As part of our Space topic, the children developed their oracy skills by learning and confidently using new vocabulary. Key words introduced included:
moon, rocket, stars, planet, Earth, satellite, and space station. Children practiced saying these words in full sentences during discussions, circle time, and shared activities.

In Maths, children explored space-themed learning through counting, number recognition, and simple problem-solving. They used rockets and stars to count objects, compare quantities, and talk about size, shape, and position using early mathematical language such as more, less, tall, and next to.

In Creative Art, the children designed and created their own rockets, selecting materials independently and talking about their designs. This supported fine motor skills, creativity, and expressive language as children explained what their rockets needed to travel to space.

The children also watched informational videos to deepen their understanding of space. This included learning about the first moon landing and discussing recent space exploration such as NASA’s Artemis missions, which aim to return astronauts to the Moon. These discussions encouraged curiosity, questioning, and early understanding of the world beyond Earth.

Our Nursery class enjoyed a colourful experiment exploring colour mixing using coffee filters, food colouring and water. The children watched with excitement as the colours spread and blended, talking about what they could see and predicting what might happen next.

Once the filters were dry, we turned them into beautiful butterflies, each one unique. This fun activity supported the children’s curiosity, creativity and early scientific thinking — and our classroom was soon full of bright, fluttering colour!

Redwoods Space Theme – A Blast Off into Learning! 🚀🌌

This week in Redwoods class, we launched our exciting space theme for the half term! 🌍✨ The children began by learning about the Artemis 2 Mission 🚀, focusing on how the spacecraft re‑entered the Earth’s atmosphere 🔥. We explored what this experience might have been like for the astronauts and discussed the emotions they may have felt, including excitement 😄, nervousness 😬 and relief 😌.

During Lego Therapy 🧱, the children used their creativity and teamwork skills to imagine what the surface of a Lego planet 🪐 might look like. They shared ideas 💬, built together 🤝 and explained their thinking, developing both communication and problem‑solving skills 🧠.

To finish the week, the children designed their own astronaut badges 🎨🧑‍🚀, carefully choosing symbols and colours to represent themselves as space explorers ⭐. The results were fantastic and showed great imagination!

We are really looking forward to continuing our space journey over the coming weeks! 🌠🚀

Year Two have been busy exploring the wonderful world of nature art, inspired by the artist Alice Fox. Alice Fox creates beautiful artwork using natural materials she finds in her garden and allotment, such as leaves, twigs, branches, vines and natural dyes 🍃🪵🌱.

We looked closely at how Alice Fox uses the natural world around her and talked about how art doesn’t always need paint or pencils. Instead, we explored lines, spirals, symmetry and different sizes to help us design our own nature-inspired creations 🌀📏✨.

The children collected natural resources and carefully arranged them to make their own artworks, thinking about patterns and balance as they worked. There were some fantastic discussions about textures, shapes and how nature can be used creatively 🎨🍂.

Year Two showed great imagination, teamwork and respect for the environment while creating their artwork. We are so proud of their thoughtful and creative nature art – well done, Year Two! 🌍💚👏

This half term term in Year One, we have been exploring digital painting and learning how technology can be used as a creative art tool. The children have enjoyed discovering how drawing programmes on tablets can help them create pictures in exciting new ways, while still using many of the skills they practise in traditional art lessons.

We began by learning how to use simple drawing tools to create digital self‑portraits. The children explored using different brushes, colours and lines, and learned how to undo mistakes and try again. This helped to build confidence and encouraged them to experiment freely, just as they would when drawing with pencils and crayons.

Next, we explored shape and colour by creating artwork inspired by Piet Mondrian. Using the drawing programmes, the children practised drawing straight lines and shapes, then quickly filling them with bold primary colours using the fill tool. This activity helped the children understand how digital tools can make some processes faster, while still requiring careful choices and creativity.

