RWI

The children have been working incredibly hard during their Read Write Inc. (RWI) sessions. It has been truly amazing to see them recalling the sounds they are learning with such increased speed and accuracy.

During parent teacher consultations, we have been discussing your child’s progress and what their next steps in reading and writing are. If you have any questions about how this process works, please do not hesitate to ask.

As you know, reading at home provides our children with valuable extra practice that reinforces what they learn in school. We cannot thank you enough for the support you continue to offer—they are making fantastic progress, and your involvement plays a crucial role in their success.

Maths

This week we have been continuing our previous learning around repeating patterns. We have been learning about ABBC patterns e.g. red, blue, blue, green. We have used lots of different classroom objects to continue these repeating patterns and to also make our own.

After the holidays, we will be learning about odd and even numbers as well as finding out how to share out an amount fairly.

Thematic

This week, we have been learning about the Christian celebration of Easter, discovering the significance and traditions associated with this important festival. We learned how in Scotland, people decorate an egg and then take part in an egg rolling competition. We had great fun doing this as a class this week! We also too part in an Easter egg hunt and a sponsored relay event.

After the holidays, we will be starting our new topic: Growth. We will explore the different life stages of a human and explore what can and cannot be done at these stages. We will also use the photos sent in to us to show how the children in our class have changed and grown.

Home learning

This is the task to be completed over the holiday:

Next term our topic will be ‘Growth’. For your child’s love to learn challenge, we would like you and your child to plant a seed of your choice. Please could you detail the changes that happen to the seed/plant as it grows. Also note what you need to do to the seed/plant in order to help it grow. You could do this by taking photos or asking your child to draw a picture of the seed/plant at various stages of growth. We ask that you return your child’s love to learn book by Wednesday 22nd April. We understand your seed may not be fully grown by then but hopefully the children will have seen some changes. They are welcome to bring in their plant to show if they wish. Many Thanks From the EYFS Team

Important information

• PE kits need to be worn in to school each Friday please.

• Please complete the WOW moment sheets regularly so that we can add these to the children’s learning journey books.

• Please see the below art competition.

Important dates

Monday 20th April – Children return to school at usual time

Monday 4th May – Bank holiday, school closed for all

Thursday 21st May – Reception Viking Games at Ramsgate Arts Primary School (Reception children to wear sports kit)

Friday 22nd May – Be here, be you, belong parade on top field from 2pm. Children to wear clothes that they feel express who they are, this could be from an outfit from a hobby they have, to bright colourful clothing. All parents invited to watch.

Have a great holiday!

The EYFS team

First, we went to feed the goats and spend time with the kids. Some of us were very brave, we held our hands out flat and let the goats eat right from our palms. The kids were very lively, jumping around and even trying to nibble our clothes!

We also saw plenty of other animals, including Shetland ponies, hens, piglets, and sheep.

Next we went on an awesome tractor ride around Quex and got to see lots of the bustling farm. It was so bumpy and we got jiggled about lots. Once it became less bumpy, the tractor driver made it go really fast, that was lots of fun!

We were allowed to explore the farm and go on different adventures including the play park, adventure trail and the biggest hit of the day… the bouncy pillows!

After lunch, we got to plant some seeds. We learnt how to care for them and help them grow. The pots we brought home are biodegradable and can be planted into the ground to help our seeds grow even bigger.

First, we went to feed the goats and spend time with the kids. Some of us were very brave, we held our hands out flat and let the goats eat right from our palms. The kids were very lively, jumping around and even trying to nibble our clothes!

We also saw plenty of other animals, including Shetland ponies, hens, piglets, and sheep.

Next we went on an awesome tractor ride around Quex and got to see lots of the bustling farm. It was so bumpy and we got jiggled about lots. Once it became less bumpy, the tractor driver made it go really fast, that was lots of fun!

We were allowed to explore the farm and go on different adventures including the play park, adventure trail and the biggest hit of the day… the bouncy pillows!

After lunch, we got to plant some seeds. We learnt how to care for them and help them grow. The pots we brought home are biodegradable and can be planted into the ground to help our seeds grow even bigger.

RWI

The children have been working incredibly hard during their Read Write Inc. (RWI) sessions. It has been truly amazing to see them recalling the sounds they are learning with such increased speed and accuracy.

Next week during our parent teacher consultations, we will discuss your child’s progress and what their next steps in reading and writing are. If you have any questions about how this process works, please do not hesitate to ask.

As you know, reading at home provides our children with valuable extra practice that reinforces what they learn in school. We cannot thank you enough for the support you continue to offer—they are making fantastic progress, and your involvement plays a crucial role in their success.

Maths

The children have been actively engaging in discussions about how 2D shapes are used in pictures, such as recognising circles represent the wheels on a train. It has been wonderful to see children’s confidence grow as they explain why circles are used instead of squares, understanding that the shape needs to be round for the wheel to function properly.

This week, we embarked on a shape hunt around the school, where the children were challenged to identify 2D shapes while being mindful not to confuse them with 3D shapes. They discovered that sometimes 2D shapes can be hidden within 3D objects. Additionally, we explored 2D shapes in various orientations. For instance, when a triangle was turned upside down, the children recognised it as still being a triangle due to its three sides and corners. We also sorted shapes based on criteria they created themselves, such as whether a shape has four sides or curved versus straight sides.

Next week we will be continuing our previous learning around repeating patterns.

Thematic

On Monday, we had a wonderful day exploring the theme of spring, where the children engaged in various activities that highlighted the beauty of this season.

We began by exploring a variety of flowers that bloom in spring, and the children created some lovely observational drawings of daffodils. We also discussed how many baby animals are born during this time, linking this to our previous lessons about animals and their young. Additionally, we had a fantastic trip to Quex Farm this week, where the children had the opportunity to see baby goats (kids) and baby pigs (piglets) up close. This extraordinary experience allowed them to connect with the topic in a meaningful way. After our trip, we reflected on the day’s events and used the words “first,” “next,” “then,” and “finally” to sequence our activities. The children worked together in their house groups to organise their experiences. We also read the story of “The Little Red Hen,” which sparked a discussion about fairness and the importance of teamwork. The children shared thoughtful insights about helping others, and we hope you get to see some of this at home.

Next week, we will shift our focus to the Christian celebration of Easter, discovering the significance and traditions associated with this important festival.

Home learning

We will be sending home love to learn books this week to give you a head start before the Easter holidays. Please see details below.

Next term our topic will be ‘Growth’. For your child’s love to learn challenge, we would like you and your child to plant a seed of your choice. Please could you detail the changes that happen to the seed/plant as it grows. Also note what you need to do to the seed/plant in order to help it grow. You could do this by taking photos or asking your child to draw a picture of the seed/plant at various stages of growth. We ask that you return your child’s love to learn book by Wednesday 22nd April. We understand your seed may not be fully grown by then but hopefully the children will have seen some changes. They are welcome to bring in their plant to show if they wish. Many Thanks From the EYFS Team

Important information

• As part of our topic learning next term, we would like to ask you to please email a photo of your child as a baby to your child’s class teacher by Thursday 2^nd April.

• PE kits need to be worn in to school each Friday please.

• Please complete the WOW moment sheets regularly so that we can add these to the children’s learning journey books.

• Please see the below art competition.

Important dates

Monday 20th April – Children return to school at usual time

Monday 4th May – Bank holiday, school closed for all

Tuesday 5th May to Thursday 14th May – Year 6 children invited into school for breakfast (see letter from Mrs Rowland-Hill)

Wednesday 6th May – Year 5 class assembly at 2.50pm (parents invited)

Monday 11th to Thursday 14th May – Year 6 SATS taking place

Friday 15th May – Year 6 London Trip

Monday 18th May – Year 5 and 6 Viking Games at Upton (packed lunched required for year 5 and 6 and these children to wear sports kit)

Tuesday 19t May - Year 3 and 4 Viking Games at Upton (packed lunched required for year 3 and 4 and these children to wear sports kit)

Wednesday 20th May – Year 1 and 2 Viking games at Chilton (year 1 and 2 children to wear sports kit)

Wednesday 20th May – Year 4 class assembly at 2.50pm (parents invited)

Thursday 21st May – Reception Viking Games at Ramsgate Arts Primary School (Reception children to wear sports kit)

Friday 22nd May – Be here, be you, belong parade on top field from 2pm. Children to wear clothes that they feel express who they are, this could be from an outfit from a hobby they have, to bright colourful clothing. All parents invited to watch.

Have a great weekend

The EYFS team

Reading Records and Books

Please could children have their reading records (the ones with the jungle picture on the front) and their reading books in school every day. This allows us to read with the children throughout the week. Many thanks.

Friday 27^th March

We will be opening our doors at 2:50pm on Friday 27^th March. You will have the opportunity to look at the wonderful learning your child has been doing this year in school. This is also the day that the children will be making bread in school and we invite you to taste this with your child. Please look at books first and then find your child’s delicious bread! This will take place instead of Read at 3 on this day.

Quex Trip

Tuesday 24^th March – Team Periwinkle

Thursday 26^th March – Team Teal

We will be visiting Quex on the dates above. Please make sure that children are wearing appropriate footwear on this day (wellies are advisable due to the muddy ground). Children will need to have a coat in school on this day (even if it is forecast to be sunny as we know that the weather can change!) Children will need a packed lunch on the day (unless you have informed us that they will have one provided by the school). They will also need some water to last them the day. Please could the packed lunch and water be in a rucksack style bag: children will carry this around with them for the day. We will be going in school hours so usual drop off and pick up times at school apply. If you are helping with the trip, please refer to the email that we sent earlier this week with timings and information. If you have any questions about the trip, please speak to Mrs Cotton or Mrs Walker. Many thanks!

RWI

This week we have continued our Read, Write, Inc lessons in small groups. Some children have started to learn set 3 sounds, and some are continuing to learn set 2 sounds, these are all special friends and have a special rhyme. For example ay- may I play? ee what can you see? Part of learning our sounds is learning the letters making up the sounds, practising writing and then reading these in words. Most children are also recapping set 1 sounds to consolidate their learning.

Please continue to read with your child at home. When you have completed a book, sign and date their reading record. It is also beneficial for your child to re-read books to help build their confidence and fluency, which is why we change books twice a week. Thank you for your continued support with this.

Maths

This week we have been learning about addition. We have been looking at stories involving addition and making up our own stories e.g. there are 6 pigs playing in the mud. 2 more pigs come along. Now there are 8 pigs in the mud. We then used numicon tiles to add 2 amounts together before moving on to adding 2 amounts together on a tens frame.

Next week, we will be focusing on 2D shapes (square, triangle, oblong and square). We will learn to name and describe the properties of these shapes, find examples of these in the environment and look at these shapes in different orientations and sizes.

Thematic 

This week, we have been continuing to learn about the farm. We have been learning about the foods which are grown or produced on the farm and the jobs that need to be completed by farmers. The children have also been learning what the baby names are for farm animals.

Next week, we will be reading Little Red Hen. We will learn about kindness through this story and also about teamwork. We will also be making bread which you are welcome to come and taste at 2:50pm on Friday 27^th March (see information above regarding this). Following the trip to Quex, we sequenced the activities we did during the day and spoke about what we loved about the trip!

Young Artists’ Competition 2026

DEADLINE – Wednesday 1^st April 2026

The Rotary Club of Margate have launched their Thanet schools’ art competition. Selected entries will be displayed at Sainsbury’s Westwood Cross in their annual art exhibition.

To enter, please create a piece of A4 artwork with a wildlife theme. On the reverse, please write the following information:

Child’s Name

Year Group

Medium Used

Brief description of the artwork

Permission and Consent - By submitting your child’s artwork to the competition, you give permission for the artwork to be displayed in a public exhibition. You also consent to your child’s name, age, school name, and title of the artwork being shown alongside the piece. You understand that the exhibition may be visited by members of the public and that images of the display may be used by the organisers for promotional or reporting purposes, both in print and online. No other personal details will be shared.

If you have any questions – please feel free to contact Mrs Barlow.

Thank you, we look forward to receiving your competition entries!

