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THIS HALF TERM AT SCHOOL

Mrs Farnworth

Welcome back to school for the summer term! We hope you had a refreshing break and are ready for an exciting final term of the academic year.

The summer term is always a busy and rewarding time filled with key milestones, outdoor activities, and celebrations.

Mr Hutchinson – Class Teacher
Miss Lowe & Mr Davis – Keyworkers

We are looking forward to an exciting second half of the summer term in Nicky Nook Class. With the brighter weather and longer days ahead, we have lots of wonderful opportunities to enjoy, including school trips and special end-of-term activities.
As the term progresses, Nicky Nook Class will also begin preparing for their transition into their new classes for next year. The children will have the chance to meet their new teachers, spend time with their future classmates, and take part in activities designed to help them feel confident and excited about the next stage of their school journey. We are looking forward to a busy, fun-filled, and memorable end to the school year!

DON’T FORGET……

If your child has any medical appointments, please inform school in advance where possible – you MUST send a copy (either hard copy or a picture by email) of the appointment letter/card/text to school for our register.
If your child is absent due to illness, please telephone school before 8.00 am and leave a message. Your child will not be collected for school until you inform us that they are well enough to return.

IMPORTANT DATES

D-Day 5th June 2026. Ocean Day 8th June 2026. Trooping the Colour 15th June 2026. Special Person Day 19th June 2026. Music Day 22nd June 2026. World Chocolate Day 7th July 2026. Nelson Mandela Day 20th July 2026.

Cultural Capital Dates:

Wednesday 10th June 2026: Half Moon Bay – Rock Pooling
Wednesday 8th July 2026: Waddecar Scout Activity Centre – Canoeing

Summer Term (2) 2026 Ends: Friday 24th July 2026
Autumn Term (1) 2026 Begins: Wednesday 3rd September 20

PARENT REMINDER

Please can sun cream be applied to children during the summer months. It would also be useful to bring a sun hat in for playtimes and trips. During the summer months children can wear shorts, but they MUST be plain black/grey or school shorts – no sports motifs.

CURRICULUM

In Topic, we will continue our learning journey with Bright Lights, Big City. This half term, we will be focusing on the fascinating history of London, with a particular emphasis on the Great Fire of London. The children will explore how the fire started, the impact it had on the city, and how London changed as a result of this significant historical event.

In Maths, we will be continuing our work on multiplication and division. The pupils will be developing their understanding of multiplication by learning new strategies and skills. This will include recognising and creating equal groups, using arrays to represent multiplication facts, and building confidence when solving multiplication and division problems.

In English, Nicky Nook Class will be creating sets of instructions for making bread rolls and pizzas. This exciting learning opportunity will allow the children to demonstrate their understanding of chronological order, sequencing, and the use of imperative verbs. The class will also be using their computing skills to write and send emails about London and its famous attractions, combining their English and technology learning in a meaningful way.

In Science, Nicky Nook Class will continue their biodiversity topic with a focus on microhabitats and minibeasts. The children have already enjoyed exploring where microhabitats can be found, and this half term they will investigate how animals and minibeasts obtain the energy they need to survive. They will learn about simple food chains and discover the important role that the sun plays in providing energy for living things.

CULTURAL CAPITAL

Our first Culture Capital trip will take place on 10th June 2026. Nicky Nook class will be going to Half Moon Bay to take part in rock pooling. The class will write instructions prior to this on how to rock pool and then use each other’s instructions to try and find animals under the rocks. This will be linked to our English focus and exploring the outside world and microhabitats in the sea. 

Our second Culture Capital trip will be on 8th July 2026, when Nicky Nook Class will visit Waddecar Scout Activity Centre for an exciting canoeing adventure. As part of their end-of-year celebrations, this will give the children the opportunity to try something new and create special memories with their classmates before the school year comes to an end.

Our class visited Billy Bob’s and the children had an amazing day. The restaurant looked just like a real American diner, with a huge lorry and a bright yellow school bus inside. As soon as we arrived, we could see how excited the children were for the day ahead.

Throughout the trip, the children were encouraged to stop and record their thoughts, feelings and favourite moments so that they could later use these ideas in their diary writing.

In the indoor play area, the children enjoyed exploring the hay bales, rope swings, zip line and three giant slides with mats. The slides were especially popular, and many of the children raced to the bottom before quickly climbing back up for another turn. Freddie and Ra’nell particularly enjoyed the giant slides and spent lots of time laughing and playing happily with their classmates. Throughout the play area, the children encouraged one another and shared the excitement of trying new activities together.

Gabby especially loved flying down the zip lines. Each time she reached the end, she rushed back for another go with a huge smile on her face. Some of the children thought the swings looked very high, but Frankie showed great confidence and bravery. He became “Tarzan” for the day, swinging from rope swing to rope swing like an acrobat and impressing both the children and us adults.

Ollie, Xander and Frankie also had a wonderful time in the foam pit area. The children worked together to build a large house out of the foam blocks, inspired by Minecraft. Using their imaginations, they created walls, rooms and secret entrances while laughing and helping each other as a team.

