Spring 2 week 1

The children have settled back into Pre-school wonderfully and have enjoyed sharing their half-term adventures with the class.

This term our core text is Goldilocks and the Three Bears. This week we have read the story together, and the children have confidently joined in with re-telling the events in the correct order. They have been repeating key lines from the story to enhance their role play, as our home corner has been transformed into the bears’ cottage.

In the malleable area, the children explored making breakfast for the bears using playdough and practised sorting different sized bowls into order. In the writing area, they enjoyed drawing the story characters using a range of tools, and in the creative area they made their own bear masks using paints, scissors and glue. In the construction area, the children worked collaboratively to build the bears’ cottage using bricks.

During the week, the children also took part in a music and movement lesson. They followed instructions carefully and responded creatively to the music. Using their bodies, they re-created the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, acting out key vocabulary and sequencing the story accurately as they moved around the space.

The children had the opportunity to make their own porridge after reading the story. They discussed the different sized bears and bowls and carefully mixed warm milk with oats to create their porridge. As they tasted it, they used wonderful describing words such as “tasty”, “hot”, “cold” and “warm”.

On Thursday, the children enjoyed their gymnastics lesson, where they practised a routine for their upcoming performance. On Friday, they continued their French lesson with Madame Wardle. They practised counting to ten with actions, counted les filles and les garçons in our class, and met Hugo the snail again, describing the colours he was wearing in French.

Next week, we will continue focusing on the story Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

Spring 1 week 6 

It’s the last week before the half term and the children have been very busy.  This week we focused our learning on the celebration of Chinese New Year, Valentines Day and Children’s Mental Health week.  

The festival of ‘Chinese New Year’ is celebrated in China and around the world.  We explored the 12 different animals that appear in the Chinese Zodiac calendar and focused on this year as the ‘Year of the Horse’.  The children joined in with their own traditional ‘Dragon head’ dancing, moving their bodies in different ways to the sound of traditional Chinese music.  In provision the children used chopsticks to make marks that represented the Chinese numerals 1-5.  They explored counting the correct amount of gold coins to each number.  In the creative area the children made their own lanterns, observing photographs of different types and using the resources to create their own.  The children enjoyed tasting traditional Chinese food such as spring rolls and prawn crackers and had a go at using chopsticks correctly.  

This week is also ‘Children’s mental health’ week.  To raise awareness of the importance of our own mental health we read stories based around different emotions and talked about the different feelings and how we can make ourselves feel better.  The theme this year is ‘This is my place’ and in the writing area the children used the pencils to draw a picture of their favourite ‘Safe space’ for example their homes or school.  On Friday the children wore scarves to school to raise awareness. 

To children joined in Valentine’s activities this week.  In the playdoh they created flowers, hearts and chocolates using their fine motor skills and imagination.  The writing area has been very busy with the children writing Valentine’s cards for someone they love and collaging heart decorations in the creative area using the tools and resources.  

On Thursday the whole school enjoyed a behaviour treat, having fun making their own slime!  The children joined in with their gymnastics playing team games and following instructions. 

On Friday the children joined in with their French learning, joining in with counting songs and games.

We hope you all have a lovely half term! 

Spring 1 week 5

Pre-school have had another busy and exciting week! This week we continued our focus learning on ‘Pets’ and extended this by exploring animals found in the wild. 

During story time, we shared the book Dear Zoo and compared the jungle animals in the story with the animals we keep as pets. The children looked closely at photographs of different jungle animals and, during daily doodle time, drew pictures of their favourite animal. We discussed their features, including patterns on their bodies and whether they are big or small. 

In the enhanced role-play area, the children enjoyed taking on roles in the Veterinary Surgery, caring for poorly pets, making appointments and answering phone calls. 

The children have also loved taking part in Valentine’s activities this week. The writing area was very busy as they wrote Valentine’s cards for someone special, and in the creative area they collaged heart decorations using a variety of tools and resources. 

On Thursday afternoon, we joined in with a whole school Spirituality Afternoon. We talked about how God knows our names and how important and special they are. The children practised writing their names on heart-shaped cards and enjoyed decorating their own heart-shaped biscuits. 

In phonics, the children practised recognising rhyming words. They played a game of Silly Soup, matching words that rhyme. In maths, the children explored creating repeating patterns using animal prints, such as tiger stripes and leopard spots. 

In gymnastics, the children practised forward rolls and balancing skills on different equipment.