Mrs Barlow and Mrs Howard

Important information

• Reading at 3 will be every Friday (except for Friday 27^th March – see information above)

• Please make sure you name everything your child brings into school including gloves, scarves and hats

Important dates

Monday 23rd March – Rock your socks for Downs Syndrome Awareness (Wear bright or mismatching socks to school)

Tuesday 24th March – Team Periwinkle to Quex Park

Thursday 26th March – Team Teal to Quex Park

Friday 27th March – Parents come into school to look at children’s books prior to Parent Teacher Consultations and to taste bread. Doors will open at 2:50pm

Week Beginning 30th March – Parent Teacher consultation week

Wednesday 1st April at 9.05am– Easter Bonnet Parade for Team Periwinkle, Team Ocean and Team Cornflower

Wednesday 1st April at 2.45pm – Easter Bonnet Parade for Team Teal, Team Sky and Team Sapphire

Thursday 2nd April – Chilton Fundraisers Sponsored Eggscellent Event - Non-Uniform to be worn with further details to follow next term.

Thursday 2nd April - Last day of term. School to finish at 3.15pm

Have a great weekend!

From the Reception Team

RWI

Many of our children have made fantastic progress, especially with Set 1 and Set 2 sounds.

Most children are now able to write simple sentences/ phrases with support from their adults. Their understanding of what constitutes a sentence, including capital letters, finger spaces, fred fingers and full stops, is greatly improving. It has been lovely to see how much enjoyment children derive from both reading and writing activities.

To support their writing skills, we are placing a special emphasis on letter formation through the use of letter families. This approach helps the children make connections between letters that have similar shapes, making it easier for them to recall how to write each letter correctly.

Maths

This week in maths we have been focusing on the composition of numbers 9 and 10. We have been engaging in some interactive activities that not only reinforce these numbers but also enhance our children's understanding of how numbers can be composed and decomposed in various ways.

During our lessons, we continued to practice the concept of conceptual subitising, which allows the children to quickly recognise a number of objects without needing to count them individually. We explored how the numbers 9 and 10 can be represented in different ways using visual aids. This skill is crucial as it helps lay a solid foundation for number recognition and encourages flexible thinking about numbers.

After grasping the basics, the children practised breaking whole numbers into parts. Using part part whole models allowed them to visualise how a whole number can be separated into smaller components. For example, when given the number 9, they would explore how it can be made up of 1and 8, or 4 and 5, reinforcing their understanding of addition and subtraction. We also introduced the challenge of breaking whole numbers into more than two parts, which fosters critical thinking and creativity in their mathematical reasoning.

Next week we will be exploring addition.

Thematic

During our art lessons this week, we have been focusing on Vincent van Gogh’s painting “Wheatfield with Crows.” We have had a wonderful time exploring this artwork, discussing our likes and dislikes, and learning how to express our thoughts kindly and respectfully.

In our sessions, we delved into how Van Gogh created a sense of movement in his paintings through the use of varied small brushstrokes. Additionally, we explored colours used by experimenting with adding white to create tints and black to form shades. Using these skills, every child created their own interpretation of “Wheatfield with Crows” in Van Gogh’s style. We then participated in a constructive critique of each other’s paintings, ensuring our feedback was always kind, helpful, and respectful. Finally, we applied these artistic techniques to create landscapes of our own choosing, allowing for personal expression and creativity.

Important dates

Friday 20th March – Red Nose Day (Wear something funny for money)

Monday 23rd March – Rock your socks for Downs Syndrome Awareness (Wear bright or mismatching socks to school)

Tuesday 24th March – Team Periwinkle to Quex Park

Thursday 26th March – Team Teal to Quex Park

Friday 27th March – Parents come into school to look at children’s books prior to Parent Teacher Consultations

Week Beginning 30th March – Parent Teacher consultation week

Wednesday 1st April at 9.05am– Easter Bonnet Parade for Team Periwinkle, Team Ocean and Team Cornflower

Wednesday 1st April at 2.45pm – Easter Bonnet Parade for Team Teal, Team Sky and Team Sapphire

Thursday 2nd April – Chilton Fundraisers Sponsored Eggscellent Event - Non-Uniform to be worn with further details to follow next term.

Thursday 2nd April - Last day of term. School to finish at 3.15pm

Important information

• Please can your child’s reading record and book be in their bag every day. This is because their teacher might wish to read with them on any given day.

• Please make sure you have signed up to a parent teacher consultation if you have not already done so.

• Please complete the WOW moment sheets regularly so that we can add these to the children’s learning journey books. If you need any more please ask your child’s class teacher.

• Reading books are changed every Tuesday and Friday, please place your child’s reading folder into the basket outside their classroom

• From the beginning of term 4, we will begin to track reading at home. This is to encourage children's reading for pleasure and certificates will be given for certain milestones. Please remember to sign your child's reading record every time they read at home ( we will count every read not every book read!) 

Many thanks from the EYFS team

World Book Day Thursday 5^th March 2026 

Thank you for the amazing costumes that the children came dressed in yesterday. We had a great day celebrating World Book Day. Our story was Poo at the Zoo! We came up with our own version of the story, spent some time playing some rhyming games and designed our own robot/machine that would pick poo up at the zoo!

Chilton Book Fayre 

The Chilton Book Fayre will arrive on Monday 9^th March and run until Friday 13^th March outside the Year 5 classrooms. Children will come home with a World Book Day book voucher.  These can be spent at the Book Fayre. Cash and online payments are also available, and a percentage of the monies raised will go towards funding more books for Chilton children.  

Reading competition 

We will be running a reading competition the week of World Book Day (week beginning 2^nd March).  We would like the children to read as many books as they can in a funny or unusual place! Please take a picture of these and email them to Mrs Rowland-Hill (helen.rowland@chiltonprimary.co.uk) A winner from Ks1 and a winner from KS2 with the most books read in a funny and usual place will win a prize! Deadline for entries is Monday 9^th March 2026. 

RWI

This week we have continued our Read, Write, Inc lessons in small groups. Some children have continued to learn set 2 sounds, these are all special friends and have a special rhyme. For example ay- may I play? ee what can you see? Part of learning our sounds is learning the letters making up the sounds, practising writing and then reading these in words. Most children are also recapping set 1 sounds to consolidate their learning.

Please continue to read with your child at home. When you have completed a book, sign and date their reading record. It is also beneficial for your child to re-read books to help build their confidence and fluency, which is why we change books twice a week. Thank you for your continued support with this.

Maths

This week we have been learning about the composition of numbers. We have been learning that numbers can be made up of smaller parts. We focused on the numbers 6, 7 and 8 over this week. Each time we had to say ‘3 and 4 makes 7’ or ‘3 and 2 and 1 makes 6’.

Next week, we will be focusing on the composition of the numbers 9 and 10.

Thematic 

This week, we have started our new topic: On the Farm. We started the week by playing Animal Guess Who where we had to listen to clues and guess what animal they related to. We also had a lovely time sharing the Love to Learn activities that the children completed at home. Many thanks for helping with these at home. We read ‘What the Ladybird Heard’, discussed the animals in the story and the noises they make and used drama to discuss the feelings of the characters in the story. The children learned how to put the main events of a story in the correct order and drew a map of the own farm.

Next week, we will be looking at a piece of artwork: Wheatfield with Crows. We spoke about what we could see and what we liked or disliked about the art. We then created some artwork using paint with texture and presented our masterpieces in a class art gallery!

Young Artists’ Competition 2026

DEADLINE – Wednesday 1^st April 2026

The Rotary Club of Margate have launched their Thanet schools’ art competition. Selected entries will be displayed at Sainsbury’s Westwood Cross in their annual art exhibition.

To enter, please create a piece of A4 artwork with a wildlife theme. On the reverse, please write the following information:

Child’s Name

Year Group

Medium Used

Brief description of the artwork

Permission and Consent - By submitting your child’s artwork to the competition, you give permission for the artwork to be displayed in a public exhibition. You also consent to your child’s name, age, school name, and title of the artwork being shown alongside the piece. You understand that the exhibition may be visited by members of the public and that images of the display may be used by the organisers for promotional or reporting purposes, both in print and online. No other personal details will be shared.

If you have any questions – please feel free to contact Mrs Barlow.

Thank you, we look forward to receiving your competition entries!

Mrs Barlow and Mrs Howard

Important information

• Reading at 3 will be every Friday.

• Please make sure you name everything your child brings into school including gloves, scarves and hats

Important dates

Monday 9th March – Book fair in school this week

Friday 20th March – Red Nose Day (Wear something funny for money)

Monday 23rd March – Rock your socks for Downs Syndrome Awareness (Wear bright or mismatching socks to school)

Tuesday 24th March – Team Periwinkle to Quex Park

Thursday 26th March – Team Teal to Quex Park

Friday 27th March – Parents come into school to look at children’s books prior to Parent Teacher Consultations

Week Beginning 30th March – Parent Teacher consultation week

Wednesday 1st April at 9.05am– Easter Bonnet Parade for Team Periwinkle, Team Ocean and Team Cornflower

Wednesday 1st April at 2.45pm – Easter Bonnet Parade for Team Teal, Team Sky and Team Sapphire

Thursday 2nd April – Chilton Fundraisers Sponsored Eggscellent Event - Non-Uniform to be worn with further details to follow next term.

Thursday 2nd April - Last day of term. School to finish at 3.15pm

Have a great weekend!

From the Reception Team

RWI

At this stage in our Read Write Inc programme, most of the children are working diligently on learning and practicing Set 2 sounds. It's wonderful to see their enthusiasm and engagement with the materials and activities we’ve been using in class. Additionally, some learners have begun to explore Set 3 sounds.

Our current focus includes reading 'alien words'. These fun, made-up words help the children to apply their phonics knowledge without relying on familiar vocabulary.

Furthermore, we continue to work on 'red words', which are high-frequency words that do not follow standard phonetic rules. These words are learnt by exploring which part of the word is not following the rule and recognising the word as a whole.

Maths

This week in maths, we have been exploring vocabulary linked to position and direction.

In our lessons, we began by moving a teddy bear to demonstrate its position, using phrases such as “on a chair” or “under the table.” This hands-on activity allowed the children to grasp the concept of position effectively. Following this, they practiced giving directions such as “forwards,” “backwards,” “left,” and “right.” We noticed that some children found distinguishing left from right a bit challenging, so we will continue to practice this skill in the coming weeks. Additionally, we used this vocabulary to create a farm in the tuff tray, where the children described the layout, for example, “the pond is next to the cow shed.” They also enjoyed drawing maps of our outdoor area, which further reinforced their understanding of spatial awareness.

Next week we will be exploring the composition of numbers 6,7 and 8.

Thematic

At the beginning of the week, we explored the British Values.

We began by exploring the value of respect, which aligns beautifully with our school value, treating others as we wish to be treated. We have been delving into individual liberty through the delightful story of Astro Girl, where the main character aspires to be an astronaut, just like her mum. This engaging tale has inspired wonderful discussions among the children about their own dreams and aspirations, emphasizing the importance of believing in oneself.

To further embed the principles of democracy and the rule of law, we came together as a class to brainstorm ideas for our own class rules. Each child had the opportunity to voice their suggestions, and then we held a vote to decide which rules we would adopt. This process not only empowered the children to shape their own learning environment but also provided a practical understanding of how democracy works. 

Later in the week, our exploration of thematic learning introduced the vibrant Hindu festival of Holi, often known as the festival of colours. The children thoroughly enjoyed delving into the rich narrative behind this joyous occasion, centred around the characters of Hiranyakashipu, Prahlad, and Holika.

Our story began with the evil king, Hiranyakashipu, who possessed special powers that rendered him invincible. His desire was for everyone to worship him as a god, but his son, Prahlad, firmly opposed this, remaining devoted to the Hindu god Vishnu. In his rage over Prahlad’s defiance, Hiranyakashipu conspired with his sister Holika. Holika, who possessed a magical cloak that protected her from fire, deceitfully led Prahlad into a bonfire. However, the outcome was quite different from what she had planned; the cloak flew off Holika and onto Prahlad, symbolising the ultimate triumph of good over evil.

To enrich our understanding further, we listened to traditional music associated with Holi, which beautifully captured the essence of the festival. The children expressed their creativity through art, using paints to create their own colourful masterpieces. Additionally, we learnt that Holi is celebrated with lively dances. The children enthusiastically participated, mimicking the actions from the story, and performed in front of their peers in their house groups.

To conclude our festivities, we celebrated with our own version of a bonfire, where the children enjoyed snacks and participated in a delightful activity by throwing chickpeas into the fire, representing the spirit of Holi.

Next week we will begin our new topic On the Farm.

