We would like to warmly welcome all our children and families back to the Spring term of the school year. It has been a pleasure to see how confidently the children have returned, demonstrating that they are now well settled into school life, familiar routines, and daily expectations. This point in the year is particularly important within the EYFS, as children feel secure in their environment and are increasingly ready to engage more deeply in learning, build positive relationships, and develop independence. Throughout this term, our curriculum will continue to be guided by the EYFS framework and shaped by the children’s interests, curiosity, and individual next steps in learning. We place a strong emphasis on learning through play, exploration, and meaningful experiences, ensuring that all seven areas of learning are supported through a balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities.
As children’s confidence grows, we encourage them to ask questions, make choices, solve problems, and develop a love of learning through a curiosity-led approach that supports the Characteristics of Effective Learning. There is lots to look forward to this term, including Culture Week, where children will explore and celebrate different cultures, traditions, and communities, supporting their understanding of the world and promoting respect and inclusion.
We will also be celebrating the Year of the Horse, providing opportunities for children to learn about cultural traditions through stories, role play, creative activities, and shared experiences. Our Sports Day will support children’s physical development, helping them to develop gross motor skills, confidence, coordination, teamwork, and perseverance, while also strengthening social skills such as turn-taking, cooperation, and resilience.
During Maths Week, children will take part in practical, hands-on activities that promote early mathematical understanding, including number, shape, measure, and problem-solving, while encouraging children to explore, investigate, and think critically. As the term progresses and the seasons begin to change, we will be spending more time outdoors, allowing children to observe and explore the natural environment, notice changes in the weather and plant life, and develop curiosity and care for the world around them.
Outdoor learning plays a vital role in supporting children’s physical wellbeing, communication and language development, and emotional regulation. All of these experiences are carefully planned to support children’s personal, social and emotional development, helping them to build secure relationships, manage feelings, develop confidence, and feel a strong sense of belonging within the school community. We are looking forward to a busy, exciting, and enriching term ahead.
In Pre-Nursery this week, we were delighted to welcome back our youngest learners and hear all about their holiday experiences. The children enjoyed sharing stories of their travels and time spent with family. We introduced our theme of cold-weather animals by exploring polar bears and penguins through stories, songs, and sensory play. The children listened with interest to “Rumble, Grumble, Gurgle, Roar,” a story about a hungry penguin, and “Polar Bear, Polar Bear,” which encouraged engagement with animal sounds and colours. These experiences supported early communication and language development, listening skills, and curiosity about the natural world.
Nursery children have settled back into school life very smoothly after the holiday break. It has been wonderful to see their smiling faces as they reunited with friends and confidently shared their holiday photos and experiences. Our focus story this week has been “The Curious Polar Bear,” which has captured the children’s interest and inspired imaginative play, thoughtful questions, and rich conversations. This enthusiasm has extended into our continuous provision, where an Arctic-themed small world area has been created, including Arctic animals and icebergs made from loose parts, supporting creativity, collaboration, and understanding of the world.
Reception children have been very happy to return to school and reconnect with their friends. This week, we shared the story “The Snow Thief,” which led to meaningful discussions about snowflake shapes, colours, and how snow is formed. The children also took part in a critical thinking activity where they carefully observed a painting and answered a range of open-ended questions, encouraging them to express their ideas, make predictions, and think independently. This learning continued as the children created their own drawings inspired by the artwork. In addition, we have begun our time-telling journey, exploring clocks and learning to tell the time to o’clock, supporting early mathematical understanding in a practical and engaging way.
