Dear Parents and Carers,

Welcome back to Summer 2! We cannot believe how quickly the year has passed, and we are now looking forward to a busy and exciting final half term. Over the next seven weeks, we have lots of engaging learning opportunities and enriching experiences planned, including visits to Duchy Farm, Paignton Zoo and Harewood Farm, alongside plenty of wonderful learning in school!

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Phonics

Nursery:
Children will continue to develop their early phonics skills through listening activities, environmental sounds, and identifying initial sounds. Oral blending will be strengthened through play-based learning and everyday interactions.

Reception:
Children are now reading simple words, phrases and short sentences using their known sounds. Please continue to read at least three times per week and record this in your child’s reading diary so we can celebrate achievements together and provide support where needed.

Year 1:
Children will be completing their phonics screening check next week. They have worked incredibly hard and we are very proud of their progress. Please continue to support reading at home, particularly over the next fortnight, and practise the booklet sent home. Encourage your child to identify their “special friends” (digraphs) before blending the word.

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Literacy

Nursery & Reception:
This half term, the children will be exploring The Little Red Hen. This traditional tale supports important discussions around sharing, kindness, teamwork and turn-taking, which links closely to their personal, social and emotional development.

Reception children will continue to consolidate their learning and work towards writing simple sentences that can be read by themselves and others. Writing remains a challenging skill, so opportunities at home such as writing shopping lists, birthday cards or thank-you notes will make a significant difference.

Year 1:
Children will begin the term focusing on spelling, punctuation and grammar in line with end-of-year expectations. They will explore What the Ladybird Heard, using this text to develop speech bubbles, descriptive writing and fact files.

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Maths

Nursery & Reception:
Nursery children will focus on counting to 10, recognising numbers to 5, and exploring quantity through practical activities and games.

Reception children will develop a deeper understanding of numbers to 10, including comparison, number patterns, and automatic recall, as well as counting beyond 20.

Year 1:
Children will cover key areas including money, addition and subtraction, time, multiplication and division, fractions, and data handling.

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Project Learning

Nursery & Reception – Beaches & Pirates
Children will explore our local Cornish environment, focusing on beaches and coastal habitats. They will develop curiosity about the natural world, learning to observe, describe and compare different environments, including sea life and land animals. Through hands-on experiences and discussion, children will begin to understand how we care for these special places and what makes our local area unique.

Year 1 – Cornwall
Children will explore Cornwall within the wider world, using maps and globes to locate the UK, continents, oceans, the Equator and the Poles. They will learn about climate, sustainability and environmental responsibility, including a visit to Duchy College Future Farm. Pupils will investigate Cornwall’s coastline, moorland, wildlife and renewable energy, considering how these environments can be protected for the future.

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Fun Learning Games!

Reading:
Buried Treasure - https://www.phonicsplay.co.uk/resources/phase/2/buried-treasure

Balloon Phonics - https://www.topmarks.co.uk/phonics/balloon-phonics-cvc-game

Maths:
Hit the Button - https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/hit-the-button
Number of the Day - https://www.topmarks.co.uk/learning-to-count/todays-number-up-to-20

Teddy Numbers - https://www.topmarks.co.uk/learning-to-count/teddy-numbers
Underwater Counting - https://www.topmarks.co.uk/learning-to-count/underwater-counting

Helicopter Counting - https://www.topmarks.co.uk/learning-to-count/helicopter-rescue

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Reminders

• Outdoor Learning is on Fridays. Please ensure children have suitable clothing and footwear for all weather conditions.
• Wellies should remain in school for outdoor and muddy learning activities.
• PE is on Thursdays. Children need full PE kit: black shorts or joggers, navy T-shirt, socks and trainers.
• Please ensure a coat is brought to school every day.
• On sunny days, sun cream should be applied before school and a sun hat provided.
• Water bottles should remain in school and be taken home regularly for cleaning.
• Packed lunches should follow Safe Eating UK guidance, with food appropriately prepared and cut.
• Nursery children should have a full set of spare clothes in school due to frequent messy and water play.
• If your Nursery child will be absent, please inform the school office or Mrs Morgan via Class Dojo.
• Nursery children must be collected promptly at their agreed time. Any changes to arrangements should be communicated in advance.

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Communication

Please feel free to message me, catch us at the end of the school day or arrange a meeting if you would like to discuss anything. Thank you, as always, for your continued support.

Best wishes,

Mrs Morgan