This week in Year R

Dear Year R Families,

Welcome back! We hope you all had a wonderful half-term break filled with rest, fun and special memories. It has been absolutely fantastic listening to all of the exciting things the children got up to during the holidays — from trips out to cosy days at home. They have come back full of stories and smiles, and it has been lovely to be back together again.

In Maths this week, we have been revisiting our counting skills, focusing carefully on counting with 1:1 correspondence — making sure that each object is counted once and only once. We have also been exploring the composition of numbers 5, 6, 7 and 8, thinking about how these numbers can be made up in different ways. For example, we now know that 8 is made of 5 and 3, and we have been investigating lots of other combinations too. The children are becoming increasingly confident in understanding that numbers can be broken apart and put back together in different ways.

In Phonics, we have taken time to revisit some of our Autumn 2 sounds to ensure they are fully embedded. Following recent assessments, we identified that a few digraphs were proving a little tricky, so we have been reviewing:

• /oa/ – float on the boat

• /ee/ – a bee on my knee

By consolidating these sounds now, we are building a strong and secure foundation for the learning ahead. The children have responded brilliantly and are working hard to apply these sounds confidently in their reading and writing.

In Drawing Club, we have been introduced to non-fiction texts as part of our transport theme. The children have learned that non-fiction books contain facts, and they have been challenged to write their own factual sentences about vehicles they have designed themselves. We have seen such imaginative creations — from submarines to helicopters that transform into underwater vehicles, ice cream carts and many other inventive designs. Their creativity has truly shone!

Our Discovery Time has also been filled with wonderful vehicle-making and collaborative play as the children brought their ideas to life.

We finished the week in the most exciting way with our much-anticipated Transport Day. The children had the opportunity to explore vehicles on-site, which was such a memorable and hands-on experience. We also took a short walk to Northern Parade to visit a Portsmouth bus, learning about how the bus service supports our community in Hilsea and across the wider Portsmouth area. It was a brilliant way to end our transport learning journey and a fantastic conclusion to our first week back after half term.

We would also like to wish a very Happy Ramadan to all of our families who are celebrating. The children have been so excited to tell us about decorating their homes and the special iftar meals. It has been lovely to share in these conversations and celebrate the richness of our Year R community together.

What a wonderful start to the new half term it has been!

Lots of love,
Mrs Davey and the EYFS Team xx