On Friday, the children joined in with French and practised counting from 1–10. They then counted how many girls and boys were in the class and played game.

The children joined in with a fundraising event, 'Bounce a thon' and enjoyed bouncing on a giant bouncy obstacle course! Amazing!

Next week, we will be learning about Chinese New Year and taking part in activities to support Children’s Mental Health Week. 

Spring 1 week 4  

Another busy and exciting week in Pre-School!

This week we continued our ‘Pets’ theme. The children enjoyed painting Rainbow Fish, using their fine motor skills to collage their artwork with the seven colours of the rainbow.

In R.E., the children listened to the story of Noah’s Ark and talked about the rainbow that appears at the end of the story. We then used our bodies to make a rainbow in the sky and confidently named all the colours.

During phonics, the children took part in a variety of rhyming games, including rhyming matching pairs and rhyming bingo.

On Monday, we had a fantastic outdoor adventure linked to our story The Tiger Who Came to Tea. We shared the story together and then discovered a letter from Sophie asking us to help find the tiger and invite him for tea again! The children were very excited and eager to help.

As we explored outdoors, the children followed clues and found tiger masks along the way. They worked brilliantly as a team, discussing where the tiger might be and taking turns to lead the group. The clues eventually led us to the tiger in the woods.

The children decided the tiger needed a new den and used natural materials to build one, showing great imagination and teamwork. We then invited the tiger to tea and enjoyed warm juice and biscuits together.

In gymnastics, the children practised roly-polies and log rolls.

In French, they practised counting from 1–10 and enjoyed singing French songs.

Next week, we will be focusing on the story ‘Dear Zoo’.

Spring 1 week 3

It has been another busy and exciting week in Pre-School! This week we introduced the story I’m Thinking of a Pet. The children shared photographs of their own pets and enjoyed talking about them with their friends. We discussed the different animals that can be kept as pets and how we can care for them responsibly. 

In the creative area, the children painted pictures of their favourite pets, while in the writing area they made marks and attempted to write about their creations. Our role-play area was transformed into a veterinary surgery, where the children thoroughly enjoyed taking on the roles of vets and pets.

During our PSHE lesson, we learned about people who help us and the important roles they play in our community. We talked about firefighters, doctors, dentists, teachers and other helpers.

In phonics, we explored rhyming words through a fun matching game, where the children matched rhyming pairs on their boards. In maths, we focused on counting and matching quantities to numerals.

The children continued their gymnastics lesson on Thursday, practising balancing, rolling and jumping with Mrs Winward.

On Friday, they enjoyed their French session, learning to count from 1–5 and singing new French songs.  Next week, we will continue exploring the story I’m Thinking of a Pet.

Spring 1 week 2 

We’ve had another busy and exciting week in Pre-school! 

Our focus story this week has continued to be “The Tiger Who Came to Tea.” The children enjoyed listening to the story again and used a story map to retell the events in the correct order. They explored key vocabulary and described the story’s characters, showing great recall and understanding.  We researched real images of tigers, discussing their features and habitats. The children then compared tigers with other animals that live in similar environments. In the creative area, they observed and painted a range of jungle animals, creating stripy tigers, zebras, spotty cheetahs, snakes, and giraffes. 

In the writing area, the children practiced their pencil control by copying patterns and used scissors to cut out images from the story, sequencing them carefully in order. They have also been recognising and writing their names and attempting to form some letters. 

In the malleable area, the children used playdough and loose parts to create their own jungle animals using a variety of tools and materials. The home corner was transformed into a “Jungle Shop,” where the children loved roleplaying and using their imaginations. Over in the construction area, they worked together to build tiger dens using the large building bricks. 

During phonics, the children explored rhyming words through games and songs, creating rhyming strings such as cat, hat, mat, and bat. In maths, they compared the sizes of different jungle animals, using language such as bigger, smaller, tall, and short. 

A highlight of the week was making our own “Tiger Sandwiches” after listening to the story – a fun (and tasty!) way to bring the story to life. 

In gymnastics, the children practiced moving in different ways across the mats and balancing bean bags carefully. On Friday, they enjoyed another lively French lesson with Madame Wardle, counting from 1 to 5 in French with actions to support pronunciation, before counting all the girls and boys from 1 to 10. 

Next week, our focus will move to our supplementary text, “I’m Thinking of a Pet.” 

