Year 1: What We Are Learning!

 

Year 1: What We Are Learning 

This week, we have been learning about Remembrance Day and creating our very own poppies! The children worked hard on their fine motor skills by trimming paper plates into four-petaled poppy shapes. After carefully painting them red and letting them dry, they finished their artwork by using a circle sponge to stamp a black center. On Wednesday, we also came together to complete a one-minute silence. It was a lovely way to explore Remembrance Day together! 

This week in DT, Year 1 have been learning all about levers and pivots and how they can be used to create movement. The children explored how everyday objects such as seesaws use these mechanisms to move up and down. They then put their learning into practice by making their own seesaws using split pins to create a pivot and allow the lever to move. The children had great fun testing their models and watching their seesaws move! Well done, Year 1.

This week in Science, we have started an exciting new topic all about the Human Body! Over the next few weeks, the children will be exploring what makes us unique and how our bodies help us interact with the world around us. 

What we are learning:

• Parts of the Body: Identifying, naming, drawing, and labelling the basic external parts of the human body (such as the head, neck, arms, elbows, legs, knees, face, ears, eyes, hair, mouth, and teeth).

• The Five Senses: Learning which part of the body is associated with each sense—sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch—and exploring how we use them every day.

• Humans as Mammals: Discovering that humans are mammals! We will be comparing our bodies with other common mammals (like dogs, cats, mice, and farm animals) to spot similarities and differences—such as having hair or fur, being warm-blooded, and feeding milk to their babies.

We kicked off the unit by exploring a pet mammal and learning all about what it needs to survive and stay healthy—such as the right food, fresh water, shelter, exercise, and lots of care. 

Well done Year 1 for an amazing week - keep up all your brilliant work! 

Year 2 - Affirmation cards

This term, Year 2 have been exploring the importance of positive thinking, self-belief and celebrating what makes each of us special. As part of this, the children have been creating beautiful affirmation cards to celebrate themselves and their friends! 

The children came up with some lovely, thoughtful messages to share with one another, reminding their friends just how amazing, special and valued they are. They were so excited to write and receive their cards, spreading kindness, encouragement and positivity throughout the classroom.

The teachers were also lucky enough to receive some wonderful affirmation cards and were so grateful for the children's thoughtful and kind words. It certainly put a smile on our faces! 

We absolutely love having such positive energy in Year 2! Keep shining, everyone! 

Learning Journey Year 2

 

Learning Journey - Year 2

It's been a fantastic week in Year 2, and the children have been working very hard to make progress in their learning. 

Here's the round-up for this week!

In Literacy, the children have been using their knowledge of imperative verbs to write their plan for making Rice Krispies cakes. 

In Maths, the children have been looking at the fact families for different number sentences. 
E.G. 

7 + 5 = 12 

5 + 7 = 12
12 - 7 = 5 
12 - 5 = 7

In PE, Year 2 have been continuing their PE lessons focusing on balancing, gymnastics, dance and teambuilding. 

Christmas is coming and the children have received their roles, have been learning their lines and practicing their songs. 

Please ensure your child is practicing their lines at home, so they can confidently deliver them on their performance day! 

We hope you have a wonderful weekend and we look forward to seeing the children again on Monday. 

Year 1: What We Are Learning!

 

Year 1: What We Are Learning 

This week in Literacy, we explored Traction Man and learned about comics, discussing how pictures, text and speech bubbles help tell a story. The children then worked together to create their own comic-style scenes, acting out different scenarios and thinking about what their characters might say. We captured their ideas through photographs and they have scribed their dialogue. The children enjoyed using their imagination, developing their speaking and listening skills and bringing their stories to life!

This week in Maths, Year 1 has been exploring the concept of Parts and Wholes!

To help make this concrete and fun, the children took 8 double-sided counters (red on one side, blue on the other) and threw them onto their tables. They then counted how many counters landed on red and how many landed on blue, identifying those two groups as the "parts" that make up the "whole" number 8.

