Friday 7th February 

This week the children have been practicing lots of letter formation, in English. We have followed the story of Christopher Nibble and used pictures to identify key words and initial sounds. We then used those initial sounds to write letters using the correct formation.

In maths we have been exploring 6,7, and 8. We have been exploring 1 more and 1 less and also the composition of these numbers. The children are getting really great at learning what parts make a number!

In phonics we have explored the sounds oa and igh. /igh/ is our first trigraph and the children did amazingly well at reading words with this phoneme in.

As we still have our big question of: What can I explore today? We were lucky enough to explore Mrs Gregory’s giant African land snails this week. We looked at them closely and felt their shells. Mrs Gregory taught us so much about them.

On Thursday we had our Speak out, Stay safe assembly session. We explored ways in which we could be hurt and who we can speak to if we are scared and worried.  We explored this using the NSPCC and ‘buddy’ the speech bubble!

Today was Times Table Rock Star Day! Although the children in Foundation do not need to be able to recite their tables we do learn our 2’s ,5’s and 10 times table through song and chant them in class daily. We did this with an extra whoosh today in our rock star clothes and it was great!

Next week is our last week before half term. Next Friday is an INSET day.

Have a wonderful weekend

The Foundation Team 

Learning all about Chinese New Year! 

We have had a great week in Foundation / Year 1.

We were very lucky to have Eva come and talk to us all about Chinese New Year. We listened to songs and learnt about traditions and Chinese food. We then made lanterns out of card and paper. We loved making the lanterns so much we made them all week! As it is the year of the snake, we made snake puppets, coloured in pictures and used our cutting skills to cut out a snake. We learnt lots and felt very lucky to have such a special visitor!

In our learning, we have been focusing more on minibeasts this week. Outside, Foundation labelled different minibeasts and talked about how they are similar and different. We have been learning about growing plants too, and what we need to grow a plant. Foundation have also been writing initial sounds using their phonics that are focused around our gardening story Christopher Nibble. Year 1 have begun planning their own gardening stories and will begin writing these next week.

We have had another wonderful week and I cannot believe we only have one week of half term left. This half term is really flying by!

Foundation / Year 1 Team

Food Food Food

Photos:
A visit from the Royal Cornwall Show to talk about and discover where our food comes from. 

A maths biscuit project to enhance our skills with money and maths.

Friday 31st January

This week the children have been working so hard!

In English this week , we started a new story called: Christopher Nibble! Christopher is a guinea pig who loves eating dandelions BUT they run out!

The children have really enjoyed learning this story. They explored the structure of a story by learning the beginning, middle and end. They sequenced the pictures and wrote key words to match the pictures.

In maths this week we have been exploring 6,7 and 8! The children have used ten frames to represent these numbers and have been AMAZING! We have also continued to learn/sing/chant our 2’s, 5’s and 10 times tables.

In phonics we have explored two diagraphs this week: ai and ee. The children’s reading is progressing so well and during phonics lessons Miss Hughes is always so impressed.

The children have been exploring gardening and mini beasts this week. They have matched vegetables to Christopher Nibble’s garden, dotted, painted and coloured gardening pictures, made minibeast from pipe cleaners and so much more!

Today we were lucky enough to have a community visitor in class that explained all about Chinese New Year. Ava spoke to us about what the celebration means to her family and what they do to celebrate it. She then showed us how to make the most beautiful Chinese lanterns. As Eva came into see us all of our activities were based around Chinese New Year! It was so much fun.

Have a wonderful weekend

The Foundation Team 

Growing and exploring!

This week, we have focused our big question ‘What can I explore today?’ on exploring minibeasts and things that grow.

In English we have started a new learning journey focusing on the gardening story ‘Christopher Nibble.’ The Year 1 will be writing their own stories at the end of the journey and Foundation will be focusing on writing CVC words and captions.

We have also had an assembly this week all about climate change and what we can do to help the Earth. This has linked in well with our growing plants conversation and we have talked about eating a little bit less meat, and growing our own plants. We have even started this with carrots this week!

We have been exploring vegetables and minibeasts this week too. We have used our funky fingers to create minibeast pictures, we have matched the vegetables to their names in a garden patch puzzle and lots of other activities. The children have been brilliant at discussing what they know already, and what they would like to learn.

