It was a busy time for the new children in our Foundation Stage classes as they stayed in school to enjoy lunch for the first time. The children started their first lunchtime early by venturing onto the back playground for the first time. Restricted to just the small playground for the time being rather than the whole back grounds, the children were greeted by a series of Year Six helpers who had the job of helping the adults settle the children into their routines. The children explored the play equipment before lining up for the first time at the sound of the bell. The children then enjoyed either a packed lunch from home or a hot school dinner in the downstairs hall where teachers, teaching assistants and midday assistants were all on hand to help them. There were a lot of new places to see and routines to try for the first time but the children all took the session in their stride!

Elsewhere, the children in Rabbits used their Forest Friends session to create fantastic outdoor teepee shelters! Miss Chandler showed the children how to arrange large sticks and branches together in order to create a strong structure before adding extra camouflage netting. The children then worked in groups to construct their own having scavenged the woods for suitable materials to use. There was more shelter building in the morning as some of the children who access the Lodge personalised provision created a den up raised off of the ground within the branches of trees. Team work and communication was key as they worked together to create a solid floor so that they could sit in their creation and relax.

In the afternoon, the children in 6M took to the playground for the first of their ‘Bikeability’ sessions whilst the children in Oak were joined by the lovely Miss Neal who returned to school as a volunteer following her recent retirement in order to help the children with their sewing projects. After school there was more creativity on show as Mrs Hanshaw hosted ‘Arts & Crafts’ club.