Carcroft School

Harry Saves the Ocean – F2 outdoor provision

17th May 2026Sarah Mcglone

Take a look at some of the fantastic learning we have been completing in our choosing time this week! We have been looking at the story of ‘Harry Saves the Ocean’ and discussing sea creatures, plastic pollution and everything related to the sea. We cooked up a storm in the mud kitchen, weighing out or ingredients at the sea front restaurant, taking orders from the customers, giving them change when they paid, and making sure they had great service. We drew sea creatures on the playground, made submarines, ‘polluted’ the water tray, and used the den building and construction materials to create sea creatures such as jellyfish and whales!

Expedition

17th May 2026Sarah Mcglone

In expedition, we have been looking at the impact of pollution on the ocean and the things that live in it. We discussed different sea creatures and how they are adapted to their habitat. We then spent time sorting different animals into the categories of ‘land’ or ‘sea’.

Puppet Show

17th May 2026Sarah Mcglone

During Case Study 1, we talked about how the seaside is a special place, especially for families in the past. Puppet shows were, and still are, an important element of entertainment at the seaside. We watched some examples and decided to put on our own performance!

Crew White Science Investigation

15th May 2026Thomas White

Today, Crew White began an investigation into the affects of exercise on heart rate and the time it takes the heart to recover after exercise. We made predictions, wrote a method and then went outside to test our hearts. We completed moderately intense exercise followed by intense exercise and had recovery breaks in between and afterwards. We took our pulse rate at different times to check how our heart was coping with the increased workload.

Next week, we will present our findings and write up our conclusions.

Post-SATs celebrations

15th May 2026Thomas White

Yesterday afternoon, Year 6 enjoyed a well-deserved off-timetable afternoon enjoying Mrs Rhodes’ karaoke machine. There were highlights including duets and group songs and maybe some unexpected auditions for the end of year performance.

Cricket!

15th May 2026Elizabeth Frost

This week, Crew Frost were given another exciting opportunity to take part in a PE session with Legacy. The children showed fantastic enthusiasm and engagement throughout the session as they developed a range of important physical and social skills through team games and ball activities.

The stages of learning were carefully scaffolded to support the children’s understanding and confidence. We first began by practising simple rolling skills, working in teams to roll the ball back and forth to one another. Once the children became more confident, we moved on to practising aiming and throwing the balls at pins to score points for their teams, helping to develop hand-eye coordination, control, and turn-taking skills.

Finally, the children were introduced to bats and learned about the role of a bowler, including fetching the ball after it had been hit. The children absolutely loved this part of the activity and showed great excitement as they explored the different roles within the game. It was wonderful to see many of the children making links to their own past experiences and confidently talking about games and sports they have played before.

Activities like these help to build important skills for Reception, including listening and attention, following instructions, teamwork, coordination, and resilience. We were incredibly proud of the children’s amazing listening skills, positive attitudes, and encouragement towards one another throughout the session. Well done, Crew Frost!

Stay away from the sharks!

15th May 2026Elizabeth Frost

Last week, the children were busy developing and strengthening their balancing skills through a fun and exciting physical development activity. Together, we created our very own “bridges” to carefully walk across whilst making sure to stay away from the sharks underneath!

The children absolutely loved this activity and showed fantastic levels of concentration and determination as they carefully balanced their way across. It was wonderful to see the children naturally using their arms to support their balance and thinking carefully about how to move their bodies safely and with control. Activities like this are so important for developing core strength, coordination, spatial awareness, and overall gross motor skills, which all support children’s physical development and readiness for writing.

What made the activity even more special was watching the children encourage, motivate, and help one another as they took turns crossing the bridges. Crew Frost showed fantastic resilience when things felt tricky and demonstrated such kindness and teamwork throughout the activity. We are so proud of the way the children supported each other whilst building their confidence and physical skills. Well done, Crew Frost!

Independent Writing!

15th May 2026Betty Ramsay

This week we have started our independent write about an endangered animal searching for food. We have loved inventing a new story… here we are using our plans and resources to help us produce beautiful stories.

Exploring Nature Around Our School

15th May 2026Samantha Taylor

Today we explored the school grounds to see what plants we could identify. We found Daisy, Bluebell, Dandelion and Buttercup.

We blew the dandelions and talked about how the tiny seeds we blow away will eventually settle into the soil and grow into new dandelions. It was fascinating to watch the seeds float through the air!

We also tried the old wives’ tale with the buttercup under our chins to see if we like butter… and guess what? We do! Everyone loved seeing the yellow reflection shine under their chin.

While exploring the forest school area, we spotted some new plants beginning to grow. We carefully observed their leaves and stems and wondered what they might become. We can’t wait to keep watching them grow and see if we can identify them over the next few weeks!

Fine motor building

15th May 2026Elizabeth Frost

One day each week in Crew Frost, we spend time focusing on developing our fine motor skills through activities such as using scissors to cut along lines and around shapes. Cutting is an excellent skill to master in the Early Years, as it supports so many of the important skills children need as they begin their writing journey.

The children are learning how to separate and strengthen the muscles in their fingers and hands whilst carefully controlling the scissors. They are also developing their hand-eye coordination and problem-solving skills as they work out how to move the paper and scissors together whilst trying to stay on the lines. This takes a huge amount of concentration, control, and perseverance.

Alongside this, we have been practising our “ready to write” positioning by sitting with our tummy to the table and all six chair legs on the floor. Developing core strength, balance, and posture is a very important part of early writing development, helping children to gain the stability needed for mark making and pencil control in the future.

Although cutting may look simple, it is actually a very tricky skill that requires children to coordinate many different movements at the same time. We are so proud of the resilience, determination, and focus Crew Frost have shown whilst practising these important skills. Well done, Crew Frost — it is much harder than it looks!