Ducklings' News

Autumn Term 

This term our theme has been Ourselves. Our curriculum is underpinned by a high quality text. This term our core book has been Owl Babies. The children have been talking about their immediate family, the role they play and learning to build resilience and independence when settling into a new environment away from their parent/carer. We have been supporting your child's listening and attention skills through circle times. The children have loved listening to Owl Babies. They have developed their own story maps, retold key events and acted out parts of the story. The rain has been very exciting and we have loved making chalk paint rainy pictures! The children have shown a key interest in The Gruffalo and we had our first Family Story Time. Families joined us for tea, coffee and biscuits. The nursery team put on an exciting show for the children, acting out the story. As the term progressed we explored colour in our environments. We started our Welly Walks to the local woods and were excited to find fairy doors and collect natural materials to explore back in the classroom. During our Squiggle While You Wiggle sessions the children have used their bodies to create circles and lines. They loved dancing to music to copy the movements. They then made the lines and circles in shaving foam, flour and rice. They then had a go at drawing lines and circles. Great gross and fine motor development. Our older children have also started to write the letters in their name. The children loved the story "Colours, Colours Everywhere" by Juila Donaldson. They enjoyed making their own firework pictures and exploring a variety of media, including chalks and paint. Nursery Rhyme Week was a huge hit and we were lucky to have a Boogie Mites workshop to explore songs and colour. The children shared their own celebrations and we learnt about Diwali and shared our plans for Christmas. They loved taking part in the Elf run to raise money for Phyllis Tuckwell. We ended the term with our Christmas party and Nativity. The children took on a different role in the play to retell the nativity story. The parents and staff were very proud of the performance! 

 Spring Term 

We are delighted to welcome back all of our little learners for an exciting new term in Little Ducklings! The Spring term is always a time of fresh beginnings, growth, and exploration, and we’re looking forward to watching our nursery children bloom with curiosity and creativity. We started the term exploring the story of the Three Little Pigs. They followed a text map to retell the story and enjoyed making their own houses using a printing method. We have started learning Phase 2 sounds using the ELS phonics programme. The children who are secure in Phase 1 have enjoyed watching Mr Thorne search of 's' and 'a' objects so far. They have been learning the letter rhymes and searching for their own objects. The Three Little Pigs story has supported our learning for the number '3'. During their child led learning the children have been fond of horse play and small construction. They have been working collaboratively to build stables and homes to house the horse and farm yard friends. Continuing our theme of 'Three', we have enjoyed reading Goldilocks and the Three Bears and The Three Billy Goats Gruff. The children have been working with a text map to retell the stories using pictures, which has helped them understand the structure of the tales. We then 'walked' our story, making creative changes to the characters and settings. The children were incredibly imaginative and full of innovative ideas! We were also thrilled to invite our families in for a special story time event. The nursery team performed Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and the children absolutely loved it! The children's favourite activity was to create our own bridge over the water tray outside. They then took on the role as the troll from The Three Billy Goats Gruff. They enjoyed saying "Who's that trip trapping over my bridge?" 

Summer Term

Our learning so far...

As the warmer weather arrives, the children have thoroughly enjoyed exploring the changes that come with the season. Jasper’s Beanstalk and Jack and the Beanstalk have been popular stories, inspiring lots of conversation and imagination. Everyone had the opportunity to plant their own bean, and we’re excited to see how they’ve grown after the half-term break.

Our gardening adventures didn’t stop there! We have been busy planting bulbs, wildflowers, and a variety of herbs. The daffodils have already begun to grow, adding a cheerful splash of colour to our outdoor space.

Spending time outdoors has been a big part of our learning. Car washing quickly became a favourite activity, with children even designing and building their own car washes using crates and planks. Minibeast hunts in the garden have sparked a real curiosity about all kinds of creatures, big and small.

Our phonics sessions continue to be a highlight, with the children enthusiastically learning new sounds. Indoors and out, imaginative play has flourished. From detailed animal worlds created with blocks and small-world figures to the growing knowledge the children have about insects, dinosaurs, farm, and jungle animals. Learning through play is thriving.

We also enjoyed joining the whole school for a rugby-themed Sports Day. The children spent time exploring the different rugby activities on offer and showed fantastic sportsmanship and resilience throughout the morning. We ended the session with a lovely family picnic, where some children even had the treat of an ice cream with their family.