World Book Day Thursday 5^th March 2026 

This year’s World Book Day theme will be books that make us laugh.  We invite children to dress up as their favourite book or character for World Book Day. The children will take part in a variety of fun activities throughout the day. All children will receive their £1 World Book Day Voucher.  This can be used at our school Book Fayre or in shops.   

Chilton Book Fayre 

The Chilton Book Fayre will arrive on Monday 9^th March and run until Friday 13^th March outside the Year 5 classrooms. Children will come home with a World Book Day book voucher.  These can be spent at the Book Fayre. Cash and online payments are also available, and a percentage of the monies raised will go towards funding more books for Chilton children.  

Reading competition 

We will be running a reading competition the week of World Book Day (week beginning 2^nd March).  We would like the children to read as many books as they can in a funny or unusual place! Please take a picture of these and email them to Mrs Rowland-Hill (helen.rowland@chiltonprimary.co.uk) A winner from Ks1 and a winner from KS2 with the most books read in a funny and usual place will win a prize! Deadline for entries is Monday 9^th March 2026. 

Mrs Rowland-Hill - English Lead/Upper Phase Lead. 

Important information

• Reading at 3 will be every Friday.

• Please make sure you name everything your child brings into school including gloves, scarves and hats

Important dates

Monday 23rd February – All children back into school at the normal time

Monday 23rd February – Friday 27th February – Bring in any unwanted world book day costumes

Friday 27th February – Second hand world book day costume sale from 3pm by school gates

Thursday 5th March – World Book day, children to dress as their favourite book character

Monday 9th March – Book fair in school this week

Friday 20th March – Red Nose Day (Wear something funny for money)

Monday 23rd March – Rock your socks for Downs Syndrome Awareness (Wear bright or mismatching socks to school)

Tuesday 24th March – Team Periwinkle to Quex Park

Thursday 26th March – Team Teal to Quex Park

Friday 27th March – Parents come into school to look at children’s books prior to Parent Teacher Consultations

Week Beginning 30th March – Parent Teacher consultation week

Wednesday 1st April at 9.05am– Easter Bonnet Parade for Team Periwinkle, Team Ocean and Team Cornflower

Wednesday 1st April at 2.45pm – Easter Bonnet Parade for Team Teal, Team Sky and Team Sapphire

Thursday 2nd April – Chilton Fundraisers Sponsored Eggscellent Event - Non-Uniform to be worn with further details to follow next term.

Thursday 2nd April - Last day of term. School to finish at 3.15pm

Have a great weekend!

From the Reception Team

World Book Day Thursday 5^th March 2026 

This year’s World Book Day theme will be books that make us laugh.  We invite children to dress up as their favourite book or character for World Book Day. The children will take part in a variety of fun activities throughout the day. All children will receive their £1 World Book Day Voucher.  This can be used at our school Book Fayre or in shops.   

Chilton Book Fayre 

The Chilton Book Fayre will arrive on Monday 9^th March and run until Friday 13^th March outside the Year 5 classrooms. Children will come home with a World Book Day book voucher.  These can be spent at the Book Fayre. Cash and online payments are also available, and a percentage of the monies raised will go towards funding more books for Chilton children.  

Reading competition 

We will be running a reading competition the week of World Book Day (week beginning 2^nd March).  We would like the children to read as many books as they can in a funny or unusual place! Please take a picture of these and email them to Mrs Rowland-Hill (helen.rowland@chiltonprimary.co.uk) A winner from Ks1 and a winner from KS2 with the most books read in a funny and usual place will win a prize! Deadline for entries is Monday 9^th March 2026. 

RWI

This week we have continued our Read, Write, Inc lessons in small groups. Some children have continued to learn set 2 sounds, these are all special friends and have a special rhyme. For example ay- may I play? ee what can you see? Part of learning our sounds is learning the letters making up the sounds, practising writing and then reading these in words. Most children are also recapping set 1 sounds to consolidate their learning.

Please continue to read with your child at home. When you have completed a book, sign and date their reading record. It is also beneficial for your child to re-read books to help build their confidence and fluency, which is why we change books twice a week. Thank you for your continued support with this.

Maths

This week we have been learning about repeating patterns. We have been focusing on ABB patterns (e.g. red, blue, blue, red, blue, blue). We had to find the pattern and then continue that pattern, we also had to make our own ABB repeating pattern as well as finding errors in these patterns and fixing them.

After half term, we will be using position vocabulary (in, on, under, next to, in the middle of, between, in front of and behind) and direction vocabulary (forwards, backwards, across, up and down). We will use teddies and objects to learn these words. We will then make a small world using different objects and create a new garden using these words to describe where we will place the different features.

Thematic 

This week, we have been learning about Lunar New Year. We have learned how this is celebrated. We learned a dance and had the opportunity to try Chinese food. We have had so much fun this week!

After half term, we will spend Monday learning about the British Values and the 9 protected characteristics (with a focus on ‘age’). During the rest of the week, we will be learning about the Holi festival and how this is celebrated.

Art Competition

NEW ART COMPETITON – DEADLINE 4th MARCH 2026

We would love to see children from Chilton entering the following art competition hosted by the Royal Academy of Arts. Families will be asked to submit their children’s artwork via the following link (you will need to register):

https://youngartists.royalacademy.org.uk/get-involved#artworks

ABOUT THE COMPETITON

Each student can submit one piece of artwork and there is no theme. When you enter, they will ask for an image of the artwork plus some information about the piece such as title, size, and some text written by the artist which can include why they created the work and what it means to them. Their panel of judges will see the artwork and the selected pieces will be shown in an online exhibition. Some of the artworks will also be shown at the Royal Academy of Arts.

Full details can be found on their website:

Young Artists' Summer Show | Royal Academy

We are very excited to see your submissions!

Good Luck! From Mrs Barlow and Mrs Howard

Important information

• Reading at 3 will be every Friday.

• Please make sure you name everything your child brings into school including gloves, scarves and hats

Important dates

Monday 23rd February – All children back into school at the normal time

Monday 23rd February – Friday 27th February – Bring in any unwanted world book day costumes

Friday 27th February – Second hand world book day costume sale from 3pm by school gates

Thursday 5th March – World Book day, children to dress as their favourite book character

Monday 9th March – Book fair in school this week

Friday 20th March – Red Nose Day (Wear something funny for money)

Monday 23rd March – Rock your socks for Downs Syndrome Awareness (Wear bright or mismatching socks to school)

Tuesday 24th March – Team Periwinkle to Quex Park

Thursday 26th March – Team Teal to Quex Park

Friday 27th March – Parents come into school to look at children’s books prior to Parent Teacher Consultations

Week Beginning 30th March – Parent Teacher consultation week

Wednesday 1st April at 9.05am– Easter Bonnet Parade for Team Periwinkle, Team Ocean and Team Cornflower

Wednesday 1st April at 2.45pm – Easter Bonnet Parade for Team Teal, Team Sky and Team Sapphire

Thursday 2nd April – Chilton Fundraisers Sponsored Eggscellent Event - Non-Uniform to be worn with further details to follow next term.

Thursday 2nd April - Last day of term. School to finish at 3.15pm

Have a great half term!

From the Reception Team

RWI

We continue to work on learning our set 1 sounds, and some groups have started learning their set 2 sounds also. These special friends are especially tricky to learn as they have 2 or more letters making one sound. We provide lots of practise for children to recognise these sounds in words. Children are also beginning to learn red words, these are words which cannot be fred talked (we can’t use our sounds to segment and blend). For example was! We discuss which part of the word is being tricky and practise our speedy reading.

In our sessions, we are progressing through various stages, starting with oral blending and moving on to fred talking unfamiliar words. We then introduce the ‘Fred in your head’ strategy, which helps children to recognise words more quickly. As they become familiar with these words, you will notice that their reading speed improves significantly.

Please continue to support your child with their reading at home recording this in their reading records. If you have any questions please ask your class teacher.

Maths

Our learning this week has been on measure. This included capacity and mass using the vocabulary full, nearly full, half empty, half full, nearly empty, empty, heavy/ light and balanced. We started the week identifying the capacity of different jugs, cups and bowls using our new vocabulary. We then filled some containers to represent the words eg full, empty or nearly empty. By the end of the week, we listened to the story Equal Schmequal. This helped us to understand balance when exploring mass. When one side of the balance went up, it meant the item was lighter and when one side of the balance went down it meant the item was heavy. Our challenge was to find 2 items which caused the scales to balance, this meant they were of equal mass.

Next week, we will continue our learning on repeating patterns.

Thematic Curriculum

We started the week focusing on the impact of the moon landing. We had a wonderful discussion about the various aspects of this monumental event. During our lessons, we explored both the positive and negative implications of the moon landing. On the positive side, we discussed how this achievement significantly increased our knowledge of space and inspired generations to pursue careers in science and technology. However, we also touched on some concerns, such as the issue of space debris and the environmental impact of human activities in space. It was enlightening to see the children engage with these topics and express their thoughts on the balance between exploration and responsibility.

We then delved into what a rocket looks like and discussed the important features it possesses. The children engaged in conversations about the purpose of different designs, focusing on why certain items, such as scissors, have specific shapes—such as round holes to comfortably fit our fingers. Through this, they developed an understanding of why things are designed the way they are.

During our exploration of rockets, we identified three main features essential for their functionality: a pointy nose for aerodynamics, a cylindrical body for stability, and fins on the sides for balance. The children designed their own rockets, thoughtfully considering whether their creations would fly and the reasons behind their choices. They then worked collaboratively in small groups to make their rockets using their designs and checking they had all the features identified.

Towards the end of the week, we shifted our focus to the concept of gravity and its impact on our planet. We learned about Isaac Newton, who made significant discoveries regarding gravity. To bring this concept to life, we engaged in a hands-on activity where we created straw rockets to see firsthand how gravity affects movement.

Next week, children will be learning about Lunar New Year.

Important information

• Love to learn books have been sent home today. Please see the following information for the children’s task:

Love to learn challenge: February Half Term

Well done and thank you so much for your amazing Space projects and creations – they were amazing!

At the start of next term, our new topic will be “On the Farm!”
During half term, we would love you to help your child choose one farm animal to learn about.

Your child’s challenge is to find out some interesting facts about their chosen animal. You might like to talk about:

• What the animal looks like

• Where it lives on the farm

• What it eats

• Any interesting or fun facts

Children will have the opportunity to share what they have discovered with their friends at the beginning of our new topic.

This can be done in any way you like — through talking, drawing, photos, or a simple model. The most important thing is that children enjoy learning together at home.

Thank you for your support — we can’t wait to learn all about farm animals!

Please return the Love to Learn challenges by Wednesday 25^th February so that we can use them at the start of our topic.

Many thanks for your support.

• Read at 3 is cancelled on the last day of term 13^th February due to the winter party.

• PE kits need to be worn into school every Friday please. This needs to be in line with our uniform policy please.

• Please complete the WOW moment sheets regularly so that we can add these to the children’s learning journey books.

Term 3 dates:

Tuesday 10th February – Safer internet day 

Friday 13th February – Non-school uniform day

Friday 13th February- Chinese food tasting

Friday 13th February - Chilton Fundraisers Winter Disco 

Friday 13th February – Last day of term. School finishes at usual time

e-mail addresses

nicki.cotton@chilton primary.co.uk

kirby.walker@chiltonprimary.co.uk

Many thanks for all your continued support,

EYFS team

Number Day

Friday 6^th January is ‘Number Day’ at Chilton! We ask that children come in dressed with a number/shape theme. We will be raising money for NSPCC (suggested voluntary donation of £1). We will be completing fun maths activities throughout the day.

RWI

This week we have continued our Read, Write, Inc lessons in small groups. Some children have continued to learn set 2 sounds, these are all special friends and have a special rhyme. For example ay- may I play? ee what can you see? Part of learning our sounds is learning the letters making up the sounds, practising writing and then reading these in words. Most children are also recapping set 1 sounds to consolidate their learning.

Please continue to read with your child at home. When you have completed a book, sign and date their reading record. It is also beneficial for your child to re-read books to help build their confidence and fluency, which is why we change books twice a week. Thank you for your continued support with this.

