Friday, 4 July 2025

Nursery learning- 4-7-25

 


Pirate Dress up day TUESDAY 8th JULY

To help us celebrate our current topic, we’re inviting all children to come to nursery dressed as pirates! Feel free to get creative with costumes—hats, stripes, eye patches, or even a cardboard parrot!



Old Uniform Donations

As we approach the end of the school year, we would be very grateful for any old uniform you no longer need. It doesn’t matter if items are stained, as these will be used as spares for the children.

We are particularly in need of clothing in sizes suitable for 3 to 4-year-olds. This includes:

  • Boys’ trousers

  • White T-shirts

  • Pants and socks

  • Shorts

  • Girls’ summer dresses

  • Winter skirts

  • Tights, knickers, and socks

Even if your child is moving up to Reception, please do keep us in mind. If you come across any clothing your family no longer needs, feel free to drop it off, we’d really appreciate it!



Hot Weather Reminder

It’s going to be hot next week, especially from Wednesday onwards. Please make sure you apply sun cream to your child before they come to nursery, and ensure they bring a water bottle with them each day.

Thank you for helping us keep the children safe and comfortable in the sunshine!



Transition to reception 

A message for all of our AFTERNOON pre-school children 

   

On Thursday 10th July, the children will be meeting their new teachers. This is an exciting opportunity for them to explore their new environment, meet the new adults, and take part in some fun activities.

The session will be held from 9:00am to 11:00am. If your child usually attends in the afternoon, we would like to invite them to swap their session next Thursday to the morning, so they can be part of this valuable experience.

Please let the adult at the door know at drop-off if you are able to make this change. Please let us know by Tuesday 8th July. 




Book Bags- End of Term Reminder

Next week, we will be collecting back all books that have been loaned out by the nursery. Please make sure your child brings any borrowed books back in their book bag.

Children will not be bringing home any new books after this.

Don’t forget, you can visit your local library for free over the holidays to keep up those lovely reading habits!

Thank you for your continued support.


Enjoying Stories and Cloud Spotting

During the recent spell of hot weather, the children chose to take a break from their active play and enjoy some quieter time listening to stories. One of the books we shared was Little Cloud by Eric Carle, which the children found particularly engaging.

Inspired by the story, the children decided to try a bit of cloud watching themselves to see if they could spot any shapes or pictures in the sky. This sparked a lovely conversation about what they could imagine the clouds looked like. Although we moved into the shade, the sun was still very bright, which made it a little tricky to look up for long periods.

This activity supported the children’s communication and language development, as they listened attentively and talked about their ideas.



Active Maths Fun in Focus Group Time

During our focus group time this week, the children were learning to recognise numbers and understand the amounts they represent. We played an active maths game where the children listened carefully for a number being called, then had to find that number on the floor and stand on it.

Once everyone had found the correct number, they were shown a number flashcard and asked to carry out a specific action, such as clapping, jumping, or hopping, the same number of times. This encouraged lots of laughter and energy, and the children were fully engaged throughout the activity.

This game supported their mathematical development , particularly in number recognition and counting. It also encouraged their physical development through movement  and most importantly, the children had great fun while learning through play.



Sensory Play in the Tuff Tray

In the tuff tray this week, we set up a messy-themed exploration activity using shaving foam and food colouring. The children were eager to get stuck in straight away! Although paintbrushes were available, they were far more interested in using their hands, enjoying the sensory experience of squishing, swirling, and mixing the foam and colours. We also added some pirate-themed resources to spark conversation and imaginative role play.

This open-ended activity encouraged the children to explore texture, colour mixing, and imaginative storytelling.

Outdoor Adventures and Movement

As always, our garden equipment played a big role in supporting the children’s physical development and imagination. The open-ended nature of the resources encouraged exploration, problem-solving, and creativity. Nearly everything could be moved and manipulated by the children, which allowed them to build their own obstacle courses, dens, and imaginative structures.



Water and Paint Mark Making

This week, the children used water and paint to support their mark making activities. Some children chose to practise writing the letters in their names, while others explored making marks and began to assign meaning to their creations, an important early step in developing writing skills.

The children loved using water and paints in this creative way. It gave them the freedom to experiment with different tools, strokes, and colours, and helped build their confidence in early literacy.





Reception certificates 04.07.25

 Reception E for Excellence

We have had a fantastic week of learning and there has been so much to celebrate and be proud of in Reception! 

These children worked extremely hard and have been rewarded for all of their determination and efforts.

Apple 


E for Excellence - Matei, for his hard work in Maths this week. Matei was able to follow a route and give directions. Well done Matei! 

