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Ducklings

Welcome to Ducklings Class (Year R)

WBD Hat Competition

Last week, to celebrate World Book Day, sixty of our children took part in our Hat Competition. It was wonderful to see how much care, time and creativity had gone into each and every hat. The entries showed fantastic effort from the children, with each one designing a unique hat inspired by a favourite story or book character. Today we announced the winners and took time during our celebration worship to recognise and celebrate every single hat. The display was truly breath-

World Book Day

Ducklings and their Year 5 buddies enjoyed a special early morning trip to Waterstones to exchange their book vouchers for a brand new book. There were so many wonderful titles to choose from, and it was delightful listening to the conversations about books as the Year 5s helped their Duckling buddies choose something they would really enjoy. It was also lovely to hear so many children speaking politely with the staff members, remembering their “please” and “thank you” as the

Book Day Costumes

A big thank you to everyone who provided costumes and props for your children on World Book Day.

World Book Day in KS1 and Ducks

Take a look at all our fantastic costumes!!

Reading Escape Room

On World Book Day we were so lucky to take part in a Reading Escape Room! Year 3, 4, 5 and 6 pupils had to escape Crow Castle by working in teams and taking a journey through the rooms via the magic of books. From MacBeth to Charles Dickens, Frankenstein and Sherlock Holmes, the children had to turn detective and search for clues. They had to read, infer, comprehend, spell, scan, skim and riddle their way to freedom, or face the Crow Queen and be trapped in Crow Castle. Duck

The Arrival of the Dinosaurs

We have had a roaring start to the new term in Ducklings, as dinosaurs arrived in our classroom. The children were full of excitement and curiosity as they discovered all the prehistoric surprises waiting for them. Our little explorers became palaeontologists, carefully using brushes to uncover dinosaur bones in our excavation area. There was great concentration as they gently swept away to reveal their discoveries. In the creative area, the children made colourful handprints

Boogie on down to better health!

We started our assembly with a quiet check-in, thinking about how we were feeling. Lots of us were a little tired as it is our first week back after half-term...mostly the teachers! As we chatted, the hall felt calm and still. So then, it was time to wake up and shake up! The music started, our bodies began moving, and soon we were dancing our hearts out, with some brilliant cheerleaders leading the way at the front. After all that jumping, dancing, and smiling, we checked in

Chinese New Year

Before half term, Ducklings class were learning about Chinese New Year. They explored how this special festival is a time for family gatherings, food, decorations and wishing one another good fortune for the year ahead. The children learned about the Chinese zodiac story and discovered that some of us were born in the Year of the Rat and the Year of the Ox. We also found out that this year is the Year of the Horse. This supported our understanding of similarities and differen

Three Hills Fun

Ducklings class were very lucky last week to enjoy another exciting day at The Three Hills. The children took part in a wide range of fun sporting activities, including ball throwing and rolling, speed stacking, goal shooting and baton running. Each activity station was carefully explained and demonstrated by a play leader, helping the children understand how to take part safely and confidently. The children showed great enthusiasm, teamwork and perseverance as they moved aro

Number Tracks

Ducklings have been developing their early maths skills by exploring and recognising number patterns. The children focused on identifying numbers using dice patterns, helping them to link quantities with numerals. To apply this learning, the children worked in pairs to play a simple track game. They took turns rolling a dice, counting the spots and moving their counters along the track. The aim was to reach number 10 first. This engaging, hands-on activity, supported the EYFS

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Term 4 - Dinosaurs

Welcome to Term 4! Our theme this term is Dinosaurs, and we are excited to take the children on a prehistoric adventure that will spark curiosity, creativity, and learning across all areas of the EYFS framework. Below, we have highlighted what the children will be exploring and learning over the term.

We are always happy to hear from you, no matter how small your question or concern may seem. You can call the school or send an email at any time and we will get back to you as soon as we can. We will also be at the door during drop-off and pick-up. These are busy times as our focus is on ensuring every child is safe and settled, and we appreciate your patience. Please know we are always here to support both you and your child.

