Welcome to Acorns

Welcome to Acorns!

Starting school is such an exciting time in a child’s school life and we are committed to providing the best possible introduction to learning. We follow the Early Years Curriculum which is play based in a creative, vibrant manner in both our inside and outside environments. We work closely with parents and Pre-schools prior to the start of the Autumn term to ensure a smooth transition. Children learn best when they feel happy and safe and their emotional wellbeing is paramount.

In the Autumn term, we observe the children closely to match learning to their interests and needs, and these are then incorporated into our planning alongside the other topics we follow through the year. Children learn letter sounds through the Jolly Phonics scheme which links actions to sounds and has very catchy songs to support their learning. As the school year progresses, our literacy and maths teaching becomes more structured in order to prepare the children for future school life.

Children are able to access their own learning and are taught how to use items safely. Healthy fruit snacks are provided at playtime and drinks are always available. The children are taught how to be self-sufficient in selecting their food choice and clearing up after themselves.

We visit the local Church at different points in the year and put on performances to parents and the rest of the school at Christmas. In the summer term, Safari Stu comes to visit with his wonderful collection of animals.

In Acorns, we cover different topics each term to link our key learning to each area of learning on the EYFS curriculum. These consist of: Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Communication and Language, Physical Development, Literacy, Maths, Expressive Arts and Design and Understanding the World.

This year our topics are:

Autumn 1: Me and My Community ~ the children will discover our school community and work on building friendships.

Autumn 2: A Starry Night ~ the children will explore the differences between the world at night time compared with daytime.

Spring 1: Dangerous Dinosaurs ~ the children will find out about prehistoric animals that lived on Earth.

Spring 2: Once upon a time ~ the children will be introduced to the wonderful world of stories.
Summer 1: Animal Safari ~ the children will learn about incredible animals that live worldwide.
Summer 2: Big Wide World ~ the children will find out about the world in which they live.

The children are encouraged to explore all areas independently as well as participate in short whole class teaching sessions. We provide the children with learning opportunities both inside and outside the classroom which enables them to have a well-rounded learning experience every day.

Each week, children in Acorns will be learning new phonic sounds.