Week 6 - Happy Easter! 

We have had another busy week in Nursery with lots of Easter activities. We went on an Easter egg hunt, decorated eggs and even made chocolate Easter nests. The children thought they were delicious!  

On Monday, we had a celebration for Eid. We painted big signs and decorated the classroom. We watched a video all about Eid.  

In Maths, we have been singing lots of number songs, subitising and playing number games on the interactive whiteboard. The children enjoyed the dinosaur counting song and counting the sea creatures under the sea. 

We have also enjoyed lots of playing out in the sun in our outdoor area. We hope you have a wonderful Easter with your families, and we look forward to seeing you all for the Summer term.  

Spring 2 Week 5

This week the children have been busy exploring the outdoor area. They had had lots of fun in the sun, exploring insects, watching the tadpole and using their muscles to develop them develop their gross motor skills. 

The core story of the week was The storm whale. The children have been busy exploring the story by talking about setting of the story, what happened in the story and suggesting what might happen next. The children also explored feelings by talking about how the characters in the story were feeling and the children shared their own experiences. 

In Math's the children have been working on linking numerals and amounts and making comparisons between objects related to size.  

Spring 2 Week 4

In Literacy the children have continued to explore rhyming words from the story The Snail and the Whale. The children have also been making up their own rhyming words. 

In Numeracy the children have been matching numerals to quantities vice versa. 

On Monday the children learnt about St Patrick's Day and enjoyed doing activities related to it. The children also enjoyed visiting the local shop and park. 

Spring 2 Week 3

The children have had a very busy week this week. We have been busy doing llots of science experiments as part of science week. We have also had stay and play sessions for parents. Thank you to those parents who attended.  

Our Literacy story of the week was Snail and the Whale by Julia Donaldson. The children have been focusing on rhyming words from the story. They also explored the different types of settings in the story, such as looking at volcanoes, beaches and coral caves etc. 

In Numeracy, the children have been learning the different names of 3D shapes and talking about its properties. The children went on a 3D shape hunt outdoors. They identified 3D shapes and describes the shapes they saw. 

 Spring 2 Week 2

This week the children have been learning about Lent and how Lent is a time to care for others. The children decorated and ate pancakes on pancake day. They also celebrated world book day by dressing up. Thank you parents for your donations. Your donations will be going towards our local charity St Catherine’s Hospice. 

In Literacy, the children have continued to explore the book town mouse, country mouse. In Math's the children have been learning about size and length. The children have been on a size hunt where the children talked about size, length and made comparisons.

The children have also been busy exploring art work by Paul Jackson Pollock (American paint artist) Pollock was widely noticed for his "drip technique" of pouring or splashing liquid household paint onto a surface, enabling him to view and paint his canvases from all angles. The Nursery children created their own paintwork which is inspired by Pollock's drip techniques. 

 Spring 2 Week 1

This week the children have been busy playing and exploring the Nursery room. They have taken the time to settle back into our Nursery routines.

Our topic for this half term is Our Amazing World. Our core story of the week was Town Mouse, Country Mouse. The children explored the book by talking about the differences between a town and a countryside. The children also talked about their personal experiences of being in a town or the countryside. In Maths, the children have been on a number hunt and doing the same amount of actions to go with the number. In RE the children have learnt about Lent and how lent is a time to care for one another. 

 Spring 1 Week 5

This week our story of the week is The night Pirates by Peter Harris. The children pretended to make a boat using the large blocks. They also talked about their own experiences of travelling on boats on going on adventures with their families. The children also drew pictures of their own boats and talked about their boats. 

In Maths the pre school children have been working on making repeated patterns and talking about them. The younger children have been exploring simple shapes and making models using shapes. 

We have also had Stay & Play this week at Nursery. The children have enjoyed having their Parents/Carers come in to Nursery to have a little play.

Spring 1 Week 4

This week the children have been learning about Chinese New Year. They have been busy playing and exploring lots of activities around the room. The children learnt to count 1-10 in Chinese. They also did a Dragon Dance and did some food tasting. 

The children also visited the local Library. The Librarian read the children a story and the children did some acting out and explored lots of books.  

 Spring 1 - Week 3

This week our story of the week was Duck in the Truck. The children learnt words which were rhyming words. The children also have been playing and exploring different shapes and then making their favourite type of transports. 

They have also been learning about world religion day and how there are other cultures and traditions. 

 Spring 1 Week 2

This week the children have been learning about the different types of transports and talking about what types of vehicles the children have been on. The children shared their experiences and thoughts about the different vehicles they have been on with their families. 

In Maths we have been learning about positions. The younger children have been completing lots of different puzzles and fitting shapes into spaces. In literacy the children have been retelling the story of 'The Blue Balloon.' They also pretended to be a balloon and moved in different ways. 

We have also been playing and exploring lots of other activities in the room. 

 Spring 1 - Week 1

The children have settled in well at Nursery. This week has been a busy week for the children. With children settling back into nursery from the long break, we have had new children starting Nursery ( A warm welcome to the new children) and have settled in very well. The children have been playing and exploring the nursery environment. The core story of the week is 'The blue balloon.' The children have explored the different types of balloons and pretended to go on a hot air balloon. In Numeracy the children have been learning about positions and the younger ones have been learning about size. 

 Autumn 2 Week 8

This week the children have been busy learning about 3D shapes. We went on a shape hunt. The children have also had a visit from the fire team. They explored the fire engine and learnt about the important job a Fire Fighter has and how to keep safe.

Towards the end of the week, the children had a Christmas party with Reception children. They played lots of party games and lots of fun. 

We would like to take this opportunity to wish all Parents and Carers a Happy Christmas and a Happy New Year. 

Mrs Patel and the Nursery Team

 Autumn 2 Week 7

This week has been a very busy week for the children. They have had lots of nativity practices and showcased the Nativity on Thursday. Thank you to all Parents/Carers for your support. 

We have also had our Christmas Jumper day, Christmas Lunch and lots of Christmas activities in our continous provision. 

Autumn 2 Week 6

This week the children have been busy exploring Christmas activities. They made Christmas hats, cards and paper chains to decorate the room. The children have also been exploring the Christmas story and acting out the story. They have also been learning to sort out objects according to shape, size and colours. 

Autumn 2 Week 5

We have had another busy week this week. The children have been practising for their Nativity show. They have also been busy playing and exploring lots of Christmas activities in Nursery. 

Autumn 2 Week 4

We have had a very busy week this week. The children have been busy playing and exploring, practising their nativity, putting up the Christmas tree and decorating it with decorations and stay and play for the parents. Thank you parents for attending stay and play and reading to the children. They have enjoyed your company.

Autumn 2 Week 3 Nursery Rhyme Week

This week the children have had lots of fun exploring 5 Nursery rhymes. The Nursery Rhymes they learnt was Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Old Mc Donald had a farm, The big ship sails, Incy Wincy Spider and 5 Current buns. The children have explored lots of activities linked to the rhymes. They have been baking, talking about positions, routes, shapes, rhyming words and much more. 

Autumn 2 Week 2

This week the children have been busy talking and sharing about their home learning experiences. The children collected Natural materials and then worked together at Nursery to create a piece of art work which is inspired by Andy Goldsworthy. 

We have also been busy with counting and matching the number to Numerals. We have also enjoyed playing and exploring lots of other activities at Nursery.  

Autumn 2 Week 1

This week the children have been busy learning about size, practising their cutting skills, exploring Autumn and learning to help each other. The children also had a Halloween dress up day and carried out lots of activities.  

Autumn 1 Week 7

This week the children in Nursery have been busy exploring Autumn activities. They have also been busy practicing working on their cutting skills, matching numerals and quantities, completing jigsaws and much more. The children also learnt about Harvest and had the opportunity to drop off their donations to the hall where the rest of the schools donations were. (Thank you Parents/Carers for your generous donations)

Autumn 1 Week 6

This week we have had a very busy week at Nursery. We had a special stay and play for the parents. Thank you for attending stay and play. We have also been exploring shapes, exploring Autumn, baking and lots of playing and exploring. 

Autumn 1 Week 5 

This week at Nursery the children have been busy exploring their school environment. They have been for a walk around the school and to meet some of the people who work in the school to learn about their important jobs. 

We have also been exploring shapes. We went on a shape hunt outdoors and also made pictures using shapes. 

The children have also noticed the weather changing. We talked about the changes of the season and explored Autumn objects. 

Autumn 1 week 3+4

This week we have been learning all about our Families. The children brought in some photographs from home to talk about who lives in their family. We had a parent from Nursery who brought in their baby to show the children and talk about the baby. The children have also been mark making pictures of their families.

In Maths we have been learning all about patterns. 

Our core story of the week is called 'Silly Billy.' The children have been exploring feelings and made worry dolls to go with the story. The children also talked about what worrys them and what do they do to overcome their worries. 

Here are some photos of the children busy making learning choices during continuous provision

Autumn 1 week 1+2

The children have all settled in well at Nursery. Here are some photographs of them learning, exploring and having lots of fun. 

