Year one have made a fantastic start to the year. They have spent the first week exploring the new outside resources. They have created delicious food in the outdoor kitchen and building hand eye co-ordination playing tennis. Children have enjoyed having a go at writing and phonics is underway!
Year 6 had a wonderful morning in the sunshine at the Orchard today. They were able to fix the tree labels they made last year directly onto the steel mesh of the tree guards using zip ties through pre-drilled holes. They also participated in a ‘hands on’ conservation work activity making bee hotels and signs to welcome the bees! Children then had a tour of the site and were given some background information on the conservation work that has been going on in the park. Thank you to the volunteers who facilitated the visit, the children had a really great time and it was a lovely way to complete the project started by last year’s Year 6 children who planted the trees in the Summer term of 2022!
Reception had their first visit to the outdoor classroom. They were fantastic and walked carefully down. Once there they enjoyed den building, bug hunting and making nature bracelets and necklaces.
We had a fun packed few days at Eaton Vale this year. All the children were amazing and gave everything a go even if they were initially weary. We packed so much in that the photos below do not do it justice but hopefully you will get a snapshot of the lasting memories we built.
Children have enjoyed planting sunflowers and monitoring their growth.
Today Y5 celebrated Earth Day. We were tasked to look at the issue of ‘littering’ and how this impacted on the Earth. We decided to go on a litter pick around the school grounds. Due to the amount of litter found the children felt compelled to do more so they decided to write letters to their local MP raising this issue within their community. In the afternoon Y5 met up with their Y2 buddies class and helped them complete their ‘No – Mow May’ posters. Calling upon the school and all garden owners and green space managers not to mow during May – liberating their lawns and providing a space for nature.
This week, Nursery found some strange footprints in the classroom which led outside. We discussed who they might belong to and what the creature might look like.
This week in outdoor learning children went for a walk and found an assortment of treasures: grasses, flowers, leaves, buds, and sticks. They came back together and created faces out of the treasures they found.
We started the half term exploring how to work out area. Initially, we looked at the best way to measure surfaces using different shapes and made estimations using our finger tips. We moved onto counting squares and worked out the area of our names by drawing them on squared paper. Then we made a 1m x 1m stencil and went out onto the playground with chalk and created our own compound shapes – though the weather was not kind to us that day!
Once children were confident working out area counting squares we introduced the calculation length x width. Children were then able to work out the area of rectangles and compound shapes using this calculation. Finally, working in groups they used their knowledge of area to reason and problem solve.
Linked to this year’s Big Garden Bird Watch, here are some photos from Year 6’s bird watching activities in Outdoor Learning this morning. Children enjoyed constructing their own bird hides, watercolour painting and making bird feeders.
