Month: January 2026

This week has been a fabulous mix of learning in the classroom and outdoors. We checked the weather and certainly picked the best day to enjoy the winter sunshine. 

In the classroom we have been noticing how a sentence is formed and starting to write more and more. This is so exciting to see. We have had lots more elf letters and we have found out what the elves need-food, drink, warmth, shelter and love. 

Our elves had a mug of coffee and a glass of milk and a can of pop. These all featured in our writing and our reading and maths. We explored capacity using a selection of jugs, pots and cups. Much fun was had while making comparisons and recording results.

The Pioneers began their coding journey using the BeeBots, using the features of our forest.

We managed a whole day outside using every area of our wonderful school grounds. The sun shone and we supported each other identifying and managing risks.

The Pioneers continue to explore a range of gadgets from the past. We discussed the functions of a smart phone and then looked at all the equipment needed to do this-a record player, a cassette player, a CD player and a range of cameras. The elves brought a typewriter and this was a very exciting addition to the classroom. The Pioneers were able to take the top off and look inside noticing all the levers and moving parts.

We got used to the vocabulary of “past and present” and talking about how things were the same and what has changed over time.

The Pioneers have been making maps of the village in the story of The Elves and the Shoemaker. They were introduced to maps with a grid and compass points. We walked around the classroom with a compass noting where north was. We then build all the features from the story using a selection of loose parts. The Pioneers were then very keen to add labels.
We read a number of words together-path, tree, bush, road, street, shop, flat and cabin and map. We also added a pond and a pool.The Pioneers wanted to add bridge and tunnel. They experimented with their phonics to do this.
While working, they retold the story.
This was intense, focussed and very serious. So much is now possible!

We begin this week by reading a traditional tale, The Elves and the Shoemaker.An elf arrived in the classroom and he left us a letter to read. He was there to help the little old man who made shoes in the shop. The Pioneers handled artefacts from the past, examining shoe lasts, leather and old part made shoes. They took a close look at a very old sewing machine and noticed the levers and the cogs that make it work. We discussed manmade and natural materials, learning where the leather comes from and the tools required in the workshop. We discussed where the shop was and what it was like to live in a flat. The work gave us so many new words to use in our play in the Cobbler’s Shop.
The Pioneers have a variety of building materials to combine, working together, sharing the space. There was a lot of conversation and negotiation. There was not a piece of cardboard big enough to make a roof so compromises had to be made!

Happy Learning