A Very Warm Welcome to Foundation 

Welcome to Spring 2 at John Clifford from all the Foundation Stage Team. Our Early Years Unit is known as the Wildflower Garden, and it covers the Foundation Stage One (F1- Nursery) and Foundation Stage 2 (F2 – Reception). 

Welcome to Summer 1 at John Clifford from all the Foundation Stage Team. We are excited to jump into teaching and learning with our new topic, ‘Growing and Changing’.

Although Summer 1 is a short half term, we have lots of learning opportunities for the children. This half term the children will learn about how people, animals, plants and the seasons change.

Our focus texts will be: The Ugly Duckling and Jim and the Beanstalk

Over the half term, we will also be learning:

• PSED- To continue to develop friendships with each other, share their stories about their experiences, take turns and share equipment. Express their feelings and be aware of behaviour affects others i.e. I will be able to discuss how Jack’s actions affected the giant and vice versa.
• CLL - Group discussions – expressing our point of view, using talk in our play to organise ourselves, connect our ideas and actions using longer sentences. Learning new vocabulary related to our topic, talk about different environments and talk about the changes they observe in seeds/beans, lifecycles of a duck, humans and changes in seasons.
• PD - Gross motor skills – Think about safety as they work as a team to move large items in their play outside. Remember a sequence of movements related to music and rhythm. Develop overall body strength, co-ordination, balance and agility and combine different movements with ease. Songs and dances related to growing and changes, weekly PE and Outdoor Learning activities with Mrs. Mitchell. Become more independent when changing for PE and Outdoor Learning.  Fine motor skills – Use Garden tools out to weed and to plant seeds, prepare healthy snacks; spreading and chopping using knives. Using scissors, playdough utensils, glue, cutlery, paint brushes and writing utensils etc.
• LITERACY - Non- fiction writing linked to our topic, ‘Growing and Changes’; fiction- writing linked to focus texts.
  • F2 – follow ELS phonics scheme – segment and blend CVC, CVCC and CCVC words. Read some letter groups that each represent one sound and say sounds for them. Read simple phrases and sentences. Spell words by identifying the sounds and then write the sounds with the letters. Weekly adult led writing session linked to key text.
  • F1 – Phase 2 (ELS programme) Phase 1 focus: rhymes, initial sounds, syllables on words, listening games. Name the different parts of a book e.g., front cover, back cover. Begin to form some letters from their name.
• MATHS –

Nursery

• UNDERSTANDING THE WORLD- exploring our environment and compare characters and settings from stories. Learn about festivals celebrated by other cultures – Ramadan. Know that there are different countries in the world and talk about the differences they have experienced or seen in photos. Understand the key features of the lifecycle of a minibeast. Describe what they see, hear and feel whilst outside in the playground and Outdoor Learning sessions. Look carefully at the features of different plants, changes in seasons, how humans change and grow. Examine change over time – daily routines, seasons.
• RE- Ramadan
• EXPRESSIVE ART & DESIGN- designing and creating using a variety of media e.g.: collage, paint, chalk. Using different textures -collage/paint/pastels. Learning new skills and techniques eg. Printing with objects, creating patterns (Spirals, zig zags etc), making 3D models using paper, twisting paper to create spirals and joining with glue and tape. Small world construction, junk modelling. Focus artist – Matisse.
• BEING IMAGINATIVE- retelling focus stories using role play, songs and actions – remembering a sequence of actions and adding their own actions to a dance.
• MUSIC- Playing instruments with increasing control to express their feeling and ideas. Tap out simple rhythms, colour mixing, observational paintings of plants, flowers, learn new painting and printing technique (wax resist, collage, printing. Explore creative area and choose resources independently to make own designs and models. Learn and perform a range of songs and rhymes related to the coronation (London), plants, well known popular children’s rhymes and songs. Respond to what they have heard, expressing their thoughts and feelings. Regular singing of nursery rhymes.

We will continue to read with your child each week individually or as a group and we ask you to share your child’s reading book with them as well. Please find the best time for you and your child to do this, making it enjoyable for all! 

PE and Outdoor Learning (ODL) Summer 1

PLEASE SEND YOUR CHILD TO SCHOOL WITH THEIR PE KIT FROM TUESDAY 22nd April.

PE kits will remain in school until the end of the half term To promote independence in dressing and for hygiene reasons please DO NOT send your child to school in their PE kit. Outdoor PE kit are also needed as our PE lessons will take place outside weather permitting. PE and Outdoor Learning take place each Monday afternoon.

PE kits consist of PLAIN black shorts or jogging bottoms, PLAIN white t-shirt, and trainers. Please NAME ALL PE CLOTHES. Please see the timetable for this half term below:

Parent/Carer Reading Mornings 

Each Friday, we welcome parents and carers into the classroom to share a book with their child. This takes place from 8:40 to 9:00 am. We’d love you to come and join us.

Homework in Foundation

Each week, we ask that all children read with somebody at home at least three times a week. This could be any adult or an older sibling or friend. Every little bit of reading really does help children on the learning journey.

Nursery (Sweetpeas Class) Reading

Each day, a box with story books will be placed outside the classroom. Please help your child to choose a book to take home to enjoy together.  You can read this story book several times with your child – Talk about the cover, ask them to tell you what is happening when you read it again and talk about the characters and where the story is set. Encourage your child to tell you the story, using the pictures to guide them.

Check out the blogs below to see what we've been doing in our classes!