Maths

This week we have been learning to compare numbers and quantities. At the start of the week we compared the amount of objects using words such as more, fewer and equal. We then progressed to using a number line to compare numbers. We had to find the numbers on the number line and say which was more than, less than (or say of they were equal if the number was the same). We also discussed whether the numbers we were comparing were close to each other on the number, next to each other or far apart. Towards the end of the week, we were saying whether 2 groups of objects were equal or not. If they were unequal, we had to make them equal (e.g. if one plate had 3 cakes and one plate had 5 cakes, we recognised that this was unequal and then shared them out fairly so that both plates had 4 cakes).

Next week, we will be exploring mass. We will be learning to compare the mass of objects by using words such as heavier and lighter. We will also be learning about capacity and using words such as full, nearly full, half full, nearly empty and empty to describe how much is in a container.

Thematic 

This week, we have continued our learning about Space! We have been focusing on the moon and the moon landing this week. To get the idea that the moon landing was in the past, we first spoke about what the past and present means with the children and sorted toys into those used in the past and those used nowadays in the present. We learned about the moon landing and then pretended to be Neil Armstrong and reporters to ask and answer questions about the moon landing. We will learn what the moon is like and then write some facts about the moon.

Next week, we will be learning about the positive and negative impact of the moon landing and learning about the phases of the moon. We will be looking at a rocket and discussing the special features it has. We will then plan and make a rocket using different ways to join materials.

Art Competition

Important information

• Reading at 3 will be every Friday.

• Please make sure you name everything your child brings into school including gloves, scarves and hats

Important dates

Friday 6th February – NSPCC number day (Reception and KS1 children to come in dressed in number themed clothes/KS2 to come in dressed as a Times Table Rock Star) 

Tuesday 10th February – Safer internet day 

Friday 13th February – Non-school uniform day

Friday 13th February - Chilton Fundraisers Winter Disco 

Friday 13th February – Last day of term. School finishes at usual time

Have a great weekend!

From the Reception Team

RWI

This week in RWI we continue learning our set 2 sounds and reviewing our set 1 sounds. As the term progresses, most groups are focusing on reading in our groups including RED words. ‘You can’t Fred a red!’ Red words do not follow the rules, and we have to work out which part is being naughty. We learn these and practice speedily reading them. Please continue to read at home with your child, it really is helping to support their learning at school.

Maths

Our learning this week has been the composition of numbers 4 and 5. We continued using a part part whole model to identify how to break a number into parts. Our challenge was to find more than 2 parts eg 5 is made up of 2 and 2 and 1. Once we were confident to speedily recall the composition of numbers 1-5, we had an extra challenge. We had to ‘conceptually subitise.’ This is using our subitising skills to see 2 parts and know the total eg ‘I notice there are 2 here and 2 here, and I know that 2 and 2 makes 4. We were blown away with the children’s recall of number facts and subitising.

Next week in maths we are comparing numbers.

Thematic

This week children have enjoyed learning facts about the planets in our solar system. We thought of our own species of aliens who went on a journey through space, hearing about the planets they pass including the planet furthest from the sun, an icy giant….. Neptune! Some facts we learnt included Mars having the tallest volcano in the solar system- Olympus Muns and that the sun is a star. We used this information to write simple sentences. We learnt that a sentence has to follow rules, including having a capital letter at the beginning, finger spaces, a full stop at the end, and using our fred fingers to segment sounds in words.

In music we listened to Gustav Holst the Planets. Mr Redwood taught us how the planets are named after Greek gods and this influenced each piece of music. For example, Mars the God of war was a loud, fast paced piece of music which made us want to march. We used the drums to help us express ourselves whilst listening. Following our music lesson, we expressed ourselves in different ways whilst listening to the Planets. We used pens and pencils, ribbons and instruments to move to the music and show how the music made us feel.

 We discussed the sizes of the planets in comparison to each other, and created a piece of art to represent the solar system, the planet sizes and their appearance.

Next week we will be learning about the moon landing.

Important information

-Please see attached information regarding a school wide art competition

- Reading at 3 continues every Friday- thank you so much for all your efforts. We really appreciate your time.

A message from Miss Isaac

Hello Chilton families,

This week, the whole school is took part in the Big Schools' BirdWatch to collect data for the RSPB. We are inviting you to take part at home too. Here's what you need to do:

1. ‎Choose an hour between 23 and 25 January 2026

2, Only record the birds that land in your garden

3. Record the highest number of each bird species you see at any one time

4. Sign up online and submit your results to the RSPB. Here's the link: Big Garden Birdwatch

Miss Isaac, who is Chilton's science leader, would love to see any photos of you doing this and also know any particularly interesting birds you saw. Feel free to send her an email: carol.isaac@chiltonprimary.co.uk

If you are fan of being out in nature and would like to show off your photography skills, you might be interested in the competition outlined below:

Bird Wise East Kent and Thanet Coast Project have teamed up to host a photography competition. There is a category for under 18s with the winner and runner up having their work displayed in Margate, Whitstable and Ramsgate. The deadline is midnight on Sunday 15^th February. Please go to their website for more information: Photography Competition | Bird Wise East Kent

Have fun twitching!

Miss Isaac

Important dates

Friday 6th February – NSPCC number day (Reception and KS1 children to come in dressed in number themed clothes/KS2 to come in dressed as a Times Table Rock Star) 

Tuesday 10th February – Safer internet day 

Friday 13th February – Non-school uniform day

Friday 13th February - Chilton Fundraisers Winter Disco 

Friday 13th February – Last day of term. School finishes at usual time

Have a great weekend!

From the Reception Team

RSPB Big Garden BirdWatch

This term, the whole school is taking part in the Big Schools' BirdWatch to collect data for the RSPB. We are inviting you to take part at home too. Here's what you need to do:

1. ‎Choose an hour between 23 and 25 January

2, Only record the birds that land in your garden

3. Record the highest number of each bird species you see at any one time

4. Sign up online and submit your results to the RSPB. Here's the link: Big Garden Birdwatch

Miss Isaac, who is Chilton's science leader, would love to see any photos of you doing this and also know any particularly interesting birds you saw. Feel free to send her an email: carol.isaac@chiltonprimary.co.uk

Have fun  twitching!

RWI

This week we have continued our Read, Write, Inc lessons in small groups. Some children have continued to learn set 2 sounds, these are all special friends and have a special rhyme. For example ay- may I play? ee what can you see? Part of learning our sounds is learning the letters making up the sounds, practising writing and then reading these in words. Most children are also recapping set 1 sounds to consolidate their learning.

Please continue to read with your child at home. When you have completed a book, sign and date their reading record. It is also beneficial for your child to re-read books to help build their confidence and fluency, which is why we change books twice a week. Thank you for your continued support with this.

Maths

This week we have been exploring the composition of numbers 1, 2 and 3. We have been learning that numbers can be broken into smaller parts (e.g. the number 3 can be broken into 2 and 1 or 1 and 1 and 1). We have been exploring this is different ways (e.g. with cubes, with Numicon tiles and with part, part, whole models). We have also been learning to problem solve by visualising. We had to look at a picture of a pattern or shape and make that using the resources (e.g. Lego, Duplo, cubes).

Next week, we will be exploring the composition of numbers 4 and 5.

Thematic 

This wee, we started our new topic: Space! We started the week by looking at the wonderful Love to Learn projects that were completed by the children (and parents!) We also had a message from an alien asking for help to get their lost baby alien back to them in space. We drew maps to help and looked for clues in the school that the baby alien had been here. We have started to learn about the solar system. Take a look at us being a sun, a planet and a moon and how they orbit:

Next week, we will be focusing on the planets. We will learn the names of the planets and a simple fact about each one. We will discuss the order of planets, sizes and colours of the planets. In music, we will listen to music representing the different planets and then we will use painting, instruments, movement and artwork to express the music. We will also create our own artwork to show the order of the planets. Through the week, we will use our writing skills to write about the planets.

Important information

• Reading at 3 will be every Friday.

• Please make sure you name everything your child brings into school including gloves, scarves and hats

Important dates

Friday 6th February – NSPCC number day (Reception and KS1 children to come in dressed in number themed clothes/KS2 to come in dressed as a Times Table Rock Star) 

Tuesday 10th February – Safer internet day 

Friday 13th February – Non-school uniform day

Friday 13th February - Chilton Fundraisers Winter Disco 

Friday 13th February – Last day of term. School finishes at usual time

Have a great weekend!

From the Reception Team

RWI

This week we have continued our Read, Write, Inc lessons in small groups. Some children have continued to learn set 2 sounds, these are all special friends and have a special rhyme. For example ay- may I play? ee what can you see? Part of learning our sounds is learning the letters making up the sounds, practising writing and then reading these in words. Most children are also recapping set 1 sounds to consolidate their learning.

Please continue to read with your child at home. When you have completed a book, sign and date their reading record. It is also beneficial for your child to re-read books to help build their confidence and fluency, which is why we change books twice a week. Thank you for your continued support with this.

Maths

This week we have been exploring number patterns. We focused on using hundred squares to identify and discuss various number patterns. The children noticed that the numbers in the ones place remain consistent as they move down the columns. Additionally, many observed that the tens digits increase by one, with a zero at the end of each number. We also practiced counting using the hundred squares, learning that when we reach the end of a line, we need to move down and start counting again from the left. Later in the week, we introduced the concept of estimating, discussing how making a good guess involves comparing amounts and determining if one is more or fewer than the other.

To support their understanding, we engaged in hands-on activities that allowed the children to apply these concepts practically. This approach not only reinforces their learning but also encourages them to think critically about numbers and their relationships.

Thematic 

PSHE week focused on the theme of “Champions of Courage.” This week, the children in Reception learned about Judith Kerr, the renowned author best known for her beloved story, “The Tiger Who Came to Tea.” We explored her remarkable life and the courage she demonstrated, particularly her journey from Germany to the UK at the beginning of the war.

Throughout the week, we engaged in discussions about why Judith Kerr is considered a champion of courage. The children reflected on whether they would have felt the same way in her situation. We also delved into a variety of her books, discussing what we enjoyed about them and how they inspired us.

Important information

• Reading at 3 will be every Friday.

• Please make sure you name everything your child brings in to school including gloves, scarves and hats

Important dates

Monday 5th January – Everyone back to School at usual time 

Wednesday 7th January – Year 4 swimming to begin 

Thursday 15th January – Reception September 2026 application closes 

Friday 6th February – NSPCC number day (Reception and KS1 children to come in dressed in number themed clothes/KS2 to come in dressed as a Times Table Rock Star) 

Friday 6th February – KS2 Countdown assembly at 9am (parents of year group house winners to be invited) Tuesday 10th February – Safer internet day 

Friday 13th February – Non-school uniform day

Friday 13th February - Chilton Fundraisers Winter Disco 

Friday 13th February – Last day of term. School finishes at usual time

Have a great weekend

From the reception team

RWI

We have been continuing our small group learning, focusing on addressing any gaps in Set 1 sounds. Some groups are now ready to move on to learning their Set 2 sounds.

Set 2 sounds are known as “special friends,” which consist of two or more letters that combine to create one sound. It is crucial for children to recognise these special friends when reading, as this recognition significantly enhances their reading skills.

We encourage you to support your child’s reading by engaging with the texts they bring home. This practice will reinforce their learning and help them become more confident readers. Additionally, some children may have received a sticker indicating any Set 1 sound gaps they still need to work on.

Maths

This week, we have been doing various maths activities based on Christmas. We have found the different ways that Father Christmas could open his different coloured presents. We have also ordered numbers to help Father Christmas open his presents in the correct order.

Thematic

This week, we have been learning about how Christmas is celebrated in different countries around the world. We discussed how these traditions are similar or different to the Christmas traditions we have.

Important dates

Monday 5th January – Everyone back to School at usual time 

Thursday 15th January – Reception September 2026 application closes 

Friday 6th February – NSPCC number day (Reception and KS1 children to come in dressed in number themed clothes/KS2 to come in dressed as a Times Table Rock Star) 

Friday 13th February – Non-school uniform day 

Friday 13th February - Chilton Fundraisers Winter Disco 

Friday 13th February – Last day of term. School finishes at usual time

It is great that we are able to talk to families at the start and end of the day. If there is anything else you would like to share with us, please email:

nicki.cotton@chiltonprimary.co.uk

kirby.walker@chiltonprimary.co.uk

We hope you have a great week!

Reception Team

RWI

This week we have continued to focus on helping our children learn sounds, practice writing, and develop their reading skills. It’s wonderful to see the progress they are making, and we would like to highlight the importance of your involvement at home.