In Maths, Year 1 have begun exploring numbers up to 20. We have been practising counting forwards and backwards as well as where the numbers belong on a number line.
Foundation have been exploring the numbers 6,7 and 8. They have been identifying these numbers but also identifying numbers that are not 6, 7 or 8.

It has been another great week. Well done Foundation and Year 1.

Foundation/ Year 1 Team

Friday 25th January

This week has included the special visit from The Royal Cornwall Showground. They spoke to the children about lots of interesting farm facts and where our food comes from and then the children were able to join in with fantastic activities, they loved exploring and learning.

In English the children have been drawing a labelling parts of a penguin. The children have been using their initial sound and phonics knowledge and it has been amazing to see their progress.

In maths we have been exploring 1 less and the composition of 5. The children really are progressing so well.

In phonics we have learnt the digraphs sh/th( unvoiced like moth) th( voiced like ‘feather’ and ng/.

The children are really growing and progressing, and we are so proud of all they achieve.

Have a wonderful weekend

The Foundation Team 

Early Islamic Art

Our focus for the first part of this term is the Early Islamic Empire and the influences that came from this fascinating period of history. We have looked at how Early Islamic art used geometric shapes and repeated patterns to create vibrant and interesting art work that can be adapted and used in carvings, wall hangings, fabrics and tiled areas. 

The children used step by step instructions to draw detailed shapes and imagery linked to the Early Islamic style. These designs will now be used as a basis to make soap carvings and stained glass windows.

Lots of learning and fun!

The Spring Term has well and truly started. Please enjoy 4 photographs that tell the story for these first couple of weeks of 2025.
We have enjoyed a visit from the Dog's Trust, taken part in a Stone Age DT/Forest School project 'living in the stone age' where the children planned and made a stone age meal and used different early caveman survival skills. We have had The Royal Cornwall Show come and deliver a workshop all about where our food comes from. Finally, on Monday 20th January, we went to Kents Cavern to link our history projects from Autumn to Spring Terms.

What a great start to the year. Please do ask your children about the things they have taken part in. 

Any questions about the term ahead, please do email.

Miss Pittas

Dear all

We have had a lovely week all around!  Last Friday, we began our Basketball unit where the children played various warm-up games and then practised some Basketball skills.  The children practised dribbling the ball and tried to get past their partner!

We continued our Art unit by drawing a sketch of a "Cubist Tree".  The children used rectangles, triangles, ovals, circles and various other shapes to create beautiful designs.  We will be working in groups next week to extend this idea further.

In English, the children have planned their own versions of their Jungle Book Story.  I am hoping that by the end of next week, they will have finished and published their books that will come home when they are ready!

In French, we have learned the names for the different rooms in a house!  The children remembered lots from the previous lesson so I hope that they have shared this with their parents!

We also had some lovely activities on Monday including a workshop from The Royal Cornwall show, music (playing Ukeles with Mrs Butlin) and decorating biscuits with chocolate spread and sweets for our maths lesson!

The children have also been learning a "street dance" in class which they are enjoying - and so are the adults!

Take care all!

Mrs Brewer, Miss Masters and Mrs Collings

22nd January – Royal Cornwall Workshop!

We were very lucky to have the Royal Cornwall Workshops this week. We learnt all about seafood and where it comes from. We then explored lots of activities all about farming and how to use the land. We filled in puzzles, dressed up as farmyard animals, looked at the life cycle of a flower, talked about healthy eating and lots more! We had so much fun.

In our learning, we have continued finding out about Emperor Penguins. Foundation have been exploring penguins in their choosing time. They have labelled penguins, talked about where they live and made penguins on our playground out of chalk! Year 1 have started writing their non-chronological reports about Emperor penguins. We have gathered our facts together and now we have started writing our sentences. We are going to share our information with Foundation at the end of the week.

In Computing, we have been learning more about algorithms. We were talking about bugs in algorithms this week and how with a bug, our algorithm won’t work properly! We have explored this through a dice game making monsters and seeing what happens when we roll the same number. Lots of our monsters ended up with two heads or four arms! We then talked about the importance of getting our algorithms right.

Well done Foundation / Year 1, another great week!

Foundation / Year 1 Team

Welcome back!

Dear all

We have such a busy term planned this term!  Our topic question is "What is it like to live in the Rainforest" - you will find the curriculum map for all objectives being taught below!

We began our unit to matching facts in a "treasure hunt" which we really enjoyed!  We then wrote our "I Wonder" questions of all of the things we would like to find out about during this unit.