Spring 1 week 1

Welcome back to all the children after the Christmas holidays! A special well done to the new children who have joined us this term, you have settled in wonderfully, are beginning to form friendships, and are following the pre-school routine with confidence. 

This week we introduced our core text for the half term, The Tiger Who Came to Tea. The children listened carefully to the story and were able to recognise the main characters. They used story props to retell the story, identifying what happens at the beginning, middle, and end.

The role-play area has been very busy, with children creating their own tea parties and using tiger masks to retell parts of the story, extending their play and imagination. In the small-world area, the children role-played with jungle animals and matched different animal prints to the correct animals.

In the maths area, the children explored making simple ABAB patterns. In the creative area, they enjoyed making their own tiger masks using a variety of tools and resources, as well as painting tigers and creating patterned pictures. During phonics sessions, the children practised recognising two- and three-syllable words by clapping the corresponding number of syllables using different objects.

During a music and movement session, the children used their imaginations to recreate jungle animals through different types of movement.

On Thursday, the children took part in a gymnastics session with Mrs Winward, where they practised balancing, running, rolling, and jumping.

In the outdoor area, the children were fascinated by the ice. They spent time digging, scooping, filling buckets, and experimenting with different ways to melt and smash the ice.

On Friday, the children enjoyed their French session with Madame Wardle, where they learned to count from 1 to 5 in French.

Next week, we will continue to focus on the story The Tiger Who Came to Tea.

Autumn 2 week 7

It’s the last week before the Christmas holidays, and it has certainly been a very busy one!

This week, the children have enjoyed listening to their favourite Christmas stories. They have been re-telling the story of Stick Man in their own words and using puppets to enhance their storytelling skills. In the maths area, the children took part in a fun game of counting buttons and matching them to the correct numbered snowman.

In the writing area, the children continued writing letters to Father Christmas and practised writing their names. In the creative area, they made a special Christmas card for their families.

On Thursday, the children enjoyed a special Christmas lunch with the rest of the school. In the afternoon, we had a surprise visit from Father Christmas! The children asked him lots of questions, and he gave everyone a present. We then continued the festivities with a Christmas party, complete with dancing and party games.

On Friday, the children enjoyed a behaviour treat with a special crazy golf session, which was lots of fun. In the afternoon, we had a very special visit from two reindeer. It was a truly magical experience to see them in real life!

We hope you all have a lovely Christmas break and look forward to seeing you in the New Year.

Autumn 2 week 6 

It has been another wonderfully busy week in Pre-school! 

The children revisited the story Stick Man, using their prior knowledge to recall key events and retell the story in their own words. In the writing area, they enjoyed writing letters to Father Christmas and practising writing their names. They also loved cutting out pictures from magazines and creating their own Christmas wish lists. 

In the maths area, the children matched the correct number of sticks to each numbered Stick Man, helping develop their counting and number recognition skills. The role-play home corner continued to inspire imaginative play, with children building on their communication and language skills. 

In the construction area, the children worked together to build “Santa’s Grotto” using Lego bricks, taking turns and sharing ideas. In the creative area, they painted their own snowmen, using a variety of tools and resources to support their imaginative artwork. They also enjoyed making Christmas crackers and tree decorations. 

Outdoors, the children took part in a Stick Man hunt! They searched for hidden characters from the story and recorded their findings using tally marks. Afterwards, we compared the numbers and counted them together. 

On Friday, we held our Pre-school Stay and Play session. It was wonderful to welcome parents and carers into the setting and to see such positive interactions as they explored activities with the children. Together they shared stories, wrote letters to Father Christmas, decorated biscuits, painted Christmas decorations, enjoyed role play, and so much more! 

In French this week, the children learnt about French Christmas traditions and how families prepare for Papa Noël’s visit. They also joined in with festive songs and games. 

Next week will be our final week before the Christmas holidays! 

Autumn 2 week 5 

The Pre-school children were filled with excitement this week as they arrived to find the classroom transformed with Christmas magic! 

We even had a special visit from one of Santa’s elves, who popped in to make sure we are making kind choices and trying our best in our learning. The children have been busy writing letters to Father Christmas, carefully signing their names before posting them into our magic post box! 

As part of our Elf Enterprise school mission, we have also been making Reindeer Food and Reindeer Chocolate Lollipops, which will be available to buy at the school Christmas Fair this weekend. 

