Issue 43

Gardening Club runs throughout the year at Chandlings and pupils in Prep have an opportunity to join the Junior or Senior Gardening Club. In Autumn we spend the time harvesting, clearing and preparing the beds for the growing season. 

In spring we sow seeds, tend to seedlings and prepare the beds for spring and summer planting. And finally, in summer we plan the beds, plant out the seedlings and care for the growing vegetables, fruit and herbs of which there are about 20 different types.

This autumn we were able to send gardeners home with various vegetables and herbs and we handed over vegetables to our catering staff who have been busy making dishes for us to have for lunch. The pumpkin soup and cakes were delicious. What a joy it is to grow from tiny seeds these healthy and very tasty vegetables!

The Reception children have settled well into their French lessons and can now count up to 6 in French. See how they jump while counting in French!

We have also learned about different fruits. The children can all recognise and name the fruits with a lovely French accent. 

Year 3 have been diving into the enchanting story The Mousehole Cat by Antonia Barber. 

Inspired by Mowzer’s bravery and the Cornish fishing village of Mousehole, the children have written creative letters, designed delicious menus, and finished their topic with a Mousehole cream tea celebration, complete with scones, jam and juice! 

Nathanael Lessore visited Years 3, 4 and 5 to talk about his latest book for younger readers, Time Travel is Not My SuperPower, which was published this month.

Nathanael's debut book for older readers, Steady For This, was shortlisted for the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing 2024. His second book King of Nothing was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize 2025 and the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing 2025. Nathanael's latest series of books, which is aimed at younger readers, combines zany humour with strong characters, a twisty mystery and silly superpowers. 

Nathanael shared that, growing up, he was the biggest superhero nerd and it has been a dream come true to write his own superhero stories. He invited the children to invent their own unique superpowers, and he choreographed role play in which they got to try out their superhero skills. Nathanael spoke passionately about the importance of reading and writing as skills for life. Through his stories we discovered that being a hero is about more than just wearing a cape, and friendship is more effective than any superpower. 

With thanks to the team at Mostly Books, Abingdon, who made this exciting author event possible.

Our Year 1 students are becoming maths masters by practising their number bonds frequently in class. Number bonds are pairs of numbers that make a specific total, such as 7 + 3 = 10 or 15 + 5 = 20. This foundational skill is crucial for building calculation speed and developing number sense. 

Knowing these pairs helps them to tackle more complex challenges and to apply their knowledge to other calculations. For example, if they know that 8 +2 = 10, they then also know that 10 - 8 = 2. 

Recently, our nursery children took part in an exciting adventure inspired by their recent learning about dinosaurs. Over the past few days, they explored different types of dinosaurs, discovered what they might have eaten, and learned how they moved.

To bring their learning to life, the children created their own dinosaur tails and feet, which they proudly wore on our outdoor adventure walk. Together, they searched for signs of dinosaurs, shared their ideas, and used their imaginations to step back in time to the land of the dinosaurs.

The activity provided a wonderful opportunity to combine creativity, physical development, and curiosity. It was lovely to see the children so engaged and enthusiastic about their learning.

Year 3 Explores Our Outdoors! 

Our Year 3 children headed out into our glorious grounds by the mound and hedgerows for some outdoor learning fun! They examined the hedgerow to find out which animals might be feasting on them this autumn.

They also put their geography skills to the test by practising with compasses and were thrilled to spot TWO deer while out! 

We love hands-on activities at Chandlings! 

Last week, our Year 2 students enjoyed decorating their very own Halloween themed cookies. 

They followed the recipe step by step, learning about measuring, mixing and teamwork along the way. Lots of creativity was shown as they decorated their cookies with spooky and colourful designs. Eating them was the perfect ending to a fun and festive activity and the children went on to write their own instructions to help others repeat their success!