Reception

Summer 1

This half term in Reception, our topic has been ‘Creatures Big and Small’. The children have had a wonderful time exploring the world around them through exciting hands-on learning experiences.

We became mini-beast detectives in our outdoor areas, searching for insects and learning all about different creatures and their habitats. The children especially enjoyed exploring the life cycle of a frog through the story ‘Tad’ and were fascinated watching our very own tadpoles grow and change in the classroom. The children then created beautiful pond-themed artwork using different media to represent each stage of the frog life-cycle.

To celebrate World Bee Day, we learnt about the important role bees play in helping our environment and talked about ways we can care for them. The children learnt how bees help flowers and plants to grow and enjoyed creating their own bee stones and writing thank you cards to the bees!

As part of our Careers Theme Week, the children enjoyed talking about the jobs they would like to do when they are older. We discussed the skills and qualities needed for different careers and celebrated the children’s ambitions and aspirations.

One of the highlights of the half-term was our fantastic trip to Stonebridge City Farm. The children had an amazing day meeting and learning about a variety of animals and exploring the farm environment. The visit provided lots of opportunities for discussion, observation and developing our understanding of living things.

We also had great fun taking part in Sports Day. The children showed excellent determination and enthusiasm as they joined in with races and activities. We were very proud of how well everyone encouraged and supported one another on the day.

In phonics, the children began learning Phase 4, focusing on blending and segmenting longer words with more consonants, such as CCVC words like frog and CVCC words like band. We have also continued to build confidence and fluency in reading, encouraging the children to blend words more independently and read with increasing accuracy.

It has been a busy and exciting half term full of curiosity, exploration and fantastic learning experiences for all of the children in Reception.

Spring 2

This half term, our learning has been linked to our topic ‘Once Upon a Time’.

We used the story ‘Elmer’s Walk’ as a fun and engaging way to introduce children to linear mapping skills. As we read through Elmer’s journey, the children followed his route step by step, helping them understand direction, sequencing, and spatial awareness. We encouraged them to map out Elmer’s path using simple lines and drawings, which supported their ability to represent movement in a clear, logical order. This storytelling approach made abstract mapping concepts more concrete and accessible, while also keeping the children actively involved and excited about learning

We have really enjoyed exploring seasonal changes as we learn about Spring. The children took part in a spring walk, where they observed signs of new life and discussed what they could see, hear, and feel in the environment. They also created careful observational drawings of daffodils, developing their attention to detail and appreciation of nature. Alongside this, the children have been learning about the celebrations of Eid and Easter. Through stories, discussions, and activities, they have continued to build their understanding that people have different beliefs and celebrate special times in a variety of meaningful ways.

We would like to say a big thank you to all the parents who have come into school to support recent events, including the Mother’s Day breakfast, writing workshop, and our reading mornings, as well as those who attended the reading workshop. Your involvement makes a huge difference, and the children are always so excited to welcome you into the classroom and share their learning with you. A strong parent partnership is incredibly important to children’s education, and we truly value the time and effort you take to be part of their school experience.

In maths, we have been exploring the composition of numbers, focusing on how numbers can be made in different ways, so far up to 8. The children have been using practical resources, such as counters and cubes, to find different combinations and begin to understand part-part-whole relationships. This hands-on approach has helped them to develop a deeper understanding of how numbers work, while building confidence in their early addition skills.

In phonics, we have been revisiting our Phase 3 GPCs, where the children have been practising reading and writing words and sentences containing these phonemes. We are continuing to focus on key skills such as blending in their heads, helping to build confidence and develop greater fluency in reading. Through regular practice and repetition, the children are becoming more secure in recognising sounds and applying them independently in both their reading and writing.

Spring 1

This half ​​term, our topic has been Create and Investigate, and the children have thoroughly enjoyed exploring, questioning, and discovering through a range of exciting themes. We have learnt about Winter; bread- making linked to the story The Little Red Hen, windmills, space and Lunar New Year.

In Maths, the children have been developing their subitising skills; recognising amounts without counting, and comparing numbers up to 7. We have also explored number bonds to 5 through the familiar and much-loved rhymes Five Little Speckled Frogs and Five Little Men in a Flying Saucer, which helped to make learning fun and memorable.

A real highlight of the half term was our visit to Green’s Windmill. The children enjoyed learning how windmills work. They also especially enjoyed making their own delicious bread rolls, linking perfectly to our learning about The Little Red Hen and where food comes from.

In our Jigsaw (PSHE) lessons, we have been focusing on keeping our bodies healthy. The children explored why exercise, healthy eating, getting enough sleep, and keeping clean are all important for our wellbeing, and they shared thoughtful ideas about how they can look after themselves.

In Phonics, we have continued learning Phase 3 digraphs and have been working hard to apply our phonics knowledge to reading. The children have been practising “blending in their heads,” and we are very pleased to see a real improvement in their reading fluency and confidence.

We also celebrated World Penguin Awareness Day – creating penguin collages and learning about how we can help penguins by looking after our environment. This led to some great discussions about caring for the world around us.

