FLOURISH at home.

Home learning is designed to sit alongside FLOURISH giving the children a choice of activity and how they wish to present their learning. We are always amazed at their wonderful pieces of work however elaborate or simple they are. What is even more amazing is the way the children present and share their their work with their peers. The confidence and the feeling of proudness they have answering questions and receiving praise.

Each term the children will choose one activity from the grid to complete.

Welcome to a new school year 2023/24 and we welcome new children to our class.

Term 2: Could the Gruffalo live with all the other animals?

Term 1: What makes me a toy expert?

School Year 2021- 2022

TERM 2

The children thoroughly enjoyed our new topic ‘Could a Gruffalo live with all the other animals?’

We learnt all about the author Julia Donaldson, as well as the illustrator Axel Scheffler.  The children were pleasantly surprised when they realised they had lots of their story books at home!

This topic provided the perfect opportunity to explore the use of adjectives, which the children did in many creative ways.  We enjoyed trips to the woods, lots of crafty creations, Wanted posters and character descriptions – to name just a few!

In DT, the children explored story books with moving parts.  We then created our own mechanisms based on key elements of the Gruffalo story.  There were hungry owls on springs, slithery snakes on sticks and sneaky foxes hiding behind flaps!

Our Art learning involved observational drawings of The Gruffalo.  We were fortunate enough to have a local artist visit us, who helped to develop the children’s use of shape, space, size and colour.  As always, the children used Critique to discuss and improve their finished piece with support from the grown-ups and their peers.

To finish a very busy term (in between Nativity practise!), the children explored the various animal groups in Science.  After lots of hands on learning, the children used their new Scientific knowledge to conclude that the Gruffalo must be a…. meat-eating Mammal!!

TERM 1

As part of this term’s topic ‘What Makes Me a Toy Expert?’ the children were very lucky to participate in an exciting toy workshop!  They enjoyed an assembly at the beginning of the day, where they were introduced to a variety of toys from the past.  We explored the material of the toys as well as the forces used to make them work.  The children then returned to the classroom where they designed and made their very own toys, from Egyptian Grinders to Victorian Horses and spinning tops. The children carefully handled hammers and wood glue to create their masterpieces!

The children have had lots of fun learning to play board games- particularly Snakes and Ladders!  The children have worked super hard to follow the rules and play fairly with their peers.  We also enjoyed learning about the history of snakes and ladders which linked to our PSHE topic- good choices and bad choices.  Finally, the children enjoyed designing and making their very own board game.  We verbally sequenced instructions for the children’s games  and then our Year 1 children went on to create some fabulous instructional writing!

What better way to end our topic ‘What Makes Me a Toy Expert?’ than with a trip to LEGOLAND!!  The children were very excited, and I think I can safely say the day did not disappoint!  We started with a hands-on workshop, where the children learnt how to interlock the lego bricks in order to build a stronger structure.  We then spent the remainder of the day exploring the rides and attractions the park had to offer.  From the Spinning Spider to the Deep Sea Adventure, the rides were thoroughly enjoyed by both staff and children!  As always, the children were beautifully behaved and an absolute pleasure to spend the day with. 

TERM 5

Week 6

As part of our Geography learning, the children have been comparing Preston Village to a seaside town- and what better way to do that than a trip to Broadstairs!  We had the most wonderful day, playing in the sand, admiring the colourful beach huts and eating yummy ice lollies!  The children spotted a variety of features that make it very different to Preston- we saw Bleak House, the arcades, the pier, a cinema, the band stand…and so much more!  A really lovely day had by all!

Week 4

The children have been learning all about the life and work of Vincent Van Gogh.  We were very fortunate to have an Art Masterclass with Mrs Buddle, one of our very talented Teaching Assistants!  She did an amazing job at teaching the children how to re-create one of Van Gogh’s most famous paintings, Sunflowers.  I still can’t quite believe the incredible work produced by our Reception and Year 1 children.  The step by step modelling resulted in the most beautiful paintings, which the children completed independently.  We are so proud of the children for super listening, great observing and fantastic painting skills.

The children in Kookaburra Class are incredibly lucky to participate in weekly Yoga sessions with Adele from Once Upon the Mat.  This week we have been on an exciting pirate adventure!  The children are continuing to amaze us with their incredible Yoga knowledge, super stretching and brilliant balancing.  It is so lovely to see the children engaged, growing in confidence and developing such wonderful control and coordination.

