Autumn Term - Footsteps through the Forest

To start our topic, we meet a woodland character who we find behind a magic door. This character introduces us to the changing of the seasons, other woodland animals and we meet Little Red Riding Hood. We explore lots of wonderful stories that provide us with opportunities to cook, create art and carry out science experiments. We investigate whether the Big Bad Wolf is really so Big and Bad. We also meet two characters from well known Julia Donaldson stories and explore the artwork of Andy Goldsworthy. 

Questions we'll be asking:

• How did Little Red Riding Hood use her senses?
• How will you create your woodland collage? 
• Can you write your own retelling of Little Red Riding Hood?
• How do we make pancakes like Mr Wolf?
• What are the signs of autumn?
• How can we find out about owls?

Trips

There are many ways in which we will be enriching the curriculum this term:

• Making Mr Wolf’s pancakes
• Surprise visitors coming to visit us in school
• A forest adventure run by Goodwood Education Trust.

We estimate that trips this year will cost approximately £60. Further details of costs and arrangements will be provided nearer the time.

Supporting your child

If you are able to offer any assistance in the classroom we would be delighted to hear from you, even it’s only half an hour in the mornings to support individual reading.

Please continue to read daily with your child and play word games related to reading and spelling lists sent home.

If you want to do more, here are some ideas...

Watch Together

Wildlife programmes related to forests, owls and wolves.

Watch the animated versions of Stick Man and The Gruffalo's Child.

Do Together

• Visit woods or forests
• Collect leaves and sticks to create your own forest
• Go to the library and find books linked to our topic
• Look at ideas on the Woodland Trust for the whole family: Woodland Trust

Read Together

Read at least 3 times a week.  Read with your child and write in the CAPER diary.

Read a range of fairy tales, including different versions. How many different versions of ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ can you find? Talk about the similarities and differences.

Read some Julia Donaldson stories.

Spring – Move It!

We start our term by immersing ourselves in the wonderful sights and sounds of steam engines. This inspires our art, poetry and story writing. We listen to the memories of an older person and look at photographs of railways from the 1950s. 

We carry out some detective work and meet a naughty character. This leads us to embark on a bus tour of Worthing and discover more about key landmarks of our town in the past and present. We discover how one small brave action from Rosa Parks inspired others to fight for equality and justice. 

Our very own bike day at school starts our journey to become bike experts. We create amazing art inspired by the work of Joel Henriques.  

Later, we meet a Quentin Blake story character who asks us to design something for a four legged friend.  During science week, another book character asks us to carry out a series of science investigations.

We finish our topic with a visit to Amberley Working Museum which allows us to explore the history of vehicles and see how changes occur over time.

Questions we'll be asking:

• What was it like to travel on a steam train?
• What does the Naughty Bus do?
• What landmarks can you see on a bus tour around Worthing?
• How has Worthing changed over time?
• How do you stay safe on a bike?
• What is a Penny Farthing?
• What techniques can you use to create art inspired by the artist Joel Henriques?
• Where would you travel with Motor Miles in his car?
• Why should we remember women like Rosa Parks?

Trips

There are many ways in which we will be enriching the curriculum this term:

• Bike Day
• Visit from Bike expert 
• Trip to Amberley Working Museum

Supporting your child

Come and help in the classroom. We would be delighted to see you; even it’s only half an hour in the mornings to support individual reading.

Please read with your child daily and play word games related to reading and spelling lists sent home.

If you want to do more, here are some ideas …

Learn Together

Learn to ride your bike without stabilizers. Go for a bike ride or scooter ride with your family.

Do Together

• Go on a train journey or a bus ride. 
• Take care of your bike – wash it and look at how each part works.
• Use construction toys to build an imaginative vehicle.
• Draw, paint or collage vehicles.
• Plan a bike route for the family in your local area.
• Visit Worthing landmarks e.g. Worthing Museum, The Pier and Cissbury Ring.

Read Together

Go to the library and find stories on bikes, buses and trains. There are lots of stories about The Little Red Train by Benedict Blathwayt.

Find information about vehicles.

Summer – In the Garden

It's summer time - time to be in the garden! We think about the seasons and explore what the weather will be like at different times of the year. We enjoy reading lots of different versions of Jack and the Beanstalk. We plant seeds and track their development; we look at where our food comes from and plan and make fruity snacks when thinking about our diet. 

We enjoy the books 'Kitchen Disco' which inspires us to create some fruity treats. We also learn about the important contributions of female botanical artists, including the work of Beatrix Potter.

Finally we investigate 'Marvelous Minibeasts' that can be found in the garden. We research their habitats and find out more on a trip to the Wildfowl Wetlands Trust. There are lots of opportunities for creative art, science and geography. We celebrate all our hard work by holding an Ugly Bug Ball where we make our own costumes. 

Questions we'll be asking:

• How do plants grow best?
• What do plants need to grow?
• What fruit and vegetables grow locally?
• Why do we find minibeasts in our garden?
• Should Jack have climbed the beanstalk?
• What important and positive contributions did Beatrix Potter make during her lifetime?
• How can we make space for nature in our gardens?
• Where do seeds come from?

Trips

There are many ways in which we will be enriching the curriculum this term:

• Making Fruit Kebabs
• Growing different plants
• A trip to Arundel Wildfowl Wetlands Trust
• Having an Ugly Bug Ball
• Visiting St. Mary’s Church

Thank you for your support.

Supporting Your Child

Come and help in the classroom. We would be delighted to see you; even it’s only half an hour in the mornings to support individual reading.

Please read with your child daily and play word games related to reading and spelling lists sent home.

If you want to do more, here are some ideas …

Learn Together

We read ‘Eddie’s Garden’ where Eddie asks his mum for his ‘own garden’. Can you plant, water and grow something from a seed?

Do Together

• How many different fruit and vegetables can you identify in a supermarket? Which ones grow in the UK?
• Make a fruit salad
• Find out about plants at www.rhs.org.uk
• Do a bug hunt in your garden or local green space
• Learn some butterfly names Butterfly Identification Guide

Read Together

• Jasper’s Beanstalk – Nick Butterworth
• The Tiny Seed – Eric Carle
• Non-fiction books about bugs
• Jack and the Beanstalk - How many different versions can you read?
• Supertato stories

Phonics Screening

The phonics screening check will take place in June.

Please click on the link below:

• Phonics screening