The festive spirit truly filled our school in the weeks leading up to Christmas, bringing joy, excitement, and plenty of memorable moments for our children and staff.

During the final week of term, our Nursery and Reception children wrote their letters to Father Christmas and proudly posted them in the postbox on Aragon Road. It was a magical experience for our youngest learners and a lovely way to begin our Christmas celebrations.

The whole school also came together to enjoy a fantastic performance of Red Riding Hood. The pantomime was full of laughter, audience participation, and festive fun, creating wonderful memories for pupils and staff alike.

Our Key Stage 2 pupils delivered their annual Christmas carol concerts at Emmanuel Church and Morden Park Baptist Church. We were incredibly grateful to David and his team at Emmanuel, and to Ken and his team at Morden Park Baptist, for welcoming us so warmly. Both concerts were beautifully heartwarming and festive, and we were immensely proud of the children for their confident and joyful performances.

Our Year 1 and Year 2 children dazzled us with their extravagant Christmas productions. A huge well done went to all pupils and staff involved — their hard work, creativity, and enthusiasm truly shone through. We were delighted to follow these with Nursery and Reception’s performances the following week.

On Christmas Jumper Day, we enjoyed a delicious Christmas lunch together. Over 500 children were served, and we extended a heartfelt thank you to our wonderful Olive Catering team for making this enormous task look effortless. It was a fantastic way to bring our whole school community together and share the joy of the season.

As the term drew to a close, we thanked all our families for their continued support throughout the year. We hoped that everyone enjoyed a peaceful, joyful Christmas filled with laughter and love.

From all of us at Aragon, we wished you a wonderful festive break and a very Happy New Year!

Throughout the week, children enjoyed a range of creative activities and crafts linked to their favourite rhymes. Today was a highlight: Dress Up Day! Our classrooms were filled with spiders, frogs, sheep, mice, bakers, cats and many more wonderful characters.

To finish the celebrations, pupils performed a special assembly for parents and carers, showcasing the five rhymes of the week:

• 🪙 Sing a Song of Sixpence
• 🐦 Two Little Dickie Birds
• 🥚 Humpty Dumpty
• ⛈️ I Hear Thunder
• 🏴☠️ When I Was One

“I liked being Humpty Dumpty – I had a big egg hat!” – Nursery pupil
“We sang so loud for our mums and dads!” – Reception pupil

Miss Pearce, EYFS Lead, shared:

“World Nursery Rhyme Week is such a joyful way to strengthen early literacy skills. The children have loved every moment—from dressing up to performing for their families. It’s been wonderful to see their confidence and creativity shine.”

A huge well done to our Early Years team and pupils for making this week so memorable!

Through lively dance, drama and storytelling, the children explored the rich traditions of Diwali, learning about its cultural significance and the values it celebrates: light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. The workshop was designed to be hands-on and engaging, sparking curiosity and encouraging children to appreciate the beauty of diversity.

Miss Pearce, EYFS Lead, shared her thoughts on the day:
“It was wonderful to see the children so captivated by the colours, music and movement. The workshop brought Diwali to life in a way that was both educational and enchanting. It’s experiences like these that help children build a deeper understanding of the world around them.”

The Diwali workshop marks a fantastic beginning to our Sparkle & Shine topic, and we look forward to many more opportunities to celebrate learning through creativity and cultural exploration.

One of the highlights was the presentation of our Governor Awards, a special recognition given to pupils who have consistently demonstrated our school values. These awards celebrate not only academic effort but also kindness, resilience, creativity and responsibility. We were delighted to welcome Isabelle Paget (Chair of Governors), along with Gemma Fromage-Crawford and Dominique Delhalle, who presented the awards to our very deserving recipients in a special assembly. Congratulations to all those recognised – we are so proud of you!

Another end-of-year favourite returned this week – Aragon’s Got Talent! Organised by our fantastic School Council, the show gave pupils across the school the chance to perform and shine. From singers to dancers, comedians to magicians, every act showed amazing confidence and enthusiasm.

This year’s winners were The Black Roots, a brilliant Year 6 band who wowed the crowd with a powerful performance of Seven Nation Army. Their energy and teamwork had everyone cheering and headbanging along – a well-earned victory to end their primary school journey on a high.

A huge well done to all involved. It has been a joy to end the term celebrating the talent, hard work and character that makes Aragon so special.

To celebrate and showcase their hard work, we have created a special Spotlight on Learning. This interactive Microsoft Sway presentation captures the highlights of this half-term, showcasing what the children have learnt and how their experiences have been enriched both inside and outside the classroom.

Click here to access the Microsoft Sway presentation 

We hope you enjoy this opportunity to see the progress, enthusiasm, and achievements your children have demonstrated over the past weeks. It’s a testament to their hard work, curiosity, and the wonderful school community we’ve built together!

