This week we have started thinking about writing our very own story!
To help us, we are using a story we already know really well — We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen. We were so impressed with how brilliantly everyone remembered the story from Reception. The actions, the repeated phrases, the order of events — amazing!
First, we worked together to practise our sequencingskills, making sure we could put the story in the correct order. Then we really challenged ourselves with a reading comprehension to test our understanding. We had to think carefully and look back at the text to help us.
Finally, we zoomed in on some of the powerful vocabulary in the story — words that might help make our own writing exciting and descriptive.
Now we are getting ready to plan our own hunt story… but this time it will be set in Doncaster, using all the landmarks we have been learning about!
The big question is… I wonder what animal might be in our hunt? 🐾👀
This week we started our brand new maths unit all about length and height — and we’ve had a great first lesson!
We practised using rulers carefully to measure and draw lines. We had to remember to start at zero, line the ruler up straight and read the numbers carefully. It was a bit tricky at first, but we didn’t give up!
There was lots of resilience in the room and some brilliant teamwork, with children helping each other to check their measurements and fix little mistakes. We love how everyone kept trying, even when it felt challenging.
A huge shout-out to Tiny the turtle, who showed fantastic determination and got his measuring question right — we were super proud! 🐢✨
We can’t wait to keep growing our measuring skills over the next few weeks!
This week, we revisited one of our big guiding questions: What is a game?
The children began by thinking deeply about what makes a game a game. Is it the board? The rules? The players? The competition? The challenge? Together, we explored the component parts of games and generated a long list of materials we might need — boards, dice, counters, cards, questions, instructions and packaging.
Then came a lovely moment of realisation: when all of those parts come together successfully, they create one very important outcome — fun.
Explaining Our Learning
We were proud to welcome Chris Backe in to work with us. The children confidently explained what our board game is about and why we have been learning so much about Doncaster’s landmarks, geography and history. It was wonderful to see them articulate the purpose behind their learning — not just what they had done, but why it mattered.
Having a real expert in the room helped to reinforce that this work is authentic. The children are not just completing a task; they are designing something meaningful for a real audience.
Making Thoughtful Design Choices
Next, the children designed their own game cards and carefully placed them into plastic pouches. This wasn’t just a practical step — it was a design decision.
We discussed:
Durability — game cards need to last.
Protection — they will be handled many times.
Material choice — why plastic, rather than paper or fabric, would be most suitable.
It was fantastic to see the children thinking like designers and manufacturers, considering the properties of materials and the long-term use of their product.
Creating, Testing and Adapting
The children then moved on to designing their own boards. This involved creativity, teamwork and — importantly — adaptability.
As they began to play their games, they quickly realised that rules sometimes need refining. Some games were too easy. Some were too tricky. Some needed clearer instructions. Rather than seeing this as a problem, the children embraced it as part of the design process.
They:
Tested their ideas.
Adapted their rules.
Improved their layouts.
Refined their thinking.
This kind of iterative design process is exactly what real game designers do.
Learning with Purpose
We were incredibly lucky to spend the morning refamiliarising ourselves with Doncaster landmarks, supported by a real expert guiding our thinking. This helped the children ensure their questions, illustrations and gameplay accurately reflected the place we call home.
Throughout the session, the children demonstrated:
Collaboration
Critical thinking
Creativity
Pride in their local area
Most importantly, they showed that when knowledge, skill and imagination come together — it really does create something special.
We can’t wait to share the finished games with you soon! 🎉
We have had a wonderful time learning all about Chinese New Year. We have been exploring the traditions and celebrations linked to this special festival and discovering how it is celebrated around the world. The children enjoyed reading a story to learn about the animals in the Chinese Zodiac. As part of our creative activities, we made fantastic dragon masks and colourful lanterns. In PE, we took part in our very own dragon dance.
This week, we have been learning all about Chinese New Year and how it is celebrated. We found out that this year is the Year of the Horse and enjoyed learning about the animals in the Chinese zodiac. We also discovered which year we were born in, and lots of us were excited to find out we were born in the Year of the Pig or the Year of the Dog!
This morning, we tried something new by practising our handwriting in Mandarin. We had a go at writing Happy New Year and talked about how different the characters look compared to the letters we usually write. We also made beautiful Chinese lanterns using bright colours and patterns, which we were very proud of.
It has been a fun and interesting way to learn about another culture, and the classroom has been full of excitement as we celebrated Chinese New Year together. 🐎🏮
This morning, we were lucky to welcome the School Nursing Team into school for a special visit. They helped us learn all about what school nurses do and how they support children to stay healthy and well.
We spent time learning about our teeth, what their job is, and why they are so important. The children talked about how we can take the best care of our teeth, including brushing twice a day, choosing healthy foods, and visiting the dentist.
It was a really engaging session, with lots of great questions and thoughtful contributions from the children. A big thank you to the School Nursing Team for helping us learn how to look after our bodies and build healthy habits for the future. 🦷✨
This week we became explorers, artists, and writers! We studied famous landmarks such as Doncaster Minster and the Frenchgate Shopping Centre. We researched key facts and learned about their history, purpose, and importance to the local community. The children used this information to write some interesting facts, showing pride in their knowledge of Doncaster. We also became artists and carefully sketched landmarks using observation skills. After sketching, we used watercolours to bring our drawings to life.
