Croeso! We’ve started the year with a bang and have settled in wonderfully! The children have been exploring new friendships, having fun, and discovering all about their sense of place and belonging through our Cynefin topic. From local adventures to creative projects, it’s been a fantastic start to the term!

 

 

Literacy, Languages and Communication 

 

This term, we’ve loved exploring The Secret Sky Garden and learning all about its inspiring message. The children wrote wonderful character descriptions and even sent persuasive letters to the council asking for more flowers and trees in Penclawdd! We’ve also been exploring Welsh through Welsh identity–themed collages, practising oracy, recreating Welsh monuments using construction materials and templates, playing traditional Welsh playground games, and exploring where we live in Welsh. In SPaG and phonics, we’ve been practising capital letters, full stops, and sounding out tricky words to make our writing even stronger.

 

Mathematics and Numeracy

In Maths, we’ve been working hard to understand numbers and how they fit together. The children explored ordinal numbers, sequencing, and place value using whole–part models to show tens and ones. We also practised comparing numbers with greater than and less than symbols and strengthened our number bonds through fun games and challenges.

 

Health and Wellbeing

This term, we’ve been thinking about how our Cynefin — our sense of place and belonging — helps us feel happy, safe, and connected. The children practised PE skills safely through yoga, dance, throwing, catching, and balancing, and enjoyed moments of rest and relaxation. We celebrated Mental Health Day with a cosy cup of tea and a chat, explored ways to show our Cynefin, looked after and harvested vegetables, and even baked our own Cynefin biscuits using local ingredients, connecting our wellbeing to the world around us.

Expressive Arts

We’ve been getting creative and inspired by the world around us! The children made detailed observation drawings of shells, took part in cockle shop role play, and created music inspired by sea animals and ocean sounds. They also explored the work of LS Lowry to create their own artwork, made harvest crowns, and performed poems, celebrating creativity and expression in many different ways.

 

Science and Technology

This term, we’ve been exploring both the digital and the physical world! The children practised their ICT skills to understand how to be kind online and used J2Blast to create Secret Sky Garden–themed missions and Penclawdd postcards. In Science, we are beginning to explore everyday materials, learning about their properties and how they are used in the world around us.

Humanities

We’ve been discovering all about Penclawdd, exploring how it has changed over time and spotting both human and natural features in our local area. The children loved using OS maps to find key landmarks, learning about important community members, and even making their own cockle shop to practise calls and role play. We also explored inspiring figures like Martin Luther King Jr., thought about our own rights, and celebrated different festivals from around the world, learning how people’s beliefs and traditions make our communities special. We even had a visit from Will and friends from Will's Petting Zoo as we explored animals and their habitats within Penclawdd.