Our topic this half term is all about Me, Myself and I. The children have been busy doing lots of activities learning about themselves. Here are some of the things they have been busy doing: 

• Creating self portraits
• looking in the mirror to talk about ourselves
• Making apple crumble and having a go at tasting it, talking about likes and dislikes
• A special visitor from the Live bus team visited, to talk to the children about taking care of themselves
• Dancing and learning to move in different ways

Summer 2 Week 7

What a week it has been! We went out with a bang.

The children have celebrated 'Ashura', an Islamic festival. We made the oldest dessert in the world, 'the Noah's Ark' dessert. We used chickpeas, dates, apricots and spices to flavour it. It was an interesting choice with mixed reviews from the children. We also looked at some Islamic mosaics and made our own.

We had great fun on box day. We started the day off by reading the story 'It's not a box'. The children were inspired to make their own rockets, cars and robots. They enjoyed building and also relaxing in the boxes :)

On Wednesday we celebrated our pre-school leavers. They did us proud and were amazing performing in front of everyone. At the party we played lots of games, did some dancing and enjoyed biscuits and ice lollies in the garden. 

Today the pre-school children had lots of fun on the bouncy castle and other games. We let our younger children have a quick play before they packed up. 

I would like to personally thank all the parents and carers for your support this year. I am over whelmed with your kind words and generosity.  I hope you all have a wonderful summer and I will see you in September :)

Miss Rushton

Summer 2 Week 6

We have been learning about Kandinsky and exploring circular art work of our own! The children have enjoyed using different media to create their circles. 

Our physical focus this week was balancing. The older children had to work as a team to build an obstacle course and the younger children have been practising walking along the beams. In PE, the pre-school children had to work closely with their partner and drive their 'boats'. We took it in turns at being the captain and rowing the boat. The children had to listen carefully and follow the different commands. We found it tricky to jump forward, holding the hoop and rowing at the same time!

Thank you to all the parents/ carers that came to the stay and play sessions this week. It was lovely to have so many of you here :) 

Pre-schoolers have focused on number formation this week and we have also introduced syllables in phonics. The children have been taught to put a flat hand under their chin and this helps them to count how many syllables in a word. You could practise this at home.

Our younger children have been trying to show different amounts on their fingers. This manipulation can be difficult but they gave it a good go! When counting at home, do ask your child to show you the correct amount of fingers. 

Dates for next week:

Tuesday- Box Day- remember to bring your boxes in!

Wednesday- 9:15am- pre-school leavers assembly. Hopefully this will be outside, if not we will be in the hall. All pre-schoolers to come into nursery at 9am as normal.

1:30pm- nursery party for all the children, even if they are not in on a Wednesday normally. Drop your child off just before 1:30pm if they are not in Nursery that day. 3pm pick up as normal. 

Thursday- Fun Valley for the pre-school children. This needs to be paid for on Arbor. Arrive at 9am at nursery and pick up at 11am.

Friday- last day for everyone :)

A cold and windy week but we still have been enjoying the outdoors. The children have continued performing for their friends. Some of them have even been making up their own songs. We made leek and potato soup which was enjoyed as an afternoon snack.

Pre-schoolers have practised their leavers dance with Clair Bear and then developed their throwing and catching skills in multi sports.

In maths we have been developing our positional language. The children need to be confident to understand and use positional language such as 'next to', 'besides', 'behind'. Practise this at home by hiding toys and asking your child where they are.

Our phonic sessions have focused on instrumental sounds and body percussion. However, we have been challenging the children to justify and explain why they have chosen a particular instrument or body sound to represent an image or word.

Next week it will be the stay and play sessions, all from 2-3pm.

Tuesday- Zebra's

Wednesday- Elephant's

Thursday- Tiger's 

Summer 1 Week 4

The children have enjoyed being outdoors in the sun, rain and wind this week! We made a canopy in the garden so we could keep nice and cool. There was lots of water play when it was hot, puddle jumping when it was wet and windy sticks when it was breezy. 

The pre-school children have been learning new songs with actions that they will perform at their leavers assembly. We have also been listening to music from different famous artists such as Amy Winehouse, Elvis and Bob Marley. We want the children to enjoy a range of music and be confident to dance and perform in front of their friends. 

You could have a family talent show or singing competition and send us the videos and photo's to share in class.

Please can we ask that you save boxes of every shape and size for our 'Box Day' which is on the 16th July. 

A reminder that all water bottles need to be clearly labelled. It is difficult to monitor how much water the children are drinking when we don't know which bottle is theirs. 

Summer 2 Week 3

In Phonics this week the children have been selecting instruments to play alongside a story. They have to explain why they chose that instrument. For example, beating the drum when the goats are trip trapping over the bridge. 

We have been developing our building skills in maths using different construction kits. The children have been encouraged to use shapes appropriately and try to join pieces together. They have been building fire stations, hospitals and vets! 

Thank you to everyone that came to support us for sports day on Wednesday. The children had great fun and we hope you did too :)

Pre-schoolers took part in their multi skills session this morning. The focus was around jumping and catching. Please do practise throwing and catching at home, lots of the children tend to close their eyes when a ball is thrown. 

Reminder- please apply sun cream before nursery and we will apply it at lunch time/ late afternoon. You can bring your own named bottle or 50p to use the nursery cream. Sun hats are a must as well.

Thank you. 

Summer 2 Week 2

It was busy in the nursery garden this week with cleaning, cooking and performances around the clock. It was great to see our younger children singing and dancing in front of their friends. 

Our younger children have been taking part in different threading activities to help develop their fine motor. Where as our pre-school children are focusing on their letter formation. 

We made pizza this week as well as a cake for the King's birthday. We're sure he would have loved it, it was delicious!

As part of National Healthy Eating Week, the children were encouraged to taste new fruits such as mango, kiwi's, dried apricots and cranberries. Not everyone was a fan!

Summer 2 Week 1

A fantastic first week back! The children have been busy with different art work, creating collages and working on a real life sized giraffe. We have been learning about giraffes, linking to our core story 'Giraffe's Can't Dance'. 

Some children had a go at flower printing. We have displayed these in the classroom. They look beautiful. The children took great care when making them. 

We made flapjack for an afternoon snack which was delicious. We have some expert bakers!

In PE it is the Games Unit this half term and it involves lots of partner work and listening to each other.

Multi skills will take place again every Friday morning with the focus being fundamental skills, throwing and catching, skipping, jumping etc. 

A reminder that our new healthy eating policy states that children should have a water bottle with either water or diluted juice in. Additional drinks are not to be brought in. 

Summer 1 Week 6

A brilliant last week for our nursery children. On Wednesday we dressed up as fantasy characters and made hats, swords, wands that we could use in our play. The children were making up stories and it was great to see their imaginations come alive!

Maths sessions have focused on subitising. We have played lots of different games involving a dice and recognising the amount. The children know 'don't count, know the amount'. Have a go at some subitising over the holidays. You could show them a set amount of objects and quickly cover them up, do they know how many are there without counting? Do this up to 5 objects.

In phonics, we have been trying to remember a pattern and sequence of sounds. We used picture cards to help us but you could extend this at home by giving you child 3 different sounds and asking them to copy e.g whoosh, bang, bzzzz or ping, crash, mmmmm. Do this in the mirror and point out where their teeth and tongue are. 

We had our last session of fundamental skills. They did amazing with jumping, skipping, hop scotch and hopping.

We hope you have a lovely week off and we will be back at nursery on Monday 3rd June for the final half term :)

Summer 1 Week 5

In maths this week our pre-schoolers played matching pairs. We explored picture cards that were the same, similar and different. We started off with just 8 cards and built this up over the week. You could play this as a family at home.

Our younger children have been building with different construction sets and creating different sized towers using mathematical language to describe them. 

Phonic sessions has focused on tuning into initial sounds. Children have grouped and matched objects that begin with the same phoneme. We have used objects beginning with p, m, h and c. See if you can find some items at home starting with these sounds. When talking about the sound they can hear, refer to it as the 'phoneme'. 

Some of our other children have been building their vocabulary by describing the sounds they can hear. 

In PE we developed the skill of jumping in different directions as well as balancing. Today we extended this and practised hop scotch. The children loved this so why not draw one on the path at home and let them have a go?

We made biscuits on Wednesday which were enjoyed in the afternoon as a treat. 

Thank you to the parents and carers that came to stay and play. 

Next week is out 'fantasy dress up day' on Wednesday. The children can be mermaids, unicorns, knights, dragons, kings or queens. Please do not buy a costume. They do not have to take part if they don't want.

Summer 1 Week 4

Our PE focus this week was to move in different ways and be able to stop quickly. The children did well with this. We found skipping tricky so we will be practising this a bit more. 

We have been focusing on rhyming again during our phonics sessions. The children have been able to identify rhyming words, match rhyming pairs and continue a rhyming string. We have taught the children a strategy that focuses on onset and rime. E.g c-at/ b-at. This is different to oral segmenting so it is quite difficult to understand but the children gave it a good go!

In Maths we have practised our number formation. You could do this with chalks, water or paint if they find pencil control hard.