The excitement began as soon as we left school at 9:15am and boarded the coach. For many, it was their very first school trip — and the sense of adventure was clear from the very start!

On arrival, we were warmly welcomed by our friendly team leaders, who guided each group through a variety of exciting farm activities. During the morning, the children had the opportunity to visit and gently handle some of the small animals, enjoy a tractor ride around the fields, and meet Bessie the horse. One of the highlights was feeding the goats and cows, which sparked lots of giggles and wide-eyed wonder!

After a well-earned lunch, the whole year group gathered for one of the most eagerly anticipated events of the day — the pig race! With colourful flags waving and enthusiastic cheers from all sides, it was Snoop Hogg who crossed the finish line first, to much excitement and celebration.

To end the trip, the children had time to explore the outdoor play area and bounce on the giant trampoline, which was a brilliant way to round off the day. By 2:15pm, we were back on the coach, tired but beaming from a day full of joy and discovery.

We are incredibly proud of how well the children behaved throughout the trip. Their manners, listening skills, and ability to follow instructions were truly admirable, and every adult who accompanied them felt proud to be part of the Aragon community.

Well done, Reception — you really are superstars! 🌟

Each year group took part in a recycling-themed lesson, exploring a key environmental question and presenting their findings creatively through posters, speeches, songs and more. The children also enjoyed a story about oceans and plastic pollution, helping them to understand the real-world impact of waste on marine life.

Following this, pupils used recycled materials to create their own ocean animals, which were proudly displayed in the school hall. The display was a great success, and classes thoroughly enjoyed viewing each other’s thoughtful and imaginative creations.

Miss Blake would like to say a big well done to all the children for showing such enthusiasm throughout the week

The planetarium created a magical and immersive environment that brought space learning to life. Reception pupils were taken on an exciting tour of the planets, learned about the adventures of astronauts, and discovered the incredible power of rockets. Their wide eyes and enthusiastic questions showed just how much the experience sparked their curiosity!

Meanwhile, Year 5 explored the vast scale of the Universe and deepened their understanding of the Moon’s phases and our place in space. The presenters were brilliant at breaking down complex scientific ideas, and there was even time for the children to ask their own space-related questions — which they did with great enthusiasm!

We were warmly welcomed by Reverend Franklin, who guided the children through a range of engaging activities to help them understand the meaning and traditions of Easter. Both children and staff had great fun taking part in the games he had thoughtfully prepared. A particular highlight was the Easter pinwheel each child received, lovingly made by Reverend Franklin himself — a heartfelt thank you for this generous and creative gesture.

We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to the adult volunteers who accompanied us on the walk to and from the church. Your support helped make the afternoon both safe and enjoyable for all.

The children returned to school full of excitement, having thoroughly enjoyed their Easter-themed afternoon.

To celebrate and showcase their hard work, we have created a special Spotlight on Learning. This interactive Microsoft Sway presentation captures the highlights of this half-term, showcasing what the children have learnt and how their experiences have been enriched both inside and outside the classroom.

Click here to access the Microsoft Sway presentation 

We hope you enjoy this opportunity to see the progress, enthusiasm, and achievements your children have demonstrated over the past weeks. It’s a testament to their hard work, curiosity, and the wonderful school community we’ve built together!

Learning Through Play

This is a fantastic step in their development, helping to build important skills such as:
🤝 Teamwork – Learning to share, take turns, and collaborate with older peers.
🛠 Problem-Solving – Figuring out how to use equipment safely and creatively.
💪 Resilience – Trying new challenges, learning from mistakes, and building confidence.

Mr Gilbert has already spoken with Key Stage 1 and 2 children, explaining how they can help our Reception children feel welcome and supported during this transition. Today, he talked to Reception about:
✅ Which adults will be there to help
✅ What activities they can take part in
✅ How to assess risks and play safely – for example, thinking about which equipment is safe to use in wet weather
✅ Rules for different activities

An Exciting Adventure Awaits!

We can’t wait to see our Reception children embrace this new experience with enthusiasm and confidence. It’s a wonderful opportunity to grow, explore, and learn through play!

Can your child remember what Mr Gilbert spoke about? We’d love to hear what they are most looking forward to! 😊

Bringing Stories to Life

Meeting an author in person was a brilliant way to inspire a love of reading and storytelling. The children were completely engaged as they listened to David Vaughan bring his book to life, following the journey of Henry Heal. They practised their listening and attention skills, showing great curiosity and enthusiasm as they absorbed every detail of the story.

After the reading, we encouraged the children to talk about what they had heard, recalling key parts of the story and discussing their favourite moments. Retelling and remembering stories in this way helps develop early comprehension and communication skills, as well as building confidence in speaking and sharing ideas.

