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🍞 Bread Making: Exploring Change Through Science & Story

This half term, we will be investigating the process of bread making. The children will explore each step, mixing, kneading, proving and baking and will observe, describe and compare the changes that happen along the way.

This hands‑on experience links directly to our science focus on materials and change, helping children notice:

how ingredients look and feel before mixing

how dough changes when it is kneaded

how it grows and rises

how heat transforms it into bread

These observations help children build early scientific thinking: noticing, predicting, comparing and explaining.

📚 Story Link: The Little Red Hen

To bring this learning to life, we will be reading the traditional tale The Little Red Hen. The story helps children understand:

where bread comes from

the effort involved in making food

how ingredients change from grain to flour to dough to bread

the value of teamwork and helping others

The children will use the story as inspiration for talk, drawing, writing and role play as they explore the bread‑making process themselves.

🔍 Why This Matters

Through this project, children will:

develop early science skills

build vocabulary linked to change, texture and materials

experience real‑life food processes

make meaningful connections between stories and the world around them

We can’t wait to see their excitement as they watch their dough transform into warm, delicious bread.

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In Early Years, children learn best through play, exploration and meaningful experiences. Our curriculum is carefully planned to offer a wide range of exciting opportunities, but it is also wonderfully flexible so that we can follow the children’s interests and respond to the world around them.

📚 Planned Learning Opportunities

Each term, we design learning experiences that link to:

the EYFS Areas of Learning

children’s developmental needs

seasonal events and celebrations

high‑quality stories and texts

opportunities for outdoor learning

hands‑on, practical exploration

These planned activities help us ensure that children experience a broad, balanced and engaging curriculum.

🌈 A Flexible, Child‑Led Approach

While we plan carefully, our learning is also responsive and adaptable. This means that activities may change depending on:

children’s interests

questions they ask

the weather and outdoor opportunities

special events or unexpected moments

children’s needs and the pace of their learning

If the children suddenly become fascinated by worms, shadows, superheroes or puddles, we follow that spark. These moments often lead to the richest learning.

🧠 Why This Matters

A flexible approach allows children to:

feel ownership over their learning

stay motivated and curious

make meaningful connections

develop independence and confidence

explore ideas in deeper, more personal ways

It also allows us, as practitioners, to meet children exactly where they are and extend their learning in ways that feel natural and joyful.

🌱 What This Looks Like Day to Day

You might see children:

investigating something they’ve discovered outdoors

building on a story they loved with role play or small‑world play

exploring a new interest through art, construction or writing

asking questions that lead to spontaneous mini‑lessons

working together to solve problems or create something new

These moments are just as valuable as our planned activities, often even more so.

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The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum

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The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum

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🌱 Understanding the EYFS: How We Support Your Child’s Learning

In Early Years, all learning is guided by the EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage), which is divided into seven areas of Learning and Development. These areas help us plan a rich, balanced curriculum that supports the whole child — their confidence, communication, curiosity and creativity.

🌟 The Seven Areas of Learning

Prime Areas

These are the foundations of all early learning. We focus on these first because they help children feel secure, confident and ready to learn.

Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED)

Communication and Language (C+L)

Physical Development (PD)

These areas support children to build relationships, express themselves, listen, move confidently and develop independence.

Specific Areas

Once children have a strong foundation in the Prime Areas, they begin to explore more detailed learning through the Specific Areas:

Literacy (L)

Mathematics (M)

Understanding the World (UTW)

Expressive Arts and Design (EAD)

These areas help children develop early reading and writing skills, explore numbers and patterns, investigate the world around them and express themselves creatively.

🧩 How We Use the EYFS in Our Planning

The seven areas are broken down into 17 smaller aspects, which guide our daily teaching and play‑based learning. This ensures that every child experiences a broad, balanced curriculum that meets their needs and supports their development step by step.

By focusing on the Prime Areas first, children build the secure foundations they need to thrive in the Specific Areas as they grow.

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🤝 Team Responsibility in Our Classroom

As part of our Conscious Discipline approach, each child will take on a special team responsibility within our classroom. Every child will belong to a small team that helps to tidy, organise and resource a specific area of our learning environment — from the book corner to the creative table, construction zone or outdoor space.

These roles help children feel valued, capable and connected, while building a strong sense of community.

