2022 - 2023

Summer 2

Week 7

Finding out all about flowers that grow throughout the summer! We made our own tree decorations, then collected leaves and petals to make flower crowns.

Week 6

We have really enjoyed learning about the story, The Rainbow Fish! We have been busy innovating the story and have now made our own storybooks inspired by this!

We had so much fun performing our school show, Pirates of the Curry Bean, at Number 8! We really enjoyed performing our song, Lumbago Lullaby, with Year 1, and Piratical Style with the whole school.

Week 5

We had an amazing time at All Things Wild today! We loved looking at the different animals, finding out all about dinosaurs, and going on an ocean adventure. Working in groups, we also explored the mini beast trail, barefoot walk and the adventure playground!

Week 4

Lots of fun throwing bean bags into targets this week in PE! We took turns and matched the bean bags to each colour hoop.

Some of our opportunities for learning this week!

Week 3

Reception loved taking part in their first sports day! We had a go at the running race, sack race, egg and spoon, relay race and even a scarecrow race!

We really enjoyed exploring the different activities at our Summer Garden Party! Thank you all so much for coming!

Week 2

We have really enjoyed counting and reading numbers in maths this week! We used Numicon to build a Numicon City, then counted how many we had in total. We also matched numbers to 9 to dots and used cups to create our own Maths Stories!

This week in our outdoor learning, we have been finding out all about clever caterpillars! We talked about how we can look after them, then went on a minibeast hunt. After that, we used sticks and wool to create our own monarch caterpillars!

Week 1

This week we began learning all about the story, The Rainbow Fish! We have had so much fun sharing the story and retelling it in our storytelling sessions! If you would like to share this story at home, click here.

Some of our opportunities for learning this week...

Summer 1

Week 6

Reception became butterflies! We used chalks to draw patterns onto the wings drawn onto our playground, and then became the butterfly ourselves. We really enjoyed making these and spotted the repeating patterns and talked about symmetry.

During our outdoor explorers time, we had so much fun finding out about baby animals that are born in the summer, focusing on woodland animals. We explored our forest area for animal footprints and any signs of animals, such as nests. Then, we worked in small groups to create clay hedgehogs, adding different nature resources we found in the forest!

More opportunities for learning this week...

Week 5

Creating our own beautiful butterflies, just like in the story The Very Hungry Caterpillar! We used cotton wool and pegs to create our own colourful dot paintings. When they had dried, we then cut out the different shapes using scissors and arranged them to create our own butterfly patterns!

Week 4

We have really enjoyed finding out about summer fruits in our outdoor learning this week! We tasted a few different fruits, then explored our forest area, looking at the seasonal changes that have occurred over the past few weeks. In small groups, we also used pots and soil to plant cress seeds, we will watch these grow over the next few weeks.

Some more opportunities for learning this week...

Week 3

As part of our celebrations for the King's Coronation, we worked in small groups to create cupcakes! We used red, white and blue cupcake cases to put each mixture in, then baked them in the oven. Finally, we added icing and sprinkles!

Completing challenges in teams as part of Commando Jo! We were finding out about Tenesha Teamwork and completed an obstacle course in groups.

Week 2

We have been learning all about the story, the Very Hungry Caterpillar! We have enjoyed sharing the story, sequencing it and retelling it.

We have loved preparing for the King's Coronation! We have made nature crowns, ribbon sticks and afternoon tea for the new King using our mud kitchen.

Week 1

Finding out about Earth Day, which takes place on the 22nd of April. We have enjoyed creating our own Earth day pebbles, using chalk pens and paint. Using play ground chalk and pieces of nature, we created our own nature chalk Earth onto the ground. We also used soil and seeds to plant and grow cress in our outdoor area!

In our outdoor learning, we had so much fun being summer detectives and collecting different nature objects to show the colours of summer. We found lots of pink petals, green leaves, white daisies and yellow daffodils!

Spring 2

Week 5

We had lots of fun making chocolate nests! We melted chocolate and stirred it, then added cornflakes to the mixture. Finally we added it to our cupcake case and added an egg on top!

We have enjoyed learning all about Easter and in our outdoor exploring session, went on an Easter egg hunt! We used the spring baskets we had made to collect Easter eggs, then used a parachute to catch and bounce special balloon eggs.

As part of our learning all about Spring, we had so much fun toasting hot cross buns! We talked about the texture and smell of each of the hot cross buns, then chose a topping and spread it. Finally, we tasted it!

Week 4

Finding all about spring, and the different seasonal changes that occur throughout this time of year. We have enjoyed drawing and using watercolours to paint a daffodil, and also used wax crayons and pencils to draw eggs, bunnies and chicks.

We went on a Now Press Play adventure... back in time to see the dinosaurs! We helped a baby dinosaur find it's mummy and had a go at pretending to be the different dinosaurs from the story.