These are the rhymes we use:

0- make a loop and that is all

1- go straight down and that is all

2- swing it round and then go right

3- swing it round and then once more

4- down slide, cut in half

5- down, round, put on a hat 

Remember stay and play sessions next week, you are welcome to any:

Wednesday- Zebra's- 2-3pm

Thursday- Elephant's- 2-3pm

Friday- Tiger's- 9-10am

The new healthy eating policy has been added to the school website. The section below highlights the changes to Nursery.

It is the responsibility of the parents / carers to provide an appropriate packed lunch container where food items can be stored securely and appropriately until the lunchtime period. 

Parents and carers should buy containers and packaging that encourage independence and are easy for children to open and reseal.

Nursery will provide a storage area for lunch bags, in the most convenient and appropriate place possible. However the nursery cannot provide cooled storage areas and therefore cannot take legal responsibility for foods prepared at home and then brought into school.

Nursery will not warm up any food that is brought in from home, as this may cause hot spots in the food item which may cause injury.

Additional drinks are not to be included in a packed lunch. Children will use their water bottles, which readily available throughout the day. 

Parents should provide a suitable amount of food for their child, without over-facing them. Please see page 3 of the policy for guidance on what to include in a healthy packed lunch.

Children will be allowed to eat their lunch in any order. The reasoning behind this is to encourage healthier eating habits for our children. The savoury foods should not be seen as something the children have to endure so that they can be rewarded with a ‘sweet treat’. 

Nursery staff will speak to parents and carers if they are concerned about their child’s packed lunch. Certain foods have an increased chance of becoming choking hazards. Grapes, cocktail sausages, small tomatoes and other similar items must be cut up, if they are to be included in lunchboxes.

Summer 1 Week 3

A space themed week for us as it is National Space Day today. The children have been making aliens, rockets and space stations. We have been moving like an astronauts and aliens to space music and have enjoyed playing with the small world space set. The children were using some fantastic vocabulary!

For May Day we explored fruits and vegetables. Mrs Maymon shared the importance of giving and receiving flowers and vegetables. This long time tradition is about enjoying the first signs of Spring.

Pre-school children went to the 'fairy woods' on Wednesday. We found the hidden fairies and made them a home using the natural materials around us. This was of course followed by a play at the park!

In PE we have been practising the skill of jumping with two feet together and being able to jump over an obstacle and jump in different directions. This is something to practise at home as we found it a bit tricky.

We have made pizza's, potions and just enjoyed being outdoors in the sun.

Enjoy the bank holiday weekend.

Summer 1 Week 2

A very busy second week! The eggs arrived on Monday and nearly all of them have hatched. The children have loved watching them in the incubator and then in the brooder box. Some children were feeling brave and even held them.

We had a Petting Zoo visit us on Tuesday as part of 'Earth Day'. The children got to stroke the animals including a bearded dragon, a millipede and a snake!

In RE, we have been learning about the Holy Spirit. We studied a flame and spoke about how the flame of the Holy Spirit was special as it didn't burn. Some children created their fire pictures using paint and a fork. 

We did our dance session in class this week. The children had great fun and we were very impressed with some of their stretches and holds!

As part of our Core Story, Oliver's Vegetables, we made chips. The children washed and chopped the potatoes and enjoyed them as an afternoon snack.

Please remember to send in a change of clothes for Pre-school children on a Friday morning for PE.

Younger children in nappies must have plenty spare nappies and wipes in their bags. Nursery cannot provide these.

Have a brilliant weekend.

Summer 1 Week 1

Despite the weather we have spent quite a bit of time outside this week. The children have enjoyed planting in the eco garden and we carried out the large wooden bricks onto the yard. They made obstacle courses and even a boat!

In Maths, the children have built upon their knowledge of patterns and were able to make a repeated pattern with sounds, colours and different objects. Even our youngest children have been able to point out patterns on materials such as stripes, polka dots and spirals. 

Phonics groups have focused on alliteration, initial sounds and oral blending. I Spy games can be adapted to help support all these aspects. Some children had to find the odd one out (having a group of objects starting with the same sound, except one) and others were asked to spy a 'c-a-t' or a 'b-a-g'. Try these games at home. Oral blending is really important skill in early reading, try and build this into your daily routine e.g 'Time for b-e-d', 'Find your c-oa-t'.

In RE, the pre-school children began to wonder what heaven looked like and thought about where heaven is. Some of the children drew a picture using chalks. 

This afternoon the children made dandelion and honey biscuits! They were a real hit!

Pre-school PE is now going to be on a Thursday afternoon (the children will not get changed as we have a late hall slot). We will then do a session on a Friday morning where the children can practise getting changed. Sorry for the confusion!

Spring 2 Week 6

Apologies for the late upload. We had a fun last week and our pre-schoolers thoroughly enjoyed their trip on the bus! 

We are looking forward to another busy half term :)

Spring 2 Week 5

Not many photo's from this week but we have been very busy.

At the start of the week we celebrated St Patrick's day by making an Irish stew. In RE, the children learnt about the crucifixtion and some of them chose to collage a cross. It was tricky for the children to understand that Jesus was ready to die but they asked some fantastic questions.

Our maths focus has been counting. We have been showing the children numerals and amounts on our fingers and asking them to count out the correct amount of objects from a group. You can practise number recognition and counting skills at home using any house hold items. 

Some groups have continued with rhyming games and are doing really well. At this age, children need to be able to find a rhyming pair and carry on a rhyming string. Ask them to go round the house and find something that rhymes with.... cat/ frog/ box/ car.

Clare Bear did her session in class on Wednesday as the hall was being used. The children had great fun with the parachute. Their listening skills are improving and they are able to remember sequences of movements.

We have been learning about whales this week, linking to our core story The Storm Whale. Ask your child to tell you a fact about whales.

Thank you to everyone that came to the stay and play sessions, we really appreciate you taking time out. 

Spring 2 Week 4

A week full of experiments! This week was Science week. We learnt some facts about space and the pre-schoolers found out about Katherine Johnson, an inspirational black woman who worked for Nasa!

We made rocket pictures with 2D shapes and built them using 3D shapes. 

Have a look for 2D and 3D shapes around your house. Ask your child to group them and talk about them. Can they tell you how many sides or edges it has?

We did PE on Wednesday as Clare Bear wasn't here. The children practised jumping from a height, landing with two feet and not putting their hands down. They improved throughout the lesson :)

In RE and collective worship, our focus was Palm Sunday. The children learnt about Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey. We have been singing 'Sing Hosana' for our weekly hymn. Talk to your child about this story and see if they can remember key features such as the crowd shouting 'hosana', waving palm leaves and Jesus going to the temple. 

Thank you to all the parents/ carers that attended parents evening and for everyone's continued support. 

Remember our stay and play sessions next week:

Tuesday- Zebra's- 2-3pm

Thursday- Elephant's- 2-3pm

Friday- Tiger's- 9-10am

A wonderful week spent outdoors! We have thoroughly enjoyed being outside and staying dry for a change.

We have made a vegetable and carrot soup this week as well as carrot chips. They were all delicious. The children's culinary skills are really coming on. They know where most foods come from and how they are farmed. They are able to talk about the importance of hygiene when cooking and know our safety rules when using the equipment. 

Some of the Year 6 children delivered collective worship this week. We listened to the story of The Good Samaritan. We explored this further in RE and have planted cress seeds. The children have learnt that Lent is a time to grow in love for others. We are going to compare how quickly the cress seeds grow to the flower we planted during advent. 

Pre-schoolers have been learning about animals and their habitats. When you are out this weekend, talk to your child about the environment and what animals you might find there. 

Some children have been developing the skill of rhyming and have been able to carry on a rhyming string. You could find a book that contains rhyming words. Explore them together and think of others that aren't in the story. 

For maths we have been focusing on matching numerals to the correct amount. This can be done in many different ways. Firstly, check which numerals your child recognises. Then you can ask them to count out the right amount of objects such as stones, fruit, cutlery etc. Encourage your child to show you the amount on their fingers.

World Book Day was a huge success. The children looked amazing and we enjoyed time in the school reading cafe as well as reading throughout the day in class. 

Spring 2 Week 2

This week our maths focus has been length and height. The children have learnt 'height is how tall something is' and 'length is how long something is'. They have been using their mathematical vocabulary to describe the towers and snakes they made. We lined up in height order to see who was the shortest and who was the tallest!

Our physical activity this week focused on listening and drawing to the music. We listened to music from around the world, including Africa, Spain and Russia. If the music was fast, the children had to express this through their drawing. 

Our younger children have been practising their threading skills. This is an easy activity you can do at home. E.g. cereal hoops onto spaghetti. 

We have started to explore some Jackson Pollock art work. Instead of using a paintbrush we used ropes and rolled balls around in the paint to create a 'messy' effect. Outside, the children enjoyed flicking paint at the paper to create a group piece of art work. 

Remember we are dressing up on Thursday 7th March as our favourite book characters :)

Spring 2 Week1

Our RE lesson focused on Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday. Of course this meant we had to make pancakes! During collective worship the children reflected on praying more over Lent. We also thought about what else our hands are for. The children drew around their hands and then cut them out.