As part of our RWI sessions, we are concentrating on learning specific sounds and practicing writing and reading with those sounds. We also focus on letter formation using the patters, which helps the children develop their handwriting skills. Additionally, we are introducing “red words,” which are high-frequency words that do not follow standard phonetic rules. Reading at home plays a crucial role in reinforcing these skills, and we encourage you to read with your child regularly. Re-reading familiar texts is particularly beneficial, as it builds recognition and fluency, which are essential for their reading development.

Thank you for your continued support.

Maths

This we have been learning about repeating patterns. We have been recapping AB patterns and are now moving on to ABC patterns. The children have shown great enthusiasm in learning about the rules that govern these patterns.

During our lessons, we have discovered that there are three key components to the rules we need to follow when creating ABC patterns. The children have successfully identified these rules, continued existing patterns, and even created their own unique patterns. It has been wonderful to see some of the children spot mistakes in patterns and correct them, demonstrating their understanding and critical thinking skills.

Next week we will be completing some Christmas maths challenges.

Thematic

This week we have been learning about winter. We have been exploring various aspects of this fascinating season, including its characteristics, such as being the coldest season of the year, the hibernation habits of some animals, and the differences between evergreen and deciduous trees.

As part of our learning journey, the children created beautiful winter scenes featuring silhouettes of deciduous trees against moody backgrounds. We used blue paint to depict the skies, and the children experimented with adding white to create lighter tints, which brightened the blue. They also used black paint to add shades, enhancing the depth of their artwork. The creativity and enthusiasm displayed by the children during this project have been truly wonderful to witness.

Next week we will be learning about Christmas around the world.

Important information

Christmas Party

Starting in term 3, we will begin read at 3 on a Friday. This is where we invite you in to read with your child. We will be opening our doors at 3pm every Friday.

Important dates

15th December – No PE this week

16th December -Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 Christmas Parties – children to wear Party Clothes to school

17th December – Christmas Dinner Day

18th December – Christmas Jumper Day

18th December – Final day at school; school finishes at 2pm and there will be no after school club

It is great that we are able to talk to families at the start and end of the day. If there is anything else you would like to share with us, please email:

nicki.cotton@chiltonprimary.co.uk

kirby.walker@chiltonprimary.co.uk

We hope you have a great week!

Reception Team

RWI

We have been continuing our small group learning, focusing on addressing any gaps in Set 1 sounds. Some groups are now ready to move on to learning their Set 2 sounds.

Set 2 sounds are known as “special friends,” which consist of two or more letters that combine to create one sound. It is crucial for children to recognise these special friends when reading, as this recognition significantly enhances their reading skills.

We encourage you to support your child’s reading by engaging with the texts they bring home. This practice will reinforce their learning and help them become more confident readers. Additionally, some children may have received a sticker indicating any Set 1 sound gaps they still need to work on.

Maths

This week, we have been learning about length and height. We have been learning to compare the length of objects using words such as shorter, longer, shortest and tallest. We have also been comparing height by using the vocabulary of taller, shorter, tallest and shortest. At the end of the week, we started to learn about ordinal numbers (1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd….) through the song The Twelve Days of Christmas.

Next week, we will be learning about ABC repeating patterns (e.g. red, blue, yellow, red, blue, yellow…). Children will learn to identify the pattern, continue the pattern, make their own ABC repeating patterns and spot an error in a repeating pattern.

Thematic

At the beginning of the week, we explored emergency vehicles. We learned about police cars, lifeboats, fire engines, ambulances and air rescue helicopters. We looked at the special features each has and when they would be used. We also learned about the jobs associated with these emergency vehicles.

We also designed and made our own emergency vehicle. We worked in small groups to do this, making sure that we included the special features associated with the emergency vehicle. We learned how to attach paper and card to our models in different ways.

To celebrate the end of our learning about transport, we had a visit from local firefighters and enjoyed a look around the fire engine! This was so much fun!

Important information

Please help your child to practice their lines for the Christmas performance.

Please send your child in to school wearing their Christmas performance clothes on Friday 13^th December. Please put children’s school uniforms into their school bags so we change them back into school uniforms after our performance.

Christmas Party

Important dates

10th December – Christmas Fair 3.15pm-4.15pm

12th December – Reception Christmas performance at 9am in the hall

15th December – No PE this week

16th December -Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 Christmas Parties – children to wear Party Clothes to school

17th December – Christmas Dinner Day

18th December – Christmas Jumper Day

18th December – Final day at school; school finishes at 2pm and there will be no after school club

It is great that we are able to talk to families at the start and end of the day. If there is anything else you would like to share with us, please email:

nicki.cotton@chiltonprimary.co.uk

kirby.walker@chiltonprimary.co.uk

We hope you have a great week!

Reception Team

RWI

We have been continuing our small group learning, focusing on addressing any gaps in Set 1 sounds. Some groups are now ready to move on to learning their Set 2 sounds.

Set 2 sounds are known as “special friends,” which consist of two or more letters that combine to create one sound. It is crucial for children to recognise these special friends when reading, as this recognition significantly enhances their reading skills.

We encourage you to support your child’s reading by engaging with the texts they bring home. This practice will reinforce their learning and help them become more confident readers. Additionally, some children may have received a sticker indicating any Set 1 sound gaps they still need to work on.

Maths

This week, we have been exploring the fascinating world of shapes. We began with a thorough investigation of 2D shapes, which are flat and can be found all around us. The children not only learned the names of these shapes but also described their characteristics, such as the number of sides and corners.

As we progressed, the children demonstrated remarkable enthusiasm and understanding. They were able to sort the shapes based on their properties, distinguishing between those that have corners and those that do not, those with curved or straight sides and those with differing numbers of sides. To wrap up the week, we transitioned to 3D shapes, which are the ones we can pick up and hold, further expanding their understanding of geometry.

Next week we will be learning about length and height.

Thematic

At the beginning of the week we explored vehicles from the past and compared them to what we have now. We learnt about penny farthings, steam trains and the first buses and aeroplanes. We had to sort pictures into vehicles from the past and present. We then received a letter from the police! They were asking for our help to catch the naughty bus. To do this, we decided to make a wanted poster. We wrote what the bus looks like so people can keep an eye out for them.

Mid-week we went on our first school trip! We had so much fun, whilst also ensuring we were keeping safe. Please see the photos of our time spotting different vehicles and drawing pictures of the boats in the harbour.

After returning to school, we thought about all the things we saw on our way to the harbour out of the bus windows. Then we created a map of where we had been from a bird’s eye view in case anyone needs to get to the harbour.

Next week we will be making our own vehicles using junk modelling. If you have any cardboard boxes please can you bring these in to school for us to use?

Important information

Please help your child to practice their lines for the Christmas performance.

Please send your child in to school wearing their Christmas performance clothes on Friday 13^th December. Please put children’s school uniforms into their school bags so we change them back into school uniforms after our performance.

Important dates

10th December – Christmas Fair 3.15pm-4.15pm

12th December – Reception Christmas performance at 9am in the hall

15th December – No PE this week

16th December -Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 Christmas Parties – children to wear Party Clothes to school

17th December – Christmas Dinner Day

18th December – Christmas Jumper Day

18th December – Final day at school; school finishes at 2pm and there will be no after school club

It is great that we are able to talk to families at the start and end of the day. If there is anything else you would like to share with us, please email:

nicki.cotton@chiltonprimary.co.uk

kirby.walker@chiltonprimary.co.uk

We hope you have a great week!

Reception Team

Christmas Show (Friday 12^th December)

Your child would have come home with a brown envelope last week. This had details of the clothes which need to be provided for our Christmas show on Friday 12^th December. If your child has a line in the show, this would have also been in the envelope. Please check your child’s bag for this and let us know ASAP if you are unsure of what clothes your child will need to wear into school on Friday 12^th December.

RWI

This week, we have continued to teach the children in small RWI groups to allow us to tailor our teaching to their individual needs more effectively.

During our sessions, the children focus on recapping any gaps in their understanding of Set 1 sounds. This will involve a variety of activities, including practising letter formation and building words with the sounds we have learned. This approach ensures each child receives the support they need to develop their phonics skills at their own pace.

To further support your child's learning at home, we ask you to now keep the pink sound books at home allowing you to help reinforce their learning through practice of speedy recall of our Set 1 sounds. Regular practice at home can significantly enhance your child's confidence and proficiency in reading, so we kindly encourage you to engage with these materials regularly.

Maths

At the start of the week, children were learning to use their own marks to represent different things e.g. they could choose to represent which children are in each house colour in the class using mars, dots, circles, faces etc. They had some wonderfully creative ways of making their own marks to represent! The children have also been finding one more/less than a given number through different games and activities.

Next week, the children will be learning about 2D shapes. They will learn to name common 2D shapes (circle, triangle, square and oblong) as well as starting to describe their properties (e.g how many sides the shape has). At the end of the week, we will introduce some common 3D shapes (sphere, cube, cuboid, cone, pyramid). Children will start to explore what these shapes look like and how we can use these shapes to build and construct.

Thematic

This week, we have started our new topic: From Here to There which focuses on transport. The week started with our classrooms being messed up over lunchtime! We looked for clues and found a Naughty Bus! We read the stort The Naughty Bus and explored the chaos that he causes in the story. We have created a piece of artwork using mixed media based on the story. We also looked at where the story is set (London) and learned facts about London, including looking at London landmarks. At the end of the week, we learned and performed the Naughty Bus song!

Next week, we will be learning about how to keep ourselves safe when near roads. We will be going on our ‘Naughty Bus trip’ to Ramsgate harbour. Team Periwinkle will go on Tuesday 25^th November and Team Teal on Wednesday 26^th November. We will talk about what it is like to travel on the school minibus (the first time the children will experience this!), the boats we can see in the harbour and any other forms of transport that we observe. Once back at school, we will create a map to show what we saw on our trip. Throughout the week we will also learn about transport from the past and compare it to what we use nowadays. The children will also create a wanted posted for the naughty bus!

Love to Learn

Thank you so much for the wonderful Love to Learn that was completed and handed in. we had a wonderful time sharing this in class. Thank you!

Important Messages:

• If you need any WOW moments, please ask your child’s teacher. Please do complete these at home and hand them to class teachers so that they can be added to children’s learning journey at school.

• Your child will now be bringing a reading book home. Once your child has completed their book, please sign the reading record and return it in its zippy wallet on a Tuesday and a Friday for it to be changed.

• Some parents have returned items belonging to the school (e.g. resources, superstar learner cards). If you find that your child has accidentally brought something home from school, please could you return it to school.

• A reminder that children are not allowed to bring things into school to play with. We do not want things from home to get lost or broken! Many thanks for your support with this.

• Please make sure all clothing is named including PE kits.

Key Dates for Term 2:

24th November – Book Fair on all week

25^th November – Team Periwinkle Naughty Bus trip

26^th November – Team Teal Naughty Bus trip

10th December – Christmas Fair 3.15pm-4.15pm

12th December – Reception Nativity at 9am in the hall

15th December – No PE this week

16th December -Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 Christmas Parties – children to wear Party Clothes to school

17th December – Christmas Dinner Day

18th December – Christmas Jumper Day

18th December – Final day at school; school finishes at 2pm and there will be no after school club

It is great that we are able to talk to families at the start and end of the day. If there is anything else you would like to share with us, please email:

nicki.cotton@chiltonprimary.co.uk

kirby.walker@chiltonprimary.co.uk

We hope you have a great week!

Reception Team

RWI

This week we continue to focus on practicing our Set 1 sounds. As you may know, our approach is not just about recognising letters; it’s about making the learning experience engaging and practical for our little ones.

During our sessions, we are concentrating on words beginning with the sound of the day. For instance, when we practice the sound ‘c’, we introduce words like caterpillar, conker, and clap. These examples help the children connect sounds with familiar objects.

We are also focusing on letter formation through a simple pattern: “curl around the caterpillar” for the letter ‘c’. This method makes it easier for children to remember how to write the letter correctly. Letter formation is an essential skill to have as we move up the school.

Alongside this, we are practicing writing CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words like cot, can, and cash. We use our ‘Fred fingers’ to segment the words into sounds making it easier to then spell them.

Another key aspect of our phonics activities is oral blending, which we emphasise to support your children's early stages of reading. Building upon this, many children are beginning to use this skill to practice 'Fred Talk'—an essential part of our phonics programme. ‘Fred Talk’ encourages children to speak the sounds in a word, making it a useful way to decode new words together.