What Can You Remember? 💭

We would love to hear what the children remember about the story! Can they recall any details about Henry Heal? What was their favourite part? These conversations help reinforce their understanding and enjoyment of books.

A Memorable Celebration of Reading!

World Book Day is always a special occasion, and meeting an author made it even more magical. We are so proud of how engaged and enthusiastic the children were—it was a wonderful way to celebrate the power of stories and encourage a lifelong love of reading.

Learning Through Experience

The afternoon was filled with exciting activities that encouraged listening, speaking, and teamwork. The children took part in discussions about Shrove Tuesday and Lent, learning why pancakes are traditionally eaten on this day. They shared their own thoughts, asked questions, and explored new vocabulary such as ingredients, batter, flipping, and Lent.

Making the pancakes was a great way to strengthen coordination and independence, as they carefully mixed the ingredients and chose their toppings—lemon juice, golden syrup, or chocolate sauce. Taking turns and making choices helped them develop confidence and decision-making skills, while the hands-on experience supported their understanding of the world around them.

A Tasty Treat in the Sunshine!

After all their hard work, the children enjoyed their pancakes outside in the sunshine while listening to a lovely pancake-themed story. It was a brilliant way to encourage curiosity and conversation, as they described the different tastes, textures, and smells of their treats.

Talk About It at Home! 💭

Keep the conversation going at home with these questions:
1️⃣ What are Miss Blake, Miss Pearce, and Miss Smith giving up for Lent?
2️⃣ What marks the end of Lent?

It was a truly memorable learning experience, bringing together storytelling, discussion, hands-on cooking, and outdoor enjoyment. A fantastic way to begin our journey through Lent!

To celebrate and showcase their hard work, we have created a special Spotlight on Learning. This interactive Microsoft Sway presentation captures the highlights of this half-term, showcasing what the children have learnt and how their experiences have been enriched both inside and outside the classroom.

Click here to access the Microsoft Sway presentation and take a virtual tour through the learning journey of the first half of the Spring term.

We hope you enjoy this opportunity to see the progress, enthusiasm, and achievements your children have demonstrated over the past weeks. It’s a testament to their hard work, curiosity, and the wonderful school community we’ve built together!

A Visit from Oscar’s Mummy – The Paediatric Doctor 👩‍⚕️

We were delighted to welcome Oscar’s mummy, Rosie, who taught us all about her superpower—being a paediatric doctor! She explained how she looks after children and helps them feel better using special medical equipment. The children were fascinated to meet Dr Teddy, who needed a check-up, and they had a wonderful time using real medical tools to make sure their friends were feeling well too.

"The children were completely engaged, asking thoughtful questions and even role-playing as doctors themselves!" said Miss Pearce. "It was lovely to see so many children now saying they want to be doctors when they grow up!"

Lily’s Mummy Teaches Us About Physiotherapy 🏃‍♂️

We welcomed Lily’s mummy, a paediatric physiotherapist, who taught us all about her special power—helping children to move and grow stronger! The children took part in some fun exercises and watched a video showing the different equipment that physiotherapists use.

Miss Blake shared, "The children loved getting active and seeing how physiotherapy helps people every day. We can’t wait to hear what they remember most!"

A Special Story with Rev. Franklin 📖

We were joined by Rev. Franklin, who shared the Nativity Story with Reception. The children listened intently before joining in a wonderful performance of Wriggly Nativity—a lovely way to reflect on the power of kindness and giving.

Meeting the Police – PC Kate & PCSO Del 🚔

The excitement continued as we welcomed PC Kate and PCSO Del, who talked about their important job in keeping us and our neighbourhood safe. The children learned about road safety, how and when to contact the police, and even a special police wave!

The biggest thrill? Trying on different police hats—including a riot police helmet! Miss Smith said, "The children absolutely loved exploring the police equipment and learning about the many ways police officers help us."

Discovering Our School Superheroes 🏫

To round off our week of learning, the children got to meet some of the everyday superheroes in our own school! We visited:

• Mrs Ryder, Mr Gilbert & Mr Myers (Senior Leadership Team) – who make sure our school runs smoothly.
• Mr Hennessy (Site Manager) – who keeps our school safe and well-maintained.
• Mrs Kennett & Miss Granellie (Office Staff) – who help keep everything organised and running efficiently.

It was wonderful for the children to see how many people work together to make our school a happy and safe place to learn!

A huge thank you to all our visitors for taking the time to share their superpowers with us. The children loved every moment and have been truly inspired to think about how they, too, can help others in the future! 🌟

One of the highlights of the week was our morning emotional check-ins, where children chose a picture to represent how they were feeling. "The favourite activity was definitely selecting which dog matched our emotions!" shared Miss Pearce. "Some of the choices made us all laugh, but it was a brilliant way to encourage children to express themselves."