Star Writer - Laila-Lily, for remembering her sentence rules and describing somewhere she travels to and the form of transport she takes. Well done Laila-Lily!

4 R’s -  Resilience - Maximus, for your hard work in Read, Write, Inc to learn your set 1 sound and blend CVC words using the blendy board. Well done Maximus!

105 Books to Read Before You Leave Broadford- 

These pupils have read five books and earned their Bronze certificate - Maximus, Glory, Rostam

These pupils have read ten books and earned their Silver certificate - Warda, Milan, Glory, Rostam, Hunter, Damir, Maximus,


These pupils have read ten books and earned their Gold certificate - Warda, Milan, Maximus, Liza, Glory, Ava-Mai, Rostam, Hunter, Yousaf, Damir



Aspen 

E for Excellence - Zara

Star Writer - Heitor

4 R’s - Mya-Lee

105 Books to Read Before You Leave Broadford-

These pupils have read ten books and earned their Silver certificate - Shahaan

These pupils have read fifteen books and earned their Gold certificate - Raiyan and Ziyon


Alder


E for Excellence - Frankie

Star Writer - Kinza

4 R’s - Kameron & Aaira




Reception Learning W.B 30.6.25

 

Year Reception: What We Are Learning 

This term our topic is Journeys. Our focus book this week was The Journey Home from Grandpa’s.

Here is what we have been up to:

This week we learnt all about transport including differnet types. We have learnt about road saftey and sung The wheels on the bus.

In Literacy we recapped our red words the,a,I,of,he,go,to,my,was,you,we,they,she,have,all,her,see and remembered that sentences begin with a capital letter and end with a full stop. This week we learnt how to write the red ‘way’. We wrote about what modes of transport we use!

Please continue to read 5 times a week with your children and work on set 2 or 3 sounds as well as word time words (1.4, 1.5, 1.6 etc).


In Maths this week the children have been exploring a range of maps and following directions. We have become very excited about our zoo trip next week after seeing what animals were on the map!



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


Nursery Certificates- 4.7.25

 




Well done to the following children, who have been awarded an E for Excellence certificate...


Congratulations to Nellie who has been awarded to E for Excellence certificate for always listening and answering questions during group time. We love your curiosity! 




Congratulations to Eslem who has been awarded a Happy certificate for always using her imagination in her play and having such great ideas. 


Congratulations to Ian who has been awarded a Happy certificate for always always showing resilience. 

Congratulations to Nicoly who has been awarded a Happy certificate for showing great enthusiasm and confidence. 

Congratulations to Maiveen who has been awarded a Happy certificate for his great knowledge of numbers and his super counting skills. 



Friday, 27 June 2025

Nursery Learning 23.6.24



Pirate Dress up day TUESDAY 1st JULY

To help us celebrate our current topic, we’re inviting all children to come to nursery dressed as pirates! Feel free to get creative with costumes—hats, stripes, eye patches, or even a cardboard parrot!

This Week in Nursery: Learning About Personal Boundaries

This week, we’ve been helping the children learn about the importance of keeping their private parts private. At this age, it’s perfectly normal for children to be innocently curious about their own and others' bodies. Sometimes, this curiosity can lead to children wandering in and out of the toilets or showing each other their private parts.

To support the children in understanding personal boundaries, we’ve had some gentle, age-appropriate conversations about saying “no”, setting boundaries, and speaking to a trusted adult if they ever feel unsure or uncomfortable.

We used the NSPCC’s friendly dinosaur character, Pantosaurus, and his catchy song to help us explain these important messages in a fun and engaging way. The children responded really well and were keen to join in with the singing and actions!

If you’d like to watch the song at home with your child, you can find it here:
PANTOSAURUS

As always, if you have any questions about what we’ve covered or would like to know more about how we approach this topic, please feel free to get in touch.


We Do the Muddy Mess So You Don’t Have To!

This week, the children had a fantastic time creating their very own muddy puddles during the hot weather. They took the initiative to source the containers themselves, filling them with water from the water butt. Then, they carried the water over to a dry spot under the tree, where the ground had become hard and cracked from the sun.

Using sticks, they dug into the earth, fascinated by the change they could make. The children were completely absorbed in their play, and some got muddier than others – all part of the fun! They continued for quite some time, thoroughly enjoying the experience of getting stuck in (quite literally!) with nature.


Water Play Fun: Exploring, Experimenting, and Learning!

This week, the children have had a fantastic time continuing their water play adventures! We've been focusing on the simple joys of filling and pouring, which is a brilliant way for them to develop their hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. To keep things exciting, we changed the colour of the water each day, sparking lots of curiosity and engagement.