This week we enjoyed the story Stick Man. The children talked about the different characters, explored the events in the story and worked together to sequence them in order. In provision, the children created their own Christmas cards and painted festive Christmas trees. In the playdough area, they used a range of resources to design and build their own Christmas decorations. 

In phonics, we introduced rhyming stories and sang a variety of rhyming songs. In maths, the children counted out the correct number of sticks and matched them to the corresponding numbered Stick Man. 

A very special highlight of the week was the children’s wonderful Christmas Nativity performance. Parents and carers came to watch, and the children sang beautifully—what a proud moment for everyone! Well done, Pre-school! 

Next week, we will continue exploring the story Stick Man and enjoy even more Christmas crafts. 

Autumn 2 week 4 

The Pre-school children have had another wonderfully busy week! We continued our learning based around the story Owl Babies. The children were able to re-tell the story in their own words and remembered lots of key vocabulary. We also explored other nocturnal animals and described their different features. 

In the creative area, the children experimented with paints to create hedgehogs, bats, owls and foxes. They also made their own owls using playdough and natural resources such as feathers, sticks and leaves to enhance their models. Over in the construction area, the children enjoyed building dens and caves for their bears in the small world area, which inspired lots of imaginative role play. 

During our music and movement session, the children used their imaginations to move around the space like nocturnal animals. We practised using describing words such as “a slow, sly fox” and “a fast, black bat.” 

In phonics, the children took part in listening games and enjoyed copying different actions. 

We had a fantastic outdoor adventure on Monday! We set off into the woods to re-enact We’re Going on a Bear Hunt and were delighted to discover bears hidden among the trees. Using natural materials like sticks, leaves and branches, the children worked together to create their own bear houses—showing wonderful creativity, teamwork and problem-solving skills. 

We even had a special surprise visitor… Jerry the goat! The children loved meeting him and learning about how gentle and friendly goats can be. To end our adventure, we gathered around a cosy, crackling fire to enjoy warm hot Vimto and had lots of fun making our own popcorn. It was a magical day filled with imagination, exploration and outdoor learning. 

In maths this week, the children explored comparing amounts and began using mathematical language such as more than, less than and the same. 

In French, the children joined in with a lively game of musical statues. They followed instructions from Madame Wardle in French and copied the actions beautifully. 

Next week, we will be focusing on the story Stick Man. 

Autumn 2 week 3

This week we introduced the story Owl Babies. Before sharing the story, the children explored a special “mystery box” filled with clues—a real bird’s nest, feathers, an owl puppet and twigs. They were very excited to discuss the objects and make predictions about what the story might be about.

Afterwards, the children listened to the story, explored key vocabulary and talked about what was happening at different points. We also looked at real photographs of owls and other nocturnal animals to deepen their understanding. In the reading area, the children used puppets and props to retell the story in their own words.

In maths, the children compared amounts using owl feathers. They used important mathematical language such as more, lots and same to describe and compare what they found.

During phonics, the children took part in body-percussion listening games, helping them develop early listening and sound-discrimination skills.

The creative area was very popular! Children designed and made their own owls using materials such as feathers, leaves and twigs. They also enjoyed crafting their own owl masks. In the playdough area, natural materials like feathers and sticks were used to enhance their owl-themed creations.

The children continued their gymnastics session this week. They had a go at roly-polies, jumping from spot to spot, practising handstands, crawling through the tunnel, doing bunny hops and balancing along the beam.
 

We’re looking forward to continuing Owl Babies as our learning focus next week!

Autumn 2 week 2 

This week the children have been very busy! 

We have been re-telling the story “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt” using story spoons and photographs to help us remember the different parts. During our music and movement session, the children took part in an obstacle course to re-tell the story through movement. They were able to repeat key phrases and recall events in the correct order — fantastic storytelling! 

In maths, the children explored with sticks and bears, using mathematical language such as “lots,” “more,” and “same” to compare amounts. 

It has also been Anti-Bullying Week, and the children came to pre-school wearing odd socks to raise awareness. Together we talked about kindness — how we can make others feel special and how small actions can make a big difference. 

The children continued with their gymnastics, practising new ways to move and developing their core and arm strength. 

On Thursday, the children had a wonderful time baking buns with Mrs Marsden. They mixed the ingredients, watched them bake, and then decorated their buns on Friday as part of our Children in Need celebrations. Everyone looked fantastic in their Pudsey, spotty, or yellow clothing and joined in with Pudsey-themed activities throughout the day. 

