Month: October 2025

In Parlick as part of our Topic ‘Lets explore!’ We took our exploration further afield to the Brockholes Nature Reserve. Despite the rainy weather, the nature reserve provided the opportunity for our class to engage with a local, open space whilst also exploring seasonal changes and what these look like in a natural environment. 

Throughout their experience, students engaged with physical activities which involved climbing, negotiating spaces and walking through different terrains- whilst also using their observational skills to explore various habitats (bugs, birds and deer) and natural objects such as trees and plants before discussing how these have changed based on the Autumnal weather. 

In the classroom, we have been sharing ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt’ as our Topic story, so our trip provided us with the opportunity to recite and practice the tale whilst experiencing some of the environments such as ‘thick, oozy mud and long, wavy grass’. To ensure we could continue creative and explorative learning at School, we collected sticks and various coloured leaves to take back to the classroom with us. 

This week, Bleasdale Class took their learning outdoors with a series of exciting activities in Holmes Wood. In science, pupils explored changes of state through hands-on investigations. They observed a candle melting from a solid to a liquid before cooling back into a solid again. They also investigated how chocolate changes when heated, carefully spooning the melted chocolate onto cakes before watching it cool and solidify. The class went on to explore how whipped cream can change from a gas to a solid while still showing properties of a liquid. Pupils created detailed drawings of these processes while surrounded by the natural setting of the woods, linking their science observations with their art skills. Later, they will add labels and write conclusions to demonstrate their scientific understanding.

In history, the children continued their outdoor learning with a scavenger hunt through Holmes Wood. They searched for missing pieces of a jigsaw puzzle and then worked in teams to race through questions about the Anglo-Saxons. Through this challenge, pupils deepened their knowledge about who the Anglo-Saxons were, the difference between invaders and settlers, what life was like during this time, and how archaeologists use evidence to uncover the past.

Throughout their time in Holmes Wood, Bleasdale Class showed excellent teamwork. Staff and pupils supported one another, making the most of the outdoor environment to produce exciting work that reflected both creativity and strong understanding. Pupils demonstrated collaborative skills while thoroughly enjoying their learning across science, art, and history in the woodland setting.

In Oakenclough class as part of our Starry, Starry Night topic in English and our Science topic on Animals Including Humans, we went on a brilliant trip to Brockholes Nature Reserve. The visit was carefully chosen to give children a real-life context for exploring nocturnal and diurnal animals, helping to deepen their understanding of animal behaviour, habitats, and adaptations through first-hand experiences in a natural setting.

During our time there, the children actively drew on their prior knowledge of nocturnal animals to explore the differences between day and night. They engaged in meaningful discussions about what we might see and hear in each setting, sharing ideas and building on one another’s understanding. As part of this collaborative learning, the children exchanged what they already knew about diurnal animals and worked together to identify which animals are nocturnal and typically emerge at night. The children were able to recall animals such as owls, bats, foxes, and hedgehogs, prompting discussions about how these animals are specially adapted to life in the dark. Through this peer interaction, the children not only deepened their understanding of animal behaviour but also strengthened their classroom relationships by listening to, supporting, and learning from each other.

The children also collected natural materials like leaves, twigs and feathers, which they later used in our enhanced provision to create their own nocturnal animal pictures. They had so much fun using their imagination and what they had learned to bring their animals to life.

This trip was a great way to explore nature, link our English and Science topics, and get creative using real-world materials. The children displayed collaborative skills whilst enjoying their learning in a practical way.