Week 3

We have had a wonderful week in Kookaburra Class, learning about a very famous author and illustrator- Eric Carle!  The children have enjoyed reading many of his story books this week, all based up nature, which ties in perfectly with this term’s topic ‘What Lives in my Garden?’.

We have particularly enjoyed reading and exploring The Tiny Seed, which has helped to reinforce the life cycle of a plant.  The children then created the most fabulous Eric Carle-style collages!  First, the children created the backgrounds using a splatter paint technique which was messy but lots of fun!!  Next, the children painted paper and used a variety of everyday tools to create pattern and texture.  Once dry, the children then enjoyed cutting shapes to re-create the front cover of The Tiny Seed. 

I am sure you will agree – their collages are SUPERB!

Week 2

Kookaburra Class have enjoyed planting some seeds this week.  We are hoping that with enough sunlight and water, we will be able to grow some Cosmos flowers and Climbing French Beans!  The seeds will begin growing on the warm window sills in our classroom, before being transferred to our very own flower bed in the school garden.

The children have also created some brilliant instructional writing.  So if you are unsure about how to plant a seed…please have a read!

This week the children have been exploring the Life Cycle of Plants.  We read a wonderful story which helped to reinforce the cycle; from a tiny seed to a shoot growing taller and stronger… until it is ready to make seeds of its own.  Take a look at own Plant Life Cycles, created by some of our lovely Reception children.  Not only was their knowledge incredible, their attention to detail when drawing AND their super sounding out also made us feel incredibly proud! 

Week 1

Kookaburra Class have had a very busy first week back at school!  The children have been super excited to begin our new topic ‘What Lives in my Garden?’

Once we had established the term ‘Living Thing’, we then began exploring the different parts of a plant and tree.  The children have widened their knowledge through observational drawings in the forest, dissecting a plant and getting messy in the mud kitchen!  We have also carried out an experiment to explore the function of the stem- the children were very confident when making their predictions, drawing on their prior knowledge and ‘wowing’ us with their explanations.

As always, the children have amazed us with their fantastic use of vocabulary, their ability to compare and describe, and of course… their super creativity!

TERM 4

The children have thoroughly enjoyed exploring the story of Easter.  Their super learning is reflected in their wonderful creations- we have had paintings, drawings, models…and some incredible story writing by our Year 1 children!  We have read all about the key events in the correct order, and compared certain elements to other familiar stories.

In Science this term, the children have been exploring everyday materials. They have done a super job at naming various materials, and have used scientific language to describe their physical properties. 

We have had lots of fun linking our Science learning to our topic ‘Are All Stories True?’  The children have been using their fantastic construction skills to design and build houses for The Three Little Pigs!

                                                Term 2

Kookaburra Class have started their new topic ‘Who Likes to Party?’  We are going to be spending the first couple of weeks exploring the story of The Gunpowder Plot.  The children have enjoyed reading the story and using their creative minds to explore the setting.  As you can see, the children have produced the Houses of Parliament in so many wonderfully imaginative ways…..we just had to share them with you.  We were particularly proud of how the children independently combined their Maths learning in to their creations – 2D shapes!

Take a look at our beautiful firework paintings- made using cardboard tubes, colourful paint…. and plenty of sparkle!!  We feel it is very important that our children understand why celebrations take place and are also given the opportunity to reflect upon their own experiences J 

The children have thoroughly enjoyed exploring 2D shapes!  We have been incredibly busy learning the name of each shape, becoming familiar with their properties and modelling the use of key mathematical language.  The children loved using 2D shapes purposefully to produce these wonderful Bonfire Night rockets!

Week 2

Our Writing Journey this week has continued to be based upon The Gunpowder Plot.  The children have thoroughly enjoyed learning about why we celebrate Bonfire Night and have become incredibly confident with retelling the story in the correct order (as you will see when looking at their story maps!).  The use of familiar story language has also been superb!

The children have continued to learn about the properties of 2D shapes.  We have encouraged the use of key mathematical language when comparing and describing the various properties – and have been blown away by the children’s ever-increasing knowledge!  We have asked lots of thought provoking questions such as how do you know a square is a square?  what is similar about a rectangle and a triangle?  Why are the wheels of a car round? 

Our Maths activities have cross-linked this week to Remembrance Day celebrations as well our Science topic- the Seasons J

On Wednesday 11^th November the children learnt all about Remembrance Day.  We linked it to our Art and practised observational drawings of the poppy.  We then practised a skill that we call Critique.  This is where we talk about how the drawing went:  what do the children like about their picture?  Were there elements they found tricky?  Is there anything they could do to make it even better? 