In French, the children revisited their learning about different feelings and played a fun game using emotion visuals to practise vocabulary. 

Next week, we will be focusing on the story “Owl Babies.” 

Autumn 2 week 1

A very warm welcome back to all our Pre-school children! We have loved hearing about all the exciting adventures you enjoyed over the half-term holiday.

This term, our core text is We’re Going on a Bear Hunt. The children have listened to the story and joined in with the repeated refrains. During provision, they have enjoyed re-telling the story using story spoons and puppets, as well as using actions to describe what was happening.

In phonics, the children have been practising nursery rhymes and following instructions such as loud, quiet, fast, and slow.

In maths, we explored counting and understanding that the last number reached when counting a small set of objects tells us how many there are altogether. In provision, the children practised matching the correct number of cubes to numbered bears.

This week, we have also focused on Remembrance Day. Each child painted a red handprint to contribute to our class poppy wreath. On Friday, we took a walk to the War Memorial to pay our respects and lay our wreath. We talked about the importance of Remembrance Day and remembering all the fallen soldiers. We also made sure to stay safe on our walk and discussed road safety.

In the creative area, the children enjoyed making beautiful firework paintings using sticks, paint, and glitter. We talked about Bonfire Night and the importance of fire safety. The children also had lots of fun making chocolate breadstick “sparklers”!

During gymnastics, the children continued practising stretching, bending, and floor work across the mat such as log rolls.

In French, the children recapped the words they learned last term and were introduced to new words for feelings: “Ça va bien,” “mal,” and “comme-ci comme-ça.”

Next week, we will continue exploring our core text We’re Going on a Bear Hunt.

Autumn 1 week 8 

Pre-school have been very busy during our last week before half term!

This week, we listened to the story ‘My World, Your World’ and explored the similarities and differences between people around the world. The children enjoyed talking about their own likes and dislikes and learning how everyone is special in their own way.

We have also been learning about Diwali, discovering who celebrates this special festival and how it is known as the Festival of Light. We talked about how Hindus decorate their homes with lights and looked closely at Diya lamps. The children then took part in a creative art activity, making their own candle holders from clay. They followed instructions brilliantly to mould and shape the clay, then decorated their Diya holders beautifully with bright, colourful glitter.

During phonics, the children continued practising their listening skills by recognising instrumental sounds, singing songs, and using musical instruments correctly.

We were also treated to a special behaviour reward this week — a visit from Billy Sparks the Magician! The children were amazed by his tricks and shared lots of laughter and giggles throughout the show.

On Thursday, the children took part in their gymnastics lesson, joining in group games and using their excellent listening skills. In the afternoon, we explored pumpkins! Mrs Marden carefully carved one open so the children could look inside and discover all the seeds. We then cut the pumpkin into pieces, roasted them in the oven, and everyone had the chance to taste it!

I hope you all have a wonderful half term holiday, and I look forward to seeing you next term!

Autumn 1 week 7 

The Pre-School children have had a busy and exciting week! 

We explored the story Handa’s Surprise as part of our learning for Black History Month. We focused on the culture of the main character, discussing similarities and differences with our own lives. The children were able to name all seven delicious fruits in Handa’s basket and thoroughly enjoyed feeling, smelling, and tasting the different fruits.  In the creative area, the children took part in observational paintings of the fruit basket, and in the writing area, they drew their favourite fruit with great enthusiasm. 

In phonics, we continued our focus on instrumental sounds. The children played a sound bingo game, where they confidently recognised the sounds of various instruments including the tambourine, triangle, bells, agogo, and maracas. 

In maths, we linked our story of the week to our counting activities. The children played a game where they counted the correct number of fruits into Handa’s basket, supporting their understanding of numbers and quantities. 

On Monday morning, we took part in a wonderful Outdoor Adventure, focusing on the beautiful season of Autumn.  We began by listening to a story all about the different seasons, and we had a great discussion about the changes that happen in our environment during this time of year.  Pre-School made some fantastic observations—especially noticing that in Autumn, the leaves begin to fall from the trees and change colour to yellow, red, and brown.  We then went on an exciting autumn scavenger hunt to find natural treasures such as conkers, pine cones, leaves, and sticks. Everyone did a fantastic job searching and collecting!  Using the objects we found, we created our own autumnal portraits. Pre-School showed amazing creativity—the results were absolutely wonderful!  To finish our adventure, we went on a lovely nature walk through the woods and ended the day with a yummy biscuit treat. What a fantastic day exploring the signs of Autumn! 