How you can help at home: You can easily practise this at home using everyday items! Grab 8 small objects (like buttons, socks, or coins) and split them into two groups. Ask your child:

• "What are the two parts?"

• "What is the whole?"

Year 1 ALSO… 

This week in RE, Year 1 have been learning about celebrations and why they are special to different people. We explored why Christians celebrate Christmas and learnt about the Nativity story. We discovered how Christians prepare for and celebrate Christmas through Advent, Nativity scenes, carols, Christmas trees, cards and gift-giving. The children also discussed the importance of thoughtful gifts and acts of kindness. 

Well done Year 1 for an amazing week - keep up all your brilliant work! 

The First Forest School Session for Mulberry Class - Monday 2nd November, 2026

Mulberry class had a busy afternoon at forest school. We reminded ourselves about how we stay safe during forest school sessions and enjoyed exploring the area.

There was time to choose our own forest school name and decorate our necklaces.

We learnt that elder is a tree that has leaves which grow in groups of 5, often has bumpy bark and most importantly has a soft pith in the middle. The children were shown how to make elder beads by removing the soft pith using a tent peg. We always do this to the side of our body and with the peg pointing down towards the ground. The children had the opportunity to make elder fireworks and bracelets.

Everyone tidied up well and we finished off with a drink and biscuit. 

If you forget your forest school clothes and shoes this week please remember them for next week as the weather gets wetter and colder.

Forest School - Beech Class

 Forest School - Beech Class

Beech class had a fun filled morning at forest school today. We enjoyed learning about how to stay safe by playing the boundary game and learning the rule of ‘no pick, no lick’. We went on a hunt for this from nature and found trees, leaves, feathers, rocks, acorn cups and lots of other things.

Everyone was excited to decorate their forest school necklace. Lots of people did remember their forest school clothes and wellies. If you still need to send them in please do so as soon as possible. Thank you.

Year 1: What We Are Learning!

 

Year 1: What We Are Learning 

This week in Year 1, we introduced the children to the number line to 20. To bring the concept to life, we built our very own classroom washing lines and gave everyone the important job of pegging numbers 1 all the way to 20 in the correct order.

Using fine motor skills to clip the pegs while counting helped the children physically feel and see how numbers increase as we move along the line from left to right. The children did a fantastic job at spotting missing numbers, finding “one more” and “one less”, and helping each other get their numbers in the correct order!

Try this at home!

You will need:

• A piece of string (or your washing line!)

• Pegs or paperclips

• Numbers 1–20 written on scrap paper or card

Quick games to play:

• Mixed-Up Washing: Mix up 5–10 numbers and ask your child to peg them in the correct order from left to right. As they get more confident, try all 20 numbers (or even go higher!)

• Missing Number: Peg up a sequence (e.g., 5, 6, 8, 9, 10) and ask: "Which number went missing in the wash?"

• Mystery Position: Peg up a few benchmark numbers (like 1, 10, and 20). Hand your child a number (e.g. 15) and ask "Where on the line does this belong? Is it closer to 10 or 20?"

As part of our Black History Month celebrations, the children in Year 1 took part in a creative and meaningful art activity to celebrate identity, diversity and what makes each of us special. The children created beautiful self-portraits using a collage technique with colourful tissue paper. They carefully selected different colours, tore and layered the tissue paper and used their creativity to bring their portraits to life. Each piece of artwork was unique and reflected the children's individuality and imagination. Through this activity, the children had the opportunity to celebrate themselves, recognise the beauty of our differences and appreciate the importance of representing and valuing everyone. They also developed their fine motor skills, explored colours and textures and practised expressing themselves through art.

Well done Year 1 for an amazing week - keep up all your brilliant work! 

Year 1 and 2 - Spellings

 

Due to next Friday (23rd October 2026) being an INSET day, the children will complete their spelling test on Thursday instead.

Please ensure that the children bring their spelling books to school on Thursday 22nd October.

Thank you for your support.

Year 1: What We Are Learning!

 

Year 1: What We Are Learning 

This week Walnut Class have been putting together fantastic dance routines in PE! They have taken all of the pirate inspired moves they have been learning over the past weeks and put them together with a partner to create their very own dance routine. 