In maths we have been building sky scrapers with different construction kits. We linked this to our core story 'Town Mouse, Country Mouse'. The children were encouraged to work with a partner and use their problem solving skills.

Our phonics sessions have focused on 'enunciating sounds correctly' and 'being able to remember and create a sequence of sounds'. Both of these activities could be done at home. Use a mirror when making the different sounds so children can see the position of their tongue and teeth. Sit down as a family and pass around a sequence of sounds e.g clap, tap, clap. Introduce different sounds and use 3 or 4 to increase the difficulty!

Pre-school children did fantastic in their first PE lesson today. Most of them surprised us and were able to get changed independently! We practised the skill of jumping on the spot, jumping forwards and backwards and jumping across the room. There was lots of 'galloping' so we will be revisiting this again :) 

Thank you to the parents that have supported our 'healthier option' lunch box ideas. The children have thoroughly enjoyed them!

Spring 1 Week 5

A busy last week in nursery. We have celebrated Chinese New Year with cooking, roleplay and writing Chinese numbers. Pre-schoolers even learnt to count to 10 in Chinese!

It was mental health awareness week so we spent time talking about what makes us happy. We have focused on emotions and linked this to our RE story of Jesus blessing the children. The children were able to tell us what makes them excited, angry or upset. 

In maths some children have started writing their numerals, working on number formation. Younger children have been developing their language of 'more', 'less' and 'fewer' when building with a range of materials

Phonics has focused on developing patterns of sounds using body percussion. Children must be able to remember a pattern of 3 or 4 sounds. You could try this at home e.g tap your head, clap you hands, tap your knees and stamp your feet. Our younger children were tuning into hidden sounds and trying to identify and remember the order they were played. e.g, a rustling crisp packet, a door bell ringing and keys jingling. 

Thank you to all the parents and carers that came to the stay and play sessions, we really appreciate your support.

Next half term we are introducing a new lunch time policy. This will be emailed out to parents. We are hoping to work with our parents and carers to develop new healthier eating habits with our children. I have attached some packed lunch ideas and some useful websites that give great advise!

It may just be one small change to begin with but it is a step in the right direction. If anyone would like some help or ideas around fussy eaters, eating habits etc then please do come and speak to us

.Kids Eat in Color - Kids Eat in Color (follow on Instagram as well- fab ideas for fussy eaters!)

Lunch box ideas from the NHS

We hope you have a wonderful half term and we will see you on Monday 19th February.

Spring 1 Week 4

In RE this week we listened to the story of Jesus welcoming the children. We spoke about being kind and loving to everyone. The children then decorated their love hearts and spoke about people they loved. 

Our dance session focused on listening skills, playing lots of stop and go games. This is something you can practise at home, the children loved it! Run, stop, star jump, run etc. It really helped the children focus and tune in.

We have continued to develop our awareness of shape but this week we used shapes to make patterns. We revisit pattern work every term. We extended patterns by doing colour and shape e.g. red square, blue triangle etc. This is something you can also do at home. 

The children had great fun doing the 'push and pull' activities this week. This was linked to our topic of 'Up, down, all around'. We found items that we could push and ones that we could pull. We also had a game of tug of war!

Spring 1 Week 2&3

Apologies for the lack of photo's, our iPad was broken! We were still busy having fun!

The second week back brought snow and ice. The children loved running on the field and listening to the grass crunching under their feet. We did some mark making in the ice and we even brought the snow indoors to make an Arctic world for the animals.

We carried out some balloon experiments, linking to our core story the blue balloon. Also in the story, the balloon turns from blue to a multicoloured rainbow balloon. We decided to make some rainbow toast. The children used food colouring to decorate their bread before toasting it!

We also enjoyed some free painting this week and got rather messy!

Last week we continued with the painting theme but on a larger scale, developing our gross motor movements. 

We celebrated World Religion Day and carried out various activities over the week. We made sweet potato latkes and chapati's. We also tried boiled eggs, honey on bread and dates. They each had a symbolic representation. It was fantastic to see the children trying new foods and flavours. There were lots of questions and we explored our own Catholic religion and how it differs to others.

One of the stories we listened to was about the 5 pillars of Islam. Some of the children built their own pillars in the construction area after the story. 

The children have settled back into their nursery routine really well. Even our new starters have been amazing!

We have played out lots this week, the cold weather didn't stop us! Please do send named hats, scarves and gloves. 

We have been looking at different types of vehicles and how they move. The younger children have been naming them and looking at the size. In maths pre-school children have been learning about positional language. They did really well understanding and using the words 'on top', 'underneath' 'behind' etc. 

Please send your child in a nappy rather than a pull up if they are not toilet training. Pull ups are to support children when learning to use the toilet so they can practise pulling them up and down. Do let us know if you need any support with toilet training.

Autumn 2 Week 7 & 8

We have had a great end to the half term. The pre-schoolers did a fantastic job performing their nativity last week. On the Friday, the children enjoyed a relaxing day in their pyjamas. They baked biscuits and had hot chocolate and marshmallows whilst watching The Snowman. 

This week we had our Christmas dinner and party. We had plenty of fun with dancing and games. The children were so well behaved. It was lovely to have Reception class joining us :)

Thank you for all the well wishes, cards and presents. We hope you enjoy the Christmas break with your families and we will see you on Monday 8th January.

Autumn 2 Week 6

Only a few photo's again as we have been busy practising the Nativity :)

In RE, the children have been learning about the Christmas story and then using the characters to re-tell it. We want the children to know the key figures in the story. 

Christmas activities have been in full swing. We've had card making, decorating tress with pom poms and making wreaths using playdough.

The children also made a tasty vegetable soup on Wednesday that was enjoyed in the afternoon session for snack.

Our maths focus has been grouping and sorting. The youngest children have been grouping items by colour. Others have been grouping by size and categories. We also explored healthy and unhealthy foods and put them into the right groups. Pre-schoolers grouped animals into their habitats e.g woodland, jungle, ocean. Sorting is an easy activity you can do at home. Ask your child to sort cutlery or group their toys by size. 

Thank you to the parents that came to the stay and play sessions this week. We appreciate you taking the time out of your busy day.

Reminders: 

Wednesday- Pre-school nativity at 2:30pm

Friday- Pyjama Day- children can bring slippers and dressing gowns too. Pease make sure everything is named.

Autumn 2 Week 5

Not many photo's from this week, we were too busy having fun!

We went out on a wintery walk and explored the ice. The children enjoyed crunching the leaves and stepping on the frozen puddles.

During their dance session the children moved like reindeers, practised their throwing and catching and even had a play with the parachute!

Our RE focus was advent so we made our own picture advent calendar. Each morning the children will take down a picture and talk about the word that is written on the back. 

We have continued our work on patterns, using natural materials. The children tried to create transient art that had a pattern and did very well.

Some of us in phonics have been trying to remember sounds in a sequence. We explored different sounds and then put 3 sounds together, repeating them back to each other. This is harder than it sounds so do have a practise at home :)

Remember stay and play sessions this week, all 2-3pm:

Tuesday- Zebra's

Wednesday- Tiger's

Thursday- Elephants

Friday is the last day for hamper items, thank you!

Autumn 2 Week 4

This week our pre-school children have listened to the story of Jonah and the Whale. We acted it out and coloured in our own whales. We spoke about listening to God and linked this to our own lives and how they need to listen to their grown ups and follow the rules. 

In RE we explored the theme of 'waiting' and recognised that people waited a long time for the birth of Jesus. The children have planted a Hippeastrum which we are going to check each week. We will learn that we have to wait and be patient. 

The children are thoroughly enjoying our hymns this half term. You could listen to them at home and ask your child to sing them for you.

Bing Videos- I might be small but my God is Big

Bing Videos- Thank you Lord for this fine day

Bing Videos- He's got the whole world in his hands

We had an abundance of carrots in school so the children prepared an afternoon snack, honey roasted carrots!  We also had lots of bananas left over today so we made some delicious banana bread.

Andy Goldsworthy is our focus artist this half term. The children have been busy collecting natural materials and have started to create their own pieces of art work. We will be building upon this next week.

Thank you to all the parents and carers that have offered to donate something for our Christmas hamper. Raffle tickets will be on sale on Monday, £1 a strip. Please bring all items to nursery by Friday 8th.

If you would like your child to have an individual photo or with their sibling and they are NOT in Nursery on Monday, you can still bring them to the school hall at 9am so that they can have their photograph taken. 

Autumn 2 Week 3

The children thoroughly enjoyed nursery rhyme week. They have been busy building clocks and boats linking to Hickory Dickory Dock and Row Row your Boat. Pre-school children explored different clock faces and the numbers.

We thought about what wells are used for and how people carry water in different countries linking to Jack and Jill. We also did lots of maths work around 'Wheels on the Bus'- counting people on and off.

It was also Road Safety week so we took the children out to practise crossing the road. Lots of them knew to look both ways, listen for traffic and never run. They were very sensible. 

In collective worship we listened to the story of The Good Samaritan. The children were respectful and showed a good understanding oh why we should help others.