🌟 Why Team Responsibility Matters

Being part of a team helps children develop:

💬 Communication & Cooperation

Working together teaches children how to listen, share ideas and support one another.

🧠 Independence & Problem‑Solving

Children learn to notice what their area needs and take action with growing confidence.

❤️ Pride & Ownership

Caring for a space helps children feel that the classroom belongs to all of us.

🌱 Respect for Our Environment

Children learn that when we look after our resources, they last longer and everyone benefits.

🤗 A Strong Team Ethos

Teams celebrate successes together, encourage each other and learn that everyone’s contribution matters.

🌈 Building Our Classroom Community

These small daily responsibilities help children understand that:

“We’re all in this together.”

“My actions help others.”

“I can make a difference.”

Through teamwork, children experience the joy of contributing to a calm, organised and welcoming classroom — a place where everyone feels safe and ready to learn.

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✏️ Early Writing: Growing Confident Little Writers

This half term, we’ll be encouraging children to use and apply their phonic knowledge when writing words, phrases and labels. As their confidence grows, they’ll begin to hear sounds in words, choose the letters they know, and have a go at writing independently.

We use simple, consistent lesson language to support this, and you can use the same approach at home too. See the video attached for a quick guide.

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🌀 Sensory Circuits: Preparing Our Bodies & Brains for Learning

We are continuing to use sensory circuits as part of our daily routine. These short, structured movement sessions help children feel regulated, focused and ready to learn. By supporting both physical and sensory development, sensory circuits create a calm, organised mindset that sets children up for a successful school day.

✨ What Happens in a Sensory Circuit?

A sensory circuit includes three purposeful stages, each designed to support the brain and body in different ways:

⚡ Alerting Activities

These wake up the body and mind. Children might jump, bounce, climb or move quickly to increase energy and attention.

🔧 Organising Activities

These help children develop coordination, balance and body awareness. Activities may include crawling, balancing, pushing, pulling or following movement patterns.

🌿 Calming Activities

These bring the body back to a settled, regulated state. Children might stretch, breathe slowly, squeeze a soft object or take part in gentle, rhythmic movements.

🌈 Why We Use Sensory Circuits

Sensory circuits help children:

regulate their emotions

improve focus and attention

build coordination and motor skills

transition smoothly into learning

feel calm, safe and ready for the day

They are a joyful, purposeful part of our routine that supports the whole child — body, brain and wellbeing.

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🗣️ Supporting Speech & Language Development

We continue to support children’s speech and language using the Wellcomm Speech and Language Toolkit. This helps us identify children who may need a little extra help and gives us fun, targeted activities to build confidence in speaking, listening and understanding.

This term, our class focus will be on:

📍 Positional Language

We will be practising words that help children understand where things are, such as:

in / on / under

next to / behind / in front of

between / above / below

These words are important for following instructions, describing what they see and developing early maths skills.

👧👦 Using “He” and “She” Correctly

We will also be supporting children to use he and she accurately when talking about people. This helps develop sentence structure, grammar and clear communication.

🏡 How You Can Help at Home

Here are some simple, everyday ways to support your child’s speech and language:

🎒 Play “Where is it?”

Hide a toy and give clues using positional language:

“It’s under the chair.”

“Look behind the cushion.”

“Put the teddy on the table.”

📚 Talk About Pictures in Books

Ask questions like:

“Where is the cat?”

“Who is climbing the tree? Is it he or she?”

🧸 Role Play

Use dolls, figures or soft toys:

“He is jumping.”

“She is sleeping.” Encourage your child to describe what the characters are doing.

🚗 Everyday Moments

Use positional words during routines:

“Your shoes are next to the door.”

“Put your cup on the table.”

These small interactions make a big difference to children’s language development.

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🐔 The Little Red Hen: Learning Through Story

This term, we will be exploring the much‑loved story The Little Red Hen to help children learn about teamwork, helping others and the journey of making bread. The story provides a rich starting point for talk, imagination and hands‑on learning.

📚 Bringing the Story to Life

We will use the story as a springboard for:

Discussions about working together and being helpful

Role play to act out the characters and events

Creative activities linked to literacy and understanding the world

Exploring real dough to feel, shape and investigate how ingredients change

These experiences help children make meaningful connections between stories and real life.