As we continue this phonics journey, we encourage you to engage with your child at home.

Maths

This week we have been focusing on number recognition and exploring numerals up to 10.

This week, the postman needed our help to pack parcels ready for chrismtas. Each child was given the task of placing the correct number of toys into envelopes based on the numeral displayed. This activity not only helped reinforce their number recognition skills but also encouraged teamwork and communication as they worked together to ensure the right amounts went into each envelope.

We also played a game where the children moved objects around to trick their teacher into thinking the quantity had changed. This experience encouraged them to understand that while the position of the objects may alter, the amount remains constant – a valuable concept known as conservation of number.

Next week we will be exploring the relationship between numbers including one more and one less.

Thematic

We are excited to share with you what we have been up to this week during our Kindness Week across the school. It has been a wonderful opportunity for our children to explore the concept of kindness and its significance in our daily lives.

We kicked off the week by encouraging the children to say kind things to one another. It was heartwarming to witness such kindness in action as they complimented each other and shared positive messages. This simple act not only brightened their day but also helped to establish a supportive classroom environment where everyone felt valued.

Throughout the week, we delved into the theme of friendships. The children learned what healthy friendships look like and, more importantly, how they should make us feel. It was lovely to see them recognise the traits of a good friend, such as trust, respect, and empathy. We discussed how friends support each other and the importance of communication in maintaining these relationships.

Additionally, we talked about conflicts – a natural part of any friendship. The children discovered how conflicts might arise and the significance of compromise. We encouraged them to share their thoughts on handling disagreements and offered strategies for resolving conflicts positively. Teaching them these skills will undoubtedly benefit them as they navigate their friendships, not just now but in the future as well.

Next week we will begin our transport topic.

🎄 Christmas Card Competition 🎄

Our school has been invited to take part in the annual Christmas card competition organised by our local MP, Polly Billington.

Children are encouraged to create a festive design, and the winning cards will be printed and shared with businesses and organisations across East Thanet, as well as Members of Parliament in Westminster — spreading festive cheer far and wide!

Competition Categories

Under 7 years

Under 11 years

Children should complete their Christmas card design on the back of the consent sheet. Please note, all designs should be hand drawn on A4 paper with colouring pencils, crayons, felt-tips pens or paint. Please do not use glitter, sequins, or digital artwork.

Consent

A permission form will be sent home to allow your child to take part.

At no stage will full names be used; however, winners’ first names, ages and school names will be shared.

Please complete and return the form along with your child’s artwork on the back of the consent form.

Deadline

Entries must be returned to school by Wednesday 12th November.

We can’t wait to see the wonderful designs our children create!

Thank you for your support — and good luck to all our young artists!

Important Messages:

• If you need any WOW moments, please ask your child’s teacher.

• Your child will now be bringing a reading book home. Once your child has completed their book, please sign the reading record and return it in its zippy wallet on a Tuesday and a Friday for it to be changed.

• Some parents have returned items belonging to the school (e.g. resources, superstar learner cards). If you find that your child has accidentally brought something home from school, please could you return it to school.

• A reminder that children are not allowed to bring things into school to play with. We do not want things from home to get lost or broken! Many thanks for your support with this.

• Please make sure all clothing is named including PE kits.

Key Dates for Term 2:

21st November – Reception Come Dine with me (Periwinkle 11.30 and Teal 11.40)

24th November – Book Fair on all week

25^th November – Team Periwinkle Naughty Bus trip

26^th November – Team Teal Naughty Bus trip

10th December – Christmas Fair 3.15pm-4.15pm

12th December – Reception Nativity at 9am in the hall

15th December – No PE this week

16th December -Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 Christmas Parties – children to wear Party Clothes to school

17th December – Christmas Dinner Day

18th December – Christmas Jumper Day

18th December – Final day at school; school finishes at 2pm and there will be no after school club

It is great that we are able to talk to families at the start and end of the day. If there is anything else you would like to share with us, please email:

nicki.cotton@chiltonprimary.co.uk

kirby.walker@chiltonprimary.co.uk

We hope you have a great week!

Reception Team

RWI

This week, we have continued to teach the children in small RWI groups to allow us to tailor our teaching to their individual needs more effectively.

During our sessions, the children will be focusing on recapping any gaps in their understanding of Set 1 sounds. This will involve a variety of activities, including practising letter formation and building words with the sounds we have learned. This approach ensures each child receives the support they need to develop their phonics skills at their own pace.

To further support your child's learning at home, we ask you to now keep the pink sound books at home allowing you to help reinforce their learning through practice of speedy recall of our Set 1 sounds. Regular practice at home can significantly enhance your child's confidence and proficiency in reading, so we kindly encourage you to engage with these materials regularly.

Maths

This week, we have been focusing on numbers 1-5 in maths. We have been learning to show these numbers on our fingers, recognising these numerals and matching an amount to the numeral. We have also been learning that the amount doesn’t change even if the objects move around.

Next week, we will be doing similar activities, but focusing on numbers 1-10.

Thematic

This week, we have been continuing with our ‘Celebrations’ topic. We have been learning why people celebrate ‘Firework Night’ on the 5^th November by learning about the Gunpowder plot. We listened to the story and then ordered the main events of the story. We then used these key events to retell the story in small groups. We have also been learning about how to keep safe when watching fireworks, using sparklers or being at a bonfire event. Later on in the week, we watched some fireworks on the screen and described what we could see and hear. We then had a go at writing words to describe the fireworks (e.g. pop, bang). At the end of the week, we used different to materials to create our own firework art!

Love to Learn

The transport love to learn task is due in on Friday 14^th November:

Extra challenge!

Last term, we learnt about recycling and keeping our environment clean and tidy. We went litter picking and earned ourselves a rosette. If your child helps out with the recycling or does a litter pick outside of school, please email a photo of your child doing this and we will present them with a certificate at school. Thank you for those who have already done so.

🎄 Christmas Card Competition 🎄

Our school has been invited to take part in the annual Christmas card competition organised by our local MP, Polly Billington.

Children are encouraged to create a festive design, and the winning cards will be printed and shared with businesses and organisations across East Thanet, as well as Members of Parliament in Westminster — spreading festive cheer far and wide!

Competition Categories

• Under 7 years

• Under 11 years

Children should complete their Christmas card design on the back of the consent sheet. Please note, all designs should be hand drawn on A4 paper with colouring pencils, crayons, felt-tips pens or paint. Please do not use glitter, sequins, or digital artwork.

Consent

A permission form will be sent home to allow your child to take part.
At no stage will full names be used; however, winners’ first names, ages and school names will be shared.

Please complete and return the form along with your child’s artwork on the back of the consent form.

Deadline

Entries must be returned to school by Wednesday 12th November.

We can’t wait to see the wonderful designs our children create!
Thank you for your support — and good luck to all our young artists! 🎨✨

Important Messages:

• If you need any WOW moments, please ask your child’s teacher.

• Your child will now be bringing a reading book home. Once your child has completed their book, please sign the reading record and return it in its zippy wallet on a Tuesday and a Friday for it to be changed.

• Some parents have returned items belonging to the school (e.g. resources, superstar learner cards). If you find that your child has accidentally brought something home from school, please could you return it to school.

• A reminder that children are not allowed to bring things into school to play with. We do not want things from home to get lost or broken! Many thanks for your support with this.

• Please make sure all clothing is named including PE kits.

Key Dates for Term 2:

11th November – Service Uniform Day, children allowed to wear their service uniforms into school

12th November – Individual School Photos

14th November – Children in need – This year is a challenge yourself theme. We are challenging the children to come into school wearing as many spots as possible!

21st November – Reception Come Dine with me (Periwinkle 11.30 and Teal 11.40)

24th November – Book Fair on all week

25^th November – Team Periwinkle Naughty Bus trip

26^th November – Team Teal Naughty Bus trip

10th December – Christmas Fair 3.15pm-4.15pm

12th December – Reception Nativity at 9am in the hall

15th December – No PE this week

16th December -Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 Christmas Parties – children to wear Party Clothes to school

17th December – Christmas Dinner Day

18th December – Christmas Jumper Day

18th December – Final day at school; school finishes at 2pm and there will be no after school club

It is great that we are able to talk to families at the start and end of the day. If there is anything else you would like to share with us, please email:

nicki.cotton@chiltonprimary.co.uk

kirby.walker@chiltonprimary.co.uk

We hope you have a great week!

Reception Team

We would like to also thank you all for taking the time to attend our recent parent-teacher consultations. It was a wonderful opportunity to discuss your child's progress and celebrate their achievements together.

RWI

This week, we have organised the children into smaller groups, allowing us to tailor our teaching to their individual needs more effectively.

During our sessions, the children will be focusing on recapping any gaps in their understanding of Set 1 sounds. This will involve a variety of activities, including practising letter formation and building words with the sounds we have learned. This approach ensures each child receives the support they need to develop their phonics skills at their own pace.

To further support your child's learning at home, we ask you to now keep the pink sound books at home allowing you to help reinforce their learning through practice of speedy recall of our Set 1 sounds. Regular practice at home can significantly enhance your child's confidence and proficiency in reading, so we kindly encourage you to engage with these materials regularly.

Maths

This week, we have embarked on an exciting journey into the world of patterns, specifically focusing on AB patterns, where we have explored how certain elements repeat. It has been wonderful to witness the children's enthusiasm as they delved into this concept.

To begin our exploration, we spent some time identifying AB patterns in our environment. The children were engaged in spotting these patterns and determining which part of the sequence repeats. This was an invaluable opportunity for them to develop their observational skills and understanding of repetition.

Following this, the children creatively made their own AB patterns using a variety of resources available in the classroom. From coloured blocks to nature items, their imaginations ran wild as they constructed unique patterns. It was delightful to see them working collaboratively, sharing ideas, and discussing their creations with one another.

Lastly, we introduced an element of challenge by asking the children to identify a mistake within given AB patterns. This activity encouraged critical thinking and reinforced their understanding of the concept.

Next week we will be learning how to represent numbers including matching quantity to numerals up to 5.

Thematic

We are pleased to share with you the delightful experiences our classes have had this week as we explored the Hindu festival of Diwali. This celebration of light and joy provided a rich context for learning and creativity, allowing the children to engage with both the cultural significance and the stories associated with this vibrant festival.

We began our journey by reading the enchanting story of Rama and Sita. The children were captivated by the tale of how the evil king Ravana kidnapped Sita, and the subsequent adventure of Rama as he bravely fought to save her. The theme of good triumphing over evil and light overcoming darkness resonated deeply, as we discussed the importance of these values in our own lives.

To connect with the festival practically, each child had the opportunity to create their own diva lamps, which are traditional symbols of light used during Diwali. Using clay, the children moulded and decorated their lamps, fostering their creativity and fine motor skills. It was a joy to see their artistic expressions come to life!

Furthermore, we engaged in a lovely Diwali dance, which allowed the children to embody the spirit of the festival in movement. At the end of the week, as a culmination of our learning, we constructed our own indoor bonfire and toasted marshmallows. This activity not only reinforced the themes of warmth and togetherness but also provided a wonderful sensory experience that the children thoroughly enjoyed.

As we continue to explore various cultures and festivals throughout the year, we encourage you to discuss these themes at home. This can help reinforce their learning and promote an appreciation for diverse traditions.

Extra challenge!

Last term, we learnt about recycling and keeping our environment clean and tidy. We went litter picking and earned ourselves a rosette. If your child helps out with the recycling or does a litter pick outside of school, please email a photo of your child doing this and we will present them with a certificate at school. Thank you for those who have already done so.

Important Messages:

• If you need any WOW moments, please ask your child’s teacher.

• Your child will now be bringing a reading book home. Once your child has completed their book, please sign the reading record and return it in its zippy wallet on a Tuesday and a Friday for it to be changed.

• Some parents have returned items belonging to the school (e.g. resources, superstar learner cards). If you find that your child has accidentally brought something home from school, please could you return it to school.

• A reminder that children are not allowed to bring things into school to play with. We do not want things from home to get lost or broken! Many thanks for your support with this.

• Please make sure all clothing is named including PE kits.

Key Dates for Term 2:

3rd November – Poppies on sale for following 2 weeks; children to bring in donations in named envelope 

11th November – Service Uniform Day, children allowed to wear their service uniforms into school

12th November – Individual School Photos

14th November – Children in need – This year is a challenge yourself theme. We are challenging the children to come into school wearing as many spots as possible!

