Topic Overview
This year, our whole-school learning journey has taken children on an exciting exploration of our world through time and place. In history, pupils discovered what our world was like in the past, while in geography they explored what it is like today. As we move into our final topic, we are proud to become Planet Protectors, focusing on how we can care for our world in the future. Through our inspiring enquiry, “How can I give the world a hug?”, children will develop their PSHE skills by considering how their actions can make a positive difference. Each year group will explore the question “How can I make the world a better place for…”, with Reception learning about polar bears, Year 1 about bees, Year 2 about turtles, Year 3 about elephants and Year 4 about orangutans. Throughout this journey, we will champion our core values of being caring, curious and courageous, empowering children to speak up and take action. Although their voices may be small, they are powerful, valued and truly deserve to be heard.
Key Question
How can I help the polar bears?
Understanding the World
Nursery will talk about and describe changes in their environment and what we might see at the seaside. We will talk about the features of the seaside and learn the names of some sea creatures. We will talk about how we can look after the seas.
Reception will be exploring the people in our community who help us. This will include speaking to people who help us at school and inviting our grown ups to come and share their jobs and skills.
We will be finding out about our final season of Summer. We will be looking at how we are different from the Arctic.
Key Vocabulary:Nursery Emotions positional language/prepositions, names of sea creatures sand shell sea seaweed Reception Job, career, work Emergency, role, responsibility Sport, athlete Community, local Arctic, global warming.
Communication and Language
In Nursery we will continue to encourage the children to communicate effectively with their adults and peers. We will follow three-step simple instructions, sometimes without visuals We will encourage the children to anticipate key events in stories. We will take turns in small groups and ask simple questions and wait for a response.
We will look at explaining our reasons why using the word because. We will be asking questions, listening to what the person has said and making sure what we ask is relevant. We will talk about the future and think carefully about the tenses we are using.
Oracy
At Archibald, we are developing children’s speaking and listening skills through a strong focus on Oracy. Through dedicated Oracy sessions, discussion activities and engaging games, pupils are learning how to express their ideas clearly, listen carefully to others and build confidence when speaking. We encourage children to use ambitious vocabulary, take turns in conversation and share their thoughts respectfully, helping them to become confident communicators both in the classroom and beyond.
This half term our targets for Oracy are:
- Nursery - listening to each other and waiting our turn.
- Reception - talking in the future tense.
English
Reading: We continue to have a love of books in Early Years and this half term is no exception. Nursery - Our phonic sessions will continue. Nursery are concentrating on becoming super confident with their oral blending and segmenting—breaking words up into letter sounds. We also are brilliant are reciting our nursery rhymes and will continue to do this getting ready for Reception.
Reception - We are so proud of our Reception children’s reading. They are working so hard to use their phonics to support them as well as reading with fluency and expression. Our Reading practise groups will continue right up until we break for Summer. We are getting ready for Year 1, independently reading unfamiliar words by using our phonics. We will be ensuring we know all our tricky words ready for Year 1.
Reception children will be voting for their favourite story out of two at our Story Voting Area.
Writing
Nursery - In Nursery we will continue to build on our fine motor skills and will practise writing some or all of our names. We will focus on writing some letters of the alphabet accurately.
Reception - In Reception this half term we are working on writing independently. We are using our fantastic phonic skills to break up words to spell them and trying to write all of our letters using the correct routes. We are continuing to write for different reasons and hoping to write our own stories.
Phonics
Nursery children will continue to build their confidence in recognising sounds and orally blending words. The letter sounds we will focus on listening to this half term are ck,x,sh,th,ng,nk in our tuning into sound sessions. We will play games focus on name play, can you touch your? Can you do the actions and what's that noise?
Reception children will be looking at longer words including all of our digraphs and trigraphs. We will be looking at word endings and discussing the meanings of these longer words. We will be practising transcribing longer sentences to build up our stamina for Year 1.
At school we use the Little Wandle program and there is a great part of the website just for parents/carers: https://www.littlewandle.org.uk/resources/for-parents/ Take a look at the following resources:
Maths
Nursery - In Nursery we will be linking numerals and amounts up to 5. We will also be looking at the composition of numbers 3, 4 and 5.
In Reception we will be working on having a deeper understanding of the numbers to 10, knowing our doubles as well as which numbers are odd and which are even. We will continue to learn numbers to 20 and the composition of these numbers. We will consolidate our subitising and counting skills. We will be looking at adding and subtracting- using first, then, now. We will be recording our maths in number sentences and using more written methods ready for Year 1.
How can I help?
Use Tapestry to share what your child is doing at home. We love to see their achievements and find out what they get up to! Reception love to see when the children write at home. Team points are always rewarded for having a go at writing.
As the weather becomes sunnier, please apply sun cream to your child to ensure they are protected. Please send in a named sun hat for them to wear. Please ensure they continue to bring a coat, as the British weather can be unpredictable.
We love to junk model! Please send in any cardboard boxes, tubes, pots etc NO egg boxes, NO nut product boxes, NO medication boxes.
Please ensure ALL uniform is named—this includes shoes.
Computing
We will be using all of our skills to make a book all about us. We will take photos and use the keyboard for the first time.
Expressive Art and Design
This half term we will learn about the Katie in London. We will be looking at different artworks that she sees. We will use all of our drawing, painting and sculpture skills to make our own works of art.
Music
Reception will be joining a big band! We will learn to play instruments as part of an orchestra and perform to the other class to finish off this unit. We will also find out about our composer, Andrew Lloyd Webber.
In Nursery, we will sing lots of songs and practice play musical instruments in a variety of ways in small groups.
Physical Development
This half term we are focused on building on our balancing skills on balance bikes and scooters. As the warm weather arrives we will use water for mark making to build our shoulder muscles.
In Reception focused on our ball skills, consolidating our work on throwing at a target and looking a bouncing, throwing and catching larger balls.
PSHE and Religious Education
PSHE
Our big question this half term is… Nursery- How can I share? Reception- How can decide how to behave?
Nursery will be celebrating our end of year together. We will also be talking about our new journey into Reception.
Reception will look at how we can make even more friends, widening our friends. We will be looking at our transition to year 1 and talking about our worries and feelings. We will look at how we can help our community- looking after our local area and thinking about people and animals who might need help
Religious Education
We will be exploring the faiths in our community. We will find out more about their places of worship and their leaders. We will talk about our own experiences of religion in our school.
No Outsiders
Our stories and key messages this half term are.. Nursery will read Ten Little Pirates and look at how we can be friends with everyone. Reception will read the Blue Chameleon and learn skills to develop our friendship skills further and what to do if someone doesn't want to be our friend.
World Refugee Week at Archibald
In 2024, we proudly became a School of Sanctuary. The School of Sanctuary Award is given to schools in recognition of their good practice in fostering a safe and inclusive school environment, building understanding and empathy towards people seeking safety and working collaboratively to strengthen community approaches to welcoming refugee children and families. Biannually we celebrate Refugee Week. This year it is will be from 8th - 12th June where the children will be exploring this year's theme of Courage. Each Year group will also be reading and doing work around an age-appropriate text with themes of relocation, refugees and how we can show kindness and be welcoming.
Early Years will be reading Lily and the Polar Bears. We will look at how we welcome everyone into our unit and how we can play and make friends with others, just like Lily in the story.
Our Values
Please Instagram us @archibald_1st if you see your child being #AFSCurious #AFSCaring #AFSCreative or #AFSCourageous
If you would like any further details about this half term's curriculum, please speak to your child's teacher.