To help the children relax, we introduced yoga sessions before home time, creating a calm and peaceful end to the day. Miss Smith said, "It was lovely to see the children fully engaged in stretching and breathing exercises—it really helped them unwind."

The week ended with Feel-Good Friday, where children wore outfits that made them happy. From bright colours to favourite characters, it was wonderful to see their personalities shine through. Miss Blake noted, "The children were so excited to show off their outfits—it was a fantastic way to end the week on a positive note!"

Miss Thompstone reflected on the importance of the week: "Helping children to recognise and talk about their emotions is just as valuable as teaching them academic skills. This week was a great step in building their emotional literacy."

A huge thank you to our parents and guardians for your continued support. Mental well-being is a lifelong journey, and together, we are helping our children develop the skills they need for a happy and healthy future. 💛✨

From the moment the children stepped into the immersive Little City setup, their imaginations ran wild! They eagerly took on the roles of doctors, shopkeepers, firefighters, hairdressers, and more—exploring real-world careers in a playful and meaningful way. The hands-on activities not only sparked curiosity but also deepened their understanding of how different jobs contribute to our community.

"It was incredible to see how engaged the children were," said Miss Peace, EYFS Lead. "They were completely absorbed in their roles, using problem-solving, communication, and creativity to navigate the different professions."

The interactive experience allowed children to dress up, use realistic props, and engage in role-playing scenarios that brought their learning to life. Whether they were scanning groceries at the shop, putting out pretend fires, or caring for ‘patients’ in the hospital, the excitement was contagious.

Miss Thompstone, Nursery teacher, shared: "One child told me, ‘I want to be a vet when I grow up!’—seeing their aspirations take shape through play was truly heartwarming."

A huge thank you to our parents and guardians for their support in making this event possible. Your contributions helped bring this wonderful learning opportunity to our children, and we hope they came home buzzing with stories about their day in the Little City!

What is World Nursery Rhyme Week?

World Nursery Rhyme Week is an annual event that highlights the importance of nursery rhymes in early childhood education. Launched in 2013, it aims to inspire children and families worldwide to engage with nursery rhymes through singing, storytelling, and creative play. This week-long celebration emphasises the critical role rhymes play in developing language skills, boosting memory, and nurturing a lifelong love for music and rhythm.

Our Day of Celebration

In Reception, they embraced the spirit of the week wholeheartedly! On Friday, their day began with the excitement of dressing up. Children came dressed as beloved nursery rhyme characters. The costumes added a splash of color and joy, setting the tone for a day filled with creativity and engagement.

The highlight of the day was the afternoon performance. Together, the children performed five classic nursery rhymes for their parents. It was a wonderful opportunity for the children to showcase their growing confidence, communication skills, and teamwork. One particularly memorable moment was when they sang “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” using British Sign Language (BSL). This inclusive performance demonstrated not only the power of music but also the importance of communication in all its forms.

Why Nursery Rhymes Matter

Nursery rhymes aren’t just fun—they are powerful educational tools. Through rhymes, children build their vocabulary, develop early literacy skills, and strengthen their memory. The repetitive nature of rhymes helps children recognize patterns in language, making them an essential foundation for reading and writing.

In addition to academic benefits, nursery rhymes foster imagination and creativity, allowing children to explore storytelling and self-expression. Events like World Nursery Rhyme Week bring these benefits to life, creating joyful experiences that inspire learning beyond the classroom.

To celebrate and showcase their hard work, we have created a special Spotlight on Learning. This interactive Microsoft Sway presentation captures the highlights of this term, showcasing what the children have learnt and how their experiences have been enriched both inside and outside the classroom.

How to View the Spotlight

View Microsoft Sway Presentation and take a virtual tour through the learning journey of the first half of the autumn term.

We hope you enjoy this opportunity to see the progress and enthusiasm your children have shown over the past weeks. It’s a testament to their hard work, curiosity, and the supportive community we’ve built together!

To celebrate and showcase their hard work, we have created a special Spotlight on Learning. This interactive Microsoft Sway presentation captures the highlights of this term, showcasing what the children have learnt and how their experiences have been enriched both inside and outside the classroom.

How to View the Spotlight

View Microsoft Sway Presentation and take a virtual tour through the learning journey of the first half of the autumn term.

We hope you enjoy this opportunity to see the progress and enthusiasm your children have shown over the past weeks. It’s a testament to their hard work, curiosity, and the supportive community we’ve built together!

One of the highlights of the day was the interactive retelling of Rama and Sita: The Diwali Story. This engaging session brought the ancient tale to life, captivating the young minds and offering them a memorable introduction to the story behind Diwali.