The children used a variety of resources, including gutters, the water tank, and the tuff tray, to explore the properties of water. Through their play, they’ve been experimenting with how water flows, observing cause and effect, and developing early scientific thinking. It's also been a wonderful opportunity for them to engage in imaginative play, working together and sharing their discoveries.

We're so proud of the children's growing confidence and their ability to take the lead in their own learning. Water play offers such a rich environment for exploration and learning, and it's been lovely to see them so engaged and excited throughout the week!


Creating and Conquering Obstacle Courses!

This week, the children have been busy designing and building their very own obstacle courses outside, a fantastic way for them to develop their physical skills and creativity. We all worked together to build a tunnel, which the children absolutely loved! It was wonderful to see them collaborate and share ideas as they brought their course to life.

Once the tunnel was complete, the children used crates, hoops, and slides to design a circular path that allowed them to travel from one challenge to the next. This kind of activity not only helps with their coordination and balance, but it also encourages problem-solving and teamwork. The children were so focused as they worked together, adjusting the course and figuring out how to make it just right.

It’s been wonderful to watch them develop their confidence in physical play while also engaging in collaborative and imaginative thinking!




Teamwork and Threading Fun in Finger Gym!

Two of our clever little learners really impressed us this week during our finger gym activity! What began as simple threading, carefully threading string through cotton reels, quickly turned into a brilliant example of creativity and teamwork.

The boys used every reel they could find, filling up their piece of string. Then, with great determination, they tied on another length of string and carried on threading, eager to see just how long they could make their creation! It was lovely to watch them working together, problem-solving, and celebrating each new section they added.

This type of fine motor play helps to strengthen the muscles in their hands and fingers, which is so important for early writing skills. Even more, their collaboration showed wonderful communication and perseverance, skills we love to see growing in our setting!



Marvellous Mark Making!

There’s been a real buzz around mark making this week, with the children eagerly exploring lots of different ways to make their marks! They absolutely loved using the large whiteboard, where they had the freedom to draw, write, and sometimes even go a little wild with their scribbles! While it might look like random marks to us, those scribbles often hold meaning for the children—whether it’s a story, a letter, or something entirely from their imagination.

Mark making is such an important part of early writing development, helping children to build confidence and develop the fine motor control they’ll need for writing later on.

We also had lots of fun creating mini envelopes together. The children were really engaged in drawing pictures and writing messages to pop inside, such a lovely way to encourage purposeful writing in a playful, meaningful context. Watching their creativity and communication blossom through these little letters was a real joy!


Brilliant Bug Hunters!

Our little explorers were thrilled to go on a bug hunt this week and what an exciting discovery they made! The children found a baby caterpillar wriggling through the grass, which caused a real buzz of excitement, especially since we read The Very Hungry Caterpillar just a few weeks ago. It was a lovely moment of making connections in their learning!

We had a great chat about how to look after mini beasts, reminding ourselves to observe carefully without touching, so we don’t harm them. It was wonderful to see the children showing such care and respect for living things, an important part of understanding the world around them.

Creative Collaging in the Art Area!

In the art area this week, the children have been putting their brilliant collaging skills to work! They were given the opportunity to recreate a flower using a selection of creative materials and they rose to the challenge beautifully.

With the same resources left out on the table throughout the week, the children explored different ways to shape and stick their pieces. Some chose to carefully tear paper with their fingers to get just the right size and shape, while others used scissors with growing confidence. It was fantastic to see them using their fine motor skills in different ways, showing independence and creativity in their approaches.

This activity also encouraged the children to look closely at shape, colour, and pattern—developing their observation skills and expressing their own artistic ideas. We loved seeing their individual interpretations and the pride they took in their creations!



Fantastic Pattern Play!

This week, the children have done some brilliant independent work exploring patterns. During their key group time, they have been practising creating patterns using a variety of objects and through mark making.

The photo below shows some wonderful examples of children applying their new skills all on their own, without any prompting or support! It’s such a joy to see them confidently putting their learning into action and showing real pride in what they’ve achieved.

Encouraging independence like this helps build their confidence and deepens their understanding in a fun and meaningful way.



 

Nursery Certificates 27.6.25

 



Well done to the following children, who have been awarded an E for Excellence certificate...







Mylie, you now accessing all of the nursery environment independently. You have also been making new friends. 
Eslem, for always using your imagination in you play. You always have such great ideas and shares them with your friends. 

Kinza, you have been playing nicely with your friends and playing some imaginative games.

Dotty, for always being positive, bubbly and always happy in nursery. You are also kind towards all of your friends. 

Austin, using your imagination in your activities. You always have such great, fun ideas!

This week, these children have been awarded a 'I have made my teacher happy' certificate...

Freddie


George

Eden

Mylie