We are making our mark!

Our children have been exploring both indoor and outdoor environments, using their creativity and imagination to make marks in all sorts of different ways during choosing time.

Choosing time is such an important part of Early Years. It is when children have the opportunity to lead their own learning, follow their interests and apply the skills they have been developing in meaningful, purposeful ways. This is when we often see real learning taking place!

It has been wonderful to see our children understanding that we can make our marks everywhere! We have spotted:

Children writing their own kindness messages in our Message Centre.

Children creating their own wonderful paintings and pictures in our Painting Area.

Children making amazing models in our Construction Area and then writing labels.

Children writing a special sign for our bug house outside.

Children recording their mathematical ideas through recording.

We love seeing children realise that writing isn’t just something we do during a handwriting lesson. Writing has a purpose everywhere! Whether it is leaving a message for a friend, labelling a model, creating a sign or recording an idea, our children are beginning to see themselves as writers.

We have also started our daily handwriting sessions, and we have been blown away by the children’s concentration and enthusiasm! We have been learning all about our 4 P’s:

Posture – sitting comfortably and being ready to write.

Pencil grip – holding our pencil in a way that helps us to write effectively.

Paper – making sure our paper is in the right position.

Pressure – using just the right amount of pressure when we make our marks.

It is wonderful to see how much pride the children are already taking in their handwriting. They have shown fantastic concentration and are working so hard to develop the foundations they need to become confident writers.

Keep making your mark, Class 1!

🌟 Celebrating Crew at NIS! 🌟

This week, we completed our first Crew walkthroughs of the year — and what a wonderful opportunity it was to see our children and Crew Leaders already building such positive, caring and purposeful Crew communities.

Across NIS, we saw lots of examples of children belonging, caring for one another, working hard and growing their character. It was fantastic to see the care and attention being given to Crew time and the way our children are already beginning to understand what it means to be part of a Crew.

🐻 Our Care Bear Crews

Our Care Bear Crews showed some wonderful examples of positive communication, kindness and support.

We saw Crew Leaders using thoughtful prompts and communication to help children share their ideas and participate, alongside lots of kind, caring and supportive interactions. These small moments are so important in helping our children to feel that Crew is a safe and welcoming place where they are valued and listened to.

🪶 Crew Backshall

Crew Backshall showed a fantastic understanding of what makes a beautiful Crew circle.

The children were encouraged to think carefully about how they sat together and how they could make sure everyone could see and hear one another. One child explained:

“If our legs are crossed and knees are slightly touching we can make a perfect circle where we can see each other.”

What a brilliant explanation! 🌟

This is exactly the kind of ownership we want to see developing in Crew — children understanding not just what we do, but why it matters. The children were also encouraged to think about the care and attention they give to themselves, each other and their Crew.

💛 Crew Nightingale & Crew Earhart

There was a lovely warm and welcoming feel in both Crew Nightingale and Crew Earhart.

We saw children making clear connections between their actions, our character traits and HoWLs, with these being explained and discussed in a way that helped children understand what they look like in practice.

We particularly loved seeing children writing Golden Tickets for one another, celebrating the amazing character traits and HoWLs they have already seen their friends demonstrating this year. ✨

What a wonderful way to notice the positive things happening around us and remind each other that our character is something we build together.

🎨 Crew Parks & Crew Simmonds

In Crew Parks and Crew Simmonds, we saw children being encouraged to work hard and take pride in creating beautiful work.

It was lovely to see children being supported to think about the quality of what they produce and to recognise that beautiful work doesn’t happen by accident — it takes care, effort, perseverance and pride.

🌟 We are only just getting started!

Our first walkthroughs have given us lots to celebrate. Most importantly, they showed that our children are already beginning to understand that Crew is about more than sitting together.

It is about listening to one another, caring for one another, celebrating each other’s strengths, working hard, showing our character and making sure that everyone belongs.

A huge well done to all of our Crew Leaders and, most importantly, to our wonderful children for the fantastic start they have made to Crew this year.

We get Crew right, we get everything right. 💛

Be Kind – How Do We Show We Care?

This week, Class 1 have been hooked into our exciting new expedition: ‘Be Kind – How do we show we care?’

We had a very special visit from our Kindness Elves, who arrived with a wonderful surprise – a book called The Hugasaurus! The Hugasaurus is a beautiful story all about the magical power of kindness and how a little kindness can make a big difference. After enjoying the story together, the children were inspired to draw their very own Hugasaurus! We were so impressed with the children’s pencil control, careful drawing and fantastic mark-making skills. There were some very creative Hugasaurus designs!

But the Kindness Elves weren’t finished there…

The very next day, they returned with a special Kindness Mission! Their challenge was to write or draw a message to show someone that they care. During Crew, each child decorated their very own love heart, filling it with drawings and patterns. Once their hearts were ready, the children shared them with one another.

It was wonderful to see the children’s faces light up as they gave their kindness hearts to someone special – and even more wonderful to see just how many smiles they created along the way!

Here is our latest mission…

Our first week of Be Kind has shown us that kindness doesn’t have to be big or complicated. A smile, a kind word, a hug or a thoughtful little message can make somebody’s day.

Teddies, Treats & Togetherness

Class 1 and Class 2 enjoyed a very special Teddy Bears’ Picnic to celebrate our first two weeks together as a crew! The children were excited to bring their favourite soft toys into school and share them with their friends. Over the last two weeks, the children have been working hard to build positive relationships, learn our routines and show kindness to one another. The picnic was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate all the new friendships that have blossomed and the fantastic teamwork we have already seen.