🍞 A Sensory Bread‑Making Adventure

To deepen their understanding, children will also have the chance to:

explore dough through touch and play

observe how ingredients change when mixed

take part in simple baking experiences

This hands‑on approach supports early science learning, builds vocabulary and adds a fun, sensory element to the story.

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🌱 The Enormous Turnip: A Story of Teamwork & Helping Hands

This term, we will be sharing the traditional tale The Enormous Turnip, a wonderful story that teaches children about teamwork, perseverance and the value of every contribution.

In the story, an elderly farmer and his wife try to pull an enormous turnip from the ground — but it’s far too big for them to manage alone. One by one, more helpers join in: a boy, a girl, a dog, a cat… and finally a tiny mouse. With everyone working together, they succeed in pulling out the turnip at last.

The story reminds us that:

every helper matters, no matter how small

working together makes big challenges easier

everyone has something valuable to offer

To celebrate their success, the farmers invite all the helpers to share the enormous turnip — a lovely message about gratitude and community.

We will use this story to inspire discussions, role play and creative activities that help children understand cooperation, kindness and the power of teamwork.

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When we come in to the classroom in the mornings and after lunch, we put our photograph on the colour zone (blue, green, yellow and red) that best describes our feelings. We then talk about our feelings and about the strategies that help us to move to the green zone.

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🍯 The Magic Porridge Pot: A Tale of Kindness & Consequences

This term, we will be sharing the traditional tale The Magic Porridge Pot, a delightful story that helps children explore kindness, gratitude and what happens when instructions aren’t followed carefully.

In the story, a poor, hungry girl is given a magical pot by a kind old woman. When she says, “Cook, little pot, cook!” the pot produces endless sweet porridge. When she says, “Stop, little pot, stop!” the pot stops cooking. But when someone forgets the magic words… the porridge keeps flowing and flowing!

🌟 What Children Will Learn

Through this story, children will explore:

the importance of listening carefully

how kindness and generosity can make a difference

simple cause and effect

rich story language and repeated phrases

opportunities for role play, sequencing and creative retelling

🍽️ Bringing the Story to Life

We will use the story as a springboard for:

acting out the tale

exploring porridge and sensory play

discussing what happens when instructions aren’t followed

creating story maps and simple writing opportunities

This magical tale is a wonderful way to build language, imagination and early understanding of consequences.

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🦕 Drawing Club: Launching a Joyful, Dinosaur‑Filled Adventure!

This term, we are bringing even more wonder, imagination and joyful learning into our classroom through Drawing Club.

Drawing Club opens up a magical world of stories, characters and creativity. Children are immersed in:

Rich vocabulary

Story sharing and discussion

Modelled drawing

Open‑ended mark making and imaginative ideas

It’s a space where every child can explore what they can do: building confidence, strengthening fine motor skills, and expressing themselves through drawing, early writing, mathematics and conversation.

🦖 A Roaring Start: Dinosaurs!

We are kicking off Drawing Club with a burst of excitement inspired by our recent Teach Rex dinosaur visitors. The children were captivated, and we’re using that spark to fuel their creativity.

Our first Drawing Club sessions will be based on the story: There’s a Dinosaur in Your Book This playful tale gives children endless opportunities to imagine, draw and talk about dinosaurs; big ones, tiny ones, silly ones, friendly ones, all while developing their language and storytelling skills.

✨ What This Means for Your Child

Through our dinosaur‑themed Drawing Club, children will:

Build confidence in drawing and mark making

Develop storytelling and expressive language

Explore mathematical ideas through shapes, size and patterns

Enjoy joyful, playful learning rooted in imagination

Feel empowered to create their own ideas and characters

We can’t wait to see the incredible dinosaur worlds they dream up.

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🎵 Music: Exploring Sound, Song & Connection

This term in music, we will be building children’s confidence, creativity and musical understanding through a wide range of playful, hands‑on experiences.

🎧 Listening & Responding

Children will listen to different styles of music from a variety of cultures and traditions. They will explore how music makes them feel, move and imagine, and begin to talk about what they notice.

🎼 Building Musical Foundations

We will continue to embed the interrelated dimensions of music, such as:

pulse

rhythm

pitch

tempo

dynamics

These early skills help children understand how music works and how sounds can be organised.

🎤 Singing & Action Songs

Children will learn to sing, or sing along with a range of nursery rhymes and action songs, building confidence, memory and expressive skills.

