Reception weekly blog (8.5.26)

Date: 8th May 2026 @ 11:31am

The children arrived back to school on Tuesday after a well-deserved three-day weekend, ready for another exciting and busy week of learning.

We introduced our new Experts of the Week, and the children enjoyed sharing and learning about each other’s interests.

In Sand Dunes, Esme took on the role of expert, teaching the children all about horses, her love of riding, and how she helps care for them. The children were fascinated and asked lots of thoughtful questions about looking after horses. In Pinewoods, Hallie shared her excitement about being a big sister and talked about her upcoming holidays and special events. The children thoroughly enjoyed hearing about her experiences and asking questions.

It was a lovely week of celebrating our friends and learning more about what makes each of us unique.

This week we introduced the number 14. The children are really developing confidence with teen numbers and are beginning to understand where 14 belongs within the number system.

We explored:

• Placing 14 on a number line
• Finding different ways to represent 14
• Understanding 14 as double 7
• Using ten frames and cubes to build 14

The children have been very engaged in their learning, and we will continue to deepen this understanding as we move on to number 15 next week, which can be a tricky concept for some children. We will take two weeks to explore and consolidate this learning.

On Wednesday, we welcomed a very special visitor, Miss Thomas, one of our learning support assistants, along with her volunteers. They taught us all about caring for and training horses, as well as what it is like to help others learn to ride safely.

The children were introduced to key vocabulary such as:

• Mare
• Stallion
• Foal
• Mane

They also began thinking of questions they might ask someone who works closely with horses.

Over in Pinewoods, we continued learning about holidays. Inspired by Hallie’s upcoming adventures, the children explored different types of holidays such as camping and flying abroad to places like Portugal.

We discussed:

• Hallie’s favourite holiday activities, including swimming and visiting water slides
• How holidays in the past compare to holidays today
• Similarities and differences between different types of holidays

The children enjoyed sharing their own experiences and listening to each other’s stories.

We enjoyed a relaxing yoga session, helping the children to unwind and focus on their breathing. This was followed by a very special visit from a secret storyteller, which the children thoroughly enjoyed.

If you would be interested in becoming a storyteller, please email us at:
[email protected]

We also love sharing good news from home, so please continue to send in any achievements, big or small.

On Thursday, the children explored different types of horses, learning about:

• Draft horses
• Light horses
• Gaited horses
• Warmbloods
• Ponies

They discussed the differences between horses and ponies and developed their understanding of animal features and characteristics.

We had another special visitor in Pinewoods, Hallie’s baby brother Cody. The children were delighted to meet him and enjoyed asking Hallie questions about being a big sister.

Hallie also shared her love of mermaids and merpeople, which sparked imaginative discussions. The children explored questions such as:

• What makes a mermaid special?
• What would you do if you were a mermaid?

Their creativity and ideas were fantastic.

We ended the week by learning how some horses are cared for in rescue centres, including Shy Lowen, and discussed the important roles horses have played throughout history in transport and farming.

We talked about why horses are important and how they continue to support people in different ways today.

We also celebrated Hallie’s exciting news that she will be a flower girl at her auntie’s wedding in Portugal. The children were fascinated and discussed:

• What a flower girl does
• Why petals are thrown
• What flower girls wear
• Where Portugal is on a map

The children enjoyed learning about weddings and traditions from around the world. Thank you for another wonderful week of learning, curiosity, and creativity. We are so proud of how engaged and enthusiastic the children have been.
Have a lovely weekend, and we look forward to seeing you next week.

The Reception Team