Image of Reception- Physical Development- Dance Unit
14 Jan

Reception- Physical Development- Dance Unit

Our Reception class transformed the school hall into a bustling transport hub during this week’s energetic P.E. lesson! The children took the driver’s seat as they explored different ways of moving, cleverly linking their actions to various modes of transport. They zoomed across the floor like aeroplanes with outstretched wings, chugged along in lines like trains, and navigated the space as nimble cars. To develop their listening skills and coordination, we played a high-speed game of "Traffic Lights": Red: They practiced their balance with an immediate stop. Yellow: They found a steady rhythm with a gentle jog. Green: They shifted into top gear for a fast run! The hall was filled with giggles as the children navigated tricky "speed bumps" by jumping high and even mastered the art of reversing without any "crashes." It was a fantastic session that combined physical agility with imaginative play and following instructions.

Image of Nursery - Art - The Three Little Pigs
13 Jan

Nursery - Art - The Three Little Pigs

This week, the children visited the craft table to create their own pigs, directly linking to our core story, The Three Little Pigs. The process began with a paper plate as a base. The children practiced their spreading skills using pink PVA glue to create an even layer for their design. They then used their fine motor skills to carefully pinch and place pink tissue paper to cover the pig's face. To add the features, including eyes, a nose, ears, and a curly tail, the children used their own faces as a reference to determine the correct quantity of each item needed. This encouraged them to identify and count the features before placing them onto their pigs. This activity successfully combined creative expression with early mathematical counting and a better understanding of their own physical features.

Image of Pre-School-Expressive Arts And Design-Making Puppets
13 Jan

Pre-School-Expressive Arts And Design-Making Puppets

Our workshop table has been a hub of creativity this week! To bring the story of Little Red Riding Hood to life, the children have been busy making puppets. It was wonderful to see them experimenting with different shapes to create the perfect hood and carefully drawing faces on their characters. These lolly-stick puppets are now ready to star in our very own puppet theater performances!

Image of Pre-School-Expressive Arts And Design-Fruit Printing
13 Jan

Pre-School-Expressive Arts And Design-Fruit Printing

This week has been a very arty week , The Children have enjoyed getting messy while fruit printing. The children discussed what fruits might have been in grandma's basket from our story little red riding hood. The children used apple,banana,pear and carrot to dip in to paint to create their fruit print picture.

Image of Nursery - English - Write Dance
12 Jan

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.

Image of Nursery - Geography - Science - Ice Exploration
9 Jan

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.

Image of Reception - Phonics - Tricky Words
7 Jan

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.

Image of Reception- Expressive Arts and Design- My Gingerbread Man
7 Jan

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.

Image of Nursery - PSHE - New Beginnings And Building Friendships
6 Jan

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.

Image of Pre-School-R.E-Epiphany-Making Crowns For The Kings
6 Jan

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!

Image of Pre-School-Maths-Take And Give 123
6 Jan

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.

Image of Nursery - Science - Magnetic Wands
5 Jan

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.