Each pair was challenged to combine three separate pirate moves, performing each one for 8 beats. The children did a great job working as a team, listening closely and counting in rhythm! 

You could try this at home too, to continue the learning. 

1. Create three themed moves (pirates, weather, superheroes etc.) 

2. Practice counting out loud together to 8.

3. Put all three moves together in a sequence, performing each move for a count of 8!

This week, Year 1 became engineers as we designed and made our very own rafts using a range of different materials!

We explored the materials we could use and thought carefully about which ones might be suitable for building a raft. We then tested our creations to see whether they were waterproof and could float on the water.

The children made predictions about which materials would work best and observed what happened when their rafts were placed in the water. We discussed whether the materials absorbed water or kept the water out, and whether our rafts were strong enough to float.

It was wonderful to see the children using their problem-solving skills, sharing their ideas and learning through hands-on investigation.

Well done, Year 1, for being such fantastic little engineers and scientists! 🌟

This week at school, the children practised some important everyday skills to develop their independence and confidence. They learned how to make a butter and jam sandwich carefully, practising spreading, coordination and following 

instructions. They also practised cleaning up a spillage, learning about responsibility and keeping their environment tidy. In our writing activities, we focused on sitting with the correct posture to help the children form their letters neatly and comfortably. These simple activities help develop fine motor skills, concentration and independence. Parents can support this learning at home by encouraging children to practise these skills in everyday routines. 

Well done Year 1 for an amazing week - keep up all your brilliant work! 

Year 3- What we are learning

Art

The children have completed gestural drawings, exploring how to use charcoal to create different effects. They have practised smudging and rubbing, as well as looking carefully at tone to make their artwork more interesting.

Science

We have been investigating how plants absorb water. The children carried out an observational experiment using celery placed in coloured water, watching how the colour travelled through the plant. This was a great way to explore how plants take in water!

French

The children have begun learning their numbers from 1 to 20 in French. Why not practise counting together at home?

Our song we sing- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsc3qLMaCu8 

Well done to everyone for their curiosity, creativity and enthusiasm for learning!

Pine Class - Final Forest School

Pine class had their final forest school session this afternoon. We’ve had some glorious afternoons in the sun the last few weeks but today the weather changed a bit!

We still made the most of session enjoying a chocolate fondue with marshmallows and fruit. The children crushed ice to add to their drinks and we made conker comets to play with. We thought about the impact of the weather on our environment through a story and finished up with a game. It was a packed afternoon.

Pine class have now finished their forest school sessions until after February half term. The next class to experience forest school after half term will be Mulberry class, who will need waterproofs, wellies and a coat for their sessions. 

Apricot Forest School!

  On the Second lesson of Forest school we were thinking all about sticks. Everyone found their own stick and we shared the poem ‘This isn’t a stick, it’s a ….’, making our sticks into telescopes and spoons. We enjoyed decorating our sticks with wool, reading stick stories and using our sticks in various ways such as a spade for digging and as a walking stick. We finished off with our thumbs up, middle and down reflection about different parts of our session. This allows each child to reflect on how they had felt at different parts of the session.

On the third lesson of Forest school we had a great time  thinking about our senses. We used our ears to listen to birdsong. We used our eyes to use the binoculars and magnify glasses. We made bird feeders for the birds to taste from cereal and dried cranberries.

We also used our sense of touch to describe items in feely bags and then identify them. We talked about how we can also use the sense of touch through our feet and the children had a try at the barefoot trail. The children  had the opportunity to walk on sand, grass,

On the fourth lesson of Forest school we were hunting for colours in nature. We looked at the blue sky and white clouds. We noticed the green leaves and also some orange, yellow and red ones as they start to turn for autumn. The ground was brown and grey and the sticks and tree trunks were also brown. Then we made a collective nature colour wheel.

The child re created a nature art gallery which included charcoal drawings and sticky collage. Some children also built some sculptures. We finished up by looking at our art gallery and seeing which pieces of art appealed to us most and discuss why. Great creativity on display from everyone today.

On the last lesson of Forest school Apricot class were excited to have their first fire at forest school today. We talked about the three things we need to start a fire - fuel, heat and oxygen. Then we practised the respect position before we toasted marshmallows and made them into s’mores.

Some of the children made woodland warrior wristbands while others used their time for choosing. We finished off with a game of ‘you’re only safe if …’ it was a lovely final session.

Year 2: What We have Been Learning

Year 2: What We have Been Learning

In Geography, the children have been learning about important places in London. They began by looking at London landmarks before explaining to their partner why this London landmark matters. The children then grouped the landmarks under the headings natural and human made landmarks.

This week in Art, continuing from last week, the children used their favourite materials to create more developed drawings inspired by the natural objects they collected earlier in the term.

They combined media wax resist with watercolour, graphite with water,and pencil with crayon to explore how line, tone, shape and colour interact. The children explored and used art materials, to be inventive with how to use them, taking creative risks and enjoying accidents as well as planned successes.

Children began thinking more deeply about composition, arranging elements on the page in ways that felt balanced, interesting or bold. Their confidence with materials is growing beautifully, and their sketchbooks now show a rich variety of marks and textures.

Every Friday, we step away from the traditional timetable for our DIY Curriculum, which is a dedicated time for hands-on, real-world learning that builds practical life skills.

This week, our young learners were learning how to navigate roads and cross safely. To make the learning stick, our Year 2 pupils took to the practice track to master the fundamental Stop, Look, and Listen routine.

Our DIY Curriculum is all about giving children the knowledge and confidence they need outside the classroom. Seeing Year 2 tackle such an essential life skill with enthusiasm was a fantastic way to end the week!

Year 1: What We Are Learning!

Year 1: What We Are Learning 

This week in Geography, we went on an exciting walk around the school premises to observe the world right outside our classroom doors.

We focused on two main areas: 

• Describing Our Surroundings: The children used descriptive adjectives to detail what they could see, hear, and feel around our school ground.

• Human vs. Physical Features: We explored the difference between natural elements and man-made structures. Each child identified and drew one physical feature (such as trees or grass) and one human feature (such as a house, fence or car). 

You can help reinforce these key geography skills during your everyday routines at home. 

• Spot the Feature: During your walk or drive home, ask your child to identify one human feature (e.g. a bus stop, zebra crossing, building) and one physical feature (e.g. a park, hill, stream) they spot along the way.

• Adjective Challenge: Challenge your child to use three ambitious adjectives to describe a local park or your garden (e.g., towering trees, bumpy pavement, breezy air)

This week in PE, the children continued developing their yoga skills. They practised a variety of yoga poses and movements, focusing on balance, flexibility, coordination and body control. The children also worked on listening carefully, controlling their breathing and moving calmly and safely using hula  hoops. It was lovely to see everyone joining in, trying their best and developing their confidence as they explored yoga!

This week in Science, our Year 1 investigated the physical properties of everyday materials to find out which ones are waterproof and which are absorbent. Before testing, the children used their prior knowledge to make a prediction (a sensible guess). They looked at different materials—such as plastic, foil, fabric, paper and tissue —and predicted whether water would pass through them or slide off. 

Using pipettes and water droplets, the children carefully tested each material. They observed whether:

• The water stayed on top in droplets or rolled off (waterproof).

• The water soaked into the material or made it wet (absorbent or not waterproof).

The children practiced recording their results in a simple scientific table using ticks, crosses, and key vocabulary to show whether their predictions were correct.

How You Can Support at Home

To help reinforce this learning, you can try these quick 2-minute chat prompts at home:

1. Rainy Day Detective: On the walk home or during rainy weather, ask your child: "Why are your wellies made of rubber instead of fabric?" or "What material is your raincoat made from?"

2. Kitchen Science: When wiping up a spill, ask: "Which material should we use to clean this up—a plastic spoon or a paper towel? Which one is absorbent?"

Well done Year 1 for an amazing week - keep up all your brilliant work!