Early Years

Welcome to Early Years - we are Nursery and Reception and our teachers are:
Mrs Atkinson
Mrs Buckle
Mrs Philips
Miss Kirk
Miss Turnbull
Miss Taylor
Mrs Williamson
 
Timetable and Routine 
 
Each day we have a phonics session, story times, singing sessions, maths activities and lots of time to learn through play.  We have access to learning opportunities indoor and outside throughout the day.
 
Tapestry is used to share learning with families.
 
PE 
On Tuesday and Fridays children will need to come to school dressed in their PE kit. 
On Tuesdays we have dance and drama sessions with a specialist coach, Sophie.
 
 
Forest school
On a Friday afternoon children have the opportunity to take part 'Forest School' led by Mrs Atkinson.  We learn lots about the world and have great fun.
 
Reading Books
We have a home learning library and encourage children to choose a book to take home to share with parents regularly. Return books on a Friday and your child can choose a new book.
 
As children in Reception progress with their reading they will bring home the RWI book they have been reading at school.  This should be read daily with parents to support confidence and fluency.
 
Reading is to be recorded on 'boom read' using the codes sent home with the children so they can be monitored throughout the week. Alternatively you can request a paper reading record booklet.
 
Just ten minutes shared reading a day can help your child grow into a happy, confident learner. 
Find out more about sharing stories with your child on the Book Trust website.
 
https://www.booktrust.org.uk/books-and-reading/tips-and-advice/reading-tips/
 
  
Maths
Children have daily opportunities to develop their understanding in maths. 
Download the 1 minute maths app here
https://whiterosemaths.com/1-minute-maths#download
 
You can support your child at home by singing number songs .
https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/school-radio/nursery-rhymes-counting-songs/zn67kmn
 
Toys can also support children’s learning of maths, using blocks to build towers or counting them in a line. Parents can also use a child’s interest to count, e.g. if your child enjoys playing with animals or cars, they can be lined up and counted in sequence.
 
 
Phonics
All children have a daily phonics session.  We use the RWI scheme to teach phonics.
 Information for parents can be found at
https://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/units/56
Please see the booklet below for further information.
 
Summer Term 2024
 
Animal Safari

In the Animal Safari project, your child will learn about incredible animals that live worldwide. They will explore various animal habitats and compare the animals that live there with animals in their locality. They will learn how to care for pets and what all animals need to grow, survive and stay happy and healthy. They will explore animal features and find out how they survive in the wild. They will compare the ways that animals are similar and different.

Supporting your child at home

  • Go on a local safari to find out about the animals that live in your garden or local park.
  • Look at animals from around the world, discuss your favourite animals and find out some fantastic facts.
  • Share and discuss the Did you know? resource.
 

Creep, Crawl and Wriggle

In the Creep, Crawl and Wriggle project, your child will learn about minibeasts. They will observe minibeasts in their natural habitats and create shelters for them to live in. They will learn about the life cycle of a butterfly and explore what minibeasts, such as snails and worms, need to survive. They will compare the features of minibeasts and learn the names of their body parts.

Supporting your child at home

  • Go on safari to look for minibeasts that live in your garden or park.
  • Make a bug hotel from plant pots, small rocks, stones, bark and leaves and see if minibeasts visit.
  • Research some fantastic facts about minibeasts from around the world.
  • Share and discuss the Did you know? resource.
 
 
Spring Term 2024
Long Ago
In the Long Ago project your child will learn about their history and how they have changed from when they were babies. They will learn about their family history and heritage and find out what life was like when their grandparents were children. They will learn about what it was like to go to school in the past and how everyday objects, such as clothes, toys and vehicles have changed.

Supporting your child at home

  • Look at photographs of the children as babies and discuss how they have grown and changed.
  • Look at family photographs so the children can see family members when they were children.
  • Talk about what your life was like when you were a child.
  • Share and discuss the Did you know? resource (below)
Stories & Rhymes

In the Stories and Rhymes project your child will be introduced to the wonderful world of stories and nursery rhymes. They will listen to and learn a range of traditional tales and nursery rhymes and work creatively to solve problems for the characters they meet.

Supporting your child at home

  • Share a wide range of stories and retell favourite stories using repeated phrases.
  • Sing nursery rhymes and songs.
  • Talk about favourite stories and story characters.
  • Share and discuss the Did you know? resource (below)

Signs of Spring (including Easter)  

In the Signs of Spring project, your child will look for signs of spring in the local area. They will learn about the changes that happen in spring, including the weather and living things. Springtime festivals will also be explored.

Supporting your child at home

Go on a spring walk and take photographs of the signs of spring.
Make a weather diary to observe how the weather changes.
Visit a pond and look for signs of new life, such as ducklings and frogspawn. Visit again over time to observe changes.
Share and discuss the Did you know? resource.

Ready Steady Grow

In the Ready Steady Grow project your child will take part in practical activities to explore where food comes from. They will learn what seeds and plants need to grow and grow a variety of plants. They will explore what constitutes a healthy lifestyle, including eating fruit and vegetables, exercise and teeth brushing. They will find out about life on a farm and about baby animals.

Supporting your child at home

Visit your local library and find books about farms to share.
Make a shopping list together and go to the shops to buy the food.
Grow some quick growing plants or make a cress head.
Talk about healthy foods.
Share and discuss the Did you know? resource.

Autumn 2023 - September & October

In the Let’s Explore project, your child will explore their class environment and school grounds so that they feel settled and happy in their new surroundings. They will learn about the local environment and find out about places they have visited. They will look at and create maps for journeys.

Supporting your child at home

  • Use Google Earth to explore the locality.
  • Go on a walk around your local community and talk about the things that you see.
  • Encourage your child to talk about the activities they enjoy doing at school.
  • Share and discuss the Did you know? resource.