21st November – Reception Come Dine with me (Periwinkle 11.30 and Teal 11.40)

24th November – Book Fair on all week

25^th November – Team Periwinkle Naughty Bus trip

26^th November – Team Teal Naughty Bus trip

10th December – Christmas Fair 3.15pm-4.15pm

12th December – Reception Nativity at 9am in the hall

15th December – No PE this week

16th December -Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 Christmas Parties – children to wear Party Clothes to school

17th December – Christmas Dinner Day

18th December – Christmas Jumper Day

18th December – Final day at school; school finishes at 2pm and there will be no after school club

It is great that we are able to talk to families at the start and end of the day. If there is anything else you would like to share with us, please email:

nicki.cotton@chiltonprimary.co.uk

kirby.walker@chiltonprimary.co.uk

We hope you have a great week!

Reception Team

RWI

This week, we introduced more set 1 sounds: v, y, w and z.

We encourage you to continue practising the sounds we have covered in the pink sound books. This will help reinforce their learning. Please focus on quick recognition of sounds and correct letter formation, as these skills are foundational for their reading and writing development.

In Term 2, we will start our RWI group work, based on their progress. This group work will allow us to tailor our learning experiences to best meet the needs of each child and further support their phonics journey.

Maths

This week we continued our exploration of the number 10 through a range of fun and engaging activities designed to enhance their ability to recognise, write, and check quantities.

One of the highlights of our recent lessons has been using the popular "Numberblocks" characters, which provide a playful way to reinforce mathematical concepts. These characters not only make learning enjoyable but also help to deepen your child's understanding of numbers and their relationships. I encourage you to explore the Numberblocks episodes together, as they are a fantastic resource for sparking discussions about numbers.

This week, we have also been learning about comparing amounts using the vocabulary more, fewer and equal to.

Thematic

This week, we continued our exploration of superheroes, focusing on the delightful story of "Eliot the Midnight Superhero”. We had to come up with new ideas for what Eliot’s adventures and missions may be. Through this learning, we learned about forces and what a push and a pull is.

We have also been reading ‘Michael Recycle’. Through this text, we learned about the importance of recycling and caring for our environment. We went litter picking around the school which was a lot of fun and earned us a special rosette! To end our Superheroes learning, we designed, made and then paraded our very own superhero capes, thinking about the materials we were using and why. Here are some photos of us litter picking!

Love to Learn:

The new love to learn task has been glues into books (or popped in bags if books were not in school). We have also included it here for you:

Extra challenge!

This week, we have been learning about recycling and keeping our environment clean and tidy. We went litter picking and earned ourselves a rosette. If your child helps out with the recycling or does a litter pick outside of school, please email a photo of your child doing this and we will present them with a certificate at school. Thank you!

Important Messages:

• Some parents have returned items belonging to the school (e.g. resources, superstar learner cards). If you find that your child has accidentally brought something home from school, please could you return it to school.

• A reminder that children are not allowed to bring things into school to play with. We do not want things from home to get lost or broken! Many thanks for your support with this.

• Please make sure all clothing is named including PE kits.

Key Dates for Term 2:

27th October – Inset Day, children not in school

28th October – Parent/teacher consultation week

3rd November – Poppies on sale for following 2 weeks; children to bring in donations in named envelope and house captains to bring poppies round to classrooms

11th November – Service Uniform Day, children allowed to wear their service uniforms into school

12th November – Individual School Photos

14th November – Children in need – This year is a challenge yourself theme. We are challenging the children to come into school wearing as many spots as possible!

21st November – Reception Come Dine with me (Periwinkle 11.30 and Teal 11.40)

24th November – Book Fair on all week

10th December – Christmas Fair 3.15pm-4.15pm

12th December – Reception Nativity at 9am in the hall

15th December – No PE this week

16th December -Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 Christmas Parties – children to wear Party Clothes to school

17th December – Christmas Dinner Day

18th December – Christmas Jumper Day

18th December – Final day at school; school finishes at 2pm and there will be no after school club

It is great that we are able to talk to families at the start and end of the day. If there is anything else you would like to share with us, please email:

nicki.cotton@chiltonprimary.co.uk

kirby.walker@chiltonprimary.co.uk

We hope you have a great week!

Reception Team

The children truly shone during their performances, and we are incredibly proud of how hard they worked to learn the songs and actions. This was their first performance at Chilton, and they faced it with such enthusiasm and confidence. A big thank you also goes out to all the siblings who assisted them along the way, as your support undoubtedly helped make this event a success.

RWI

This week, we introduced a special friend concept, where more than one letter comes together to create a unique sound. This is an exciting and essential part of our phonics journey that enriches the children’s understanding and application of sounds in their reading and writing.

I encourage you to continue practising the sounds we have covered in the pink sound books. This will help reinforce their learning. Please focus on quick recognition of sounds and correct letter formation, as these skills are foundational for their reading and writing development.

By the end of next week, all children will have covered the complete Set 1 alphabet sounds, which is a brilliant achievement for them! Following this, we will be starting group work in Term 2, based on their progress. This group work will allow us to tailor our learning experiences to best meet the needs of each child and further support their phonics journey.

Thank you for your continued support and dedication in helping your child succeed.

Maths

This week we continued our exploration of numerals focusing on 6 to 9. The children have been having a great time engaging with these numbers through a variety of fun games and activities designed to enhance their ability to recognise, write, and check quantities.

One of the highlights of our recent lessons has been using the popular "Numberblocks" characters, which provide a playful way to reinforce mathematical concepts. These characters not only make learning enjoyable but also help to deepen your child's understanding of numbers and their relationships. I encourage you to explore the Numberblocks episodes together, as they are a fantastic resource for sparking discussions about numbers.

In our classroom, we've had a brilliant time creating our own Numberblocks using cubes, as well as incorporating our autumnal finds for counting. Using leaves, conkers, and other treasures from this season has truly brought our counting activities to life, making them relatable and fun for the children.

Next week we will be learning about comparing amounts using the vocabulary more, fewer and equal to.

Thematic

This week  we continued our exploration of superheroes, focusing on the delightful story of "Eliot the Midnight Superhero."

In our sessions, the children embarked on adventurous journeys through Eliot’s night-time escapades. We collaborated to create a vibrant story map that illustrated Eliot’s thrilling adventures, which really sparked their creativity. Afterwards, the children had the opportunity to craft their own stories, drawing inspiration from their imaginations and the adventures we mapped out together.

Additionally, we ventured into the world of art with a collage activity, where each child created a superhero medal. They used various materials to reflect significant elements from the story; for example, gems to represent the queen's jewels and yellow wool for the lion's majestic mane. It was wonderful to see their individual interpretations come to life!

Looking ahead to next week, we will shift our focus to "Michael Recycle," another engaging story that will help us understand the importance of recycling and caring for our environment.

Important Messages:

• Some parents have returned items belonging to the school (e.g. resources, superstar learner cards). If you find that your child has accidentally brought something home from school, please could you return it to school.

• A reminder that children are not allowed to bring things into school to play with. We do not want things from home to get lost or broken! Many thanks for your support with this.

• If you have not brought in a pillowcase, please do so by Monday.

• Please send a photo of your child at a celebration by next Friday ready for our topic starting in term 2. 

• Please make sure all clothing is named including PE kits.

Key Dates for Term 1:

17th October – Final day of term

It is great that we are able to talk to families at the start and end of the day. If there is anything else you would like to share with us, please email:

nicki.cotton@chiltonprimary.co.uk

kirby.walker@chiltonprimary.co.uk

We hope you have a great weekend!

Reception Team

RWI

This week, we have continued to learn more Set 1 sounds. We have learned ‘u’, ‘b’, ‘f’, ‘e’ and ‘l’. Each of these sounds have a patter to help children how to write these sounds. These can be found in your child’s pink sounds book. We kindly ask that you spend a little bit of time each day going through the sounds book with your child to help them to say the sound, draw pictures of words starting with that sound or practising writing the sound using the patter (e.g. round the apple and down the leaf for ‘a’).

During our RWI sessions we have also been learning to orally blend. This is where we say the sounds in the word (e.g. d-o-g) and the children put the sounds together to say the whole word (dog). Any help with this at home will be great! For example, you could ask your child to get their ‘c-oa-t’ or go and brush their ‘t-ee-th’.

We have also been learning to build and read words using magnetic tiles. We listen to the word carefully and then make that word with the sounds. We then use our finger to say each sound and swipe to read the word. We are getting so good at reading words!

Maths

This week in maths we have been learning to count up to 10 actions e.g. claps, stomps of the feet, bunny hops. We learned to say the numbers in order and that the last number we said was the amount. We did this throughout the week in lots of fun and exciting ways. You could reinforce this at home e.g. when walking up stairs.

Next week we will be focusing on the numbers 6-10. We will look at a number a day and look at the different ways it can be represented (e.g. on our fingers, the numeral, the numicon piece which matches that number). We will also relate each number to the numberblocks. There are short videos for each number up to 10 (you can find these by doing an internet search if you want to watch them at home with your child(ren).

Thematic

As mentioned above, this week we have started our new topic: Superheroes! We started the week by reading Supertato and predicting what we thought would happen in the story just by looking at the picture on the front cover. After reading the story, we then discussed the foods in the story and decided whether they are healthy or unhealthy. Throughout the week, we have been retelling the story using different props and we even made our very own Supertatos at the end of the week!

Autumn bags/Autumn Day

Many thanks for taking the time to fill the white autumn bags and returning them to school. If you have not completed this yet, please return on Monday. Next Tuesday, we will be having an autumn day where we will be learning about autumn and using the wonderful things you have collected!

Important Messages:

• Forest school sessions will happen each week. Please could all children have a pair of named wellies in school so that these can be worn for these sessions. Many thanks!

• Please could all children have a change of clothes in their bag in case they have a toileting accident or get wet when playing outside.

• If you have any unused clothes at home that you would like to donate (maybe from an older sibling), please send in to school. Many thanks.

• If you have any junk modelling (cardboard boxes etc), please send into school for us to use! Thanks!

• PE kits to be worn into school every Friday please.

• Please could all children have a named water bottle in school everyday.

• Please ensure that all clothes are named.

• Children will have brought a book home from the book corner. These are to be shared at home. You can return these as often as you like and replace with a new book to be shared at home.

• Some parents have returned items belonging to the school (e.g. resources, superstar learner cards). If you find that your child has accidentally brought something home from school, please could you return it to school.

• A reminder that children are not allowed to bring things into school to play with. We do not want things from home to get lost or broken! Many thanks for your support with this.

Key Dates for Term 1:

7th October – 9am Reception Harvest assembly and 2.45pm Year 3 Harvest assembly (in school hall with families invited to watch)

17th October – Final day of term

It is great that we are able to talk to families at the start and end of the day. If there is anything else you would like to share with us, please email:

nicki.cotton@chiltonprimary.co.uk

kirby.walker@chiltonprimary.co.uk

We hope you have a great weekend!

Reception Team

This week, we have been continuing our journey with the Read Write Inc. (RWI) programme, focusing on our Set 1 sounds. Please see the video below to see the sounds we have learnt this week.

In our sessions, we have particularly emphasised the importance of oral blending. This activity helps the children become more aware of the sounds in words, allowing them to hear and say them more clearly. It is a vital skill that lays the foundation for their reading and writing development. You might even notice your children blending sounds together at home; encourage them to try this with different words to reinforce their learning!

Additionally, we have started ‘Word Time,’ where children are beginning to build simple words using the sounds we have learnt. This stage is crucial as it enables them to understand how sounds can be combined to form words. If you would like to support your child’s progress at home, you could practice building words with them using the sounds we have covered. For example, ask them to create words like 'cat' using the sounds c, a, and t.

Pink sound books will be coming home today, please use these to practice our sounds this week.

Maths

We have been focusing on the numbers 1 to 5, engaging the children through a variety of activities that enhance their understanding of these foundational concepts.

One of the key areas we have concentrated on is one-to-one counting. It’s vital for the children to grasp the importance of counting slowly and deliberately to ensure accuracy. This skill lays the groundwork for their future mathematical adventures!

Additionally, we have introduced Numicon as a visual aid to help our little learners represent numbers in a tangible way. The colourful shapes have been a hit and provide an excellent means for the children to understand number relationships more effectively.

