Exploring Nature Around Our School

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!

Milkshake, Yummy!

Last week, we planted some strawberry seeds, we learned how the seeds will eventually grow into strawberries. Today, we used some store-bought strawberries to make a delicious strawberry milkshake by chopping them into small pieces and adding them to the blender with milk. We spoke about how we can hopefully use our plants in the future too!

Think we did a great job!

Plant Progress.

After a week the beans started to sprout! Look how excited we are 🙂

This was them after 2 weeks! Look how tall they are! Notice the difference with 4 days? WOW! We measure each day and write it on our chart. We’re excited to see how much they grow over the weekend.

The seeds we harvested from our tomatoes have even started to grow! Amazing!

Flower Power.

Over the past week, the children have sequenced the stages of plant growth and made and labelled their own flowers, all doing a fantastic job! Not only did they love creating the flowers, but they were also enthusiastic when talking through how plants grow. They are showing great interest and knowledge within the Growth and Change topic.

Tomato time!

Last week, we extracted seeds from a tomato and carefully laid them out to dry over the weekend, getting them ready for planting. Learning the life cycle of the food we eat, with this were planting more edible plants each week. We also watched a video about how tomatoes grow, and the children were fascinated by a time-lapse showing the plants growing taller and taller. They loved seeing how tomatoes start off green and gradually turn red, and were excited to learn that tomatoes can come in many different colours too. We’re all looking forward to watch how tall our tomato plants will grow!

Cutting Skills for a Healthier You!

Today Crew McLoughlin transformed their DT lesson into a hands-on celebration of wellness by learning how to safely and effectively prepare fresh fruit for a vibrant fruit salad. By mastering essential cutting techniques like the “bridge” and the “claw,” students not only gained confidence with tools but also deepened their understanding of our current expedition topic, “Keeping the Mind and Body Healthy.” This practical session highlighted how fueling our bodies with fresh, nutrient-rich foods supports physical vitality and mental focus.

Ready for F2.

During the Summer term, we place a strong focus on supporting our nursery children to develop their independence and resilience as they prepare for their transition into Reception. These are key aspects of the Early Years Foundation Stage, particularly within Personal, Social and Emotional Development and Physical Development.

Throughout the year, we have been working hard to strengthen the children’s fine motor skills, and this term we have introduced a focused activity known as “apron entry.” During this activity, each child is given their own clipboard and a shortened pencil, which helps to support correct grip and control.

The children are encouraged to draw an object, letter or shape from the board, with a particular focus in this session on creating circles of their own chosen size and quantity. This open-ended approach allows the children to explore their creativity while also developing important early writing skills.

It was fantastic to see the children’s growing ability to concentrate, as well as their confidence in using an effective pencil grip and forming recognisable shapes. These small but significant steps are helping to build the foundations for future writing.

Well done, Crew Frost—keep up the great work!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

This term, the children will be learning about Growth and Change. Starting out with the classic story, The Very Hungry Caterpillar! Together, we made our hungry caterpillars; they enjoyed making them move and pretending they are eating, getting longer and longer. This has got them hooked into our new subject of the summer term. We have some exciting, hands-on learning ahead!