🥁 Improvising & Playing Instruments

Through playful improvisation, children will explore:

making their own rhythms

experimenting with sounds

playing classroom instruments

performing simple patterns within a song

These experiences help them develop coordination, listening skills and musical creativity.

🌍 Music That Connects Us

We will also explore how music connects:

families

friends

people and places

cultures from around the world

Children will discover that music is a universal language that brings people together.

🎶 Sharing Our Learning

Throughout the term, children will have opportunities to share and perform what they have learned, celebrating their progress and enjoying music as a community.

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🐣 Learning About the Life Cycle of a Chick

This half term, we will be exploring the life cycle of a chick. The children will learn how a chick grows and changes, from egg… to hatchling… to fluffy chick. They will observe each stage closely and talk about the features they notice along the way.

Through this learning, children will begin to understand:

how living things grow and change

the different parts of a life cycle

how to use scientific language to describe what they see

how to compare similarities and differences between animals

🐑🐰 Comparing Young Animals

As part of our science work, we will also look at how chicks are similar to and different from other young animals, such as lambs and bunnies. Children will explore:

size and shape

coverings (feathers, fur, wool)

how they move

how they grow

This helps children build early scientific thinking by noticing patterns, making comparisons and asking questions about the world around them.

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🥖 Visit to Clwyd Bakeries, Boughton

This half term, we are excited to be visiting Clwyd Bakeries in Boughton, our local bakery. This experience will give the children a wonderful opportunity to see real bakers at work and understand the important role they play in our community.

The children will enjoy a behind‑the‑scenes look at how a busy bakery runs, from mixing and kneading to shaping and baking. This visit will help them make meaningful connections between:

the story The Little Red Hen

our science learning about materials and change

our own classroom bread‑making investigations

Seeing the process in action will deepen their understanding of how ingredients transform into food and inspire their own bread creations back at school.

We can’t wait to share this exciting learning adventure with the children.

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🥞 Mr Wolf’s Pancakes: A Shrove Tuesday Story

To celebrate Shrove Tuesday, we will be sharing the story Mr Wolf’s Pancakes. This fun and lively tale follows Mr Wolf as he tries to make pancakes — but he soon discovers that reading the recipe, writing a shopping list and asking for help are not as easy as they seem!

The story gives us lots of opportunities to explore:

following instructions

asking for help

working together

celebrating special traditions like Pancake Day

📚 Comparing Stories: Mr Wolf’s Pancakes & The Little Red Hen

We will also be comparing and contrasting this story with The Little Red Hen, another traditional tale about helping others.

Children will explore:

how the characters behave

who helps and who doesn’t

how the characters solve their problems

what the stories teach us about teamwork, kindness and responsibility

These discussions help children build early comprehension skills, understand story structure and think about the choices characters make.

🥣 Bringing the Learning to Life

To make the experience even more meaningful, children will also take part in:

pancake‑themed activities

simple cooking and sensory play

role play linked to both stories

sequencing and instruction‑based tasks

This hands‑on learning helps children connect stories to real‑life experiences in a fun and memorable way.

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Mini focus text 2 - I Love Chinese New Year

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Mini focus text 2 - I Love Chinese New Year

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🧧 Celebrating Chinese & Lunar New Year Through Story

We will be using a beautifully illustrated book to introduce children to the true meaning of Chinese and Lunar New Year. Through the story, children will explore the importance of family traditions, celebrations and cultural identity.

🌟 What Children Will Learn

🏮 Understanding Traditions

Children will discover key customs such as:

family reunions

red envelopes

special foods

lanterns and decorations

the significance of the zodiac animals

🎉 The Meaning Behind the Celebration

We will talk about why Lunar New Year is celebrated, focusing on:

new beginnings

good luck and happiness

showing respect to family

welcoming the year ahead with hope

🗣️ Story Language & Vocabulary

The book introduces rich new vocabulary such as celebration, tradition, fortune, lantern, dragon and family reunion, helping children build language and understanding.

🎨 Teaching & Learning Moments

📚 Story Discussions

We will explore questions like:

“What traditions does this family have?”

“How do they prepare for the celebration?”

“Why is family so important in this story?”

These conversations help children develop empathy and cultural awareness.