Gymnastics with Mrs Winward continued this week, with the children practising their balancing skills on beams and following multi-step instructions.  In French, the children listened to a story, singing along with actions and growing in confidence. 

To end the week, we had a special visit from a librarian who shared a lovely story with the class. The children listened beautifully and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. 

Next week is our final week before the half-term break. We’ll be focusing on the story 'My World, Your World' and learning about the festival of Diwali. 

Autumn 1 week 6

A Busy Week in Preschool – Celebrating Black History Month

This week in Preschool, we have been learning all about Floella Benjamin, a celebrated author and actress, as part of our Black History Month celebrations. We read her inspiring story “Coming to England”, which tells the true tale of Floella and her family’s journey from the Caribbean island of Trinidad to England.

As part of this, we explored Caribbean culture, focusing on the vibrant music and traditions of the region. The children enjoyed listening to calypso and reggae music and even made their own maracas in the creative area! During music and movement sessions, we danced to the sounds of steel pan drums, using different instruments and ribbons to move in time with the rhythm.

In cooking, the children took part in a baking activity, making delicious baked bananas. We discussed how bananas grow in hot countries like those in the Caribbean, linking it back to our learning about Trinidad.

In phonics, our focus was on instrumental sounds. The children took part in a fun "stop and go" game, responding to instructions and moving their bodies in time with various sounds.

In maths, we worked on counting and sorting, matching the correct number of coconuts to palm trees. Over in the writing area, the children practised recognising and forming the letters in their names, making great progress.

On Thursday, the children continued with their gymnastics lesson, developing their physical skills and coordination.

To end the week, on Friday, we took part in Children’s Mental Health Day. The children came to school dressed in yellow, helping to raise awareness about the importance of mental health and wellbeing in young children.  In the morning, Madame Wardle continued with our French learning.

Next week we will continue to focus on celebrating Black History Month and look at the story Handa's Surprise.

Autumn 1 week 5

This week, we focused on the theme of Autumn. We read the story Leaf Man and explored the different colours and shapes of leaves, learning how they fall from the trees during the Autumn season. The children enjoyed creating leaf collages and had great fun rolling conkers in paint to make autumn-themed artwork. 

In provision, the children explored threading using Autumn-themed photographs of conkers, leaves, pumpkins, and pinecones. During our music and movement session, they joined in a leaf counting game and sang number songs, developing both their maths and listening skills in a fun and active way. 

In our maths session, we continued developing our counting skills by counting pinecones and matching them to the correct numeral. During phonics, we played sound bingo and read the story All Join In, where the children participated by making a variety of environmental sounds. 

We had a special visit from the company Dance Syndrome, who led a fun and energetic dance class. The children pretended to be different animals using expressive movements and had lots of fun playing musical statues. 

On Thursday, we continued with our gymnastics lessons, where the children worked on their balance, coordination, and movement skills.  In the afternoon, we celebrated a whole school theme for Spirituality Day. We reflected on our school’s vision: 
“As God’s family, together we achieve.” 
We talked about the special gifts we share every day—such as kindness, sharing, good manners, and helping others. As part of our celebrations, the children took part in a special baking activity, making bread and sharing it with their friends. 

On Friday, we continued with our French learning. This week, we learnt the story of Frere Jacques and copied actions with a song.

Next week we will be focusing on a story by Floella Benjamin, in celebration of Black History month.

Autumn 1 week 4  

We've had another busy and exciting week in pre-school! 

The children thoroughly enjoyed listening to The Colour Monster and other stories about feelings. In the creative area, they made their own “feelings jars,” using a variety of coloured materials to represent different emotions and talking about the feelings they had chosen. In the writing area, the children coloured in their favourite colour monster using crayons, proudly sharing which feeling it represented for them. 

In phonics this week, we continued exploring environmental sounds. The children took part in an outdoor listening game where they tuned in to sounds such as birds tweeting, aeroplanes, cars, and leaves crunching. They also had great fun playing an environmental sound bingo game. 

In maths, we focused on number songs. The children joined in enthusiastically, using their fingers to count and singing along to familiar tunes. 

Our R.E. focus this week was about understanding how special and unique we all are, and the importance of our names. We talked about how Christians believe that everyone’s name is written on the palm of God’s hand. In provision, the children enjoyed creating their own handprints and practising writing their names. 

