GLF Schools

GLF Schools

GLF Schools was founded in 2012 in order to enable the federation of Glyn School (an academy in 2011) and Danetree Junior School. Together, we began our journey to become a MAT of more than 1000 talented staff working with over 10,000 children in 40 schools across 5 regions in southern England.

Nursery - Darwin Class

Charles Darwin (@DarwinTheCool) / Twitter

Darwin Class

Class teacher: Miss McGibbon

Learning Assistants: Mrs Earl, Mrs Lutchman and Mrs Calvert

This term:

This term our STEAM focus is Technology, and we will be answering the question ‘Can I design and build a structure using my knowledge and understanding of historical periods?  Children will explore different sources of light including torches, lanterns and sunlight. They will explore a range of materials to discover which are transparent and will enhance their skills of manipulating a range of materials.  Once they have developed these skills, they will make a lantern of their own design to be shown at our STEAM showcase. Our STEAM Hook this term will be a mock camping under the stars event using a starry night light to enable us to have this inside.  More details will follow shortly.  

By the end of the term, we hope that children will become more confident at the following:

 

Mathematics 

  • Children will gain confidence in counting forwards as well as backwards from 0-5 

  • Children will show an interest in shape and will be learning the 2D shape names for a square, rectangle, diamond, pentagon and a star 

  • The children will be learning to recognise numbers 1-5 using different representations.  

  • Children will be learning to order objects by length. 

  • We will observe and create patterns using a range of natural and manmade materials.  

Understanding the world 

  • Children will know and understand that we get light from different places, some lights are natural and some are manmade.  

  • Electricity and fire can both provide us with light but need to be used safely 

People and Communities 

  • We will learn that throughout the year, people celebrate a range of different celebrations. We will be celebrating Halloween and discussing the difference between Halloween and Divali.  

  • Diwali is a Festival of Light celebrated by Hindu communities.  

  • Christmas is a Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus and a star led the way to the stable where he was born. 

Technology 

  • Not all lights look the same or work in the same way 

  • Light is turned on by a switch 

Expressive Arts and Design: exploring media and materials 

  • Children will explore construction materials and make a variety of objects including dens, with these they will discover that enclosed spaces can create 3D structures and that dark spaces can be created for experimenting with light and dark.  

  • Children will be creating Diva lamps using salt dough before painting, decorating and adding a flameless, flickering candle. 

  • Children will create Firework art. 

  • Children will learn and perform ‘Five Little Pumpkins’. 

  • Children will select materials they want to use for a lantern. 

  • Children will experiment with joining materials together and learn how to do this effectively 

  • Children will create an individual lamp/lantern 

Reading 

This term we will be continuing to build the foundations to early phonics by teaching children to discriminate sounds, including environmental, musical, body percussion and voice sounds. At this stage in children’s development, rhythm, rhyme and alliteration are very important, so do please read lots of Nursery Rhymes at home to support our work in class. 

We are very excited to be continuing with our popular and effective ‘Talk through stories’ this term, which provides the opportunity for children to really explore new vocabulary, discuss the problem in a story and how it is resolved. We will focus on the different characters and the plot of each story.  Each week, we will share one key text which the children will become very familiar with. We will also bring the stories to life by using role play, puppets, stick characters and by joining in with repetitive phrases.  

Our Talk through story key texts for this will be: 

  • The Diwali Gift and Rama and Sita. 

  • Owl babies 

  • Can’t you sleep little bear? 

  • It was a cold, dark night. 

  • A night light for Bunny. 

  • Rudolph the red nosed reindeer 

Talking

Below you can find a useful document including activities to help you support your Nursery child's speaking and listening skills.

Documents

Page Downloads Date  
Talking with your children 11th May 2022 Download