Reception
Little Artists Inspired by Van Gogh
The children enjoyed exploring the artwork of Vincent van Gogh and looking closely at his famous sunflower and Starry Night paintings. Inspired by his work, the children created their own colourful masterpieces using paint, experimenting with bright colours and swirling patterns just like the artist himself!
Little Gardeners at Work!
In Reception, the children had lots of fun becoming little gardeners! Using trowels, they scooped soil into pots, planted seeds and carefully made their own plant labels. We talked about what plants need to grow — sunshine, water, air and lots of love and care! The children enjoyed getting their hands muddy and are very excited to watch their plants begin to grow and bloom over the next few weeks.
Paper Dolls
The children enjoyed listening to the lovely story The Paper Dolls by Julia Donaldson and talking about the adventures in the story. Inspired by the book, the children had lots of fun creating their own paper chain dolls in our creative area.
British Science Week 2026- ‘Curiosity: what’s your question?'
Reception had lots of fun during British Science Week when a special visitor came in to help us explore exciting science experiments linked to the theme of curiosity. The children loved asking questions and making predictions as they watched and joined in with different experiments. We moved a can using a balloon, made a balloon zipline, discovered how to make an egg float in salt water and were amazed when pencils were pushed through a ziplock bag without any water leaking out! The session sparked lots of excitement, wonder and curiosity in our young scientists.
Spring – Observational Drawings
The children became little artists and scientists as they explored beautiful spring daffodils. They carefully observed the flowers and created detailed observational paintings using bright paints and thoughtful brush strokes. As part of our learning, we talked about the different parts of a plant, including the petals, stem, leaves and roots, and discussed how plants grow and change during springtime. The children showed fantastic concentration and creativity, producing some wonderful pieces of artwork inspired by nature.
World Book Day 2026- Bucket Therapy
As part of our World Book Day celebrations, the children loved exploring The Very Hungry Caterpillar during Bucket Therapy. We made the story exciting and engaging by using lots of colourful visuals, props and interactive activities to help bring the story to life and capture the children’s attention.
The children especially enjoyed creating their own hungry caterpillars using paint and round sponges to print colourful circles. It was wonderful to see their creativity shine as they carefully painted and decorated their caterpillars while developing their fine motor skills and having lots of messy fun!
World Book Day 2026
For World Book Day 2026, the children enjoyed coming to school in their comfy clothes and bringing in their favourite books to share their love of reading with their friends. We had lots of fun exploring stories together and talking about our favourite characters and books. As part of our celebrations, we created a special class ‘Book in a Box’ based on The Very Hungry Caterpillar, which we were proud to share in our Good News Assembly. The children loved bringing the story to life by tasting the different fruits the caterpillar ate throughout the story, making our learning fun, interactive and memorable for everyone!
Branch 4- Desert to Garden
Reception enjoyed learning all about Lent, Holy Week and the joy of Easter. The children created bright palm leaves filled with welcoming messages for Jesus on Palm Sunday and took part in a special role-play outdoors, waving their palm leaves as we re-enacted Jesus entering Jerusalem. We also designed thoughtful helping hands showing ways we can help others through prayer, fasting and giving during Lent. Throughout the topic, we learnt about the important events of Holy Week, reflected on Good Friday and celebrated the joy of Easter Sunday and the promise of new life and new beginnings. To end our topic, the children proudly made beautiful Easter cards filled with colourful designs and kind messages for their families.
Crazy Hair Day- St Josephs Penny
Branch 3- Galilee to Jerusalem
Reception has been learning all about the life of Jesus and the places connected to his journey. We explored where Jesus grew up in Nazareth and about the miracles he performed in Galilee. The children enjoyed hearing the story of Feeding of the 5000 and the story of Jesus welcoming the little children. We also explored the word “Glory” and talked about how we can celebrate the good things God gives us. The children practised the Glory Be and understood that it is a special prayer and that the Church says this prayer to celebrate the coming of Jesus. Through stories, role play, map work, prayer, and discussions, the children developed their understanding of kindness, sharing, and God’s love as Jesus travelled towards Jerusalem.
Bucket Time!
Our children love taking part in Bucket Therapy, a fun and engaging activity that helps to build attention, communication and shared enjoyment. The structured, predictable routine helps children feel calm and focused, while the exciting “what’s in the bucket?” element captures their curiosity and encourages them to watch, listen and join in. As well as supporting important skills such as turn-taking, attention and language development, Bucket Therapy is always full of laughter, smiles and plenty of opportunities to get a little bit messy while learning!
Valentines Day
Our Reception children enjoyed a fun and creative Valentine’s Day. They explored pink foam and hearts, loving the sensory play and getting a little messy! In the water tray, they made “love potions,” mixing and pouring with excitement. The children also shared kind words about their friends and talked about what they love about the people around them. It was a lovely day full of fun and kindness.
Lunar New Year
We loved celebrating Lunar New Year! The children helped decorate our classroom with lots of red and beautiful lanterns, creating a festive atmosphere. We explored Chinese culture by learning about traditional stories and even had a go at writing Chinese numbers. The children also enjoyed trying noodles using chopsticks and took part in an exciting parade in the school hall, complete with a dragon dance and loud drums. It was a fun and memorable experience for everyone!
Little Groovers
Our Reception children really loved their weekly “Little Groovers by Liz” music sessions! Each week was full of fun, laughter, and lots of noise as the children explored rhythm and sound through singing, movement, and playing instruments. Along the way, they learned about tempo and pitch, practised taking turns, and enjoyed making music together.
Branch 2- Prophecy and Promise
In Branch 2, our Reception children have been learning about Prophecy and Promise as they prepared for the special season of Christmas. Through stories and activities, they explored the meaning of promises and the excitement of waiting for something special. This learning came to life in our wonderful Nativity play, where the children confidently shared the Christmas story with their families. We also enjoyed a festive Christmas party, giving the children the chance to celebrate together, have fun, and create happy memories with their friends.
Diwali -The Festival of Light
Our Reception children have enjoyed learning about Diwali, the Festival of Light. Through stories, crafts, and celebrations, they discovered how Diwali is a special time for many families, symbolising light overcoming darkness and good winning over bad. The children created their own colourful decorations, explored the meaning of light, and talked about how we can all share kindness and joy with others.
Branch 1- Creation and Convenant
In Branch 1, our Reception children have been exploring the themes of Creation and Covenant through engaging stories, role-play, and creative activities. They have learned about the wonder of the world and how God created everything with care and love. The children have begun to understand how special our world is and how we can look after it. They have also been introduced to the idea of a promise, learning about God’s covenant as a promise of love and care, and reflecting on how we can show kindness and keep our own promises to others in our daily lives.
Baptism
We loved bringing our learning to life by acting out a Baptism! The children took on the roles of the priest, parents and godparents, showing a lovely understanding of this special celebration. We were very excited to invite Mrs Birds to watch and share our learning, and the children spoke confidently about the symbols of Baptism.
