Summer 1 2026

Our topic this half term is 'Minibeasts'

🌼 Welcome back to Summer 1! 🌼

We hope you all had a lovely break and are ready for a fun and exciting half term ahead ☀️😊.

This half term, our topic is all about Minibeasts 🐞🕷️🐛. The children will be exploring the natural world around them 🌿, making observations and drawings of different minibeasts, and learning the names of a variety of fascinating creatures. We will also be learning about their habitats 🏡, what they like to eat 🍃, and exploring simple life cycles, including the life cycle of a butterfly 🦋.

Through this science-based learning 🔍, the children will develop their observation skills and begin to understand more about different types of minibeasts and how they live. As the weather warms up 🌤️, we’ll be spending time outdoors investigating our school grounds and searching for minibeasts using magnifying glasses 🔎—we’re very excited for this!

In Maths 🔢, we will continue practising number formation ✏️, developing our subitising skills 👀, and learning number bonds to 10. We will also be exploring 3D shapes 🔺🧊 and creating patterns 🎨.

In Art 🎨, we will be inspired by the work of Vincent van Gogh 🌻. The children will explore still life art and learn about primary and secondary colours 🌈. They will experiment with a variety of painting materials and techniques to create their own beautiful artwork 🖌️✨.

In English 📖, our key text will be I Am Going to Eat This Ant by Chris Naylor-Ballesteros 🐜. This fun and engaging story will support the children in developing their storytelling, vocabulary and comprehension skills.

🏃‍♀️ PE will take place each Monday. Please ensure all PE kits are clearly labelled 🏷️ and kept in school each week.

Homework will continue to be sent home on Friday ✉️. Please support your child in completing their work and return it to school by the following Wednesday 📅.

Phonics videos linked to your child’s current learning have been shared via Class Dojo 💻. Please encourage your child to watch and practise these at home—just a few minutes each day can make a big difference 📚✨.

Get ready for a noisy and exciting half term! 🎶🐛

The children will be exploring sounds in a fun and creative way by using instruments 🥁🔔 to create sound effects for different insects. Have you ever wondered what a cricket sounds like? 🦗👂 We’ll be listening carefully and trying to recreate those sounds ourselves!

We will also enjoy listening to different insect sounds and joining in with familiar minibeast nursery rhymes 🎵, such as Incy Wincy Spider 🕷️🌧️. Singing and music will help build confidence, rhythm and listening skills.

To finish, we’ll get moving with our very own bug dance-off! 💃🕺🐞 The children will create their own fun insect-inspired dances, using their imagination and energy to bring their minibeasts to life.

It’s going to be a lively, creative and musical experience—we can’t wait! 🎉✨

If you have any questions, please feel free to speak to us at the door at home time 🚪😊 or send us a message on Dojo 💬.

We are looking forward to a wonderful half term full of discovery and learning! 🌟

Mrs Weilding and Mrs Brown 👩‍🏫👩‍🏫

Phonics

Phonics is the foundation for children beginning their reading journey. In Reception we follow the scheme created by Read Write Inc. Through Read Write Inc children can build on letter formation while learning to read.

I will send links to the RWI phonics videos appropriate for your child's learning via messages on Class Dojo. These links do expire after a few weeks, so if you need further access, please let me know!

The Early Learning Goals (ELGs) are a set of important milestones that children work towards by the end of their Reception year 🎓. They come from the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum and outline the key skills and knowledge children are expected to develop across areas such as communication and language 🗣️, physical development 🏃, literacy and maths 🔤🔢.

Throughout the year, we support the children in working towards these goals through a balance of play-based learning, adult-led activities and everyday classroom experiences 🎨📚. Learning is carefully planned to be engaging, practical and suited to each child’s needs.

We regularly observe and assess children’s learning to see how they are progressing towards the Early Learning Goals 👀. These observations help us to plan next steps and provide the right level of support and challenge for every child.

At the end of Reception, each child is assessed against the Early Learning Goals and will be described as either emerging or expected in each area of learning. This helps to give a clear picture of their development and readiness for Year 1.

We work closely with parents and carers 🤝, as your support at home plays a very important role in your child’s learning journey. If you ever have any questions about your child’s progress, please don’t hesitate to speak to us 😊.

Links to support your child in learning at home.

Arundale's H.E.A.R.T

Arundale is a unique school and we are proud of ourselves and each other. Within all we do we champion our H.E.A.R.T values:

HARDWORKING - to work with energy & commitment to be diligent.

EQUITY - to recognise everyone's individual needs and support these effectively in an inclusive environment.

ASPIRATIONAL - to develop lifeskills to achieve ones hopes and dreams.

RESILIENT - to show strength and determination even when things are difficult.

TEAMWORK - To work together with others to achieve shared goal