The children have thoroughly enjoyed welcoming parents into school for our Phonics Stay and Play sessions and Reading Mornings. These events have been a wonderful opportunity to share learning and celebrate the children’s progress together.

Autumn 2 in Reception: Light and Dark

This half term, our topic was ‘Light and Dark’, and it has been full of exciting learning and memorable experiences for the children. We explored how people celebrate Bonfire Night, learning about fireworks and the traditions behind the celebrations. We also discovered the Christmas story, which led to the children taking part in our Christmas performance—a wonderful showcase of their confidence, creativity, and hard work.

In phonics, the children have been learning their single-letter sounds and progressing onto digraphs. They have been practising sounding out and blending words, which is helping them become confident readers.

As writers, the children are developing independence through segmenting words and writing labels and simple sentences. Their handwriting has been a particular highlight this term, and they are practising every day to make it even better.

In maths, we have focused on number skills, including using “fast eyes” to subitise and understanding number composition—how numbers can be made up of smaller parts. The children have enjoyed hands-on activities that make these concepts fun and practical.

In art, the children created beautiful northern lights artwork, building on the background techniques they learned in Autumn 1. Their creativity and attention to detail were fantastic to see.

As scientists, we explored our senses, investigating touch, smell, and sound. We had fun using equipment such as magnifying glasses and magnets, which helped the children explore and ask questions about the world around them. We especially loved learning all about shadows and seeing what happens when we move to block the sun.

We had a fantastic Stay and Play session with our grown-ups and loved showing them how to access our environment and engage with our learning.

Overall, it has been a joyful and busy half term, full of curiosity, learning, and special moments. The children have grown in confidence, creativity, and knowledge, and we are very proud of all they have achieved.

Autumn 2 2025

Reception have settled beautifully into life as RiseParkers and we are so excited to continue our learning. This half term in Reception, our learning will be centred around a wonderful selection of stories that explore light, dark, and special celebrations. Through The Dark, we will learn about feelings of fear and bravery, while The Quiet Little Firework helps us celebrate Bonfire Night and understand how fireworks light up the sky. The Lights that Dance in the Night will introduce us to the magic of the Northern Lights, inspiring creativity and awe. With Peggy the Always Sorry Pigeon, we will think about kindness, friendship, and saying sorry. As we move closer to Christmas, The Christmas Story will help us learn about the Nativity and the importance of giving and love, and Stickman will remind us of family, adventure, and belonging. It will be a half term full of wonder, warmth, and festive fun! We’ll also learn about important events such as Bonfire Night, discovering why we celebrate with fireworks; Remembrance Day, when we show respect and remember those who helped keep us safe; and Anti-Bullying Week, where we focus on being kind, caring, and including everyone.

F2 Autumn 1 2025

This half term we have enjoyed reading a range of fiction and non-fiction texts linked to our topic ‘Our Community’. We have learnt all about the people who help us at home, at school, and in our wider community. A highlight of the term was our Police Officer visit, where we discovered more about their important role and how they help to keep people safe.
We have also celebrated who we are and what makes us special and unique, using the books Super Duper You and What Makes Me a Me? to inspire our discussions and artwork.

As writers, we have been strengthening our hand muscles through lots of fun fine-motor activities. We have used tweezers, scissors, and pegs to explore different media and materials, developing control and coordination. We have also been working hard on our letter formation—holding our pencils correctly and starting and finishing each letter in the right place. In phonics, we have learnt all of the Phase 2 phonemes and have been practising our  blending and segmenting skills when reading and writing CVC words and simple sentences.

As mathematicians, we have explored early mathematical concepts through the NCETM mastery approach, developing a deep understanding and secure number sense. We have learnt to recognise, count, and represent numbers to five, understanding that numbers tell us how many objects are in a set. Using practical activities and manipulatives, the children have compared groups to identify more, fewer, or the same, and have begun to subitise small quantities without counting. We have also explored simple patterns, shapes, and spatial awareness through play and discussion, building mathematical vocabulary and reasoning skills to explain our thinking.

As artists, we have experimented with a range of techniques, tools, and materials. Each child has carefully observed their features to create a beautiful self-portrait for our class display. We then drew our family members and enjoyed talking about how every family is unique. As the seasons changed, we practised our observational drawing skills by creating Autumn pumpkin pictures and making leaf characters using leaves collected on our Autumn Walk.

The children have also had plenty of opportunities to develop their imagination through role play. Our home corner has been very popular, with children collaborating and drawing on familiar experiences from home. Everyone is now excited to explore our new Café role-play area this term!

As explorers, we have learnt all about the season of Autumn. The children loved our Autumn Walk around the school grounds, collecting conkers and colourful leaves to explore further in the classroom. We also learnt about Diwali – the Festival of Light. The children made and decorated salt dough divas and discovered how Diwali is celebrated around the world.

As part of our Jigsaw lessons, our focus has been ‘Being Me in My World’. We have spent time talking about our families and created a family tree using photographs from home. Elephants and Tigers have prioritised settling in this half term, enjoying time to get to know each other, make new friends, learn class rules and routines, and explore their feelings together.

Summer 2025

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