Outside in the adventure area, the children climbed, ran and explored with their classmates. We enjoyed watching them challenge themselves, build confidence and have fun together in the fresh air.

After all the excitement, the children washed their hands before heading into the diner for lunch. The children enjoyed hot dogs, burgers and fries after working up a huge appetite from all the activities. 

Following the visit, the children used their recorded thoughts and experiences to write detailed diary entries about the trip. They included descriptions of the activities, their emotions and the exciting atmosphere of the day. The experience gave the children a real purpose for writing and helped them to create lively diary entries.

The trip was a huge success. The children behaved wonderfully, supported one another throughout the day and created many happy memories. By the end of the visit, both the children and we adults wished we could have stayed even longer.

The children enjoyed an exciting field trip to different locations along the River Wyre, where
they took part in a variety of scientific investigations. At each stop, the children collected soil
samples and water samples to take back to school for further testing and analysis. They
carefully observed the environment around the river and discussed how the river changes in
different areas.

As part of their investigations, the children also carried out a flow experiment to measure the
speed of the river current. They placed an orange into the water and timed how long it took
to travel 8 metres in different sections of the river. By comparing the results from faster and
slower currents, the children were able to learn more about how water moves along the river
and how the shape and depth of the river can affect its speed.

Pupils visited Williamson’s Park to develop their geographical fieldwork skills through practical, outdoor learning. During the visit the children used simple positional and directional vocabulary such as near, far, next to, behind and in front to describe locations to their partners (e.g. The tree is next to the bush). This supported early understanding of giving and following directions, which will prepare them for future lessons using compass points (north, south, east and west).

Task 1

1. Stand with your partner.
2. Choose something to look at (tree, path, bench).
3. Point to it.
4. Say where it is using direction words:
   • near, far, next to, behind, in front, left, right
5. Say a full sentence:
   • The tree is next to the path.
6. Swap roles and choose something new.
7. Do this 3 times

While exploring the park, pupils applied their knowledge of human and physical geographical features, successfully identifying and discussing elements within the environment. Cross-curricular links were also made with science, as pupils observed that the sun (a light source) was reflecting off the water, helping them understand that water reflects light rather than producing it.

In a follow-up activity, pupils directed their partners to chosen locations using simple directional language such as forwards, backwards, left and right. This practical experience will support their progression to using compasses to guide partners around the school environment in future lessons.

Task 2

1. One person is the leader, one is the follower.
2. The leader gives directions using clear words.
3. The follower listens and follows exactly.
4. Use these words:
   • forward
   • stop
   • left
   • right
   • next to
   • near
5. Walk safely and slowly.
6. Swap roles.
7. Repeat 3 times.

We had a lovely day on our class trip to Middleton Sands, where we enjoyed the coastal environment together. The children really enjoyed exploring the beach and taking part in a fun rockpooling activity with Mr Farnworth. Throughout this, they were very curious and carefully searched through the rock pools, discovering crabs and other small sea creatures. We then spent time talking about what we found, and the children enjoyed discussing whether the creatures were alive or dead, showing great interest in what they could explore around them.

Throughout the day, we encouraged lots of discussion about our surroundings. The children shared what they could see, hear, smell, and feel, helping them to really connect with the environment. They also collected a variety of natural items from the beach, which sparked further conversations and curiosity.

We made the most of the different terrains, walking along the sand and over the rocks, which was great for developing their gross motor skills. The children showed good balance and coordination as they explored.

After all that exploring, we sat down together to enjoy a picnic lunch, which was a nice time to talk about the beach and the things we could see. We then visited the park, where the children continued to build friendships and took part in activities with their friends. It was wonderful to see them working together, sharing, and having fun.

Overall, it was a fantastic day filled with learning, exploration, and lots of smiles!

The pupils enjoyed an engaging and energetic outdoor learning session at Holmes Wood, centred around a “Cowboy Cook-Out” theme. The day began with a lively game of capture the flag, which quickly built excitement and teamwork while helping everyone work up a healthy appetite. Mr Meadows fully embraced the activity, charging around enthusiastically alongside the pupils, much to their delight.

Following the game, the pupils selected their own journey sticks. They carefully prepared these by smoothing the wood and trimming away any knobbly sections. These sticks will be used later in the term as part of a range of craft and Design & Technology activities, allowing the pupils to reflect on their experiences and develop their creative skills.

The session then moved on to the highlight of the day: the cowboy cook-out. Pupils worked together to prepare and cook a variety of traditional outdoor foods. The menu included hearty bean dinners, sausages, and bacon, all cooked over the fire. To finish, pupils made a classic treat—s’mores—which proved to be a particular favourite.

Overall, the session provided a fantastic opportunity for pupils to develop teamwork, practical skills, and resilience, all while enjoying the outdoor environment. Their enthusiasm and engagement throughout the day were excellent, and it was clear that everyone thoroughly enjoyed the experience.