of Palm Sunday. To help the children understand the journey Jesus made into Jerusalem, we participated in a sensory barefoot nature walk. The children were encouraged to take off their shoes and socks to experience the different textures of the ground, just as Jesus would have done on his biblical journey. They showed great bravery and curiosity as they stepped over crunchy leaves, prickly sticks, soft grass, and bumpy pebbles. This hands-on sensory experience allowed the children to connect physically with the story, prompting discussions about how the ground felt and how tired Jesus’ feet might have been. As the children navigated the path, we retold the story of Palm Sunday together. We spoke about the crowds cheering and the people laying down palm leaves to make a path. This active retelling while walking helped to solidify the children's knowledge of the sequence of events, making the story feel "real" to them through their own physical actions. It was a wonderful way to combine physical development with a deeper understanding of kindness, journeys, and the significance of the Easter season.
Nursery - Maths - Number Hunt
This week, the children in Pre-school have been sharpening their number recognition skills through a high-energy "number hunt" around the classroom. We hid twelve little chicks, each marked with a number from 0 to 11, in various spots for the children to discover during their play. The activity began during independent learning time, where the children enjoyed spotting the chicks at random. This initial phase allowed them to practice recognizing different numerals in a relaxed and exploratory way. During our focused lesson, the challenge was increased as the children were tasked with finding the chicks in the correct numerical order. This required the children to think carefully about the counting sequence, identifying which number would come next before scouring the room to find the matching chick. There was a wonderful sense of excitement throughout the lesson, and it was lovely to see the children's joy as they successfully located the next number in the sequence. This hands-on approach effectively combined physical movement with sequential thinking and purposeful number recognition.
Reception- PSHE-People Who Help Us To Keep Safe
In our PSHE lesson today, we became safety superstars as we explored the many wonderful people who help keep us safe. We began by identifying the trusted adults at home and school, as well as the heroes we might meet when we are out and about in our community. The children’s curiosity shone during our "What’s in the Bag?" game, where they used clever clues to guess different helpers. We then brought these roles to life through imaginative role-play, dressing up as police officers, firefighters, doctors, and teachers—even practicing how we can be good friends and help each other! To wrap up our learning, we worked together on a jigsaw challenge, successfully matching our community helpers with the tools they use to look after us.
Reception- Science- Buoyancy
This week, our budding scientists in Reception took their learning into the fresh air to dive into the world of buoyancy. Armed with a variety of treasures found around the garden and indoors—from heavy stones and twigs to hollow plastic balls—the children practiced the art of making predictions, eagerly guessing which items would stay on the surface and which would sink to the bottom of the water trays. There were plenty of splashes and cheers as they tested their theories in real-time! Through this hands-on exploration, the children began to grasp the concept of density, discovering that it isn't just about size, but how "heavy" an object is for its size. By comparing how a large, light leaf dances on the surface while a tiny, solid pebble plunges downward, our young learners are already mastering the foundational physics of floating and sinking.
Nursery/Pre-school- Art And Design-Workshop-Making Flower Perfume
Little perfumers at work! Our workshop table was buzzing last week as the children created their very own custom flower scents. From sniping and pulling to pinching and squeezing, they put those fine and gross motor skills to the test! By exploring their five senses, every child mixed up a unique, flowery potion that was perfectly them.
Reception- Physical Development- Forest Friday
Over the past few weeks, our Reception children have really thrown themselves into Forest Friday and made the most of being outdoors. They’ve loved exploring the school and nursery grounds, turning into little builders as they created bug houses and heading off on an imaginative “Bear Hunt” through the bushes. Alongside all the fun, these sessions have also supported their physical development. Moving across uneven ground and using a range of outdoor equipment has helped to build both their gross and fine motor skills. Whether they were carrying logs to build a habitat or carefully using small tools, it’s been lovely to see their confidence and coordination grow in the fresh air.
Reception- Geography- Our Town
This week, our Reception explorers have been diving deep into our literacy focus, ‘The London Bus’, using the story’s journey through the capital as a springboard for our own local adventures. Inspired by the famous landmarks in the book, we shifted our focus closer to home to celebrate our town of Darwen. The children enjoyed reflecting on the familiar spots they have visited with their families and sharing exciting ideas about where they’d like to go next. Using these discussions as a blueprint, our young architects took to the construction area to recreate Darwen’s iconic skyline. It was wonderful to see their creativity in action as they selected different-sized blocks to represent the unique shapes of Darwen Tower, the Library, and the bustling Town Centre. From the greenery of Bold Venture Park to the local Swimming Baths and even a very busy Asda, the children demonstrated fantastic spatial awareness and teamwork while bringing our local community to life.
Nursery/Pre-School - Maths - Can You Place An Accurate Number Of Bugs On The Flower
This week, the children took part in a fun, bug-themed counting challenge. The activity focused on their ability to listen to a specific number and accurately represent that quantity by placing bugs onto a giant flower. When asked a question like "Can you place three bugs on the flower?", we made sure to give the children plenty of "thinking time." This allowed them to process the instruction and reflect on the number they heard before beginning the task. The children then practiced their one-to-one correspondence, carefully picking up and placing each bug one at a time until they reached the target number. To finish the task, the children were encouraged to count the bugs already on the flower to check their own work. This helped them reflect on whether the amount they had placed matched the number they were originally asked for. This hands-on approach was a fantastic way to build their confidence in counting and their understanding of how numbers relate to a physical group of objects.
.jpg)
Nurser/Pre-School-Geography-Understanding The World-Little Gardeners
The children had a fabulous week in the sunshine! They truly enjoyed getting muddy as they transformed into little gardeners. After choosing a special spot in our outdoor space, the children planted a variety of blooms, seeds, and bulbs. They have since loved watering their plants and sitting quietly in their new garden, watching and waiting for them to grow.
.png){kind=logo}