🎭 Role Play & Imaginative Play

Children will have opportunities to:

act out family celebrations

create their own “New Year traditions”

explore props such as red envelopes, lanterns and pretend food

🎨 Creative Activities

We will make:

paper lanterns

dragon dances

lucky red envelopes

zodiac animal art

These activities support fine motor skills and creativity.

🌏 Understanding the World

We will compare Lunar New Year traditions with celebrations children experience at home, helping them recognise similarities and differences between cultures.

🧧 Bringing the Celebration to Life

Throughout the week, children will enjoy:

music and movement inspired by dragon and lion dances

sensory play with noodles, rice and red/gold materials

simple mark‑making linked to Chinese characters

tasting or exploring traditional foods (where appropriate)

These hands‑on experiences help children connect deeply with the story and the celebration.

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🏁 Learning About Ordinal Numbers Through ‘The Great Race’

This term, we will be introducing the children to ordinal numbers (1st, 2nd, 3rd and so on) through the story The Great Race, which tells the traditional tale of how the animals of the zodiac lined up to race.

The story gives children a memorable, visual way to understand the idea of position and order.

🐉 Bringing the Story to Life

To deepen their understanding, we will:

retell the story using props and small‑world animals

talk about which animal came 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.

sequence the animals in order of finishing the race

explore the language of position in everyday play

These activities help children build early mathematical vocabulary in a meaningful context.

🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️ Outdoor Races & Rosettes

We will also hold our own races in the outdoor area so children can:

experience ordinal numbers in real life

talk about who came 1st, 2nd, 3rd

celebrate participation and teamwork

receive rosettes to help them use and apply ordinal numbers independently

This hands‑on learning makes maths active, fun and memorable.

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❤️ Learning About Valentine’s Day: Love, Kindness & Healthy Hearts

This term, we will be exploring the history and meaning of Valentine’s Day in a way that is age‑appropriate and focused on kindness, care and connection. Our learning will help children understand that love can be shown in many ways — towards family, friends, pets and the people who help us every day.

🌟 What Children Will Learn

💗 Understanding Love & Kindness

Children will explore questions such as:

What does it mean to love someone?

How do we show we care?

How does it feel to be loved?

Through stories, circle time and role play, children will share their ideas and experiences, helping them build emotional vocabulary and empathy.

🗣️ Expressing Feelings

We will support children to talk about:

what makes them feel safe and cared for

how they can show kindness to others

ways to include and appreciate the people around them

These conversations help children develop confidence, self‑awareness and strong relationships.

🏃‍♀️ Healthy Hearts: Learning Through Movement

Alongside our emotional learning, we will also explore how our hearts work and why they are important. Children will take part in fun, active sessions to notice:

how their heartbeat changes when they move

how exercise keeps our bodies healthy

the link between physical activity and feeling good

This helps children understand that caring for ourselves is just as important as caring for others.

🎨 Creative & Meaningful Activities

Throughout the week, children will enjoy:

making simple cards or crafts to show appreciation

heart‑themed art and sensory play

movement games that get their hearts pumping

stories about friendship, kindness and love

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📚 READ WRITE INC:

HOW WE TEACH EARLY READING

🔤 Set 1 Speed Sounds Children begin by learning Set 1 Speed Sounds:

Single‑letter sounds: m, a, s, d, t, i, n, p, g, o, c, k, u, b, f, e, l, h, r, j, v, y, w, z, x

‘Special Friends’ (two letters, one sound): sh, th, ch, qu, ng, nk, ck

🎵 Stretchy & Bouncy Sounds To help children pronounce sounds correctly:

• Stretchy sounds – said in one smooth sound (e.g. f, l, m) • Bouncy sounds – short and snappy (e.g. c, d, g)

🧩 Blending to Read Words Children then learn to blend sounds together to read words such as: m–a–t → mat c–a–t → cat g–o–t → got f–i–sh → fish s–p–o–t → spot b–e–s–t → best s–p–l–a–sh → splash

📘 Reading Books Children will begin reading:

• Blending Books

• Red, Green and Purple Storybooks

These books match the sounds they have learned and help build confidence and fluency.

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🍎 Healthy Snacks & Thank You for Your Support

Please continue to send a healthy snack for your child each day. As part of our school’s Healthy Eating Policy, we kindly ask that snacks are fruit or vegetables, rather than chocolate, biscuits or sugary treats.