We have enjoyed the wet weather with lots of outdoor play and we have also been exploring our new 'light box'. 

Next week we will be creating 'transient art'. We would appreciate it if you could collect any stones/ sticks and other natural loose parts to help us create a master piece.

Autumn 2 Week 2

We have spent more time investigating the seasons. Lots of puddle jumping, autumnal decorations and seasonal sorting games. The children enjoyed looking at and grouping their seasonal pictures from home.

In collective worship we reflected on the scripture 'Love your God and neighbour as yourself'. We linked this to showing love and kindness to our friends. Our RE lessons focused on Gifts from God. The children cut out and drew pictures of homes, medicine, family and friends. 

There has been potion and perfume making in the water tray and the children prepared a tasty soup which was enjoyed as an afternoon snack. We are trying to encourage the children to taste new foods. This week we tried coconut and pomelo. It is important for children to try new flavours and textures and revisit ones they may not have previously liked. Why not let your child choose something new from the super market to try?

We always encourage the children to be independent in all areas of learning e.g. putting on their coats, opening their packed lunches, and preparing their own snacks. Please do allow time for your child to be independent at home. It's easy to step in and help when you're in a rush but we need our little people to become independent resilient learners. 

Reminders:

• Please label all items with their name so your child can recognise their belongings.
• Remember to cut down on portion sizes. Lots of the packed lunches still have too much choice. 
• Check your child's folder for art work.
• Take home a book or puzzle from the library loan box which is on the bench at drop off and collection.

I have attached some advice around 'screen time' and dummies. Your child's key person may speak to you about this. If you feel you need support with either of these then do ask :) We are here to help.

Autumn 2 Week1

A wet and windy first week back but it didn't stop us exploring our environment. The children have enjoyed the Autumn walks. We looked for signs of Autumn and spoke about the changes. We collected natural materials which we studied when we got back. We will also be using them in our 'transient art' next week.

In maths all children have been exploring size. The younger children have been using the language of 'big', 'medium' and 'small'. The pre-schoolers have been finding objects of different sizes and then ordering them. Ask your child at home to find various items of different sizes or you could give them a group of objects and they have to split them into 3 groups of small, medium and big. 

Pre-schoolers have been developing their alliteration skills as well as enunciating their initial phonemes clearly. You could do lots of mirror work at home, looking at their mouths as they produce the different sounds. Another group of children added actions to new songs. They enjoyed the 'chocolate' song and Ram-Sam-Sam. Bing Videos 

A Ram Sam Sam Dance - Children's Song - Kids Songs by The Learning Station - YouTube

Clare Bear returned this week and the children were so excited to see her. They listened carefully and were able to follow sequences of movement. Each week the children build upon their routines.

We also made some oat biscuits which were enjoyed by all!

Autumn 1 Week 7

A great finish to the first half term. Thank you to all the parents and carers that came to the stay and play sessions this week. We really appreciate you taking time out of your day.

The children have been busy with pumpkins this week. Hammering in golf tee's, scooping our the mixture and making pumpkin potions. All of which help their fine motor skills! Some children baked Halloween buns. They focused on the different amounts that were needed, looking carefully at the numbers of the weighing scales. They were using language of 'more', 'less' and 'fewer'. 

We have made each child a 'mini me' so they can use them in the environment to help develop their imagination and retell experiences. The children have enjoyed finding their friends and using them in the dolls house to tell a story. 

The multi skills group focused on hitting a ball. They practised their stance and swing and did a great job!

This week in phonics some children started to work on alliteration, grouping objects that start with the same sound. Others worked on body percussion and changing the speed of different nursery rhymes, singing slow and fast. You could practise this at home over the holidays :)

We start back on Tuesday 31st October. Enjoy your break!

Autumn 1 Week 6

The children have been going to church in small groups this week. We have been talking about how important the Bible is and how it is made up of lot's of different stories. In collective worship we listened to the story of Noah and will be exploring this further next week. We spoke about acts of kindness.

We have baked biscuits, made chocolate apples, decorated autumn crowns with leaves we collected and made some witches potions! The children also enjoyed their weekly multi-skills sessions. We were practising throwing and catching different balls. 

'Bucket time' was enjoyed by all this week. This is usually done in small groups but all the children wanted to be involved. The aim of the activity is to develop the children's attention. They have to sit, listen and wait in anticipation. They did really well. 

In maths the pre-school children found 2D shapes in different environments. We want the children to be confident to talk about the different properties. Some children in phonics were practising moving in time to the beat. Have a listen to this song at home and see if your child can do it. Some of the younger children joined us and had a good go!

Bing Videos

Some pre-school children have been reading 'Mixed' and the rest of the group will read it next week. Have a listen at home and see if your child can recall the story. 

Radzi Chinyanganya - Mixed - CBeebies - BBC

Remember our stay and play sessions next week:

Tuesday Zebra's 2-3pm

Wednesday Tiger's 9-10am

Thursday Elephants 2-3pm

You can attend any of the sessions if you can't make your child's slot. 

Autumn 1 Week 5

We've had a fantastic week in nursery. The children enjoyed planting winter pansies and chrysanthemums, baking bunny bread and making some new sensory bottles for our quiet area. We loved doing some large scale painting outside and even had fun washing it off! Ready for painting again next week.   

In Maths this week we have been exploring 2D shapes and using them to make pictures. We have been on a shape hunt and found lot's of 2D shapes in our classroom. You could try this at home. Find objects and them group them into circles/ squares/ triangles/ rectangles. 

Some children have started working on rhyming in their phonics session. We read a familiar story 'Oi Frog' and then an unfamiliar story 'See you later Alligator'. We want the children to hear the rhymes and spot them when an adult is reading. Another phonics group were using different objects to make sounds. This is something you could also do at home e.g tapping a spoon on different surfaces, introducing new vocabulary to describe the sound.

Our focus during Key Person time was 'our school family'. We have made pictures of our school family, looked on the school website at our friends and went for a walk around school to see who else helps us. During collective worship we discussed 'actions speak louder than words'. We encouraged the children to give a smile or a hug to a friend rather than just saying "you're my best friend". The children were very respectful during their first worship. 

Autumn 1 Week 4

A busy week for us in nursery! The children have been making their 'worry dolls', linking to our core story 'Silly Billy' by Anthony Browne. They cut various materials to make their clothes and came up with some great designs!

We have noticed that lots of our children need practise with threading so one of our activities outside was to thread cheerios onto a stick or spaghetti. You could try this at home and even set a timer to make it a challenge. 

We have had all sorts of weather this week and the children thoroughly enjoyed it when it was particularly windy. We used our windy wands to see which way the wind was blowing.

On Tuesday and Friday some of the children took park in multi skills. This involved lots of running, balancing, kicking and jumping! The sessions also help the children to develop their listening skills and be able to follow sets of instructions. 

We had the pleasure of meeting two younger siblings at our 'baby morning'. We found out what babies need at different stages and the children were very attentive :) They have enjoyed watching the following video to see how a baby develops over their first year. Watch it at home and see what your child remembers.

(1) Teddy Ages 0 - 1 - YouTube

The children have also made pizza this week, they were delicious! Thank you to the parents that have contributed the £7 donation. We ask that all parents kindly do this for the term. 

We have also been to church this week to practise our hymns, the children know them off by heart and really enjoy dancing to them. On our way back we collected more conkers!

Autumn 1 Week 3

This week the children have split into their phonics and maths groups. In phonics we have been tuning into indoor and outdoor sounds, grouping different sounds and adding actions to songs! Next week we will be learning the dance for Agadoo!

Pre-school children have been finding out about patterns and how they can continue a repeated pattern. We have done this with natural materials from our garden but you could use anything at home e.g fork, spoon, fork, spoon. You could extend by introducing a third item or doing colours as well.

We have been encouraging the children to use their imagination in the workshop area this week by developing their creative skills of cutting, sticking and drawing. They made trains, rockets, buildings and crowns. Some children found it tricky to think of something to make and needed a little support. This could be an activity to do at home on a wet weekend and send in your pictures to staff@alstonlane.lancs.sch.uk

There has obviously been a lot of water play due to all the rain we have had. They have loved jumping, splashing and making a muddy mess in our garden. Please can we ask that children wear appropriate coats and shoes for the weather .

Yesterday we went on an Autumn walk and collected lots of 'treasure', baskets of conkers, sticks, leaves and stones. We left them on our investigation table for the children to explore.

This morning some of the children made a cornflake tart and will be enjoying it this afternoon :)

We have had a brilliant second week. The children have continued to amaze us! We have seen lots of sharing and taking turns between friends. They are getting to know one another and small friendship groups are forming. 

The children helped to prepare an apple crumble and a pasta sauce. The apples and vegetables were harvested from our eco garden. They practised their cutting skills, pouring and weighing of ingredients. We had the apple crumble for an afternoon snack and the After School Club children thoroughly enjoyed the pasta sauce! 

There has been lots of painting, hammering and cutting to help develop their fine motor control. We had large scale painting in the garden to help develop our muscles and movement.