In English, we are learning about "The Jungle Book" story.  We wrote our character descriptions today and next week will begin our own version of the story.  In maths, we are learning about shape!  Year Two are covering 2D and 3D shapes and Year Three are learning about parallel lines, perpendicular lines, angles, horizontal and vertical lines.  There are assignments on Mathletics in relation to these topics so please encourage your child to access these.  We are also completing our TT Rockstars on the 5 x tables which includes multiplication and division.  It would be so helpful to support your child in learning these.  The KIRFS for the term are also attached below.

In science, the children have started their Microhabitat unit which they are enjoying.  This week they explored our grounds to find the different places where small insects live. 

In art, we are learning about the artist Pablo Picasso and his style of art - Cubism.  The children will eventually produce their own cubist art painting which I will post on this page once they have finished!  In French, the unit is "My Home" (Chez Moi) and the children learned the names of all of the different places where people can live!  I am learning the names alongside the children and have had lots of fun!

End of week 2

This week we have continued to be explorers!  When we came to school on Monday some of our polar animals had been frozen! we had to work out how to free them and this was great fun. We used pipettes and warm water, and we soon got them out! We also explored painting ice outside it was so much fun! 

In outdoor learning we used a graded paint sheet and explored our natural area to see if we could match natural items to the sheet! 

In English this week Miss Hughes pretended to be a penguin whilst the children thought of brilliant questions to ask the 'penguin'. Once we had lots of questions, we then used different sources such as books, fact files, the internet and nature programs to answer our questions. The children thought of some amazing questions. 

In maths we have been exploring 'one more' the children have had great fun exploring this topic, especially when we played the bus game!! 

We have explored so much this week! 

15th January - Welcome back Foundation / Year 1!

Happy New Year! We have had a great start back to school in Foundation/Year 1.

We are focusing on the big question ‘what can I explore today?’ in our curriculum this half term. We have begun our Geography lessons working as explorers and geographers to find human and physical features in our local environment.

We have also started our new English Learning Journey focusing on the book ‘The Emperor’s Egg’ by Martin Jenkins. The children have really enjoyed learning facts about the Emperor Penguins. Our favourite fact is that the Daddy penguin has to look after the egg and keep it warm for two whole months before it hatches! We all agree that this would be a tricky job. We have been developing our English skills by sequencing the story, role playing as penguins and Year 1 have even begun to write a recount of how a baby penguin is born.

In Maths for Year 1, our focus is shape. We have been exploring 2D and 3D shapes and sorting them based on their properties. We have also been making our own 3D shapes using stickle bricks and making 2D shapes using peg boards.
Foundation have been focusing on representing 1,2,3,4 and 5! They have been using five frames to find the numbers and also been practising their number formation.

We are set for a very good term. Well done for a great start Foundation and Year 1.

Foundation/ Year 1 Team

Friday 10th January- Happy New Year! 

Happy New Year to everyone, and what a wonderful start back to school we have had!

The children seemed to have grown over the two weeks not at school and it reminds us just how quickly the Foundation year goes!

This half term’s big question is: What can we explore today?

Currently we are exploring polar regions, we have our very own Antarctica in class and the children have loved exploring it. The weather has kindly helped us with our exploration and we have been looking closely at all the ice in our playground. We even completed an experiment to see if we blow bubbles onto the ice will the bubble freeze!!

In English this week we have started to read the story The Emperor’s Egg. The children loved this book, and they learnt it well by using our class story map. We also watched a compilation of Happy Feet the film. The children made connections about what we read in our book. The children have used their oracy and sequencing skills to retell the story in their books.

As we discovered that daddy emperor penguins have a very important job in keeping the egg warm and safe on their feet for 2 months, so we decided to see if we could be an emperor penguin. We had a go at balancing an ‘egg’ on our feet and waddle- it was so tricky! Although Janet was a pro!

In math’s this week we have explored zero, subitise to 5 and count back from 5. Miss Hughes has challenged the children every day to a math’s activity and the children have beat her every day, they are the best mathematicians!

In phonics the children have started level 3 this week we explored phonemes j/v/w/and x. The children have come back to school with such enthusiasm for their phonics and have been so excited to learn level 3!  

The children have also: made arctic scenes, drawn penguins, tried to make igloos from Lego, played read and find, and so much more!

Have a wonderful weekend

The Foundation Team