1 year ago
Posted on 14th Dec 2023 by Katie Reese

We’re Going On a Baby Hunt!

Our curriculum is sequenced in a way which ensures children are given time to practise, layer their understanding, make connections and apply their learning to new contexts.

Our learning about babies has helped our Religious understanding of the Christian story of the first Christmas.

Stories are at the core of everything we do. We have listened to versions of the story in books, films and through images and artistic interpretations as well as through small world story-telling, puppets and role-play.

We had a visit from Becky Dotson who is a Christian herself. She helped us to explore the story through song. We loved it because it was an innovation of our reading spine book, ‘We’re Going On a Bear Hunt.”

Everything we do is for a reason! We were inspired to draw the Baby Jesus in his manger and used these as our Christmas Cards for our families.

The children also applied their knowledge about faces, from last term. Check out those eyelashes and nostrils!

1 year ago
Posted on 14th Dec 2023 by Katie Reese

Oh baby! Have we always been this way?

Take a look at our sequence of learning about babies. This addresses lots of knowledge from the area of learning Understanding the world.

Children can now answer our enquiry question; Have we always been this way?

“No I’m a child now. When I was a baby I was little and didn’t talk!” Octavia

“I was different when I was a baby. I not a baby now.” Archie

“When I was a baby I had nappies. Now I don’t!” Emmie-May

Our learning about this topic won’t stop here . . . we are looking forward to a baby clinic role-play in the future to apply our knowledge. We will explore pregnancy, growth and care in more detail over time so that our knowledge is secure and deepened.

1 year ago
Posted on 29th Nov 2023 by Katie Reese

Real experiences enrich our learning, making it memorable . . . Baby Rowan

We have been learning about babies as part of an Understanding of the World project.

We have analysed objects, looked at baby photographs, learnt songs, nursery rhymes and explored a variety of books about babies.

We now know a range of vocabulary and concepts linked to this.

“When I was a baby I went in a pram because I couldn’t walk.”

“I was a baby a long, long time ago.”

“Babies need a high chair or they would fall off!”

“A crib like rock a bye baby.”

“I’m a child. I have a cup not a bottle.”

Today we had an expert visitor, a real baby visit the setting. We noticed the size of the baby, it’s clothing and the things it needed. We told his mummy what we knew and asked whether the baby drank from a bottle or had a nappy. We sang it a lullaby.

1 year ago
Posted on 13th Nov 2023 by Katie Reese

Poppy, poppy what do you say? Wear me on Remembrance Day . . .

We have been exploring our school value of respect by learning about Remembrance and poppies.

Children learnt and can recite a poem about the meaning of and symbolism of the poppy.

We used this as a meaningful way to develop our learning in art.

sequence of learning form

2 years ago
Posted on 03rd Nov 2023 by Katie Reese

Leaves are falling, leaves are falling, one fell on my nose!

Children learn about the seasons as part of our science curriculum.

We encourage children to notice the world around them and during forest school sessions they have been intrigued by signs of autumn. Big ideas that have been drawn upon are trees and the weather.

We have used information and story books to reinforce this scientific knowledge.

Children have sang songs and learnt poems in order to develop their conceptual knowledge of autumn while also giving them the language to be able to describe it.

Most children now have the language of, “leaves, acorns, apples, squirrels, falling, red, brown, orange, yellow, cold.”

We also make meaningful links across the curriculum; watch out for how we use apples in our Expressive Art and Design cookery project . . .

2 years ago
Posted on 09th Oct 2023 by Katie Reese

Our school library is open!

We have hundreds of new, engaging books that children will be bringing home to read. They depict a diverse range of characters and settings. Every child in our school can pick up a book and see themselves reflected in it. They can be the hero, adventurer or sidekick!

We have books for everyone; all ages and abilities are catered for. These texts will develop a life-long love of learning for our children. We also have a fancy online library system to track children’s interests and reading journey.

Our children know that they must care for and respect the books. This is one of our school values. Please ensure that they are loved as much at home as they are in school.

Keep posting your child’s fantastic reading on Seesaw. It makes such a huge difference to their learning and happiness.

2 years ago
Posted on 08th Oct 2023 by Katie Reese

Each day, alongside our topic we are teaching and supporting children to . . .

Remember new routines such as following our rules, taking turns and respecting our resources and environment. Children are learning about the routine of the day and the expectation that they attend small group time.
Listen and attend to others in a range of contexts including when playing, singing nursery rhymes and looking while a adult tells a story.
Make secure relationships with educators and children by playing with and alongside others.
Regulate their feelings and develop resilience.
Use self-help skills such as putting on our coats and using the toilet.

2 years ago
Posted on 08th Oct 2023 by Katie Reese

European Languages Day

We have learnt some key facts about France during European Languages Day.

We can now recognise the flag of France and recreated it using our knowledge of colour and fine motor skills in the malleable area. In mathematics we have been sorting and classifying so the grown ups considered how the resources were presented to children.

We tasted some traditional french food. The adults modelled counting and using manners in french and we copied.

We sang the french nursery rhyme of Frere Jacques. We explored the meaning and added instruments. We then later used the tune and subject of this song to recall our focus text of Peace at Last. “Are you sleeping, are you sleeping? Mr Bear, Mr Bear . . . ”

2 years ago
Posted on 24th Sep 2023 by Katie Reese

An expert visitor to kick start our learning . . . Laura the hairdresser!

We design our Early Years curriculum to reflect our community and address the needs of our children.

It starts with ideas that all children can access . . . this term is identity, because all children have one. It also helps children to feel seen and heard.

As part of this we are focussing on our appearance and therefore we have a Hairdressing Salon in our role-play area. This also links to the planned Expressive Arts and Design opportunities of drawing and form as children will be creating portraits of themselves. It also links to Science and body parts.

Laura the hairdresser visited us, showing us the tools she uses and describing what she does for her job. This has already enhanced the vocabulary the children are using and helped them to take on roles and use their imagination.

Next week we are having a different hairdresser to visit in order to address and highlight diversity. Staff have shared books such as Rapunzel set in Africa and My Hair is a Garden so that children are seeing a range of hair types.

2 years ago
Posted on 13th Sep 2023 by Katie Reese

What a wonderful start to the year!

In nursery we have been getting to know one another really well over the past week.

Staff are helping children to understand the routines through repetition, songs and practise!

This supports children’s self-regulation skills and enables them to feel a sense of safety and belonging. They also give children the vital learning behaviours they need for success in future learning.

The adults have been playing, interacting and observing so that they know what children already know and how they can support them with provision, interactions and planning in the future to ensure they progress.

Take a look at how we have been exploring our stimulating, enabling environment . . .