Snow day phonics year 1!

Snow‑Day Outdoor Phonics Activities

For Year 1 – Phase 5 (Essential Letters and Sounds)
Due to the snow, school is closed today. There is no expectation for formal learning, but if you would like to do a little phonics with your child, here are some optional, outdoor phonics activities you could enjoy together.
They are designed to be short, playful and practical, using the winter weather as an opportunity for learning while getting some fresh air. Even a few minutes of talking about sounds and words is helpful.

❄️ 1. Snowball Grapheme Hunt

How to play:
  1. Choose a sound your child is learning  (Flashcards- sound specific ), for example /ai/.
  2. Write the different spellings on paper or the ground:
    • ai, ay, a‑e, ea
  3. Hide them around the garden or outdoor space.
  4. Call out a word (e.g. day, rain, cake).
  5. Your child finds and points to the grapheme (flash card or written sound) that fits the word.
Talk about:
“Why does this word use ay instead of ai?”

⛄ 2. Build‑a‑Word Snowman

How to play:
  1. Draw large circles or “snowballs” on the ground.
  2. Say a Phase 5 word and ask your child to ‘build it’ by writing the graphemes.
Example words:
  • snowy
  • floating
  • bright
  • winter

☃️ 3. Snowy Sentence Walk

How to play:

  1. Write a simple sentence on paper strips and place each word outside in order.
    • The snow is bright and white.
  2. Your child walks along, reading each word.
  3. Ask them to spot:
    • Harder to read and spell words within the sentence.
Extra challenge: Can the children spot the adjectives in the sentence?

❄️ 4. Outdoor Writing: Winter Caption

What to do:
  • Look at the outdoor scene: snow, frost, breath in the air.
  • Talk the sentence aloud first.
  • Encourage your child to write a caption, for example:
    • The ice on the path is slippery.
    • The snow looks beautiful in the light.
Remind your child to:
  • Say each word aloud
  • Make spelling choices using their Phase 5 knowledge
  • Use capital letters and full stops

Here are some videos to help with phoneme pronunciation:
Phase 3:

 

Phase 5:


✅ Helpful Tips for Parents

  • It’s okay if spelling isn’t perfect – phonically plausible spellings are encouraged.
  • Praise effort, not speed.
  • Short, active sessions (10–15 minutes) are ideal!
❄️ Have fun learning outdoors and enjoy the snow!
Your child is still making great progress in phonics just by talking, reading, and playing with sounds.

Spellings 05.01.26-09.01.26

Mrs Clarke / Miss Hickman / Mrs Bate Year 1 1/2B:

hair, chair, stair, pair, pure, cure, picture, sure, he, she

Miss Cole / Mrs Whitehead / Mrs Longville Year 2 1/2B:

ball, tall, love, want, usual, treasure, Asia, conclusion, night, blue

The Inn-spectors Nativity- That’s a wrap!

We are absolutely bursting with pride after this year’s nativity performance, Inn-spectors! Every child shone on stage and gave their very best. From the moment the very beginning, the audience was treated to clear, confident speaking and singing that was truly out of this world. Our soloists were simply outstanding, and the whole cast brought the story to life with energy and enthusiasm.

There were even moments of comedy that had everyone smiling – what a fantastic way to celebrate the season together! It was a joy to see the children’s hard work and talent come through so beautifully.

A huge thank you to all our parents for your incredible support with learning lines, preparing costumes, and cheering the children on. Your help makes all the difference, and we couldn’t do it without you.

Well done to everyone involved – you’ve made this Christmas truly special!

Spellings 15.12.25-19.12.25

Mrs Clarke / Miss Hickman / Mrs Whitehead / Mrs Longville:

coin, soil, boil, spoil, ear, fear, year, beard, as, is

Miss Cole / Mrs Bate:

door, floor, most, child, with, some, glove, London, wash, watch

Fizz Pop Science Assembly – A Morning of Exciting Experiments!

This morning, we were thrilled to welcome the Fizz Pop Science team into school for a fantastic assembly. The classroom was buzzing with excitement as the staff wowed us with incredible science experiments that sparked curiosity and amazement among our pupils. From mind-bending demonstrations to fun, hands-on learning, it was a brilliant way to bring science to life!

But the fun doesn’t stop there! Starting in January, Fizz Pop Science will be running an after-school science club with the exciting theme: “Science at Work” – exploring how science shapes the world around us in everyday life.
This is a wonderful opportunity for children to discover real-world science through engaging experiments and activities beyond the classroom.

Places are limited to 20 and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, so don’t miss out!

You need to sign up on their website: https://fizzpopscience.co.uk/afterschoolbooking/
See the poster attached below for more details, you must sign up through their website before 31st December!

Church of the Ascension – Letter – T3 26

Year 1 Visit to Our Local Church for Christmas Activities.

Last week, our Year 1 children enjoyed a wonderful afternoon at our local church, taking part in festive activities that helped them explore the true meaning of Christmas.

During their visit, the children reflected on some important themes such as joy, bravery, and welcoming. Through stories, crafts, and discussions, they considered how these values can be part of their own lives and the world around them.

The afternoon also encouraged curiosity and deep thinking. The children shared some big questions they would like to ask, such as ‘Why is it important to welcome others?’

It was a thoughtful and inspiring experience that brought learning to life in a meaningful way. A big thank you to the church community for making us feel so welcome and helping us celebrate this special season together.

08.12-25-12.12.25 Spellings

Mrs Clarke / Miss Hickman / Mrs Whitehead / Mrs Longville:

fork, sort, storm, North, owl, down, town, frown, into, pull

Miss Cole / Mrs Bate:

key, valley, face, place, pencil, fossil, city, there, because, beautiful

Year 1 & 2 Welcome a Special Visitor.

This week, our Year 1 and Year 2 children enjoyed a very special visit from one of our school’s former headteachers, Mr Green. As part of their learning about the history of our school, the children had the opportunity to hear first-hand stories about how the school has changed over the years, as well as what has stayed the same.

The children were fascinated to learn about past traditions, old classrooms, and the ways teaching and learning have developed. They asked thoughtful questions and were excited to compare their experiences with those of pupils from many years ago.

We are grateful to our visitor for sharing their memories and bringing our school’s history to life. It was a wonderful opportunity for our pupils to deepen their understanding of the past and feel even more connected to the place they learn and grow every day.

01.12.25-05.12.25

Mrs Clarke / Miss Hickman / Mrs Whitehead / Mrs Longville:

turn, burst, curl, hurt, zoo, moon, scoop, rooftop, to, go

Miss Cole / Mrs Bate:

knee, know, sign, design, write, what, undo, wrap, steak, break

1C and 2S Art

Within our unit of art work this half term we have been considering ‘What colours and patterns can be found in nature?’ The children started off by looking closely at the autumnal objects found and brought into school and arranging them against their chosen background. Next, the children had a go at sketching their choice of objects,  including as much detail as possible. The children then created templates and used these to cut out their autumn objects from their choice of fabrics. Finally the children arranged and fixed their objects on a hessian background as well as adding a range of embellishments to reflect the patterns found in nature.