🙏 A Big Thank You

Thank you so much for your voluntary contributions last term. Your generosity allowed us to offer a wonderful range of snack‑time learning experiences, including:

fresh juice making

bear toast

watermelon tasting

sandwiches

fruit kebabs

These hands‑on activities helped children build independence, practise fine motor skills and enjoy trying new foods.

🥢 Exciting Plans for This Term

We would love to continue offering these rich, practical experiences. This half term, we are hoping to explore:

Chinese food tasting as part of our learning about Lunar New Year

Pancake making

More knife‑skills snack tasks to build confidence and coordination

A visit to a bakery, which will inspire us to make our own bread back in class

These activities help children understand food, change, and healthy choices in a joyful, hands‑on way.

To make these opportunities possible, we would really appreciate your voluntary contributions again this term.

Thank you in advance for your continued support, it truly enriches the children’s learning.

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💧 Daily Water Bottles

Please ensure your child brings a named water bottle to school each day. They have their own space on our water bottle trolley, making it easy for them to stay hydrated throughout the day.

As part of our Healthy Eating Policy, we ask that bottles contain water only. This helps us promote healthy habits and keeps everyone refreshed and ready to learn.

Thank you for your support in helping us build these routines.

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✏️ Curly Caterpillar Letter Formation

This term we are focusing on curly caterpillar letters. We use the Read Write Inc handwriting rhymes to help children remember how to form each letter correctly.

a – Around the apple, down the leaf

c – Curl around the caterpillar

o – All around the orange

d – Around the dinosaur’s bottom, up his tall neck, and down to his toes

g – Around the girl’s face, down her hair, and give her a curl q – Round her head, up past her earring, down her hair, and flick

e – Lift off the top and scoop out the egg

s – Slither down the snake

f – Down the stem and draw the leaves

🎥 Letter Formation Videos You can watch the Read Write Inc letter‑formation videos here: 👉 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLv80XE_mA4uy5WO-mMcUQ2vX6AdVpIPEk

These short clips show exactly how each letter is formed and are great for practising at home.

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🏃‍♂️ Developing Our Gross Motor Skills

Each week, the children take part in a fun and active PE session with our sports coach, Mr Wynn. These sessions take place every Tuesday and are designed to help children build confidence in their gross motor skills. The big movements that support balance, coordination and physical development.

Through games, movement activities and outdoor challenges, children will:

practise running, jumping, hopping and balancing

develop coordination and spatial awareness

learn to follow instructions and work as a team

build strength, stamina and confidence in their bodies

These sessions are energetic, engaging and a wonderful way for children to stay active while learning new skills.

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🎨 Exploring Fabergé Eggs in Art

This term in art, we will be diving into the history, beauty and craftsmanship of Fabergé eggs. These famous creations are known for their incredible detail, delicate patterns and imaginative designs — a perfect inspiration for young artists.

The children will learn about:

the story behind Fabergé eggs

the skill and creativity involved in making them

the patterns, colours and decorative techniques used by the artists

After exploring real examples, the children will design and create their own Fabergé‑inspired eggs using a range of tools and materials from our classroom provision. This project encourages:

creativity and imagination

fine motor skill development

careful pattern work

pride in their artistic choices

We can’t wait to see the beautiful designs they come up with.

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🌍 Learning About Special Events & Our Community

This half term, we will continue to explore special events and celebrations that matter to us. Children will learn about:

Birthdays and family occasions

National and worldwide celebrations, including

Lunar New Year

Pancake Day (Shrove Tuesday)

Easter

Through stories, activities and shared experiences, children will begin to understand how different people celebrate in different ways, and how these events bring families and communities together.

👨‍👩‍👧 People Who Are Important to Us

We will also be talking about the important people in our lives, family members, friends, teachers and others who help us feel safe, loved and supported. Children will have opportunities to draw, talk and write about the people who matter most to them.

🏡 Exploring Our Local Area

As part of our learning about the world around us, we will explore places nearby, helping children build a sense of belonging and community. This may include:

noticing familiar places on local walks

talking about where we live

learning about people who help us in our community

These experiences help children make meaningful connections between their own lives and the wider world.

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🌲 Forest School on Thursdays

Please make sure all of your child’s belongings are clearly labelled with their name. This helps us keep everything safe and easy to find.

