Willow 2025 - 2026

🌿 Welcome Back to Willow Class! 🌿

We hope you’ve all had a wonderful summer break and are as excited as we are to begin a brand-new school year!

Autumn Term

This Autumn term is going to be packed full of adventure, discovery, and hands-on learning.

This term, we’ll be diving into two exciting themes: The Vikings and Spain.

The Vikings - We’ll travel back in time to discover who the Vikings were, where they came from, and how they travelled in their mighty longships. We’ll learn about their daily life, food, homes, and even the battles they fought. In Art, we’ll design and decorate our own Viking shields, while in Music we’ll explore rhythms and songs inspired by their culture.

Spain - Later in the term, we’ll explore Spanish traditions, food, festivals, music and geography. We’ll learn a little Spanish vocabulary, try out some creative art inspired by Spanish artists, and find out what makes this country so vibrant and unique.

Our English lessons will be filled with captivating tales and imaginative storytelling. We’ll bring characters to life through role play, share ideas in group discussions, and develop our reading and writing skills in fun, creative ways. Children will have opportunities to build confidence in speaking, listening, and expressing themselves, while exploring stories linked to our topics.

In Maths this term, we’ll focus on:

• Place value
• Addition and subtraction
• Properties of shape
• Time

We’ll be using hands-on, multi-sensory activities to explore, investigate, and problem-solve - making learning both practical and fun. Every child will also be working towards their own individual targets, helping them to build confidence and independence.

Our PSHE focus this term is Self-Awareness. We’ll explore kindness, how to recognise unkind behaviours, and how to be a great friend. We’ll also be practising teamwork skills - learning to play and work together happily and respectfully.

PE this half-term, we’ll be developing key skills for simple invasion and target games. We’ll also be encouraging children to build their independence when changing into and out of PE kits. Please make sure your child has a full kit in school each week.

Spring Term

Happy New Year and welcome back to the Spring Term! We hope you all had a restful and enjoyable break. We are so excited to begin another fun-filled and engaging term of learning together in Willow Class. 

This term, our learning will be centred around two exciting themes: Water, Water, Everywhere and Natural Disasters, which will inspire curiosity, creativity, and lots of hands-on exploration. 

Water, Water, Everywhere 

To begin the term, children will be immersed in the wonderful world of water. We will explore a range of water-based stories and non-fiction texts, sparking discussion and developing understanding through reading and storytelling. In Geography, we will learn about the water cycle, investigating how water moves through our world and why it is so important for life. In Music, children will enjoy exploring sounds and songs linked to the sea, including “Under the Sea”, using instruments and movement to express rhythm and mood. In Design and Technology, pupils will put their problem-solving skills to the test by designing and making their own boats, exploring materials, floating and sinking through practical investigation. 

Natural Disasters 

Later in the term, we will turn our attention to natural disasters, learning about different types such as volcanoes, earthquakes, floods, and storms. Children will explore where these disasters occur and why, using maps, videos and discussion to build understanding of the world around them. A highlight of this topic will be building our own volcanoes, where children will plan, create and observe exciting (and messy!) eruptions while learning about cause and effect. Through creative activities, role play and simple investigations, pupils will deepen their understanding of natural events in a safe and engaging way. 

English 

Our English lessons will continue to be lively, creative and closely linked to our class topics. Children will explore a range of engaging stories and texts, developing their imagination through storytelling, drama and role play. There will be lots of opportunities for group discussions, sharing ideas and expressing opinions. We will focus on building confidence in speaking and listening, while supporting children to develop their reading and writing skills through purposeful and enjoyable activities. Every child will be encouraged to communicate in ways that suit them best, celebrating all progress and achievements. 

Maths 

In Maths this term, we will be focusing on: 

• Fractions 

• Position and direction 

• Multiplication and division 

• Money 

Learning will be practical and engaging, using hands-on, multi-sensory resources to explore concepts, solve problems and build understanding. Activities will be carefully adapted to meet individual needs, with children working towards personal targets that support confidence, independence and success. 

PSHE 

Our PSHE focus this term is The World We Live In and Managing Our Feelings. Children will learn about how to care for themselves and others, develop an awareness of the world around them and explore ways to identify, understand and express emotions. Through stories, discussion and practical activities, pupils will practice strategies for managing feelings, building positive relationships and developing self-awareness in a supportive and nurturing environment. 

PE/Swimming  

Swimming and PE take place on Monday afternoons. Parents have been notified by email when their child is scheduled to swim - please ensure your child has their swimming kit in school on these days. We will also continue to encourage children to build independence when changing into and out of PE kits. Please ensure your child has a full PE kit in school each week. 

To help your child feel comfortable and prepared each day, please provide: 

• A set of spare clothes, including underwear and socks 

• A waterproof coat and wellies (to be kept in school so we’re ready for all weather) 

• A water bottle (which can remain in school) or a daily drink 

• Snacks and/or a packed lunch, or ensure a school lunch has been ordered 

I will continue to keep you updated on your child’s learning and progress via email. Please do share any important information that may help us support your child, as well as special achievements or moments from home - we love celebrating these together. 

We are so excited for our second term of the year in Willow Class. Thank you, as always, for your continued support. We know this term is going to be brilliant! 

Warm regards, 

Kelly and the Willow Class Team