We’ve also focused on proper number formation. Encouraging the children to practise writing these numbers correctly is essential for their hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. At home, it would be wonderful if you could take a moment to support them by practising writing numbers 1 to 5 together. This could be as simple as using a pencil and paper or practising in the air with their fingers.

Thematic

We have recently concluded our fantastic 'Marvellous Me' topic, and what a wonderful week it has been.

Throughout our sessions, the children have embarked on a creative journey where we explored self-portraits, delved into the world of colours, and learned how to mix primary to make secondary colours. It was delightful to see the budding artists experiment with their palettes, bringing their own interpretations to life.

As part of our exploration, we learned about the inspiring artist Yayoi Kusama, who is renowned for her vibrant use of colour and distinctive patterns. The children truly enjoyed discussing her work and drawing inspiration from her bright, optimistic style.

To wrap up our theme, we celebrated our 'Dress to Express' day, where the children had the opportunity to showcase their individual styles. It was heartening to see them speak confidently about their outfit choices, expressing their personalities and creativity.

Autumn bags

On Monday, your child bring home a white bag with an autumn poem on it. Please could you pop any autumn related objects in the bag and return to school on Friday 3^rd October. We will use these items in school for lots of different activities.

Important Messages:

• Forest school sessions have started. Please could all children have a pair of named wellies in school so that these can be worn for these sessions. Many thanks!

• PE will be on a Friday, please can your child come in to school wearing their PE kit on this day.

• Please could all children have a named water bottle in school everyday.

• Please ensure that all clothes are named.

• Children will have brought a book home from the book corner. These are to be shared at home. You can return these as often as you like and replace with a new book to be shared at home.

• Some parents have returned items belonging to the school (e.g. resources, superstar learner cards). If you find that your child has accidentally brought something home from school, please could you return it to school.

• A reminder that children are not allowed to bring things into school to play with. We do not want things from home to get lost or broken! Many thanks for your support with this.

Key Dates for Term 1:

7th October – 9am Reception Harvest assembly and 2.45pm Year 3 Harvest assembly (in school hall with families invited to watch)

17th October – Final day of term

It is great that we are able to talk to families at the start and end of the day. If there is anything else you would like to share with us, please email:

nicki.cotton@chiltonprimary.co.uk

kirby.walker@chiltonprimary.co.uk

We hope you have a great weekend!

Reception Team

Learning pure sounds (for example, saying “mmm” rather than “muh”) is very important. It helps children blend sounds smoothly when they start reading words, without adding extra sounds. 

We have not learnt all the sounds in the video yet. Please see the blog each week to see where we are up to. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUbrJPAt65g

The following video has the pure sounds in the order in which we learn them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srvGwJvhdN8

As we introduce a new sound, we also use cued articulation. This gives each sound a visual clue linking movement and sound. If you would like to see the gestures for the sounds, we recommend you google cued articulation and use the Jane Passy videos. 

We hope this helps. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out. 

kirby.walker@chiltonprimary.co.uk

RWI

This week, we have continued to learn more Set 1 sounds. We have learned ‘s’, ‘d’, ‘t’, ‘i’ and ‘n’. Each of these sounds have a patter to help children how to write these sounds. These can be found in your child’s pink sounds book. We kindly ask that you spend a little bit of time each day going through the sounds book with your child to help them to say the sound, draw pictures of words starting with that sound or practising writing the sound using the patter (e.g. round the apple and down the leaf for ‘a’).

During our RWI sessions we have also been learning to orally blend. This is where we say the sounds in the word (e.g. d-o-g) and the children put the sounds together to say the whole word (dog). Any help with this at home will be great! For example, you could ask your child to get their ‘c-oa-t’ or go and brush their ‘t-ee-th’.

Maths

This week in maths we have been learning to count actions e.g. claps, stomps of the feet, bunny hops. We learned to say the numbers in order and that the last number we said was the amount. We did this throughout the week in lots of fun and exciting ways. You could reinforce this at home e.g. when walking up stairs.

Next week we will be focusing on the numbers 1-5. We will look at a number a day and look at the different ways it can be represented (e.g. on our fingers, the numeral, the numicon piece which matches that number).

Thematic

This week we have been learning about being a good learning partner. To start the week, we shared our summer/love to learn books with our learning partner. We learned to take it in turns to share and speak. It was so lovely to see the children sharing these! We then spoke about our family and how families can be similar or different. We also created our own family tree! Towards the end of the week, we developed our speaking skills by talking in full sentences to say what we like and dislike, including reasons why.

Next week we will be focusing on self portraits. To start the week, we will look at artists self portraits and discuss the features we can see. We will then draw our own and then use colour mixing with paints to add colour.

Here are some photos of us this week at school!

Dress to Express Day:

Our first mini topic is called ‘Marvellous Me’. Over the next few weeks we will be learning about what makes us all special. To end this learning, we would like the children to come into school on Friday 26^th September dressed in clothes that expresses what they like or shows us something about them (e.g. wearing a football shirt if they like football, wearing an apron if they like cooking etc). Please do not buy anything for this, use what you have at home already! Please make sure that children are wearing trainers as this will be our first PE day!

Autumn bags

On Monday, your child bring home a white bag with an autumn poem on it. Please could you pop any autumn related objects in the bag and return to school on Friday 3^rd October. We will use these items in school for lots of different activities.

Important Messages:

• Forest school sessions will start next week. Please could all children have a pair of named wellies in school so that these can be worn for these sessions. Many thanks!

• Our first PE session will be on Friday 26^th September. This is also Dress to Express day so please ensure children are wearing trainers on this day. Children will then be required to wear their PE kit in to school each Friday from 3rd October.

• Please could all children have a named water bottle in school everyday.

• Please ensure that all clothes are named.

• Children are allowed to bring in a pair of (named) wellies. These can be left under their peg.

• Children will have brought a book home from the book corner. These are to be shared at home. You can return these as often as you like and replace with a new book to be shared at home.

• Some parents have returned items belonging to the school (e.g. resources, superstar learner cards). If you find that your child has accidentally brought something home from school, please could you return it to school.

• A reminder that children are not allowed to bring things into school to play with. We do not want things from home to get lost or broken! Many thanks for your support with this.

Key Dates for Term 1:

25th September – Chilton School’s 50th Birthday (please see separate letters for details on how we will be celebrating this)

26th September – Thrive coffee morning 9am-10.30am in the studio – a chance to meet our well-being team

7th October – 9am Reception Harvest assembly and 2.45pm Year 3 Harvest assembly (in school hall with families invited to watch)

17th October – Final day of term

It is great that we are able to talk to families at the start and end of the day. If there is anything else you would like to share with us, please email:

nicki.cotton@chiltonprimary.co.uk

kirby.walker@chiltonprimary.co.uk

We hope you have a great weekend!

Reception Team

Throughout the week, we have focused on three key concepts that are essential for our classroom environment: good sitting, good looking, and good listening. These foundational skills not only help us to learn better but also foster a respectful and caring atmosphere within our classrooms.

RWI

As we embark on our phonics journey together, we have been enjoying exciting activities to engage our little learners and develop their listening skills, which are so crucial for their reading and writing progress.

We also began our journey in learning Set 1 sounds, beginning with the letters 'm' and 'a'.

To assist with our learning, your child will bring home a pink sound book. This book will feature the sounds we have concentrated on throughout the week, and at the front, you will find a copy of the patter for writing each letter. This is a useful tool for helping us remember how to correctly form the written letters.

We kindly ask that you spend some time with your child recalling the sounds and practising writing them.

Please see the video of the children modelling the sounds we have learnt and the patter that goes alongside them.

Maths

This week in maths we have been learning an exciting new skill called subitising. Subitising is the ability to instantly recognise the number of objects in a small group without having to count them individually. It is a crucial skill that lays the foundation for more complex mathematical concepts, such as addition and subtraction, later in their education. Our children have been engaged in various activities that encourage them to think about what they see and what they notice.

Thematic

As part of our exciting journey in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), we have been exploring the wonderful world of feelings through the delightful story "The Colour Monster." This book has provided us with an engaging way to discuss the various emotions we all experience, whether they be happiness, sadness, anger, or calmness.

In our discussions, we have encouraged the children to reflect on their own feelings and to think about times they may have experienced different emotions. It has been heartwarming to see them opening up and sharing their thoughts, fostering a deeper understanding of themselves and each other.

To further support our emotional development, we have introduced a special area in our classroom called the "Zen Den." This is a calm space where children can go when they need a little time to regroup or when their feelings feel a bit overwhelming. We have talked about how to use this space, letting the children know that it is always there for them when they need a moment to breathe and reflect.

Additionally, we've been learning some strategies to help bring ourselves back to a state of 'green,' where we feel calm and happy. These strategies include taking deep breaths, counting to ten, or simply sitting quietly for a moment. You may find it beneficial to discuss these techniques at home, reinforcing the importance of recognising and managing emotions as they arise.

Dress to Express Day:

Our first mini topic is called ‘Marvellous Me’. Over the next few weeks we will be learning about what makes us all special. To end this learning, we would like the children to come into school on Friday 26^th September dressed in clothes that expresses what they like or shows us something about them (e.g. wearing a football shirt if they like football, wearing an apron if they like cooking etc). Please do not buy anything for this, use what you have at home already! Please make sure that children have sensible footwear as this is likely to be our first PE lesson day too (more details about PE to follow in future blogs).

Important Messages:

• We will let you know when PE will start.

• Please could all children have a named water bottle in school everyday.

• Please ensure that all clothes are named.

• Children are allowed to bring in a pair of (named) wellies. These can be left under their peg.

• Children will have brought a book home from the book corner. These are to be shared at home. You can return these as often as you like and replace with a new book to be shared at home.

Key Dates for Term 1:

19th September – Welcome to Reception meeting for Reception parents from 2.30pm in school hall

25th September – Chilton School’s 50th Birthday (please see separate letters for details on how we will be celebrating this)

26th September – Thrive coffee morning 9am-10.30am in the studio – a chance to meet our well-being team

7th October – 9am Reception Harvest assembly and 2.45pm Year 3 Harvest assembly (in school hall with families invited to watch)

17th October – Final day of term

It is great that we are able to talk to families at the start and end of the day. If there is anything else you would like to share with us, please email:

nicki.cotton@chiltonprimary.co.uk

kirby.walker@chiltonprimary.co.uk

We hope you have a great weekend!

Reception Team

The children have had an exceptionally great start to their school life at Chilton this week. It has been lovely to see them coming into school with smiles on their faces! This week, we have been introducing the children to key members of staff around the school, getting to know the classroom and outside area as well as learning about some of the routines we follow at Chilton.

Thank you to the families who have returned the children’s Love to Learn books. These are looking great and we are excited to start sharing these next week. If you haven’t returned it yet, please hand to your child’s class teacher on Monday (8^th September). Thank you for your hard work in helping your child to create these!

Dress to Express Day:

Our first mini topic is called ‘Marvellous Me’. Over the next few weeks we will be learning about what makes us all special. To end this learning, we would like the children to come into school on Friday 26^th September dressed in clothes that expresses what they like or shows us something about them (e.g. wearing a football shirt if they like football, wearing an apron if they like cooking etc). Please do not buy anything for this, use what you have at home already! Please make sure that children have sensible footwear as this is likely to be our first PE lesson day too (more details about PE to follow in future blogs).

Important Messages:

• We will let you know when PE will start.

• Please could all children have a named water bottle in school everyday.

• Please ensure that all clothes are named.

• Children are allowed to bring in a pair of (named) wellies. These can be left under their peg.

• Children will have brought a book home from the book corner. These are to be shared at home. You can return these as often as you like and replace with a new book to be shared at home.

Key Dates for Term 1:

19th September – Welcome to Reception meeting for Reception parents from 2.30pm in school hall

25th September – Chilton School’s 50th Birthday (please see separate letters for details on how we will be celebrating this)

26th September – Thrive coffee morning 9am-10.30am in the studio – a chance to meet our well-being team

7th October – 9am Reception Harvest assembly and 2.45pm Year 3 Harvest assembly (in school hall with families invited to watch)

17th October – Final day of term

It is great that we are able to talk to families at the start and end of the day. If there is anything else you would like to share with us, please email:

nicki.cotton@chiltonprimary.co.uk

kirby.walker@chiltonprimary.co.uk

We hope you have a great weekend!

Reception Team