EARLY YEARS 

NURSERY

Wow, what a whirlwind these past two weeks have been! So much has happened in the nursery, and I'm excited to share all about it with you.

We spent some time learning about Father's Day – why we celebrate it, what it means, and then we created some heartfelt cards to give to a special person in each child's life.

We've also had a big focus on fine motor skills. To help with this, the children have been busy with lots of cutting activities. But I think their absolute favourite was using little hammers to tap golf tees into cardboard boxes! It's actually quite a tricky task, but they showed incredible perseverance and really got the job done.

The biggest news this week, though, was our move to the new classrooms! Last Monday, the children were full of anticipation, peeking through the doors and watching their new space take shape. Then, on Tuesday, they were finally introduced to this wonderful new environment, complete with brand new furniture and resources. We feel so incredibly lucky and grateful for this fantastic new space. It was made even more special when the Secretary of State, Bridget Phillipson, came to visit and see our nursery development firsthand!

We have a lot of exciting events coming up in the final few weeks of the academic year, so please do take a look at the key dates email for all the details.

RECEPTION

What a busy and exciting two weeks it has been in Reception! Our "Journey" topic has continued to take us to wonderful places, both real and imaginary, and we've embraced the arrival of warmer weather with lots of outdoor fun.

Last week, as the warm weather arrived, we loved taking our learning outside. We channeled our inner engineers and athletes by creating our own obstacle courses! This was a fantastic way to explore different ways of travelling and really develop our gross motor skills as we weaved, crawled, and jumped our way through our designs. And of course, fun in the sun meant water play! The paddling pools were out, and we had a fantastic time splashing and dipping our feet in to cool down. Our music stage remains incredibly popular! The children are loving the addition of our new instruments, singing, dancing, and creating their own fantastic music. 

We've been absolutely captivated by "The Train Ride" story this fortnight. The children loved reading about the train's adventures, and it even inspired us to go on our very own imaginary train journey right here in the classroom! This immersive experience then led us to become authors ourselves, as we rewrote our own versions of "The Train Ride", adding our unique ideas and characters to the story. It was fantastic to see their creativity shine through!

Our learning journeys also took us further afield with Now Press Play. We embarked on an exciting adventure to Paris, following the story of a lost bear. This interactive experience allowed the children to truly embody the characters and act out the story, making it a memorable and engaging way to learn.

In Maths this term, we're continuing to revise and embed our early math skills. We've been focusing on number ordering and solidifying our understanding of doubling. It's wonderful to see the children's confidence grow as they tackle these important concepts.

The excitement continued with a truly wild and wonderful experience: the "Jungle Rumble" workshop. This fun-filled theatre production brought the jungle to life with engaging performances and vibrant characters. The children had an absolute blast watching and participating, learning all about different jungle animals in a truly memorable way. It was a fantastic opportunity for them to experience live theatre and explore the natural world.

This week has brought even more excitement with the big move in Early Years! We are absolutely thrilled to be in our brand new classrooms, which are now filled with exciting new furniture. The children have been particularly delighted with our brand new role play home area, a fantastic new sand tray and water tray, as well as engaging balance boards. These new resources are already sparking so much imaginative play and learning! Both classes also have an exciting puppet theatre role play area, where children have been busy creating their own stories and shows for their friends. These new resources are already sparking so much imaginative play and learning!

We're so proud of all the hard work and enthusiasm your children have shown over these past two weeks. They've been fantastic explorers, storytellers, and active learners!