Class 1: Our Reception Adventure Begins!

What an incredible first week it has been for Class 1! 💛

Starting Reception is such a big milestone for our children. There are new faces to meet, new routines to learn, a new classroom to explore and lots of new experiences to take in. We could not be prouder of how wonderfully our children have risen to the challenge!

This week, the children have been busy getting to know one another, making new friends and beginning to build our very special Class 1 community. We have been talking about what it means to be part of a crew, thinking about how we can look after one another, be kind and help each other. We have also been helping our Colour Monster to become untangled by thinking about different scenarios that might happen at school and discussing what we could do to be kind, caring and helpful. The children have been fantastic at sharing their ideas and showing us that they already understand how our kind actions can make others feel happy and cared for.

The children have also been learning all about our new classroom and routines. From finding their way around the different areas of provision, learning where resources belong, getting ready for lunch and remembering our tidy-up routines, they have already made such a fantastic start.

We have seen lots of brave faces, kind actions, curious minds and proud smiles throughout the week. There have been moments when things have felt a little tricky too – and that is completely okay. Starting school is a huge change, and we are so proud of the children for persevering, trying new things and gradually becoming more confident each day.

We have particularly loved seeing the children beginning to play together, share ideas, help their friends and explore their new learning environment. It has been wonderful to watch their little personalities shine through!

We have ended our week with a fun parachute crew session…

It’s going to be a great year! xx

Colour Run Fun!

What a fantastic time we had at our Colour Run! The children absolutely loved taking part and there were smiles, laughter, and colourful powder everywhere.

As they ran around the course, the children were covered from head to toe in bright colours, making for a truly memorable and exciting experience. It was wonderful to see everyone having so much fun!

Of course, it was very messy, but that was all part of the fun! The children embraced every colourful moment and created lots of happy memories with their friends.

We hope you enjoy looking through the photos of our vibrant and joyful Colour Run adventure!

Sports Day and Celebration of Learning

What an amazing Sports Day we had, even in such hot weather! The children showed fantastic enthusiasm and determination as they took part in all the activities.

A huge thank you to all our families for your support and for joining us to make the day so special. It was wonderful to see so many of you cheering the children on and celebrating their achievements.

Following Sports Day, we loved welcoming you into the classroom for our Celebration of Learning. The children were incredibly proud to share their beautiful work and talk about everything they have been learning throughout the year. It was a lovely opportunity to celebrate all of their hard work, progress, and successes together.

Thank you once again for your continued support. We hope you enjoy looking through the photos from this fantastic day!

Sunny Days in Class 1

We’ve been making the most of the glorious sunshine in Class 1! With all the hot weather recently, we decided to bring the seaside beach vibes to school.

The children had a fantastic time paddling in the water, splashing their friends, and enjoying lots of fun outdoor playing in the sunshine. There were plenty of smiles and laughter as everyone embraced the beach-themed activities and cooled off in the warm weather.

Days like these provide wonderful opportunities for children to explore, play, and create special memories with their classmates. It was lovely to see everyone having so much fun while staying cool and enjoying the outdoors.

We hope you enjoy looking through the photos of our sunny day…

A Seaside Adventure to Remember!

Last week, our children enjoyed a fantastic fieldwork visit to Cleethorpes, and what a wonderful day we had!

From the moment we arrived, the children were a credit to our school. They behaved beautifully throughout the day, showing excellent manners, enthusiasm and curiosity as they explored the seaside environment.

We were very lucky with the weather too. The sun was shining and a lovely sea breeze helped to keep everyone comfortable as we spent time on the beach. Of course, no trip to the seaside would be complete without a special treat! The children were delighted to enjoy ice creams and ice lollies, which were the perfect way to cool down after a busy day of exploring and having fun. Please enjoy some of the photos below, which capture the fun, laughter and memorable moments from our day at the beach!

The train journey was definitely one of the highlights for many of the children. There was great excitement as we travelled along the coast together, and it was lovely to see the children sharing the experience with their friends. There were certainly a few tired eyes on the return journey home!

We are so proud of how the children represented our school and would like to thank all the staff and volunteers who helped make the trip such a success.

Independent Learners Leading Their Own Learning

What a fantastic few weeks it has been in Class 1! We are so proud of the independence, creativity and enthusiasm the children have shown as they continue to take ownership of their learning.

Our Construction Area has been buzzing with excitement and imagination. The children have been designing and building some truly amazing models. We have seen impressive castles, cosy houses, colourful toucans and even an incredible replica of the Empire State Building!

In Maths, the children have been consolidating their understanding of number bonds to 10. Through practical activities, games and challenges, they have been developing confidence and fluency in recalling these important number facts. We have been so impressed by their perseverance and growing mathematical skills.

The children have also been learning how to play Snakes and Ladders. This has been a fantastic opportunity to practise counting, number recognition and, most importantly, turn-taking. The children have played beautifully together, demonstrating patience, kindness and excellent sportsmanship.

With the excitement of the upcoming World Cup, the children have been busy designing their own football strips. Their creativity has shone through in their colourful designs, and they have loved sharing and explaining their ideas with their classmates.

Of course, we must not forget all the wonderful learning taking place in our Reading Area. The children have been getting even smarter by sharing books with their friends, discussing stories and enjoying time together as readers. It has been lovely to see their confidence grow as they explore new books and develop a lifelong love of reading.

Well done, Class 1! We look forward to seeing where your curiosity and independence take you next.