Finally, we explored pointillism by creating artwork both on paper and on tablets. The children used small dots to build up pictures and then compared the two methods. We talked about which one they preferred and why. Some children enjoyed the tactile feel of paint and paper, while others liked how quickly they could work digitally and easily change colours.

🌿🎨 Year 2 Begin Their Nature-Inspired Art Journey 🎨🌿

Year 2 have started an exciting new art journey, taking inspiration from the beauty of the natural world! 🍃🌸 We began by exploring the work of textile and mixed-media artist Alice Fox, whose artwork is inspired by nature, textures, and the changing seasons.

The children created a special page in their sketchbooks all about Alice Fox 📒✨. They explored key words, added pictures, and experimented with watercolours 🎨. We looked closely at her colour palettes, the materials she uses, and discussed what inspires her work 🌾🪵. The children thoughtfully shared ideas about how nature influences art and how artists can capture natural beauty in different ways.

This artist study will be the starting point for our learning, and we will continue to use Alice Fox as inspiration throughout the rest of our art journey 🌍💡. We are so excited to see how the children develop their creativity, curiosity, and artistic skills as we move forward!

Watch this space for more wonderful artwork from Year 2! 🌟🖌️

Year 4 pupils completed their Festive Feasts sculptures by adding colour and detail using acrylic paint. After carefully shaping their clay food models in the previous lesson, the children focused on making their creations look as realistic as possible. They thought closely about colour mixing, shading, and small details such as texture and pattern to bring their food to life.

Pupils worked patiently and independently, applying the paint in layers and taking pride in the accuracy of their work. The results were impressive, with many sculptures looking good enough to eat! Once finished, pupils evaluated their final pieces, reflecting on what they did well and how they could improve their work next time.

This lesson was a fantastic opportunity for pupils to develop their painting skills while celebrating creativity and attention to detail. We are very proud of their finished sculptures!

Redwoods Class have been busy unleashing their creativity this week as they designed and made their very own brilliant bug art! Using paint pens and a range of collage materials, the children created an amazing collection of colourful creatures. 🌈✨

From spiders 🕷️ and ladybirds 🐞 to butterflies 🦋 and beetles 🪲, every child produced a unique bug bursting with personality. The children experimented with patterns, textures and colour combinations, showing fantastic artistic flair and imagination.

It was wonderful to see how confidently they used the materials — layering collage shapes, outlining with paint pens and adding tiny details to bring each bug to life. No two creations were the same, and the classroom quickly filled with a vibrant swarm of beautiful, eye-catching artwork. 🎨💛

Redwoods showed brilliant focus, creativity and pride in their work, and their finished pieces look absolutely fantastic!

As the exciting culmination of our Festive Feasts art journey, Year 4 pupils have been busy designing and sculpting some of their favourite foods—using clay! After first experimenting with plasticine to explore shape, texture, and detail, pupils moved on to creating their final clay models independently. They showed fantastic concentration and creativity as they shaped everything from burgers and pizzas to cakes and fruit bowls.

Once their sculptures have fully dried, the children will bring them to life with acrylic paint, adding colour, shading, and fine details to make their foods look even more realistic. The final step will be an evaluation, where pupils reflect on what went well, what they found challenging, and how they might improve their work in the future.

The classroom has been filled with imagination and enthusiasm, and we can’t wait to display their wonderfully sculpted creations. Year 4 should be very proud of their artistic achievements!

This week in Art, the children have enjoyed diving into a wonderfully playful project inspired by artists Claes Oldenburg, Lucia Hierro and Nicole Dyer. We began by looking closely at sculptures of food made at surprising scales, using our sketchbooks to make “visual notes” and quick drawings. The children explored how these artworks made them feel, while noticing important elements such as shape, colour, texture and composition.

Using a range of materials – including pencil, pen, pastel, and card – pupils experimented with line, form and colour to create inventive images. They discovered that everyone’s artwork looks different, and that these unique ideas can come together to form exciting shared pieces.

As the project continues, children will move on to drawing from life and building  a collaborative sculptural feast. We can’t wait to see their creativity unfold!