Wellies should be left at school on our welly rack, ready for outdoor learning.

Every Thursday, the children take part in Forest School with Mrs Kemp. For this session, they will need:

Wellies

A puddle suit (or waterproofs)

These items help keep children warm, dry and comfortable as they explore, play and learn outdoors.

Thank you for helping us make Forest School a joyful and safe experience for everyone.

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📖 Poem of the Week: Exploring Change Through Rhyme

We will continue to learn and share a new poem every week. This term, our focus is on change — especially the fascinating way ingredients can transform into food. Through poetry, children explore rhythm, language, imagination and early performance skills.

Our poems this term include:

I Don’t Like Custard

Pease Porridge Hot

On the Ning Nang Nong

Make a Pancake

Five Little Speckled Frogs

These poems help children play with sounds, build vocabulary and enjoy the fun of spoken language.

🦕 Dinosaur‑Inspired Poetry

Teach Rex dinosaur visitors will spark excitement, so we’ll also be weaving this into our poetry work. Throughout the term, we will introduce dinosaur performance poems, giving children the chance to:

explore expressive language

perform with confidence

use their imagination to bring dinosaurs to life

enjoy joyful, playful learning inspired by their real‑life dinosaur encounter

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🏃‍♂️ P.E. Days – Tuesdays

Our P.E. day this term is Tuesday. We will be using the indoor gym equipment, including climbing frames, balance beams and gym mats, to build strength, coordination and confidence.

Please ensure your child comes to school wearing their P.E. kit, which is:

Red T‑shirt

Black shorts, skirt or jogging bottoms

Navy hoodie

Plain black trainers

Wearing the correct kit helps children move safely and take part fully in all activities.

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🧡 SCARF: Safety, Caring, Achievement, Resilience & Friendship

This term in our SCARF lessons, we will be helping children build the personal, social and emotional skills they need to feel safe, confident and connected. Our learning will focus on two key themes: Keeping Safe and Rights & Respect.

🛡️ Keeping Safe

Children will learn how to look after themselves and make safe choices in everyday situations. We will explore:

What’s safe to go onto my body (e.g., sun cream, soap)

What’s safe to go into my body, including medicines and healthy choices

Staying safe indoors and outdoors

Listening to my feelings and recognising when something doesn’t feel right

Keeping safe online

People who help to keep me safe, such as trusted adults and community helpers

These lessons help children understand their bodies, their boundaries and how to ask for help.

🤝 Rights & Respect

We will also be learning about how to care for ourselves, others and the world around us. This includes:

Looking after my special people

Being a good friend

Helping at home and caring for our classroom

Caring for our world through small, meaningful actions

Looking after money (1): recognising coins, spending and using money

Looking after money (2): saving money and keeping it safe

These experiences help children understand fairness, responsibility and the importance of kindness.

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🧠 Conscious Discipline: Supporting Safe, Calm & Confident Learners

This term, we are continuing to build a classroom community where everyone feels Ready, Respectful and Safe — but with a new focus inspired by Conscious Discipline.

We will be helping children understand their feelings, regulate their bodies and use their voices confidently through:

🌬️ Breathing Techniques for Calm Bodies & Calm Brains

We will be teaching a range of simple breathing strategies to help children manage big feelings, stay focused and reset their bodies when needed. These include:

Candle Breathing – breathe in through the nose, blow gently as if blowing out a candle

Flower Breathing – smell the flower, blow the petals

Rainbow Breathing – trace an arc in the air while breathing in and out

Star Breathing – pause and breathe at each point of a star

These techniques help children feel grounded and ready to learn.

Try these at home: 👉 Candle Breathing for Kids: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZxVvPp50vE (youtube.com in Bing)

👉 Flower & Candle Breathing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFdZXwE6fRE (youtube.com in Bing)

👉 Rainbow Breathing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O29e4rRMrV4 (youtube.com in Bing)

💬 Modelling Assertiveness

We will continue to teach children how to use clear, respectful language to keep themselves and others safe. This includes practising phrases such as:

“Stop. I don’t like that.” “Please move away.” “I need some space.”

These simple scripts help children communicate their needs confidently and kindly.

🌀 Sensory Circuits After Lunch

Each afternoon, we will run sensory circuits to help children calm their bodies and prepare their brains for focused learning. These may include:

deep pressure activities

balance and coordination tasks

stretching and breathing

calming movements

This routine supports emotional regulation and helps children transition smoothly into afternoon learning.

