Reception: Blog items
Reception learn about the ducklings
Date: 16th Jun 2026 @ 3:43pm
Our Reception class has been on an incredible learning journey as we explored the lifecycle of a duck, inspired by our very own classroom ducklings — Patchy, Coco, Paul, John, Rosie and Raphelle.
Watching the ducklings grow right in front of us made our learning come to life in such a special way. The children were fascinated as they observed how the ducklings changed each day, helping them to understand the different stages of the duck lifecycle — from egg, to duckling, and eventually to an adult duck.
During our oracy sessions, the children did a fantastic job of building their confidence in speaking. They used descriptive language to talk about what the ducklings looked like, describing their soft, fluffy feathers, tiny webbed feet, little wings, and smooth bills. It was wonderful to hear such thoughtful and detailed sentences being shared with the class. This enthusiasm for learning continued into our writing. The children produced some fabulous pieces of writing, describing their favourite ducklings and explaining what they had learned about how ducks grow and change. We are so proud of their creativity and effort! ✏️✨
We also explored our learning through art and design. The children enjoyed painting pictures of the ducklings and had lots of fun creating their own models. Each creation was unique, showing the children’s wonderful imagination and attention to detail.
This hands-on experience has helped the children develop not only their understanding of lifecycles and change, but also important skills in speaking, writing, observing, and creativity. What a fantastic and memorable way to learn — we are so proud of everything the children have achieved!
Reception have a special delivery
Date: 16th Jun 2026 @ 3:39pm
We had a very exciting surprise in Reception when a special delivery arrived — six mysterious duck eggs!
The children were full of curiosity and wonder. We spent time talking together and making predictions about what might be inside the eggs. Some children guessed ducklings, others thought chicks, and a few even imagined something completely different! Then came the most magical moment of all… the eggs began to hatch right before our eyes! 🥚
✨ One by one, the eggs cracked open and we were delighted to meet six adorable ducklings. We named them: Patchy, Coco, Paul, John, Rosie and Raphelle. From that moment on, the children took on the important role of caring for our new arrivals. We learnt just how important it is to look after living creatures by making sure the ducklings had plenty of food, clean water, and a safe, warm space. The children showed such kindness and responsibility. We also spent lots of time observing how the ducklings were growing and changing each day. The children noticed their soft feathers, their bills, their tiny wings, and their webbed feet. They loved talking about how each duckling looked slightly different and spotting their unique features.
One of the most exciting experiences was when the children got the chance to gently hold the ducklings. There were lots of smiles and very careful hands! Another highlight was watching them have their first swims — the children were fascinated to see how naturally they moved in the water. 🦆💦 This wonderful experience helped us learn so much about life cycles, growth, and caring for animals. It was a truly memorable time for everyone in Reception, and we are so proud of how thoughtful and gentle the children were throughout.
Reception release the butterflies
Date: 16th Jun 2026 @ 3:34pm
Over the past few weeks, our Reception class has been on a truly magical journey, watching our tiny caterpillars grow and change right before our eyes. At the start, our caterpillars were very small and wriggly. We made sure to observe them carefully every day, noticing how they ate, moved, and slowly began to grow bigger and bigger.
The children were fascinated by how quickly they changed! After some time, something very exciting happened — our caterpillars formed their cocoons . We talked about how this is an important stage called metamorphosis, where the caterpillars transform into butterflies. The class showed wonderful patience as we waited and wondered what was happening inside.
Then, the big moment arrived! One morning, we noticed beautiful butterflies beginning to emerge. The children were amazed to see their colourful wings and how different they looked from the caterpillars we first met. We spent time observing their patterns, colours, and gentle movements.
Finally, it was time to say goodbye. We took our butterflies outside and carefully released them into the wild. There was lots of excitement as we watched them flutter up into the sky. This experience has helped us learn so much about life cycles, caring for living things, and the wonders of nature. We are so proud of how responsible and kind the children have been throughout this journey.
What an unforgettable adventure it has been! 🌸🦋
Date: 12th Jun 2026 @ 2:14pm
This week, the children explored the story The Three Little Pigs. We read the story together and focused on developing oracy skills by learning and using new vocabulary from the text. The children practised saying sentences using these new words, showing growing confidence in speaking.
At the storytelling table, the children used puppets to retell the story, demonstrating their understanding of the sequence of events and characters.
In the creative area, the children painted a pig and created their own paper plate pigs using collage techniques. They independently selected and attached different materials, building on their fine motor skills and creativity.
In writing, the children wrote simple sentences about the story, using their phonics knowledge and showed increasing confidence in applying their phonetic skills in meaningful contexts.