We were visited by Harold the giraffe on Tuesday and Wednesday. He taught us the importance of looking after ourselves such as brushing our teeth, washing our bodies and getting lots of sleep. He told the children about eating healthy food and we are going to explore this more over the next few weeks. 

I have put on a link for lunch box ideas as a few parents mentioned their children always eating the same thing. Why not try out something new next week?

Please remember to chop cocktail sausages, grapes, olives etc length ways :)

Lunchbox ideas and recipes – Healthier Families - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Autumn 1 Week 1

A warm welcome to our new families. On the website you will find a weekly over view and some pictures of what we have been up to.

All the children have amazed us this week. There's been a few tears in the morning but they have soon settled and got busy. We have enjoyed exploring the new areas of the classroom and had lots of fun outside in the sun!

Our current children have been such good role models, helping our new starters to settle in. We have seen good turn taking, beautiful manners and fantastic listening. This week we have just emphasised our class rules and how we can do good listening during carpet time.

Our 5 rules are:

1. Eyes are looking
2. Ears are listening
3. Zip it, lock it, put it in your pocket
4. Hands in a basket
5. Bodies are still

We have been learning some new hymns which the children have thoroughly enjoyed. Here are the links if you want to listen at home. 

Peace Like A River - Bing video

Praise Ye The Lord Hallelujah (NEW VERSION) - Bing video

"This Little Light Of Mine" - Bing video

Summer 2 Week 6

This week we had our second sports day. The children listened well and gave all the activities a good go! Thank you to everyone that came to support us. 

We have been learning about the circus and the different acts that perform. We have been trying out different circus skills. We want the children to be confident to try new activities and show them to their friends and the adults. We have done juggling, tight rope walking, hula hopping and even attempted the ring of fire!

Some children went out in the eco garden and harvested the potatoes with Mrs Maymon. They then washed them in preparation for cooking. The children always show care and consideration for our environment and have a good understanding about growing and life cycles. 

The farm trip was also a success as you will see from the pictures below :)

Summer 2 Week 5

The pre-schoolers have spent some time learning about Kandinsky and exploring his different styles of art work. We continued to experiment with circles and other 2d shapes to create different effects. 

The children have enjoyed large scale painting outside using brushes, rollers and pipettes. There was some lovely turn taking happening and fantastic vocabulary being used!

Following on from 'people who help us' we have been discussing about healthy lifestyles. The children knew the importance of brushing their teeth and eating healthy. We learned about different food groups and what they do for our bodies. The children know that exercise is important and can tell us that the heart beats blood around our bodies. 

We have finished the core story 'The Dot' by Peter Reynolds. The pre-schoolers are going to perform the song 'Make a mark' at their leavers celebration on the 19th July. Here is the link if you want to practise at home. 

The Dot Song Motions Guide - Emily Arrow & Peter H. Reynolds - YouTube

Thank you to everyone that came this morning for Sports Day. The children thoroughly enjoyed themselves and I think we all had fun. On Tuesday afternoon it will just be repeated. 

Summer 2 Week 3&4

Apologies for the delay in updating the weekly news. We have had a very busy 2 weeks, well a busy half term!

The children began exploring Kandinsky artwork last week and loved it so much we have continued it this week. The children have been using circles and different media to create their work. We have done lots of large scale drawings and some collaborative artwork. The children's work will be on display in the classroom. 

Even though we enjoyed the sunshine we were glad when it cooled down a bit last week and could get back out on the bikes and the trim trail. 

Reminder: Friday 7th at 9:15am is sports day for all children that are in. Tuesday 11th at 2pm is sports day for all children that are in. If your child doesn't attend either day just bring them to any session. It was planned this way so that it gave parents more flexibility with timings.

Pre-school trip is next Wednesday. Do not be late! The coach will be leaving at 9:15am. 

Summer 2 Week 2

This week the children revisited colour mixing. We used different media such as paint, shaving foam and coloured water. We carried out different experiments and got very messy whilst doing so!

The pre-school children practised their hopping skills in PE. We hopped on both feet, stationery and then hopped around the space. They found it tricky to hop across the spots. We also learned how to do hop-scotch. Do keep practising these fundamental skills ready for Reception class.

We have also baked a carrot cake and some banana bread, both were equally delicious :)

The children explored 'emotions' during key person time. We have acted out emotions and tried to guess how others were feeling. We also had a go at drawing faces with different emotions. 

Luckily our nursery garden is shaded so we have been able to spend a lot of time outside, even in this warm weather. Please remember to apply sun cream before they come and we will top up at lunch time. Sunhats are a must as well.

It is 'Box Day' on Wednesday so do bring in any unwanted boxes from your recycling, small or big!

Thank you :)

Summer 2 Week 1

We have had a fantastic week. Monday was Environment Day so the children spent time in the eco garden. We spoke about how to look after our environment and then went on a nature hunt. We identified different types of flowers, leaves and vegetables that were all growing. Mrs Maymon has been working hard with the children to look after the garden. 

The younger children explored weight in Maths and have been able to identify heavy and light objects. They have used good mathematical vocabulary and even continued their learning outside comparing stones and pinecones. Pre-school children have worked on their number formation. Attached are the rhymes we use. Some children did large scale numbers outside and others worked on white boards. 

In PE we revisited jumping. The skill of jumping and landing off a level but also the technique of bending their knees and using their arms to support them jumping backwards and forwards, keeping both feet together! 

We have made our own 'Gerald Giraffe' linking to our core story, 'Giraffe's Can't Dance'. The children explored printing and have found out some interesting facts about giraffes that we will put on display next week.

There has been lots of outdoor play, including painting and washing shells, obstacle courses and creating their own builders yard! What started as a small puddle became a morning of play and imagination :) 

Summer 1 Week 6

The children made African masks and learned some traditional tribal dancing. We also practised our Swahili. See if your child can remember how to say hello and goodbye. 

In PE we practised various rolls including egg roll, pencil roll and a forward roll. We found this a bit tricky and will be revisiting it next half term. Do have a practise at home :)

The sun has been shining again so we made the most of this by spending lots of time in our garden. Thank you to all the parents and carers that came to the stay and play sessions. The children thoroughly enjoyed you being here.

We hope you have a fantastic week off and we will see you on Monday 5th June. 

Summer 1 Week 5

This week we have been learning about Africa. We found out there are 50 different countries and over 200 languages spoken in Africa! We found out all about African animals, made some traditional African artwork and listened to some tribal music. We have practised our drumming, trying to keep in time to the beat.

The children enjoyed making monkey bread and pitta pizza's. They are very good at following the recipe and waiting for their turn. We found out most of them don't like raisins though! 

In PE the children practised the skill of throwing under arm and did really well. They did this on their own, with a partner and then aiming into a hoop. You could try this at home. 

The pre-school children have been developing their subitising skills again. Follow the link for some ideas at home. Subitising - Early years Maths - BBC Bitesize. The younger children were grouping animals according their patterns e.g stripes/ spots etc. We looked at different materials and tried to find patterns within our environment. 

We have spent most of our time in the garden again enjoying the weather. 

Remember you can come to any stay and play session next week:

Tuesday Zebra's 2-3pm

Wednesday Tiger's 9-10am

Thursday Elephant's 2-3pm

Summer 1 Week 4

This week in PE the children practised their balancing skills. We balanced a beanbag on different parts of our bodies and tried to walk and run at the same time. We had lots of fun but some of them were holding onto their beanbag and cheating! 

We have enjoyed being our garden this week. We made bird feeders and nettle crisps! The nettle crisps were enjoyed by a few children and even some parents. They were washed and cooked in the oven with oil and a little salt. 

Also outside the children have been tinkering with the 'busy board' using real tools. By using screw drivers and drills the children are developing their fine motor skills.

We had to have our dance class inside nursery this week so Clare Bear got out her parachute again which the children thoroughly enjoyed.

It was our second week of the core story 'Snail and the Whale' but this week we focused on whales. We made a huge collage whale together that is now hanging in our classroom. We listened to whale music and learned some interesting facts. Did you know a whales heart is as big as a car? Ask your child if they can remember any of the facts.

We also had a dance to this song.

Preschool Learn to Dance: Big, Blue Whale - Bing video

Summer 1 Week 3

A very busy week in nursery. In PE the pre-school children practised jumping in and out of hoops. They had to move in different directions. Jumping backwards and sideways proved to be a bit tricky!

We have been learning about snails as our core story is 'Snail and the Whale' by Julia Donaldson. We found some in our garden and spent time studying them. The children drew snails using pastels and paint. We even made them out of playdough. 

The children have really enjoyed being outside this week. They have spent a lot of time in the nature kitchen making up recipes. There was some fantastic communication and language. We have been performing nursery rhymes and well known songs on our stage area. It is lovely to see how confident the children are in front of their friends. 

Phonic sessions have focused on alliteration for our older children and matching musical instruments for our younger children. Ask your child at home to find different objects starting with the same initial phoneme. All children have focused on size in maths. We have been grouping and ordering animals and objects depending on their size. We explored other words we could use instead of 'big' and 'little'. 

We finished the week by celebrating the King's Coronation. The children made crowns, bunting and flags. We baked buns and decorated them in the afternoon. We even had a party lunch in the nursery garden. 