Week 3

In maths this week we have been exploring length and height! We used cubes and Numicon to build beanstalks, comparing which is shorter and which is taller. In small groups, we have also been ordering beanstalks by height, from shortest to tallest.

We had so much fun exploring different activities at the Mini Olympics! We enjoyed throwing foam rockets, balancing, jumping, skipping and running. We also took part in the opening and closing ceremonies, waving our Orchard Primary flags!

Week 2

Drawing a dinosaur using 2D shapes! We then used watercolours to paint it, thinking about the different colours we were using.

More learning opportunities we have explored in Reception this week...

Week 1

We really enjoyed coming into school in our pyjamas for World Book Day! During our snack time, we loved reading decodable books as part of our Reading Cafe! We also shared lots of stories throughout the day and really enjoyed retelling our favourite story to a reading buddy from Year 1. Click here to find out a little bit more about World Book Day 2023!

So much fun exploring number and matching numeral to quantity! We have used beads to create different numerals and been practicing writing the numbers 2, 5, 7 and 9 in a range of ways.

Exploring changes that occur in nature during spring! We investigated new growth in our outside area. Then, had lots of fun working in small groups, planting seeds that we will observe and look after for the next few months.

Spring 1

Week 7

We loved finding out about Pancake Day and making our own pancakes! We talked about the different ingredients we would need to use, then whisked them in a bowl. After that, we used a frying pan to finish making them!

For Valentines Day, we worked together collaboratively to create a piece of outdoor artwork, drawing handprints using play ground chalk. We also enjoyed painting hearts with watercolours and paint sticks, in the style of Kandinsky.

Week 6

In PE this week, we really enjoyed exploring different ways of moving when climbing over, through and jumping along an obstacle course!

Exploring our school outdoor area for signs of spring, using our spring view finders. We then worked in small groups to create spring pots, using different nature objects we found on the ground.

Some more opportunities for learning this week...

Week 5

We were so excited to find some magic beans in our classroom, and when we came back after the weekend, we found a beanstalk had grown! We have enjoyed drawing, writing and painting our ideas and retelling the story using story props.

In Muddy Monday, we found out all about how minibeasts survive the cold winter months. We explored our outdoor area, searching for different minibeasts and using our magnifying glasses to see them closely. In small groups, we then worked together to make a minibeast mansion.

Week 4

In PE, we really enjoyed practicing throwing and catching using balloons! After practicing keeping our balloon up for a while, we then explored different ways of keeping our balloons up; such as with our elbows, our head, or with our shoulders. After that, we worked with a partner to practice rolling a small ball to each other.

Exploring pattern and practicing writing numbers to 8! We worked in small groups to practice writing numbers, wrote the numbers into glitter using a paintbrush. We also used compare bears to create and follow patterns.

After finding out about the Big Garden Birdwatch 2023 in Muddy Monday, we had lots of fun working together to make our own orange bird feeders! We used spoons to scoop out the inside of the orange, then sprinkled seeds on top and used string to hang them from the trees in our outdoor area.

Week 3

Finding out all about Chinese and Lunar New Year. We used paper, glue and scissors to create our own paper lanterns. After that, we had a go at drawing and making patterns, and also used tissue paper to create lantern collages. Click here to find out a little bit more about Chinese and Lunar New Year!

In Muddy Monday, we worked together to identify some birds that are found in the UK in winter. We also talked about how birds survive the colder months and how to take care of birds in the winter. We found out all about the Big Garden Birdwatch, taking place in January 2023. Click here to find out a little bit more about it! We then made our own pine cone bird feeders, which we will continue to monitor over the next week.

Week 2

Drawing and using watercolours to paint one of the three bears. We talked about which colours we were going to use and why. We also had lots of fun drawing and colouring our favourite fairytale characters!

In Muddy Monday today, we found out all about mistletoe! We used observational skills to identify any mistletoe growing in our outdoor area. Then, we used sponges to print pictures of mistletoe onto card.

Some more opportunities for learning this week...

Week 1

Making porridge for the Three Bears! We worked in small groups and talked about hygiene whilst mixing and preparing food. We mixed porridge flakes and milk together and then added our choice of toppings!

Finding out all about 2D shapes! We made puzzles, found and sorted each shape and also drew pictures and matched the 2D shapes by colour.

Autumn 2

Week 7

We were so excited to find that there had been snow at school! At lunchtime, we loved going outside and making snowmen and snow angels.

Some of our opportunities for learning this week...

Week 6

We have been busy writing Christmas letters! We put them in an envelope and put a stamp on top. Then, we walked to the post box by our school and posted them!

In Muddy Monday, we learnt about how trees survive during the winter months. We also found out about the different parts of a tree. Then, we used our observation skills to explore winter trees in our outside area.

Week 5

Lots of fun Christmas tree weaving! We wrapped elastic bands around our tree shapes. Then, we added fallen nature to our designs and weaved them into the elastic bands.

In maths, we used cups to make maths stories! We also explored shape and found which shape is the odd one out.