Date: 21st May 2026 @ 11:22am
This week we have continued exploring the story Bog Baby, about two sisters who discover a mysterious little creature and learn an important lesson about love, care, and letting go. The story captured the children’s imaginations and led to some wonderful creative work.
We finished making our own clay Bog Babies. After carefully shaping them, we painted them blue, bringing each one to life with its own unique personality.
To complete the project, we designed and created habitats for our Bog Babies, thinking carefully about what they would need to feel safe and at home. This helped us to link our creativity with our understanding of real-life habitats and how to care for living things.
Finally, we took our Bog Babies home, allowing the children to share their creations and the story behind them with their families.
"I can't wait to play with my Bog Baby at home with my brother" Harrison- Bleu
"My habitat has got blue tissue paper for the water in the pond and green lilly pads made from leaves for it to sleep on" Leena
"He will love to suck his toes on the leaves in my habitat" Bonnie.
Reception Reading Champions Summer 1
Date: 21st May 2026 @ 10:56am
Well done to all the children in Reception who have shown decidation to their home reading teis half term. They have all recieved a special reading badge! Home reading has such a huge impact on th children's learning. It enables them to practice the skills they have been learning in phonics and help build their confidence and fluency. Don't worry ithere is a chance to earn a badge next half term. All you need to do is reading at least 3 times per week with your child and sign their reading diary.
Date: 21st May 2026 @ 10:50am
Our Reception Sports Day was a fantastic celebration of all the skills the children have been developing throughout the year. The children took part in a fun carousel of eight different stations, each carefully designed to showcase their growing abilities. Activities focused on key skills such as throwing, jumping, teamwork, balance, and coordination, and it was wonderful to see how confidently the children approached each challenge. In addition to the carousel activities, the children also enjoyed taking part in some exciting running races. Their enthusiasm, determination, and big smiles made it a joy to watch! We were delighted to welcome so many parents and carers, whose support and encouragement meant so much to the children. The cheering and positive atmosphere helped make the day even more special. Overall, it was a lovely event that highlighted the children’s progress, resilience, and teamwork. We are very proud of all their efforts and the way they embraced each activity with such positivity. Well done, Reception!
Reception- Making a Clay Bog Baby
Date: 15th May 2026 @ 11:46am
After reading the magical story The Bog Baby, we were inspired to create our own tiny creatures. The story, about two sisters who discover a mysterious Bog Baby and learn about love and letting go, sparked lots of imagination!
Using clay, we carefully built our own Bog Babies. We practised important sculpting techniques such as slip, score, and blend to securely attach the wings, legs, arms, and tails. This helped ensure that all the body parts were firmly joined and would not break off.
Next, we will be painting our Bog Babies and creating habitats for them to live in.
Watch this space to see our finished creations!
Date: 15th May 2026 @ 10:49am
This week in Reception, we have been working hard on developing our handwriting skills using our new scheme, Kinetic Letters. The children have really enjoyed building their strength and control through fun animal positions. We practised lying like a lizard and sitting like a bear to help strengthen our core muscles, which are important for good handwriting. We also focused on how to hold our pencil correctly using the “3 friends” grip. The children practised their pencil pick-up carefully and are becoming more confident with this each day. Using the handwriting tree, the children have been learning how to form their letters correctly. This week, we focused on “jumper letters”, practising the correct formation and movement needed to write them neatly. The children showed great determination and pride in their work. It has been wonderful to see the huge improvements already! Many children are now beginning to write on the lines and are starting to apply the correct letter formation independently in their writing. We are so proud of their effort and progress—well done, Reception!
Date: 15th May 2026 @ 10:29am
This week in Reception, we were very excited to receive a special letter from Jack! He told us all about his adventure and asked for our help to grow a magical beanstalk so he could visit the giant in the sky. During our oracy session, the children shared their ideas about what plants need in order to grow. We had some fantastic discussions, using kind voices and listening carefully to each other. The children suggested that a bean plant needs water, sunlight, soil, and warmth. We talked about how each of these helps a plant stay healthy and grow tall and strong. After our discussions, we took our learning outside. Each child had the opportunity to plant their own bean! We carefully pressed the beans into the soil and gave them a drink of water. We chose a sunny spot so our plants can soak up lots of sunshine. We are now eagerly waiting to see what happens next. Will our beans grow into tall beanstalks like Jack’s? We can’t wait to observe the changes and continue our learning about plants. Stay tuned for updates on our growing adventures!
Reception go on a minibeast hunt.
