Welcome back, and a very Happy New Year to all our families! We hope you had a lovely Christmas break and are feeling ready for the term ahead. We are excited to welcome the children back and share that this term will bring some exciting changes, trips, and new opportunities to inspire curiosity, confidence, and learning. We can’t wait to see the children settle in, reconnect with friends, and enjoy a fun and inspiring term. ✨
Week 1: How do we move?
At the start of the enquiry, children demonstrated a strong interest in how their own bodies move. Staff used this interest to develop learning opportunities focused on body movement and physical control.
Following a shared reading of Head to Toe by Eric Carle, children explored different ways of moving their bodies, including stretching, bending, jumping, and twisting. They showed increasing awareness of how different body parts support movement and coordination.
Children’s curiosity was extended through opportunities to create handprints and footprints, allowing them to compare movement and balance. This supported early discussions around control, coordination, and physical development.
An obstacle course was introduced in response to children’s enthusiasm for challenge and speed. Children designed, tested, and adapted their own routes, demonstrating resilience, perseverance, and teamwork.
The week concluded with children comparing human movement to animal movement, developing early scientific understanding of similarities and differences in how living things move.
Week 2: Is it fast or slow?
Building on the children’s interest in movement, learning progressed into exploring speed. Through the story The Hare and the Tortoise, children were introduced to the concepts of fast and slow movement.
Children used increasingly confident vocabulary such as fast, slow, quick, and steady to describe movement in animals and objects. Staff supported children to extend their thinking through discussion, questioning, and explanation.
Children’s interests in animals were reflected through creative provision, where they developed fine motor skills and creativity by producing detailed artwork of rabbits and turtles.
In science-focused exploration, children investigated how vehicles move down ramps on different surfaces. They made predictions, observed outcomes, and began to explain changes in speed, demonstrating early scientific enquiry skills.
As part of Personal, Social and Emotional Development, children explored the concept of uniqueness and care for others. The arrival of babies into Reception provided a meaningful context for learning about how people grow, develop, and are cared for. Children showed empathy, curiosity, and kindness, creating thoughtful cards to welcome the babies.
Week 3: How does it move?
Following the children’s growing interest in transport, learning focused on vehicles with wheels and how wheels support movement.
The story Mrs Armitage on Wheels provided a stimulus for discussion around design, function, and purpose. Children confidently shared ideas, labelled parts of bikes, and suggested ways vehicles could be improved or adapted.
Children applied their ideas through design and making, creating their own vehicles using a range of materials. They demonstrated problem-solving skills, creativity, and increasing independence in their work.
In continuous provision, children explored small world vehicles and engaged in role play, developing storytelling skills and using language to describe movement and journeys.
Creative exploration included making wheel prints, where children observed patterns created by movement, supporting early understanding of cause and effect.
Week 4: How do things move on the air?
Children’s interest in travel and movement led to exploration of how things move through the air.
Using Pigs Might Fly! as a stimulus, children explored ideas around flying and air travel. They designed and tested their own aeroplanes, making observations about how and why objects move differently in the air.
Scientific exploration included investigating how air can move objects using materials such as paper, straws, and fabric. Children demonstrated curiosity and developing understanding of forces such as push and wind.
Children extended their understanding of the world by discussing journeys to different places, comparing familiar environments with places further away. This supported early geographical understanding and imaginative thinking.
Week 5: How do things move on rails
This week, children’s interest in transport continued to develop through a focus on trains and rail travel.
A highlight of the week was a real-life train journey from Seaburn to Newcastle, followed by a visit to the Discovery Museum. This experience provided rich opportunities for experiential learning, allowing children to apply their understanding of transport in a real-world context.
Children demonstrated excitement and curiosity while travelling on the Metro and exploring exhibits linked to transport, engineering, and history. They showed particular interest in historical vehicles, including cars and boats.
Back in school, learning was inspired by The Train Ride by June Crebbin. Children used the story to support imaginative play, constructing train tracks, acting out journeys, and using language from the text in their play.
Provision was enhanced in response to children’s interests, allowing them to extend their ideas through role play, construction, and small world activities.
Curriculum Impact
Throughout this enquiry, children have:
- Developed early scientific thinking through exploration and investigation
- Built confidence in communication and language through discussion and storytelling
- Strengthened physical development through movement-based learning
- Demonstrated creativity through design, making, and expressive arts
- Shown curiosity, resilience, and engagement in their learning
Children have consistently led aspects of their learning through their interests, with staff skilfully adapting provision to extend thinking and deepen understanding. This approach has ensured learning is purposeful, engaging, and closely matched to children’s developmental needs and fascinations.