Early Years Curriculum Overview for Term 4 ‘Dinosaurs’
The Early Years curriculum is organised into several key areas. Below, you will find an overview of what your child will be learning in each area during their first term. You can use this as a way to talk with them at home and share in their experiences. It’s perfectly normal if their answer to “What did you do at school today?” is “I can’t remember!” We will also aim to post a weekly blog so you can see some of the exciting activities and learning your child has been enjoying.

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

This term, children will collaborate during outdoor and TUFF spot activities, building skills in turn-taking, sharing, and empathy. They will also explore Mother’s Day, engaging in discussions about family and caring relationships. In the final week, the focus will shift to Easter, where children will reflect on themes of hope and new beginnings, fostering an understanding of feelings and celebrating diversity.

Communication and Language

This term, children will explore dinosaurs, learning about their habitats, diets, and fossils. Weekly activities will include storytelling, sharing discoveries, and asking questions about the past. By the end of the term, they will confidently use past and present language to describe dinosaurs and events.

Physical Development

Weekly outdoor dinosaur-themed movement activities will help children develop gross motor skills through stomping, balancing, and climbing. Fine motor skills will be strengthened with fossil digs, playdough, cutting, tracing, and peg patterns, supporting the control and coordination needed for early writing

Literacy

This term, children will continue developing their phonics skills, recapping known sounds, learning new ones, and focusing on segmenting and blending CVC words as well as recognising tricky/red words. They will bring home either targeted phonics sheets, RWI ditties or books, and can continue choosing a reading-for-pleasure book. In writing, children will use their sounds on Fred Fingers, with a focus on initial and final sounds. Our Talk for Writing focus is Harry and the Bucketful of Dinosaurs by Ian Whybrow and Adrian Reynolds, which children will retell through speaking, actions, and drawing before writing, building language, creativity, confidence, and storytelling skills in a fun, engaging way.

Mathematics

This term we will be focusing on:

Children will compare dinosaur sizes, lengths, and weights.
Counting, sequencing, sorting, and measuring will be integrated into hands-on activities.
Outdoor games and TUFF spot trays will reinforce number recognition and problem-solving.

These activities help deepen children’s confidence with number sense, early addition and comparison.

You can continue to support their number work at home by encouraging your child to count different objects and talking about what 1 more or 1 less would be. How quickly can they count a group of objects, do they touch each object, can they see a certain number pattern and can they count things that cannot be seen like sounds? The children could also try writing their numbers from 0-10. If your child does any number writing at home they could bring it in to show us, we would love to see.

These activities help deepen children’s confidence with number sense, early addition and comparison.

Understanding the World

This term, children will explore the world of dinosaurs, learning about how they lived in the past, their diets, sizes, and the fossils they left behind. They will also investigate different habitats and environments, comparing the Earth of long ago with the world today. In addition, children will engage with the Easter story, discussing themes of new life, hope, and Christian celebrations in a way that is accessible and meaningful for their age. Through these activities, they will develop curiosity about the past, an understanding of the natural world, and an appreciation for different traditions and celebrations.

Expressive Arts and Design

Children will enjoy a wide range of creative art and craft activities, including making dinosaur handprints, constructing habitat collages, designing paper plate faces, and building junk-model dinosaurs. They will also create something special for Mother’s Day and Easter, celebrating these occasions through hands-on creativity. In addition, opportunities for imaginative play in small-world trays and den-building will allow children to develop storytelling, role-play, and problem-solving skills, encouraging them to express their ideas, explore different perspectives, and bring their own narratives to life in a playful and engaging way.

Reading

Please enjoy the books your child brings home and share them together. The more children are encouraged to read and be read to, the more confident and enthusiastic they will become.

Reading is an essential life skill.
Listening to stories brings comfort and helps children focus.
It gives them knowledge and language to talk about the world.
Understanding stories helps them see how words and sentences fit together.
Exploring fiction, non-fiction, poems, rhymes, and songs builds their vocabulary and love of language.

Important Reminders

Please label everything your child brings to school (stamp, sticker, or pen) so lost items can be returned. Please check that the labels you have put in are still attached and not faded.
PE is every Friday and children will come to school in their full PE kit.
If someone different is collecting your child, let us know at drop-off, by email, or by phoning the school office.
Thank you for your support and please feel free to ask us about anything at all. We are so excited to begin this exciting term and cannot wait to see all the adventures ahead!

The Ducklings Team