Outdoors, the children had a wonderful time in the mud kitchen, mixing flour and water to make mud pies and cakes! In the water area, they explored pouring and measuring, experimenting with different containers and volumes. 

The children also continued their gymnastics lessons, building on gross motor skills with activities like walking, jumping, balancing on one leg, and practising clear start and finish positions on the gym mats. 

On Friday, the children had their French lesson with Madame Wardle. They learnt a new song, Comment tu t'appelles, and used it to play a simple and fun game to help remember each other’s names. 

Also on Friday, we took part in a special coffee and cake morning to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support. The children loved choosing a cake and sharing the experience with their friends. 

Next week, we’ll be focusing on the season of Autumn, exploring the story Leaf Man and enjoying lots of seasonal activities. 

Autumn 1 Week 3 
 

It’s been another busy and exciting week in Pre-School! 

We have continued to explore our core text, The Colour Monster. The children have enjoyed recalling parts of the story and were able to correctly name and describe each feeling. In our Music and Movement session, we played a "Stop and Go" listening game, where the children chose a different colour monster to stand on when the music stopped. 

In our Writing and Creative Area, the children have been drawing and painting pictures of their families. They enjoyed looking at the photographs on our wall and sharing the names of the special people in their lives with their classmates. 

Phonics this week focused on listening skills, with the children exploring environmental and animal sounds through a fun listening game. 

In Maths, we have been singing number songs and joining in with finger rhymes to support number recognition and counting skills.  For our R.E. focus, we discussed how special and unique each person is, and celebrated the ways in which we are all different. 

During our baking activity, the children made their own ‘Fruit Faces’. They used tools to cut their fruit independently and talked about different emotions such as happy, sad, angry, and worried. 

In Gymnastics with Mrs. Winward, the children continued to develop their movement skills, practicing the tuck, straddle, and pike positions – well done, everyone! 

In French this week, the children practiced greeting each other with “Bonjour” and saying “Je m’appelle...”. They also learned to say “oui” and “non”. 

Next week, we will be continuing with our focused story, The Colour Monster, as we build on our learning around feelings and emotions. 

Autumn 1 week 2

What a Fantastic First Full Week in Pre-School!  The children have settled in wonderfully and are beginning to follow our routines and rules with growing confidence. It has been lovely to see new friendships blossoming already!

This week, our focus has been on our core text ‘The Colour Monster’. The children really enjoyed listening to the story and could recognise the different colours and emotions that the monster experiences. We had some fantastic discussions where the children shared their own experiences of feeling happy, sad, angry, and more. It’s been a great way to help them begin understanding and talking about their feelings.

On Wednesday, we had a special visit from Life Education. Steven brought along Harold the Giraffe to talk to the children about the importance of keeping ourselves healthy and clean. They learned about brushing teeth, washing hands, and eating lots of fruits and vegetables. The session included lots of fun songs and actions, which the children really enjoyed!

In phonics this week, we focused on recognising environmental sounds. The children took part in a listening game and are becoming more aware of the different sounds around them.

In maths, the children enjoyed singing number songs during circle time and joining in with number-based finger rhymes.

During provision time, the children:

• Explored their creativity by collaging different Colour Monsters and talking about their feelings.
• Completed jigsaws in the maths area.
• Built friendships and engaged in imaginative play in the role play area.
• Explored textures and shapes with playdough in the malleable area.
• Created stories and scenarios in the small world area with the dollhouse.

We also had our very first gymnastics lesson with Mrs Winward! The children learned how to run on the spot, jump, and sit in a straddle and pike position. They also practiced balancing beanbags – fantastic listening and movement skills, Pre-School!

To finish the week, the children continued their French learning with Madame Wardle. They practiced saying “Bonjour Madame” and learned to say each other’s names in a turn-taking game. They also sang a hello song in French, complete with actions.

Next week we continue exploring ‘The Colour Monster’ and build on further on our understanding of feelings.

Autumn 1 week 1

A Wonderful First Week in Pre-School!

Our new Pre-School starters have had a fantastic first week, settling in beautifully and embracing the fun and routines of their new environment.

They've enjoyed exploring a variety of activities, including painting self-portraits, building creatively in the construction area, and joining in with our lively music and movement sessions. It's been heartwarming to see new friendships blossoming as the children confidently engage with one another and with their new surroundings.

We’re so proud of how quickly they’ve adapted to the rules and routines of Pre-School — what a great start to the year!