Beyond the story, the children were introduced to the various customs and rituals that make Diwali so special. From the lighting of diyas (oil lamps) to the colorful decorations and festive foods, they learned all about the traditions that make the festival so vibrant.

The fun didn’t stop there—everyone had the chance to learn a traditional song wishing good luck, which added to the excitement. To top it all off, the children joined in a joyful dance, embracing the spirit of Diwali with energy and enthusiasm.

All in all, it was the perfect way to end the week, creating lasting memories for our Reception children. We are deeply grateful for everyone’s support, making this Diwali Workshop a truly unforgettable experience for our young learners.

Miss Ballantine, our PE lead, reflected on the week: "Healthy Me Week was a fantastic opportunity for our students to embrace the importance of physical activity and well-being. Seeing them participate with such enthusiasm was truly rewarding."

Highlights of Healthy Me Week:

1. Sports Clothing Days - Throughout the week, children came dressed in their favourite sports clothing, showcasing their enthusiasm for physical activity. From football kits to dance outfits, everyone looked ready to get active!
2. Virtual 'Race to Paris' - In the spirit of the Olympics, each class embarked on a virtual journey to 'race to Paris'. Families logged their physical activities outside of school online, contributing to their class's progress. Mr. Gilbert, Deputy Head for curriculum, commented, "It was amazing to see the community come together to support their classes in reaching Paris. The competition really motivated everyone to stay active!" 
3. Show and Tell Assemblies - Year groups held special assemblies where children shared sports they participate in outside of school. "It was great to hear about my friends' hobbies and see their medals," said Nylah, a Year 3 student.
4. Morning Zumba and HIIT Sessions - Before school started, teachers led energetic Zumba and HIIT sessions. Students and parents joined in, starting the day on a positive and active note.
5. Other Activities - The week was packed with engaging workshops, yoga sessions, water safety education, and even our own Tough Mudder challenge. "I loved trying yoga for the first time. It made me feel calm and strong," shared James from Year 4.

Healthy Me Week Results:

In line with the theme, classes raced to see who could reach Paris first. Congratulations to 6EB for completing the 'Path to Paris' first! Here are the top 5 classes:

1st Place: 6EB
2nd Place: 6F
3rd Place: 3M
4th Place: RA
5th Place: 5E

Sports Day 2024 Highlights:

Sports Day was a culmination of our week, filled with tremendous efforts and sportsmanship. Congratulations to all participants and winners! Here are the results:

**KS1 AND KS2 Overall Placings:**
1st Place: Unicorn (162 points)
2nd Place: Phoenix (138 points)
3rd Place: Dragon (136 points)
4th Place: Griffin (126 points)
Sportsmanship Award: Griffin

**Reception Winners:**
Dragon House

A huge thank you to all staff and families for making Healthy Me Week 2024 a resounding success. Your support and enthusiasm made it a memorable experience for our students. Here’s to staying active and healthy throughout the year! 🌟

The planetarium show was an engaging and immersive experience that brought the mysteries of the skies and the thrill of space exploration right to our students.

For our Reception pupils, the show took them on an exciting tour of the planets, shared tales of brave astronauts, and showcased the sheer power of rockets. "I loved flying past the planets! It felt like I was in a spaceship," said Emma from Reception. Miss Smith added, "It was wonderful to see the children’s eyes light up with curiosity and excitement. The show truly ignited their interest in the world and Universe around them."

Our Year 5 students had an equally awe-inspiring experience. The show provided them with a greater understanding and appreciation of our position in the Universe. From introducing the sheer scale of the Universe to demonstrating how the Moon moves through its phases, the presenters made complex concepts easy to grasp. Milan from Year 5 exclaimed, "I never knew the Universe was so huge! The part about the Moon phases was really cool." If time allowed, Year 5 students also got to ask their burning space-related questions.

Mr Lillie was particularly impressed, noting, "The WonderDome experience was truly awe-inspiring. It sparked a desire in the students to learn more about space, and it was fantastic to see their enthusiasm."

We’re so proud of our budding astronomers in Reception and Year 5. This cosmic adventure has undoubtedly sparked a lasting interest in the wonders of space. Well done, everyone!

In Spring Term 1, our topic was called ‘People Who Help Us!’ We kick started this topic by learning all about the people in our school who help us. Each class visited a mystery person in the school (Mr Myers, Mrs Kennett & Miss Granelli and Mr Hennessy) to find out what they do in the school and how it helps us. We then moved onto the Emergency Services with a visit from Police Officers from our local Police station and a Paediatric Nurse from St Helier Hospital. We found out lots of important information about their jobs and saw some of the equipment they use. We even sat in a Police Car and try on some pieces of police uniform. Wow! We ended our topic by learning about a variety of other people who help us in our local community including people who help us at night when we are asleep. We read the story ‘All Through the Night’ by Polly Faber.