Once the children had evaluated their first drawing, they then had another go at drawing the poppy.  We are at the very early stages of modelling and developing the children’s critique skills, but we were amazed with the outcomes of drawing number 2!

We have started learning about the Seasons in Science J  The children have been practising the months of the year in the correct order, linking each month to familiar celebrations and weather patterns.  The children then had the opportunity to share their knowledge and experiences of Autumn in a variety of ways- from painting to leaf rubbing and even observational drawing outside!

Week 3 and 4

Over the last couple of weeks the children have embarked on a new writing journey.  This time we have based it upon the story of Rama and Sita.  The children’s amazing recall, wonderful use of story language and sheer enthusiasm are all clearly reflected in their incredible work.  We have had lots of fun with this story!

Week 5

Kookaburra Class have had a very exciting week!!  The children received some rather special post from…FATHER CHRISTMAS!!  (along with some very yummy chocolate treats!)  We spoke about how to write a list, and then the children confidently used their Phonic knowledge to write a letter back to Santa…

This week we have read another version of the Rama and Sita story, which the children loved!  They used their knowledge of the first story and used this to make comparisons- we learnt that Rama and Sita had been banished by the Step Mother because she wanted her own to son to become the King.  We also discovered that the bridge to Ravana’s island had been built using mud, grass and rocks.  The children are a fountain of knowledge when it comes to the story of Rama and Sita!

Our Year 1 children have been working incredibly hard to secure their knowledge of numbers within 20.  We have practically explored the tens and ones in our teen numbers; using Numicon, counters, tens frames and Base Ten.  The children have also done an amazing job at recording partitions as a part-whole model…

Week 6

As part of our Diwali learning, the children have enjoyed exploring the significance of light- in particular – Diva Lamps.  We learnt that the lamps guided Rama and Sita home at the end of the story, serving as a reminder that the light wins over the dark.  The children have designed, made and painted clay diva lamps of their own…even Kookie our elf was fond of them!

The children have thoroughly enjoyed our Christmas festivities!  Here they are enjoying their special lunch time treat on Party Day!

WOW WOW WOW!  Look at our incredible children, looking just the part for this year’s Christmas Nativity- Baubles.  The children put on the most wonderful show to tell the story of a school caretaker, who decorated the tree to remind the children of the true meaning of Christmas.

We are incredibly proud of each and every one of the children- we have a class of SUPERSTARS!

Term 1

As part of our topic ‘What Makes Me Special?’ the children have been learning about a famous artist- Pablo Picasso!  We have explored his different styles of drawing and painting, and then created our own self-portraits based upon our learning.

First, the children drew their self-portrait using bold outlines.  They then added colour using pencils and crayons.

Next, we experimented with colour mixing so that the children could paint a self-portrait using colours from Picasso’s Rose Period (these were pinks, corals and reds which showed that Picasso was feeling happy J  we have also included a little bit of blue from Picasso’s Blue Period!) )

Finally, the children created one more self-portrait.  This involved experimenting with different shapes and sizes, which was inspired by Picasso’s later work.  The children enjoyed cutting out various shapes from a wide range of paper in order to create a collage!

As part of our topic ‘What Makes Me Special?’ the children have been learning about a famous artist- Pablo Picasso!  We have explored his different styles of drawing and painting, and then created our own self-portraits based upon our learning.

First, the children drew their self-portrait using bold outlines.  They then added colour using pencils and crayons.

Next, we experimented with colour mixing so that the children could paint a self-portrait using colours from Picasso’s Rose Period (these were pinks, corals and reds which showed that Picasso was feeling happy J  we have also included a little bit of blue from Picasso’s Blue Period!) )

Finally, the children created one more self-portrait.  This involved experimenting with different shapes and sizes, which was inspired by Picasso’s later work.  The children enjoyed cutting out various shapes from a wide range of paper in order to create a collage!

The children have enjoyed creating some a wide range of self-portraits using pencils, crayons, paint, natural objects and tissue paper.  We have used mirrors to explore and discuss our similarities and differences, paying careful attention to our eye colour, hair colour and skin colour.  We have enjoyed getting to know one another- discussing and celebrating all the different elements that make us unique J

The children particularly loved bleeding tissue paper by spraying it with water- we watched carefully as the colours bled and mixed together J  This produced a beautiful background for our black and white self-portraits…I am sure you will agree they look incredible!