We are so excited to begin this new term together. Our classroom is ready to be buzzing with curiosity, laughter and new friendships.
Our priority is to make sure every child feels happy, safe and cared for, while also being encouraged to try new things and develop a love of learning.
We can’t wait to share lots of stories, songs, adventures and creative activities as we continue this exciting journey together.
This term in Nursery, our topic is Traditional Tales. Through much-loved stories such as Goldilocks and the Three Bears, The Little Red Hen, Jack and the Beanstalk and The Three Billy Goats Gruff, the children will explore familiar characters, repeated refrains and key story themes. These traditional stories provide rich opportunities for imagination, storytelling, language development and problem-solving.
We will also be celebrating World Book Day and enjoying a special week of Easter learning, helping the children to develop an understanding of seasonal celebrations and traditions.
Literacy and Phonics
In Literacy, we will continue to develop a love of stories through daily protected story times and extended conversations about our focus texts. The children will learn new vocabulary and begin to talk confidently about characters, settings and events. We will be developing our understanding of the five key concepts about print, learning that print carries meaning, that it can have different purposes and that we read English text from left to right and from top to bottom. The children will begin to recognise the different parts of a book and practise simple page sequencing.
In Phonics, we will move on to Aspect 5 of Letters and Sounds – Alliteration, encouraging the children to recognise words with the same initial sound and sort objects that begin with the same letter. We will continue developing phonological awareness by spotting rhymes, clapping syllables and identifying words that share the same starting sound.
Early Writing
In early writing, the children will use their growing print and letter knowledge to give meaning to their marks and write for a purpose, such as creating shopping lists for The Little Red Hen. They will practise writing some or all of their name and begin to use recognisable letters to represent sounds, including initial letters.
Mathematics
In Mathematics, we will build on our previous learning as we develop confidence in counting to 5, saying one number for each item in order and understanding that the final number counted tells us how many there are altogether. We will strengthen our understanding of the cardinal principle and continue developing quick recognition of small amounts through subitising up to 3.
The children will practise showing finger numbers to 5, recognising numerals to 3 and matching quantities to numerals. We will also compare groups using language such as more than and fewer than and practise counting forwards and backwards to 5.
Understanding the World
In Understanding the World, our learning will be hands-on and exploratory. Through the story of Jack and the Beanstalk, the children will plant bean seeds and care for them, learning what plants need to grow and observing changes over time. We will explore the changing season as we move into Spring, noticing new growth and signs of warmer weather during our outdoor learning.
Our chick life cycle sensory trays will support understanding of growth and change, and we are very excited to welcome Farmer Jules from Packington Farm, who will visit Nursery to talk to the children about farm life and animals.
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Throughout the term, we will continue building confidence, independence and resilience. Through role play, group activities and collaborative learning, the children will practise turn-taking, sharing resources and expressing their feelings using appropriate vocabulary. Traditional tales provide wonderful opportunities to explore themes such as fairness, kindness, perseverance and making good choices.
Expressive Arts and Physical Development
Across the wider curriculum, the children will retell stories through small world play, construct bridges and houses for story characters and create artwork inspired by traditional tales using a range of materials. Music and movement sessions will allow children to respond to rhythm and sound, while outdoor activities will continue to strengthen gross motor skills through climbing, balancing, running and coordinated movements.
Woodland Mornings
Our Woodland Mornings will continue, providing opportunities to explore the natural world as it changes into Spring. Through nature walks, den building, storytelling and hands-on exploration, the children will deepen their understanding of the environment while strengthening their physical development and curiosity.
Celebrations and Special Events
We are looking forward to celebrating World Book Day and enjoying a special week of Easter learning, giving the children opportunities to explore stories, traditions and seasonal changes in meaningful and engaging ways.
It promises to be a magical and engaging term, full of storytelling, exploration and growth. We are looking forward to watching the children develop their language, confidence and understanding as they immerse themselves in these treasured traditional tales at Charnwood.
To see some important dates that are coming up this term, useful information about our class or current topic and hints for helping your child at home, please check out the Useful Documents & Links section on this page.
We love to share the children’s learning journey with you, so regular photos and videos will be added to the ‘Stories’ section on our Class Dojo page. If you ever have any questions, please feel free to send me a message on Class Dojo or ring the school office — we are always happy to help.
The Little Leaves Team,
Welcome Song:
We sing the first verse of this song together every morning.
“Hello, Hello, how are you? Hello, hello, how are you? Hello, hello, how are you? How are you today?”
Days of the Week Song:
SUAT supports and leads in the set-up of new academies joining the partnership. The services provided by the central support function cover both educational and non-educational support. In terms of educational support, SUAT is linked to the School of Education of Staffordshire University, which is an outstanding ITT provider.