During Spring Term 1, we also celebrated National Storytelling Week and completed a variety of different activities about The Gingerbread Man. It was so much fun!

In Spring Term 2, our topic was ‘What a Wonderful World!’ We started this topic with the help of Google Earth finding out all about where we live! We were fascinated to see our school on Google Earth and loved looking at different places of interest in our local community. Learning about and using maps was a big focus for us. We created our own maps learning all about a ‘Birds Eye View’ and we used maps to look for clues/rewards around our school. A big part of this term has also been celebrating special events such as Pancake Day, World Book Day and STEM Week! We absolutely loved having visitors into our classrooms for STEM Week and we were fascinated by their job roles. I think we were definitely inspired to become engineers from these visits. We had a science day full of science experiments and activities and working with Year 4 on the IPads for technology day was really useful.

We loved welcoming our families into Reception for our ‘Mothers & Others Day’ and we think they thoroughly enjoyed our special gifts and song we sang for them. What another busy term!

Every morning, we have continued to impress our teachers with our fantastic phonics! “Phonics helps us to read and to write!” This term we have learnt; 14 digraphs and trigraphs, 9 new tricky words, and we are now reading words not only containing these digraphs and trigraphs, but also longer words where we need to ‘chunk it up!’. We have continued with our ‘Let’s Read’ sessions in the mornings and have thoroughly enjoyed becoming more independent and fluent readers. There is a real buzz in the classroom seeing all of the children developing their love for reading!

In maths, we have been very busy continuing to develop our subitising skills. Remember ‘don’t count, say the amount!’ We have also been developing a deeper number sense by finding 1 more and 1 less, calculating doubles and finding halves of a shape and of a number.

In our PE lessons we have been working on our gymnastic skills in Spring 1 and our Dance skills in Spring 2. Developing our coordination skills to create different gymnastic movements was a little difficult at first, but with lots of practise, we got there! We have loved our dance lessons. We have been learning basic samba moves from Brazil and also basic Charleston steps from the roaring 1920’s!

We have had a fantastic Spring Term in Reception and seeing the children continuing to grow and develop as learners has been amazing!

Our Spring 1 topic was ‘People Who Help Us’ and we kick started this by having some great discussions about all the different people who help us and what it is they do to help us. We spent time learning all about the Emergency Services, focusing on Police, Paramedics and Firefighters. We spoke about what they can do to help us in an emergency and even had a go at matching the Emergency Services with the different scenarios. We have also learnt about the importance of calling ‘999’ in an emergency. We were lucky to have three Police Officers visit us where they told us lots of information and we got to ask them some questions too. Our favourite part was when we got to wear the Police Officers hat and sit in their Police car! We have also spent time learning all about the roles of a dentist and a vet. We especially enjoyed exploring our Veterinary Surgery role play area where we put all our knowledge of vets to good use and helped to make all the animals better. During this topic we were also very lucky to have visits from two of our Parents one of whom is a children’s Doctor, it was so interesting to hear all about the important work she does to make us feel better when we are unwell. Our other visitor told us all about her job at the hospital, we especially loved the video of the emergency helicopter landing!

Our Spring 2 topic was ‘Once Upon a Time’ where we focused on a different traditional tale each week. We started our topic by reading the story of Jack and the Beanstalk. We enjoyed listening to this story, answering questions and joining in with the ‘fee fi fo fum’ chant! During our busy time, we were busy using our hands to mix blue and yellow paint together to make the colour green which we then hand printed onto our very own beanstalks, they look great! We were so excited to plant our very own beanstalks. We spent time talking about how we can care for our beanstalks to make sure they grow big and strong (just like us!) We also read the story of The 3 Little Pigs and retold this during our play. We were busy building our own houses out of straw, sticks and bricks and testing them out together to see which one is the strongest. We also created our own paper plate pigs and drew maps to help Mummy pig find her way to the 3 little pigs houses. We have also read Goldilocks and the 3 Bears, The 3 Billy Goats Gruff and Little Red Riding Hood!

This half term we have also enjoyed lots of additional enrichment activities such as National Storytelling week, Children’s Mental Health week, World Book Day and STEM Week. During National Storytelling week our focus story was The Gingerbread Man. We used our five senses to explore a gingerbread man biscuit (our favourite part was eating it, yum!) During our busy time we had fun creating our own gingerbread characters as well as using our maths skills to match the correct amount of pegs to the numeral on the gingerbread man. We loved drawing giant gingerbread men on the big paper and working together to decorate them. As part of Children’s Mental Health Week, we spent time talking and thinking all about our feelings. We practised recognising feelings by looking at different facial expressions and sharing times that we have felt different emotions and why we felt that way. The children enjoyed watching video clips from the film ‘Inside Out’ – they especially liked the ‘guess the feelings’ game that we played. Throughout the week we read both ‘The Colour Monster’ and ‘The Crayons Book of Feelings’ and spent time discussing the different colours and emotions from both books. During busy time, the children enjoyed completing a feelings sorting activity where they had to recognise the sad, happy and angry pictures and sort them to the correct emotion.