Exploring the changes that occur in the natural world, during winter. We used observational skills to explore the signs of winter in our outdoor area and then created our own ice decorations using nature finds.

Week 4

We went on our first school trip and walked down to the Library for a Christmas visit! We shared a few Christmas stories and then had a go at a few Christmas themed activities. We explored the library on a Christmas scavenger hunt, made Christmas baubles and shared our favourite Christmas stories with a friend. Thank you for having us, Pershore Library!

Some more of our learning experiences this week...

Week 3

Working together in small groups to make iced fairy cakes! We used scales to measure the ingredients and mixed everything together into a bowl. After that, we put the mixture into spotty cupcake cases and put the tray into the oven. When it was ready, we used icing to add colourful, spotty dots to our cupcakes!

In Muddy Monday, we found out about red and grey squirrels. We learnt about what squirrels eat, where they live and who their predators are. We also talked about how we can care for them.

Week 2

We found out all about Remembrance Day. We shared a short clip about why we wear poppies on Remembrance Day and talked about it. Click here to view the clip. We then used loose parts to create our own field of poppies in our tuff tray and also made poppy paintings, by printing.

Some more opportunities for learning this week...

Week 1

Finding out all about Bonfire Night! We shared a short clip from CBeebies, talking about how we can stay safe during Bonfire Night and why we celebrate it, click here to share this at home. We then used cardboard rolls to print firework pictures and drew our own fireworks using wax crayons.

Beginning to use cups to count in maths. We acted the Real Story addition Maths Stories with 1-digit whole numbers by following verbal instructions. We also counted objects up to 8 and matched them to the correct numeral.

In Muddy Monday, we found out all about spiders! We learnt what spiders are like, why they make webs and why they are important. In small groups, we went on a spider web hunt, searching our outdoor area for spider webs. Then, we worked together to create clay spiders! We collected 8 sticks and used these for the spiders legs, then attached 2 googly eyes for the spiders eyes.

Autumn 1

Week 7

Finding out all about Diwali! We watched a few short clips of different families and how they celebrate Diwali. Click here to share this at home! We also had a go at making salt dough Diwa lamps, Rangoli patterns and Mehndi patterns.

Observing changes, finding natural items and engaging in poetry and drama in our Muddy Monday session!  We worked in small groups to explore our outdoor area and gather interesting autumn ingredients to put into our potions. Then, we shared the poem, the Witch's Brew, and added our ingredients into our pumpkins. We also collected autumn treasures to create our own witchy autumn wands.

Some more learning opportunities this week...

Week 6

Counting and matching arrangements of up to six items! We used dominoes to practice counting up to 6 and also began to count objects up to 6 too. In small groups, we also matched dots on other dominoes to make a train.

Finding out all about Harvest! We shared a clip from CBeebies as a whole class and then talked about the different types of fruits which are harvested at this time of the year. Click here to view the short clip at home! We then worked in small groups to make a fruit salad using some of the fruits that are harvested at this time of the year!

Week 5

Using primary colours to explore mixing secondary colours. We each created a colour wheel using paints, then had a go at finger painting onto tin foil to see which colours we could make!

Finding out about how trees change in the autumn! We talked about how the leaves on deciduous trees change colour before falling to the ground, while evergreen trees keep their leaves. We each chose our favourite leaf, then compared the colour of the leaves with somebody else in our class. Then, we worked in small groups to sort the leaves by colour, shape and size!

Week 4

So much fun exploring the forest on our first Muddy Monday session! We found out about the changes that occur in the natural world during autumn. We used our observational skills to explore the signs of autumn in our forest area, working in small groups, to look for pinecones, acorns and autumn leaves. We used magnifying glasses to take a closer look at what we had found!

Some more of this week's learning opportunities...

Week 3

We began finding out about the story Owl Babies and the seasonal changes that are happening at this time of the year. In small groups, we explored our outdoor area and collected different shapes and sizes of leaves. We then arranged them to create our own owl babies!

Counting up to 3! We used Numicon, cups and objects to count and begin to group objects. We also began to look at the numerals 1, 2 and 3 and matched numeral to quantity.

Week 2

We remembered the Queen by making and eating marmalade sandwiches with Paddington. In small groups, we carefully spread marmalade onto a piece of bread, to make our sandwich.

Some more opportunities for learning this week...

Week 1

We used mirrors to create our own self-portraits. Looking into a mirror, we described the features we could see. We then chose different colours to use for the features on our face and our hair and eye colour. Then, we used a paintbrush to mix any colours we might need to use. They are now proudly on display in our classroom!

Exploring our outdoor obstacle course! We loved climbing up the steps and going down the slide and pole. In small groups, we also worked together to climb higher on our climbing frame and balance using a rope on the swings.

Creating our own funny faces, on our first week at school! We gathered natural resources from our school grounds. Then, we used the loose parts to create a funny face! We looked in the mirror to decide what features we could include on our face picture and then chose loose parts to create them.