Nursery - English - Write Dance
This week, the nursery class began their 'Write Dance' journey, a program designed to bridge the gap between large physical movements and early writing skills. We started with a focus on gross motor movement using the classic song 'The Grand Old Duke of York' as our guide. The children used ribbons to mirror the lyrics, moving their arms in large up and down motions. They were highly engaged, enjoying the visual feedback of the ribbons trailing through the air as they controlled their movements to match the rhythm of the music. To transition these movements toward literacy, the children then used their core muscles to lie on their tummies, a position that builds the shoulder stability necessary for writing. On large paper, they worked to recreate those same up and down movements, observing how their physical actions left marks on the page. This process was vital for helping the children give meaning to their movements, turning a physical dance into a purposeful mark-making experience.
Nursery - Geography - Science - Ice Exploration
This lesson was sparked by the children's natural curiosity during outdoor play, when they discovered vehicles "stuck" in the ice. This led to a focused exploration on Friday, where the children set off into the garden equipped with tools like hammers and forks to "save" the frozen vehicles. The children demonstrated fantastic teamwork as they worked together to hit and scrape the ice. This provided a great opportunity for them to observe the physical properties of materials; they noticed that the ice was hard and were fascinated by the cracking sounds and visual patterns as it began to break apart. Their excitement grew as they successfully freed the cars from the ice. The children observed a change in state compared to yesterday, noticing that there was now water in the tray. This sparked a meaningful conversation about ice melting, which they explored further by splashing in the water. To enhance the sensory experience and encourage further investigation, the children were supplied with paint and textured brushes to mark-make directly onto the remaining ice and in the water, combining scientific observation with creative expression.
Reception - Phonics - Tricky Words
This week, our Reception children have been diving into their "tricky words" using a multi-sensory Say It, Build It, Write It approach. This method helps children master words that don't follow standard phonetic rules by engaging different parts of their brain. First, the children Say It, looking closely at the word and identifying the "tricky" part that doesn't play fair. Next, they Build It using the magnetic letters, which helps them physically manipulate the sequence of sounds. Finally, they Write It using whiteboards to solidify their muscle memory. This hands-on sequence transforms abstract memorization into an interactive challenge, building both their reading confidence and their fine motor skills.
Reception- Expressive Arts and Design- My Gingerbread Man
This week, our Reception children have been fully immersed in a delightful sensory experience, using play dough to design and sculpt their very own gingerbread men. This hands-on activity encouraged the children to explore their creativity while strengthening their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Using gingerbread-shaped cutters, they carefully pressed out their figures before adding unique personality through various enhancements. They selected buttons to line up on the chest, small beads or "googly" eyes to bring the faces to life, and even used gingerbread cut-outs as templates to guide their designs. It was wonderful to see the children experimenting with different textures and shapes, turning a simple lump of dough into a colorful, imaginative character.
Nursery - PSHE - New Beginnings And Building Friendships
This week, our PSHE focus centered on Personal, Social, and Emotional Development as the children returned for the new half term. There was a sense of excitement as they explored the classroom and new learning opportunities. A key theme throughout the week was the concept that "sharing is caring." The children worked beautifully together when playing with the new resources, demonstrating patience and cooperation. They were particularly welcoming as we greeted new classmates joining the nursery for the first time. The children showed great empathy as they witnessed a range of emotions in the classroom. They were incredibly supportive, offering comfort to their new friends through kind gestures, such as giving a cuddle or offering a toy as a distraction. By inviting their new peers into their play, the children have already begun to form lovely new friendships, showing a wonderful understanding of inclusion and kindness.
Pre-School-R.E-Epiphany-Making Crowns For The Kings
Pre School had a wonderful time in R.E. this week learning all about Epiphany! I was so impressed with how well the children remembered the three special gifts brought to baby Jesus—Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh. The classroom was a sea of glitter and gold as the children got busy at the workshop table making their very own crowns. They’ve done such a lovely job that we’ve put them all on display around our Spirituality board for everyone to see!
Pre-School-Maths-Take And Give 123
We’ve had some hungry wolves and very helpful mathematicians in class this week! To help Little Red Riding Hood get to Grandma’s house, the children have been practicing adding and taking away 1, 2, or 3 items from her basket. They did a brilliant job counting as they added treats for Grandma and calculating the total when a few items were 'removed' along the way! It was a great way to bring our math's learning to life through our story of the week.
Nursery - Science - Magnetic Wands
To celebrate the New Year, the nursery class engaged in a hands-on science exploration involving magnetism and hidden treasures. The children accessed the malleable tray, which was filled with a festive mix of black and gold foil. Their task was to use an assortment of shaped magnets to search for hidden gems buried deep within the tray. This activity provided a fantastic introduction to the concept of attraction and magnetic force. A surprising discovery occurred as the children worked, once they acquired a gem, strips of shiny foil also attached themselves to the magnets. The children were delighted to see their magnets transform into magic wands covered in tinsel-like foil. They showed great curiosity and persistence, excitedly exploring the textures of the foil and seeing how many gems they could capture using their tools. This lesson successfully combined sensory play with an early understanding of how magnets interact with different materials.
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Panto Time!
✨ A Magical Morning at the Theatre! ✨ Our Reception, Year 1, and Year 2 children had a fantastic time today visiting Darwen Library Theatre to watch the pantomime, The Nosy Reindeer! ???????? It was a truly magical experience for everyone, filled with laughter and festive cheer. We were also incredibly proud of our pupils—they represented our school beautifully with their wonderful manners and behaviour. Well done to our youngest learners for being such a credit to us! ????????
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Nursery - Maths - Making Reindeer Food
Our Maths focus centered on practical counting and following instructions involving quantity through an engaging activity: making personalized 'reindeer food' in the malleable tray. The children used oats as a base and added various other ingredients to create their unique mixtures. The core learning involved number language and one-to-one correspondence as the children focused on scooping specific numbers of ingredients, such as giving the reindeer 'one scoop of snow' or 'two scoops of glitter.' This highly motivating task provided excellent practice in counting and following numerical instructions. They then used spoons to transfer their finished creations into small bags to take home, ready for Christmas Eve. This entire process also provided rich practice in developing fine motor control through scooping and transferring.
Pre-School-Trip-Temple Of Fun
What a blast! Last week, Nursery and Pre-school took their festive trip to the Temple of Fun, and the children absolutely loved exploring the play centre! They were little adventurers, climbing and crawling their way through the equipment and really putting those gross motor skills to the test. It was great to see them tackle every challenge with confidence, demonstrating a brilliant growth mindset. A huge success and fantastic fun for all our little explorers!
Pre-School-Stay And Play
This week, we opened our doors for a special Stay and Play session. It was wonderful to see so many parents join us! These sessions offer a valuable opportunity for you to observe your child utilizing their core learning and play skills in the nursery environment, while also strengthening the home-to-nursery connection through shared playtime.
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