In Maths this term we have been singing a range of number rhymes as well as practising our number recognition to 5. We have also spent lots of time practising our counting skills and completed activities where we had to match the amount of toys to the correct numeral. We have been learning all about how to compare amounts using the words ‘more than’ and ‘less/fewer than’ as well as developing our understanding of positional language. We have spent time reviewing our knowledge of 2D shapes by naming and describing their properties. In the Maths area, we loved tracing round the 2D shapes to see what pictures we could create. We then moved onto learning about 3D shapes which we have learnt is a shape that has three dimensions and is not flat.

Our entire school recently took part in World Book Day on 7th March 2024! This incredible annual event is a charity event held in the United Kingdom and Ireland on the first Thursday in March. On World Book Day, every child in full-time education in the UK and the Republic of Ireland is provided with a voucher to be spent on books; the event was first celebrated in the United Kingdom in 1998. 

It is important for children to develop a love for reading as it helps grow their vocabulary and their understanding about the world. The closeness of snuggling up with their favourite book leads to an increase in self-confidence and imagination, and helps children gain a wealth of knowledge from the books we share with them. 

To kickstart the day, the whole school were invited to the MUGA in the playground for a costume parade. Each year group had a turn to parade around the MUGA showing off their wonderful costumes of their favourite book character. Miss Brown and Mrs Garcia chose 4 winners! However, all of the costumes were absolutely incredible so thank you! 

Throughout the day, we did a variety of activities. We wrote stories just by choosing random words from the thesaurus to determine, the setting, characters, problem and solution. It was lovely to see the imagination and creativity flow.  

We made ‘loo roll’ book characters which was great fun! In addition to this, we had a ‘trade off’ where children bought in books from home they no longer wanted and traded them with a book they wanted. We finished our day by watching some ‘Masked Reader’ videos where we had to guess who was behind the mask. 

We are immensely proud of all our students for their enthusiasm and creativity during World Book Day.  

Let’s keep the love for reading alive throughout the year and keep those pages turning! 

We got to meet a paediatric nurse (Evie’s daddy) and  found out about their role and what they do day to day. We learnt that paediatric nurses look after children when they are feeling poorly both in the hospital and at their houses  (in the community). 

We got to explore some of the equipment they might use including a heart monitor and we looked at their uniform. Thank you Evie’s daddy, we had so much fun!

 Stories have the remarkable ability to teach us about the world around us, letting us step into someone else’s shoes, encouraging empathy, and broadening our horizons. They also provide a means to relax and escape from the everyday, whilst nurturing essential literacy skills. 

To kickstart the week,  Mrs. Ryder and Mr. Gilbert, shared an enchanting tale during our assembly. They then set a thrilling challenge for the children: to learn and retell a traditional story over the course of the week! 📚📝

 The culmination of this exciting week was a magnificent assembly, where each year group showcased their incredible storytelling skills. The performances were absolutely captivating! 

 Throughout the week, our eager students eagerly shared stories amongst themselves, and were treated to some mesmerizing tales from adults around the school. In addition to this, all parents, grandparents, aunites and uncles were invited in to school to read with their children and share stories.

🌟 We are immensely proud of all our students for their enthusiasm and creativity during Storytelling Week. Their dedication to honing their storytelling skills was truly inspiring! 🌟

Let's keep the magic of storytelling alive throughout the year, nurturing a love for tales that will last a lifetime! 💫📚

Our children in Early Years had an absolutely amazing day on Monday! They were thrilled to meet three Police Officers from our local Police Station. 🚓 The excitement was contagious as they got a first-hand look into the incredible work they do to keep us safe.

💙 The children listened with awe as our local heroes talked about their role in helping people in our community. They were fascinated to learn about different aspects of police work and bravely asked questions.

But that was not all! The highlight of the day was sitting inside a real-life police car 🚔, trying on a variety of police hats, and getting their fingerprints taken. 🖐️ We could see the joy and excitement on their faces as they actively engaged in these hands-on experiences.

We are incredibly grateful to the friendly Police Officers for taking the time to visit our school and make this experience unforgettable for our children. 🙌 Thank you!

What a week it's been! Humanities week returned with a bang, diving into 'A 100 Years of History' with a rich focus on working historically.

Reception's topic was ‘The Royal Family’ specifically looking at Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III. We launched our week by being historians looking at sources to guess our theme for the week. We then looked at images of Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III and compared them. Our next challenging task was to create a timeline of events. During busy time, we have been drawing portraits of Kings and Queens, creating crowns, building models of Buckingham Palace, and getting ready for our Royal Ball.