Thank you to the parents that have brought boxes in. Please do keep sending them in, any size is fine! Box Day will be next half term. 

Summer 1 Week 2

We have all practised making patterns this week. From simple 2 colour patterns, to shape patterns and shape and colour patterns together! Some children were even able to make a 3 colour pattern. You can make patterns at home with house hold items e.g fork, spoon, fork, spoon

In their dance session, the children practised throwing and catching skills using scarves. This is a good technique to use if your child finds it difficult to catch a ball. At home you could use balloons or scarves to practise. 

We have planted our sunflower seeds. The children remembered a lot from last half term about what seeds need to grow. We spent time looking at the life cycle of the sunflower. Some children then wanted to paint sun flowers. The children have also helped to prepare an area in our garden for planting some herbs and flowers. 

In our key person groups we have been learning a poem and a song about planting seeds. We have also learnt these 2 songs.

The Seed Song from Spring Assembly Songs with Words on Screen™ - YouTube

Preschool Learn to Dance: Can You Plant a Bean - YouTube

In PE the children practised jumping correctly, bending their knees to jump and also when landing. We then worked in teams to move around like caterpillars. This was very tricky!

We have finished the week off by making some vegetable soup which will be enjoyed as an afternoon snack. The children are very confident using the utensils correctly. 

Summer 1 Week 1

We have had a great first week back. The children have helped to clean and set up our nursery garden. We washed all the windows and have refilled our sandpit. They have enjoyed making dens, reading, cooking in the nature kitchen and much more. 

Pre-school children have been working on letter formation. In maths, they focused on using positional language to give their friend directions. We found this a bit tricky so we will be recapping it again in a few weeks. Some children also did pattern work in class. You could practise creating patterns at home with different house hold items

We are learning a new dance routine with Clair Bear which the children will perform at the leavers celebration in the Summer. There are lots of sequences to remember and they made a great start :)

For our first PE lesson we practised the skill of throwing and catching. First they practised on their own and then with a friend. We were very impressed with how many children could get dressed independently. 

Spring 2 Week 6

A great end to this half term. We have been out exploring our local environment looking for signs of Spring. We found buds growing on tress, new flowers blooming and lambs in the field. We also spoke about how we look after our environment. The children know not to throw rubbish on the floor and that we should recycle.

We have done various Easter activities including baking and making chocolate nests. Some children helped to decorate our Easter tree. Our broad beans are growing well but unfortunately the tadpoles still haven't hatched. We will hopefully get some more after the holidays.

This week we had our dance session in the classroom. The children enjoyed using the parachute and working as a team to keep the pom poms in the air. 

Thank you to the parents and carers that came to our stay and play sessions. The children do love spending time with you in the classroom and showing you what we have been up to.

We hope you all have an enjoyable and restful few weeks and we will see you on Monday 17th April. 

Spring 2 Week 5

We started our week by baking hot cross buns which were enjoyed as an afternoon snack. The children did well kneading the dough and waiting for their turn.

We have seen sun, rain and wind this week and have embraced it all. We got out in the eco garden and planted our potatoes whilst the weather was fine. Once the rain came we got suited and booted and enjoyed some puddle jumping!

In maths the pre-school children have continued to develop their understanding of estimation. They had to guess how many tadpoles would fit on the lily pads. Each day they improved and made a more sensible estimation. We have also been jumping like frogs to see who could jump the highest and the furthest. Try this at home and then measure how far they can jump. 

Our runner beans are growing fast. Next week we will be focusing on how to care for plants, animals and our environment.

Remember stay and play sessions next week:

Tuesday Zebra's 2-3pm

Thursday Elephant's 2-3pm

Friday Tiger's 9-10am 

Spring 2 Week 4

Wow! What a messy week we've had! The children thoroughly enjoyed creating their Jackson Pollock inspired artwork. We used different tools, large and small to help us create our own master pieces. The children used language such as 'dribble' 'splat' and 'flick'. They explored colour mixing and much more. 

On Wednesday we worked on our balancing skills during dance. The children were encouraged to hold different poses. Ask them to try this at home. 

We also had some fluffy visitors. The children were ever so careful and quiet when handling the chicks. We spoke about the importance of caring for God's creatures. Some children held the chicks and others just wanted to stroke or watch them. 

In maths we continued to develop our understanding of measure by drawing around our hands and feet. We then cut them out and used them to measure against various objects. We also extended this activity by asking the pre-schoolers to estimate how many cubes would fit onto their hand. We explained that estimation is making a sensible guess. You could practise this at home and ask your child to estimate how many grapes would fit in a cup etc. 

We would like to wish all our lovely Mummy's and Grandma's a happy Mother's Day for Sunday :)

Spring 2 Week 3

This week in maths the children compared size. We measured ourselves against the beanstalk and the pre-schooler's made three beanstalks of different sizes. We expect the children to be using the language of 'bigger', 'smaller',' tallest', 'shortest'.

In phonics we have been exploring initial sounds. Recognising the sound at the start of our name and our friends. We have played lots of different versions of eye spy to help us consolidate our understanding of initial sounds. Check the reading handout sent last week for some more ideas to support with phonics at home. 

The children have planted some beans using a hydroponics method. We will monitor them closely. We want the children to understand the life cycle of a plant and the importance of taking care of living things. To further develop their understanding you could grow something at home and send a picture in to us :)

We have enjoyed being outdoors again, especially when it snowed! Please do send your child with hat and gloves in this cold weather. Thank you. 

Spring 2 Week 2

Well done to nursery for being joint winners in the World Book Day competition. We worked hard to prepare our beanstalk. Some children helped to paint the bean stalk and others made leaves using printing and collage techniques. We spent the day reading the books that the children had brought from home and admiring each others hats. The children enjoyed hot chocolate and marshmallows as a reward for winning.

During our Key Person time we have been thinking about God and where we might find him. We looked at the bible and listened to some hymns. We also went to church. The children enjoyed sitting on the pews and admiring the stained glass windows. They were very well behaved. 

In our maths session we have been matching the correct amount of objects to a numeral. The children were given a numbered dragon and had to count the right amount of dragon eggs. Practise this at home by writing down a number and then asking your child to find the correct amount of objects. E.g 4 pieces of fruit, 5 spoons, 6 pencils. We would like our pre-school children to be confident to recognise numbers to 5. 

Just a few reminders:

• Please do not bring carrier bags into nursery as they are dangerous. We will be sending these home.
• Chop all small food such as grapes and cocktail sausages length ways.
• Names need to be on water bottles
• Pre-school trip to Nellie Carbis Woodland is on Tuesday afternoon

Spring 2 Week 1

The children thoroughly enjoyed wearing their fantasy costumes this week to kick start our new theme of 'magic, awe and wonder'. Some of them made dragons and others made castles for knights!

On Tuesday we made pancakes at snack time and were very impressed with Mrs Maymon's flipping skills. We chose from lots of different toppings and squeezed on our own lemon or orange juice.

Clare Bear was back on Wednesday morning. The children have definitely missed her. They did really well remember some of the dance moves and stretches. 

The children have been using the 'tap tap' hammer and nail set to help develop their fine motor control. The pre-school children wowed us with their pictures!

We have made the most of the good weather, it finally feels like Spring is here! The staff are developing the outdoor area over the next few weeks so there may be a Facebook post asking for resources :)

Spring 1 Week 6

For mental health week we have spent lots of time outside. We spoke about the importance of exercise and fresh air! We have practised 5 calming yoga poses before lunch each day. Ask your child to show you and practise at home. 

We have read the story Silly Billy by Anthony Browne and spoke about what might worry us. We made our own worry dolls to put underneath our pillows. During circle time we passed around a smile and shared what makes us smile. Lots of the children said their friends and family :)

Thank you to the parents that came to the stay and play sessions. We hope you have a lovely half term and we will see you on Monday 20th February. 

Spring 1 Week 5

We have started to explore floating and sinking this week. The children showed a good understanding of heavy and light objects. This also linked to our core story 'Lost and Found' by Oliver Jeffers. 

The children have shown some great imagination and role play this week and have been building large and small worlds with different construction kits. We are removing our garage and dolls house to encourage the children to build their own. 

Some of the pre-school children have been moving in time to the beat using the song Popcorn - Beat & Body Percussion - YouTube. 

Try this at home and see if they can clap, stamp, tap and bend their knees in time to the music. 

In maths we have been using 2d shapes to build boats for the characters in our core story. We were impressed that some of them knew the names of 2d shapes and were able to use the correct mathematical language to describe them. 

Remember stay and play sessions next week:

Tuesday- Zebra's- 2-3pm

Thursday- Elephant's- 2-3pm

Friday- Tiger's- 9-10am

Come to any session if you can't make your child's key worker slot :)

Spring 1 Week 4

This week we celebrated Chinese New Year. The children enjoyed role playing, food tasting, lantern making, lion dancing and much more! Through discussions we understood about similarities and differences between cultures and traditions. 

Alongside this we explored the forces 'push' and 'pull' linking to our core story Duck in the Truck. We found items in the environment that we could push and pull and then we even had a game of tug of war, until the rope snapped!

