Clitheroe Pendle Primary School
Spring 1
Our new topic this term is called “Animals All Around.”
We will be exploring animals from all around the world, beginning with animals that live in cold environments and linking this to winter weather. As the term progresses, the children will learn about jungle animals, dinosaurs, and familiar animals from stories such as Lost and Found and Dear Zoo.
In Science, we will be describing different animals, comparing features, animal diets and groups, as well as exploring our own and each other's pets!
In History, we will be learning about our school in the past. The children will explore old photographs and compare what school life was like then and now.
In Art, Reception children will be creating sculptures by designing and making their own clay animals, while Year 1 children will be exploring weaving techniques as part of their creative learning.
The children loved creating their own imaginary animals by combining two different creatures using everything they have learnt this term. Miss Lancaster was so impressed with their detailed drawings and fantastic writing!
The children have been carefully painting their clay animals, thinking about the colours they choose and taking their time with the details. They are very proud of their creations and can’t wait to take them home!
The Reception children have been sorting pictures into the past and present and talking about what schools were like long ago. They shared what they could remember, noticing differences and similarities between schools in the past and today.
Today our children were absolutely thrilled as we got to see the King pass through Clitheroe. We practised our very best royal waves beforehand, ready for the big moment. We were delighted to receive a wave back! A truly memorable experience for everyone.
A big thank you to all the grown-ups who came along to Stay and Play. The children loved sharing their classroom with you! We hope you enjoyed seeing our superstars in action during phonics and getting a feel for everyday life in the Cherry Class!
We have discovered some mysterious dinosaur eggs! Where has the dinosaur gone? To solve the mystery, we are trying to trap it by digging a deep pit. We will be writing instructions to explain how the trap works.
The children have been busy making clay animals. We will be painting them next week.
We have been learning how to weave!
The children have loved writing their jungle riddles! C said, “I’m going to write ‘I have four legs’ because lots of animals have four legs!”
In Maths, Year One have been learning about 3D shapes, focusing on pyramids, spheres, cubes and cuboids.
The children took part in an exciting Drumz Aloud session!
We had a special visit from Mrs Hailwood, who came to answer our questions about what Pendle Primary was like in the past. We learned that children went home for lunch, Reception didn’t play, there was no uniform, and boys and girls played separately.
F made a fantastic village during learning choice, complete with houses, parks and street signs. Miss Lancaster was very impressed!
We are so proud of the children for their fantastic work retelling the story Lost and Found. We used a story map, actions and props! The Year 1 children then worked incredibly hard to write their own stories!
We are very proud of our Reception children for using the part–whole model to explore how two parts make a whole amount.
In History, we have been exploring what school was like in the past. We discussed how we can find out, including talking to people within living memory and looking at old photographs. The children loved seeing how the school and classrooms have changed over time!
The children enjoyed playing a penguin matching game and showed super turn-taking skills. Well done!
Our beautiful winter display! The children’s creativity and hard work have made it sparkle. Well done everyone!
Children in Cherry Class have been learning some Makaton! As a school, we will be learning a sign of the week. Take a look at this week’s sign!
During Forest Friday, we explored art outdoors, wrapping wool to create winter wands and showing wonderful concentration and perseverance.
The children packed a suitcase to help take the boy back to the South Pole, inspired by Lost and Found. They suggested brilliant items – including a compass and binoculars for spotting Arctic animals!
We enjoyed reading the story Lost and Found. We had a surprise visitor in our classroom – a lost penguin! The children have been busy making him some friends and creating “FOUND” posters to help him find his way home, sparking lovely conversations about friendship, care, and helping others.
Reception children have been partitioning numbers using the language of part, part, whole. They have been developing as little mathematicians, exploring how different parts come together to make a whole.
In History, we have started investigating what school was like in the past. The Year 1 children enjoyed creating a timeline to show how things have changed over time. Can they remember when school first opened? They loved discovering the differences between then and now!
We read the poem Cold by Shirley Hughes. Using photos from our Winter walk as inspiration, we wrote poems of our own. The children performed them beautifully and were rightly proud of their hard work!
In Art, we have been creating beautiful winter collages. The children selected colours, textures and materials to represent chilly winter scenes – with lots of sparkle and creativity on display!
In Maths, Reception children have used ten frames to make amounts in different ways. Fantastic number detectives at work!
This term in History, we are learning how schools were different in the past. Inspired by our many mini teachers, we have turned our role-play area into a mini classroom.
Later in the term, we’ll add traditional resources to explore school life in the past. Super teachers!