On Wednesday, we were very lucky to have the opportunity to join a drama workshop. We met Phileas Fogg who took us on an adventure around the world in just 30 minutes. We learnt how to say ‘hello’ in different languages and had a special mission to find the boomerang in Australia!

On Friday, we showcased all of our wonderful to the rest of the school in the top hall. We then walked round to look at the other year group and found out what they had be learning about too!

Nursery were super busy during Humanities week learning all about Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III. We found out lots of information about them including about their childhoods, their families , their hobbies and the different important jobs that they do! We spent time looking at two photographs - one of the Queens Coronation and one of the Kings Coronation. We spent time talking about what a Coronation is as well as the similarities and differences we could spot between the photos. We enjoyed drawing pictures of the King and Queen and sharing our knowledge with the adults around us. We have also been super busy using our great cutting skills to create our own crowns. Phew, what a busy week! 🙂

Each year group's dedication to being exceptional historians was truly remarkable, examining primary and secondary sources with genuine enthusiasm and gaining plenty of knowledge. The week culminated in 'dress up as a historical figure' day and exposition, where all the children got to see what each year group had been learning about.

Miss Pearce (Peter Rabbit Class) – Miss Atkins (Paddington Bear Class) – Miss Smith (Elmer Class)

We are extremely lucky to have lots of members of staff who support the children across the week in all three classes and have helped us to settle them in to Reception life.

Mrs Roberts – Mrs Sutton – Mrs Kent – Mrs Bassey – Miss Coton – Mrs Vick – Mrs Salvador

What have we been up to this half term?

This half term, our topic has been Magical Me and we have spent lots of time playing and getting to know the children in Reception. We have had learnt lots about each other and ourselves including - our families, bodies, exploring our senses and bones! We have been busy exploring our new environment and building new friendships with our peers. Everyone in Reception has drawn their own family portrait to add to create their own family gallery in their classroom – it looks lovely!

Every morning, we have impressed our teachers with our fantastic phonics! “Phonics helps us to read and to write!” This half term we have learnt; 20 new phonemes, 3 tricky words, and are now beginning to blend for reading and segment for spelling. In more recent weeks, we have been doing our ‘Let’s Read’ sessions and have thoroughly enjoyed looking at the books and talking about the pictures. There is a real buzz in the classroom seeing all the children engaged and their love for reading!

In maths, we have spent time singing lots of number rhymes and becoming confident with counting to and from 10. Whilst following our ReknReks scheme, we have become familiar with the different Numberblocks and are now beginning to subitise numbers to 5.

This half term, we have been really lucky to have Coach Lucy come in every Monday for our own tennis session, and we have loved it! We have been practising our ball skills and ensuring we have control over our racket through different games. In our PE lessons, we have been developing our gross motor skills by completing different challenges; obstacle course, jumping through hoops, throwing, and catching and balancing on stilts!

“I like learning phonics and making my teachers proud!” – Rosa

“I enjoyred reading ‘we’re going on a bear hunt’!” – Jax

“I love making new friends here!” – Evie

“I love maths, it is my favourite and counting all the numberblocks!” – Sebastian

“I like playing outside and doing all my writing!” – Caleb

We have had a fantastic start to our school journey at Aragon and our teachers are incredibly proud of all our hard work. We cannot wait to continue all our wonderful adventures that are ahead of us next half term!

‘Inclusion’ is this year’s focus of one of our most favourite weeks of the school year. We kicked off the week with a whole school assembly on the field whereby members of staff completed an obstacle race but with one of their senses removed to show what it’s like to compete with a physical impairment. Children watched and cheered on their teachers and then were able to have a go at some inclusive activities themselves including seated volleyball, goal ball and boccia.

During Healthy Me Week all of the children across the school took park in ‘Art in Action’ topic work. This varied from making foil people in action, drawing people in action using a variety of styles and also taking photos of people in action.
Below is a picture of a collaborative piece of art work created by a single piece of foil for each person (some exceptions for the accessories) where the children learnt the art of folding, twisting and cutting to make a person in action. Using just their hands and foil!

• ‘I love finding sticks and turning them into magic wands!’
• ‘We saw a squirrel and watched it climb and jump’.
• ‘We saw dogs in the park, they were running and chasing! There were 1,2,3,4!’
• ‘I found a stone, it’s a small rock!’
• ‘I liked walking with my friends, it keeps us healthy’.
• ‘I found the gate first on our list, we have to have gates to keep us safe and to shut the park field when it is dark’.
• ‘Animals live in the trees and make dens and nests.’

Estimation

Across the school, children had to estimate how many pieces of maths equipment was in the jar. