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In Spring 2 we are learning...
In Spring 2 we are learning…
In Phonics this half term we are learning the new GPCs: ee, igh, oa, oo (long and short) and ar.
In Reading children will read aloud simple sentences and books that are consistent with their phonic knowledge, including some common exception words. Children will be developing their skills of predictions and discussing key events and characters.
In Writing, children begin by reading ‘Eat Your Greens Goldilocks’ by Steve Smallman. They sequence a story map and add labels using taught GPCs. Children will spend time recycling their own ending. There is an oracy focus as we spend time retelling the story with our new endings and using story language.
In our daily Rhyme Time, we will be singing the following nursery rhymes this half term:
Baa baa black sheep, Once I caught a fish alive and Miss Polly had a dolly.
In Maths we begin by exploring and describing objects by their length. They learn that height is a type of length and build towers that are the same height, or taller/shorter. Our number work this half term is centred around building 9 and 10. Children find 9 and 10 and embed the counting principles when counting forwards and backwards. Children build on their skills on 1 more, 1 less and conceptual subitising to explore partitioning numbers to 10.
In Topic lessons we will be learning about how we can keep ourselves healthy and safe. The children begin their learning by identifying key differences between fruits and vegetables. They learn that eating the right balance of food is important from the food groups. Children also learn the importance of exercise and the effects of their bodies. We focus on daily habits e.g. brushing their teeth, wearing clean clothes and washing hands and children also learn ways to stay when outdoors.
In RE we will be learning about why Christians put a cross in an Easter garden.
In our PE lessons we will be exploring jumping in a variety of ways. Children will jump in different directions, adjusting their speed, level, height and distance.
We begin Design and Technology lessons this half term where we will be designing and making our own bookmarks by sewing a design onto material.
In French we will be learning to count to 5.
In Music children will be exploring our world through music and nursery rhymes and action songs.
Our Oracy focus is ‘things my family and I do to keep safe and healthy’. Please see an e-mail sent to parents for further information regarding this, including the week your child can bring in a showing.
Knowledge Organisers should be used to support your child throughout the topic being covered. They provide end points which is the knowledge that children will gain from this unit of work. They also show the learning that has taken place before and how this will link to future learning. Children will use these both in school and at home to supplement their learning, allowing us to work collaboratively together.
Knowledge Organisers are designed to help provide additional support and direction for families to support learning at home. They can be used as a point of reference for year group knowledge and expectations within the given topic area.
Author Week – Our First Trip to Our Local Library
As part of ‘Author Week’, Reception class made their first visit to their local library, Moortown Library! The children were superstars and had a wonderful time exploring the different story books and carefully selecting the perfect story for our story time.
The children particularly enjoyed using the self check out and were experts at this!
Well done everyone!
World Book Day – Stick Man Trail
The children had a wonderful time celebrating World Book Day today! Everyone made such a fantastic effort with their costumes and looked amazing.
During the morning, the children enjoyed spending time in the creation station where they made their very own Gruffalos using a range of craft materials. We also took part in our “Stop, Drop and Read” activity. When the special bell rang, we all stopped what we were doing, found a comfy spot, and shared some of our favourite stories together.
In the afternoon, we headed outdoors for a Stick Man Trail (with our very own Stick Man!). The children followed the trail and took part in different activities inspired by the story along the way. We finished the afternoon with a fun game of pooh sticks on the beck, watching carefully as our sticks floated downstream.
We were very lucky with the weather and enjoyed a glorious afternoon outside, celebrating our love of stories and books together!
Making Hot Cross Buns
In our Religion and World Views lessons, the children have been exploring the question: “Why do Christians eat hot cross buns at Easter?”
Last week we looked at the beginning of the Easter story and learned about Palm Sunday. This week we moved on to the next part of the story, Good Friday. We talked about how Christians believe that Jesus died on the cross on Good Friday, and that some Christians eat hot cross buns on this day to remember this. The cross on top of the bun represents the cross that Jesus died on.
The children were quite puzzled about why it is called Good Friday when it is actually a very sad part of the story! We had a thoughtful discussion about how some Christians believe that Jesus dying on the cross was a loving act to help and save others, which is why the day is still called “good”.
To finish our learning in a very delicious way, the children made their own vegan hot cross buns with Miss Rose. They helped to weigh out the ingredients, mix everything together, and carefully spooning on the crosses on top. The buns were a huge hit! We enjoyed tasting them at the end of the day—and some children even came back for second helpings. A tasty way to remember our learning!
Outdoor Fun in the Sun!
The children have LOVED spending more time outside in the sun this term and have been having lots of fun with the climbing frame, bikes and scooters and all sorts of equipment!
Keeping Heathy – The Importance of Exercise
As part of our topic this half-term, ‘Keeping Ourselves Healthy and Safe’, the children have been learning about the importance of exercise and how it affects our bodies. We discussed how exercise helps to keep our hearts healthy, strengthens our muscles, and can improve our mood.
The children took part in a class obstacle course, where they explored a range of different movements and physical challenges. They showed great enthusiasm, cheering each other on and working together!
Afterwards, the children reflected on how their bodies felt. Many noticed that their hearts were beating faster and that they felt tired, but they also shared that they felt happy, with lots of smiling faces showing the positive impact exercise can have on our mood.
Teddy Bear Hospital
We had such a lovely afternoon at our Teddy Bear Hospital! Although our planned visitors sadly couldn’t make it at the last minute, the children didn’t let that stop them — with a bit of teamwork, we created our very own hospital experience together.
The children had a fantastic time getting stuck into lots of hands-on activities. They became dentists, carefully brushing teeth to stop plaque building up, and explored the importance of good hygiene with a fun glitter hand washing experiment. We also talked about healthy eating, using the food pyramid to help us understand which foods keep our bodies strong.
There was plenty of caring and role play too, with the children bandaging up their teddies and making sure they were well looked after. One of the highlights was working together to put a skeleton back together in all the right places — great teamwork and problem solving!
It was a fun-filled afternoon with lots of practical learning. Well done everyone!
A Visit from Nurse Sally – The Importance of Washing Our Hands
As part of their topic “Keeping Healthy and Safe,” the children explored the importance of daily hygiene habits such as washing hands, bathing, wearing clean clothes, and staying clean.
They were visited by Nurse Sally, who taught them all about germs. The children learned that germs are everywhere, even though we can’t see them. They discovered that germs are invisible to the human eye and that a powerful magnifying tool called a microscope is needed to see them.
The session also helped the children understand that not keeping themselves and their belongings clean can lead to illness. With so many children in the class, they discussed how germs can easily spread from person to person through touch, such as holding hands or touching shared surfaces, making regular handwashing especially important.
The children then took part in a carousel of engaging activities focused on handwashing. These included washing their hands with Nurse Sally and using a glow box to check how effectively they had cleaned them, a black pepper and soap experiment demonstrating how soap helps germs disperse, a glitter activity to show how germs spread, and a creative task where they designed their own interpretations of what germs might look like.
Easter Scavenge Hunt
The children enjoyed a wonderful early Easter celebration by taking part in an exciting Easter scavenger hunt! They explored the playground, carefully searching high and low for hidden Easter-themed pictures. Working together, the children showed great teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills as they helped one another to find all the pictures.
It was lovely to see everyone so engaged and enthusiastic, especially while enjoying the sunshine.