In the Build It Up project, your child will explore structures in the world around them. They will learn about materials and their properties, and will have the chance to work independently and in groups to design and make marvellous structures.

Supporting your child at home

  • Take a walk in the local area. Look at and talk about the buildings and other structures you see.
  • Talk about the materials from which their house is made, such as brick, stone or wood.
  • Take a large cardboard box and see what you can create together.
  • Share and discuss the Did you know? resource.
November & December

In the topic Marvellous Machines, your child will learn about technology that is part of their daily lives. They will explore various machines, learn about how machines help us and find out about how machines have changed and developed over time. They will learn about products that use electricity to make them work and explore magnetic and non-magnetic materials.

Supporting your child at home

Talk about the machines and technology you use in your everyday lives.
Look for things in the home that are powered by electricity.
Look for items that are powered by batteries.
Share and discuss the Did you know? resource.

During the mini topic of 'Puppets and Pop Ups'. Your child will create puppets and use them to communicate with and tell stories. They will find out how puppets are used to tell stories. They will learn to join materials in different ways, and find out how shadows are formed.

Supporting your child at home

Watch a puppet show or puppet TV programme together. Talk about the puppets and how they move and talk.
Make simple sock puppets and use them to have silly conversations.
Share a wide range of fairy tales.
Share and discuss the Did you know? resource.

Let's explore!
The children learned about the resources and areas in their classroom and the school environment including the Library Bus and Forest School.
Build it up!
The Children learned how to use a range of construction materials to build structures.  They learned to retell the story of the 3 Little Pigs and loved acting it out.
Marvellous Machines
The children enjoyed using and learning about a range of machines.
Puppets and Pop Ups
The children learned a variety of joining techniques and skills.  They learned how to make a range of puppets and used them in their play.
 Hungry little minds
 
Simple, fun activities for kids, from newborn to five

Many little things light up hungry little minds. Kids take everything in, and even the smallest things you do with them can make a big difference. 

They love it when you chat, play and read with them, even when they’re too young to understand everything. Whatever the time and wherever you are, you can turn almost anything into a game.

 And every little thing you do together will help set them up nicely for the day they start school.

 

How to look out for your child's mental health

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Supporting learning at home
 

Maths

  •  Bud’s Number Garden - Join Bud the bee to explore his magical garden and practise recognising numbers, counting, sequencing and much more. This game is great for children in their first year of school or for pre-school children who want a taste of what they'll be learning when they start.

  •  Counting - A collection of musical films on counting one to 10, 10 to 20, sets and ordinal numbers.

  •  Measuring - Songs for learning the vocab of measuring as well as how to counting time and money.

  •  Space and shape - A collection of musical films on 2D and 3D shapes, movements, shapes and patterns.

  •  Numberblocks - An animated series full of number tricks, available to watch on iPlayer.

  •  Bitz and Bob - Join Bitz and her little brother Bob in their animated engineering adventures. Available to watch on iPlayer.

  •  Bitz and Bob game - Help Bitz and Bob solve fun engineering problems and earn rewards along the way. A great way to explore maths and puzzles.

Literacy, Language and Communication

  •  School Radio: Nursery rhymes collection - A collection of well-known nursery rhymes and counting songs designed to promote joining in with singing and actions.

  •  School Radio: Playtime - Ideal for shared listening to get kids moving. Presented by Andy Day and Steven Kynman of CBeebies.

  •  School Radio: Listening Skills - A collection of 14 audio episodes inviting children to listen carefully to sounds and identify them. An easy way to promote listening skills and sustained focus.

  •  Welsh language - Learn the names of colours , the days of the week and how to count from one to 100 in Welsh.

  •  CBeebies Storytime App - Read over 40 interactive stories including fairy tales, nursery rhymes and stories with CBeebies favourites like Peter Rabbit and the Octonauts.

  •  Alphablocks - Play to learn phonics with the Alphablocks.

Understanding the World

  •  School Radio: Listen and Play - A collection of 50+ audio episodes that include a story, a song to join in with and simple movement activities, ideal for learning at home. Presented by CBeebee's Cat Sandion.

  •  Maddie’s Do you Know - Learn new things with Maddie as she explores the world around us and discovers how stuff works. Available to watch on iPlayer.

  •  Go Jetters - Funky Facts from Ubercorn and the Go Jetters crew to help explore places all around the world help with Geography.

  •  Kit and Pup - Explore the wonderful world around us with Kit and Pup as they learn about everything from bubbles to trees.

Expressive Arts and Design

  •  CBeebies Get Creative app - Get your kids painting, making music, creating stories, inventing toys and building blocks with their favourite CBeebies friends. Perfect indoor activities to inspire creativity.

  •  Bring the Noise - The campaign to inspire music learning and make every child in the UK a musician. Includes songs, quizzes, musical exercises and more!

  •  Ten Pieces - Resources to help your little ones get creative with classical music.

Wellbeing and development

  •  Personal Development and mutual understanding (PDMU) - A collection of 17 films featuring puppets Pip and Declan to help children understand their feelings and emotions and how they can keep healthy and safe.

  •  My first day at school - A great game to play with your child and walk them through their first day at school.

  •  Starting Primary School - Support and resources for parents to help prepare your little ones take the first big step into Primary School.

  •  Teach: feeling better - A collection of clips presented by Dr Radha Moghil that explore feelings and emotions, as well as providing talking points and tools to feel better.

Physical Education and Development

  •  Super Movers - Resources across the curriculum to help get your little ones learning whilst staying fit and healthy! With subjects spanning from Maths to Modern Foreign Languages,these musical videos encourage movement whilst engaging the brain.

  •  See Bring the Noise for more songs with actions to improve rhythm, timing and counting.