Date: 8th May 2026 @ 12:06pm
Following our exciting learning about the life cycle of a butterfly, our Reception children, have developed a growing interest in minibeasts and insects found in the natural world. Building on their curiosity, we explored the different creatures they might find in the garden during the spring season. The children eagerly shared their ideas, naming a variety of minibeasts such as snails, worms, caterpillars, millipedes, and ladybirds. Together, we discussed the features of these creatures, learning new vocabulary such as wings, legs, body, and antennae. The children were quick to notice similarities and differences, showing a keen interest in how each creature moves and lives. To bring this learning to life, the children worked in pairs to go on a bug hunt in the garden. Equipped with magnifying glasses and a sense of adventure, they searched carefully in different places, including under leaves, near plants, and along the soil. They were thrilled with what they discovered, finding a range of minibeasts and observing them closely in their natural habitats. This hands-on experience encouraged teamwork, observation skills, and respectful interaction with living things. The children discussed their findings with their partners and shared their excitement with the group. It has been wonderful to see their enthusiasm continue to grow, as they become more confident in identifying minibeasts and using new vocabulary to describe what they see.
Reception The Lifecycle of a Butterfly
Date: 8th May 2026 @ 11:58am
The Reception have been fascinated by learning about the life cycle of a caterpillar through real-life observation. Over the past few weeks, they have carefully watched tiny caterpillars grow bigger each day, noticing changes in size, shape, and movement. This hands-on experience has brought their learning to life in a meaningful and exciting way. Through engaging oracy sessions, the children have been introduced to new scientific vocabulary such as metamorphosis, transform, chrysalis, and cocoon. They have practised using these words confidently in discussions, helping to build both their language skills and understanding of the topic. The children asked thoughtful questions, such as “What is the catpillar eatingp?” and “What happens inside the cocoon?”, showing curiosity and enthusiasm for learning. The class worked together to make simple observations and recorded what they noticed over time. They also learnt to sequence the stages of the life cycle correctly: egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, and butterfly. Using this knowledge, each child created their own sentences to describe the different stages, demonstrating their growing confidence in both science and literacy. This topic has encouraged curiosity, careful observation, and thoughtful discussion. It has been wonderful to see the children so engaged in discovering how a caterpillar transforms into a butterfly—a truly magical example of nature in action.
Reception- Sports Day Practise
Date: 8th May 2026 @ 11:55am
Date: 8th May 2026 @ 11:00am
The children explored the life cycle of a butterfly through a range of engaging activities. Using a variety of art resources, they created butterfly artwork, focusing on symmetry and developing their fine motor skills through cutting and attaching materials.
This learning was enriched by a real-life experience in the classroom, where we observed caterpillars as they transformed into cocoons. The children showed great curiosity and excitement while waiting for them to hatch and become butterflies, encouraging discussion and questioning.
We also shared non-fiction books about butterflies, helping to deepen the children’s understanding of the life cycle and key vocabulary. The children were highly engaged throughout the activities, showing enthusiasm and creativity, and produced some fantastic butterfly artwork.
"I saw a butterfly in my garden... it was on a flower" Bonnie
"We looked for them ouside with Mrs McAllister- I saw a colourful one" Faith
"The caterpillar transforms into a butterfly" Theo
Reception- Composition of Numbers up to 10
Date: 1st May 2026 @ 11:26am
After reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar, we explored the composition of numbers up to ten using fruit from the story. Some children created their own number sentences, while others shared their thinking verbally using stem sentences such as “3 add 2 equals 5.”
It was wonderful to see everyone so engaged and confident in explaining their maths. We all enjoyed learning in this hands‑on, story‑based way — maths was great fun!
Date: 1st May 2026 @ 11:17am
Reception observing our classroom caterpillar
Date: 1st May 2026 @ 11:08am
Over the past few weeks, our classroom has been filled with excitement as we welcomed 5 tiny caterpillars into our learning environment. The children were fascinated from the moment they arrived, eagerly observing their movements and discussing what they might need to grow. As part of our learning, the children have been carefully watching the caterpillars each day, noticing how they have grown bigger and changed over time, The children have enjoyed recording their observations through drawings and simple descriptions, encouraging them to think about what they can see and how things change. They have used wonderful language to describe the caterpillars, noticing details such as size, colour, and movement. We have also had lots of discussions about what might happen next. The children are very excited and are hoping that, in the coming days, they will see the caterpillars form their cocoons. This anticipation has sparked curiosity and encouraged prediction skills, as they share their ideas about what the caterpillars will become. This hands-on experience has provided a valuable opportunity for the children to engage with nature in a meaningful way, fostering curiosity, observation, and a growing understanding of the world around them. We look forward to continuing this journey and sharing the next stage of our caterpillars’ transformation with you!
Date: 24th Apr 2026 @ 11:42am
As part of our Space topic, the children developed their oracy skills by learning and confidently using new vocabulary. Key words introduced included:
moon, rocket, stars, planet, Earth, satellite, and space station. Children practiced saying these words in full sentences during discussions, circle time, and shared activities.