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🔢 Numberblocks: Supporting Our Maths Learning

We love using the Numberblocks TV series to deepen children’s understanding of number through fun, visual stories. These short clips help children see how numbers work, spot patterns and build strong early maths foundations.

Here are the episodes we’ll be watching in class this term. Feel free to enjoy them at home too!

📏 Number Order & Patterns

Number order / staircase pattern / one more https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DC6iqEz_28w

🖐️ Composition of 5

Composition & decomposition of 5 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzqrkCAR40c

5 and a bit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rd7UQT-nAtM

🔢 Counting Skills

Counting, ordinality, cardinality & stable order https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_7E7lEG3fU

🌈 Exploring Bigger Numbers

Composition of 7 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60EUxt66C5s

👀 Subitising & Doubles

Subitising and exploring doubles https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAJcN--UFfw

🧩 Sorting & Describing Numbers

Describing and sorting attributes of numbers and objects https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRPv8onY0qA

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🔊 How We Teach Children to Pronounce Sounds

In phonics sessions, we teach children to pronounce sounds clearly and accurately using the Read Write Inc approach. This means:

Saying pure sounds (e.g. m not muh, s not suh)

Modelling each sound slowly and clearly

Encouraging children to listen carefully and copy

Using fun routines, actions and picture prompts to help them remember

This helps children blend sounds smoothly when they begin reading words.

💡 Helpful Tips for Parents

We’ve shared some simple, practical tips on Seesaw to help you support your child at home. These include:

How to say each sound correctly

What “pure sounds” are

How to help your child blend sounds together

Ways to make phonics practice fun and stress‑free

You can view the tips here: 👉 https://app.seesaw.me/pages/shared_item?item_id=item.3221ee17-4ca5-4efb-86cc-31a57fb9b8e0&share_token=YUftTyZZSzCFGsdw8jDcWw&mode=share

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💪 Developing Gross & Fine Motor Skills

This term, we are focusing on building strong, confident movers and makers through a wide range of purposeful motor‑skill activities. These experiences support early writing, independence and physical development in fun, playful ways.

🌟 Gross Motor Skills

Children will have lots of opportunities to explore movement in both our indoor and outdoor environments. They will develop strength, balance and coordination through:

water, sand and malleable play

large‑scale creative activities

riding bikes and scooters

ball games and target play

climbing, jumping and navigating different spaces

These activities help children build the core strength they need for sitting, concentrating and early writing.

🖐️ Fine Motor Skills

To strengthen the small muscles in the hands and fingers, children will take part in:

loose parts play

small world activities

block building and construction

threading, tweezers and tool play

mark‑making in lots of exciting ways

These experiences support precision, control and creativity, all essential foundations for confident writing.

🎶 Dough Disco

We will also be taking part in Dough Disco, a fun routine that combines music, movement and dough to build hand strength and finger control. Children squeeze, pinch, roll and pat the dough in time to music, helping prepare their hands for writing.

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Twinkle Twinkle Little Star | Dough Disco | Nursery Rhymes

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🔢 Building Strong Early Maths Skills

In our number and numerical pattern work, we follow the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Maths (NCETM) scheme of learning. This approach helps children develop deep, secure mathematical understanding through hands‑on, practical and playful activities.

This term, the children will be exploring a range of key early maths concepts that build strong foundations for future learning.

✨ This Term We Will Be Learning To:

👀 Subitise with confidence

Recognising small quantities without counting (e.g., seeing 3 dots and knowing it’s 3).

🗣️ Verbally count to 20 and beyond

Building fluency, accuracy and enjoyment in counting.

🖐️ Explore the composition of 5

Understanding how numbers are made up (e.g., 3 and 2 make 5).

⚖️ Compare sets using mathematical language

Using words like more, fewer, equal to and the same as.

🔶 Explore symmetrical patterns

Noticing balance, reflection and pattern in shapes and objects.

🔟 Develop understanding of cardinality within 10

Knowing that the last number counted tells us how many are in the set.

🌓 Investigate odd and even numbers and doubles

Spotting patterns, pairing objects and exploring early number relationships.

📍 Compare numbers through ‘howmanyness’

Understanding the size of numbers and their position in the number system.