The pre-school children can re-tell the core story and were able to talk about the characters in detail.  We are asking the children to 'Give me Five' which means eyes looking, ears listening, hands empty, lips closed and bodies still. They have really impressed us with their listening skills. 

Spring 1 Week 3

This week the children designed ramps for different vehicles. It involved lots of team work and problem solving. They realised the higher the ramp, the further the car would travel. We also experimented with different materials but found the plastic pipe was best!

Some children made their own vehicles using construction kits and even built a train using the large wooden blocks. We watched a train journey and pretended we were in the Swiss Alps!

On Wednesday some children helped to make soup. They peeled and chopped the potatoes very carefully and seasoned it with lots of garlic! It was delicious. 

Each day we have been out exploring the elements and changes in the weather. Even though the children decided the floor was lava! So we had to build pathways around the garden. 

We are very lucky to be taking part in the Red Rose Letters and Sounds Phase 1 Phonics pilot. The first 'block' is all about tuning into sounds. The children are in three different groups at this time with our youngest children having 'nursery rhyme time'. More information regarding the pilot will be sent out in the coming weeks. If you have any questions please ask a member of staff :)

Spring 1 Week 2

The children have been moving and mark making to fast and slow music. We spoke about how it made them feel. We have been busy carrying out balloon experiments as our core story has been 'The Blue Balloon'. Unfortunately, our balloons weren't indestructible! We found different ways of making them move and explored the reaction of vinegar and bicarbonate soda! 

Here are some more experiments you could try at home.

Balloon Science Experiments - Science Fun

Over the week we have had the opportunity to look at the models from the library loan transport boxes. The children amazed us with their knowledge of the different vehicles! We spoke about how they were similar and different to the transport we see now. 

The phonics focus for pre-school has been all about mouth movements and voice sounds. Encourage your child to look in a mirror at home and make different sounds. Talk about the position of their teeth, tongue and lips. Our younger children have been moving in different ways to instruments e.g stomping like an elephant to the drums, slithering like a snake to the shaker.

We continued with positional language in maths but this time encouraging the children to use the language now that they understand it. 

For baking this week the children enjoyed making jam tarts :)

Spring 1 Week 1

It has been a great first week back. We have enjoyed looking at our family photos of Christmas and hearing all about the exciting things you have been doing.

We have had our daily exercise using the new playground equipment, even the staff had a turn! Some of our younger children have spent time in the library after their listening walk around school. They also went to the music room to listen to different instruments. 

Pre-school children have been focusing on oral blending. This week we played 'I spy' with farm animals. You could try this at home with different cvc objects e.g cup, pen, hat. The adult is to say the sounds and wait for the child to blend them together and find the correct object. 

In maths we have been using positional language. Try hiding objects around the house and ask your child where they are. Encourage language such as 'on top', 'in between', 'in front'.

The children decided to turn our kitchen area into a cafe yesterday so today they have been busy preparing meals and selling them to their friends. There was some fantastic writing on the order forms!

Some children helped Mrs Maymon bake an apple cake which will be enjoyed later this afternoon for snack. We also had cereal for our snack this morning and the children were very independent in organising themselves.

I have uploaded some pictures from our final week before Christmas, including 'Box Day'. 

Autumn 2 Week 6

We have been enjoying festive activities this week. Lots of creative crafts and glitter! We also embraced the cold weather and explored our frosty environment. We spoke about how the ice felt and what it sounded like when we stepped on the frozen grass.

Some children went for a walk down the lane and through the fields. We spotted lots of sheep and robins along the way! The rest of the children stayed in class and baked some Christmas biscuits that they will decorate this afternoon. 

In Phonics this week we have focused on rhythm and rhyme. It is important for children's phonological awareness that they can hear rhymes, create their own rhyming string and be able to copy a simple rhythm. Some children even made up their own rhythms! Try this out at home using body percussion or objects from around the house.

In Maths we have spent time recognising numerals to 10 and then counting out the correct amount of objects. The children were given individual Christmas tress and then had to add the correct amount of baubles (pom-poms) on. You could change this activity at home by rolling a dice, showing them an amount on your fingers or just using a flash card.

Please do send boxes in for our Box Day on Tuesday :) 

Autumn 2 Week 5

The children thoroughly enjoyed making their transient artwork this week. We used natural materials throughout the environment and focused on making spirals. Some children used tweezers to create their work, developing their fine motor skills. By the end of the week the pre-school children were able to tell us that Andy Goldsworthy is an artist that creates transient artwork! We were very impressed. 

We focused on pattern work again and even tried to make a repeated pattern with the cake mixture! The children baked colourful spiral cakes and made some tasty carrot soup for our snack on Friday.

We got into the Christmas spirit and the children helped to put up all the decorations. Thank you to everyone that came to the stay and play sessions. We hope you had a lovely time. 

Autumn 2 Week 4

There has been lots going on this week. We embraced the wet weather and the children worked as a team to build a water way in the garden. We experimented with colour mixing in the puddles and used our gross motor skills to sweep and mix. In the classroom we tested different materials to find out if they were waterproof. At home you could carry out your own experiments. Talk to your child about the textures and how they are similar and different. 

Some children explored our local environment and collected natural materials for our transient artwork next week. We will be learning about Andy Goldsworthy and creating sculptures and patterned artwork. 

Mrs Maymon found lots of pears that needed eating so of course we had to make a pear crumble and even some pear crisps! They were delicious :)

We were lucky enough to meet some unusual animals. Herbet the tortoise, Dustin the Kenyan sand boa, Tojo the temrec, Curly and Wurly the millipedes and Willow the skunk. We learnt some amazing facts. Ask your child what they can remember. 

Today we raised money for St Catherine's hospice by having a relaxed day in our pyjamas. We even enjoyed some hot chocolate. Mrs Ollerenshaw will post on Facebook next week with the amount we raised. 

Next week it is stay and play sessions from 2-3pm.

Tuesday- Zebra's

Wednesday- Elephant's

Friday- Tiger's

Autumn 2 Week 3

What a busy week we have had! We started nursery rhyme week with '1,2,3,4,5 once I caught a fish alive'. The children experimented with bubble painting and printing and then cut out their fish for our display. Tuesday we made pirate grog using fruit juices, coconut water and limes. We also walked the plank and made pirate hats. The nursery rhyme was 'The big ship sails'. The children even made their own pirate ship.

Wednesday we learned all about frogs for '5 little speckled frogs'. We made some brilliant play dough frogs and hats. On Thursday we made dog biscuits and found out about different dog breeds for 'B.I.N.G.O'. We finished the week with 'Twinkle twinkle'' and made some salt dough star decorations for the Christmas tree which we will decorate in the coming weeks. 

It was also road safety week so we practised crossing the road safely. The children knew to stop, look and listen and were very sensible. 

Pre-school children are focusing on alliteration in phonics. You could encourage your child to find items in the house that start with the same sound or play eye spy focusing on just one sound. Ask your child what their alliteration name is :)

Autumn 2 Week 2

The children have spent time this week learning about Remembrance Day. We watched the following video and spoke about what the poppy represented. We painted poppies in class and decorated biscuits to look like poppies. 

Poppies video

As always, the children had fun exploring the environment, especially the outdoors. 

Next week is Nursery Rhyme week. Remember to check out the website for games and activities to do at home. Each day the children will focus on a different nursery rhyme. 

Nursery Rhyme Week

Autumn 2 Week 1

We have had a busy first week back. The children enjoyed a walk around the school grounds. This was to support our maths focus, talking about a familiar route. At home, try encourage your child to re-tell what they have done or where they have been. Using language such as first, then, after that as well as using correct tense is important. 

In our phonics groups the focus was either volume, exploring loud and quiet sounds and mouth movements/ voice sounds.

The children practised making sounds with their bodies and instruments. We turned the volume up and down. They definitely preferred making loud sounds!

We also practised passing different voice sounds around the circle. Encouraging your child to make different sounds and mouth movements is all part of early reading. Try the following with your child:

Make your voice go down a slide – wheee! 

Make your voice bounce like a ball – boing, boing 

Sound really disappointed – oh

Hiss like a snake – ssssss

Keep everyone quiet – shshshsh 

Gently moo like a cow – mmmoooo

Look astonished – oooooo!

Be a steam train – chchchchch 

Buzz like a bumble bee – zzzzzzz

Be a clock – tick tock.

Some children have been practising their scissor skills and others have been doing large mark making, swapping hands and changing directions. This week's song was 'Proud Mary' by Tina Turner!

We finished off the week by making some delicious soup which was enjoyed by everyone this afternoon. 

Autumn 1 Week 7

For our final week we invited our families to 'Stay and Play'. The children really enjoyed having their grown ups in the classroom, showing them what we have been up to. Thank you to everyone that came and for taking time to complete the questionnaire. We value your feedback and will look at how we can improve.

The children have consolidated their understanding of rhyme, story sounds and pattern work this week. They have impressed us with their knowledge and explanations!

We hope you have a lovely half term and we will see you on Tuesday 1st November when we reopen.