In Maths, children explored space-themed learning through counting, number recognition, and simple problem-solving. They used rockets and stars to count objects, compare quantities, and talk about size, shape, and position using early mathematical language such as more, less, tall, and next to.
In Creative Art, the children designed and created their own rockets, selecting materials independently and talking about their designs. This supported fine motor skills, creativity, and expressive language as children explained what their rockets needed to travel to space.
The children also watched informational videos to deepen their understanding of space. This included learning about the first moon landing and discussing recent space exploration such as NASA’s Artemis missions, which aim to return astronauts to the Moon. These discussions encouraged curiosity, questioning, and early understanding of the world beyond Earth.
Date: 24th Apr 2026 @ 11:38am
This week we have been learning about space. Initially we found explored the differences between fiction and non fiction. We talked about how non-fiction is factual and gives use information about a specific topic. We read a range of non-fiction books about space recall key in formation. We also watched some interesting videos about the Apollo 11 moon landing and the recent Artemis II mission. The children then enjoyed writing their own sentences about space. Have a look at ou fabulous writing.
Reception learn how to take away
Date: 24th Apr 2026 @ 11:33am
This week we have been learning how to subtract from number within 10. We talked about how when we subtract the number gets smaller. The children used the resources in the maths area to physical take away. We then learnt how to record our work as a calculation on the whileboards.
Reception make 2D shape rockets
Date: 14th Apr 2026 @ 9:38pm
This week the children enjoyed a creative learning experience in the creative area, where they designed and collaged their own space rockets using a wide range of materials. They explored different shapes textures and colours, selecting and combining resources such as paper, card and foil with care and creativity. This activity encouraged the children to think carefully about shape and structure, supporting early mathematical understanding while developing fine motor skills and hand–eye coordination. The open‑ended nature of the task allowed each child to express their ideas freely, resulting in a variety of imaginative and unique designs. Throughout the activity, children demonstrated focus, independence and pride in their work, while confidently talking about the shapes they had used and the choices they had made.
Date: 14th Apr 2026 @ 9:32pm
This week the children have throughly enjoyed reading the much‑loved story Whatever Next! by Jill Murphy. The book sparked great excitement and provided a rich focus for developing early reading, speaking and writing skills. After sharing the story together, children used a range of props to retell the story in their own words. This supported their understanding of the text, encouraged imaginative play and helped them recall key details with confidence. They then worked on sequencing the main events, carefully ordering what happened first, next and last. Tje children extended their learning,at the writing area by labelling pictures linked to the story and began to write simple sentences about the characters and events. This helped them practise phonics, develop sentence structure and build confidence as early writers.
Date: 14th Apr 2026 @ 9:31pm
This term the children in Reception will be trialling our new handwriting scheme- Kinetic Letters. This scheme is designed to strengthen the body, train correct movemnet patterns amd help the children develop a fluent, confident handwriting style that supports their wider learning. This week we have been focusing on improving our posture by adopting a range of different animals stances designed to strengthen our bodies in preparation for writing. These stances included the meercat, the penguin, the stone lion, the bear and the lizard. We have been practising these stances throughout the day aswell as our daily handwriting session. We have also been learning the 6 basic movement patterns down, up, push, pul, slide and flick. We have been practicing them in the air, in our sand trays and on our brand new Kinetic Letters hiteboards. The children have throughly enjoyed this new and exciting multi sensory approach and we can't wait to monitor the impact of this new programme.
Reception The Lifecyle of a Frog
Date: 2nd Apr 2026 @ 10:31am
This week in Reception. the children have been exploring the world through an exciting hands on experiece at our school pond. We carefully colled some frogspawn to observe back in the classroom. After setting up a special observation tank, the childtren have been watching daily changes and learning new vocabulary such as frogspawwn, tadpole, froglet and lifecycle. Using books, magnifying glasses and videos, they've been discovering how frogspawn transforms from tiny eggs to tadpoles, then froglets and finally adult frogs, which we will return safely to the pond. This has encouraged curiosity, care for liviing thinfs,and scientific thinking, helping the children develop observational skills, languag, and understanding pf how living things grow and change.
Date: 2nd Apr 2026 @ 10:12am
This week the children in Reception have been learning about the Christian celebration of Easter. We started the week off with a special assembly led by Year 6- Rev Peter also came to talk to use about Easter. We listened to the Easter story and learnt that Christians believe Easter is when JEsus died on the cross and then rose from the dead on Easter Sunday. We explored different traditions at Easter including goign to church servies, egg hunts and buying Easter eggs for our friends and family. As part of our learning we worked together to sequence the story and made our own cross on a hill to represent the crucifixion.
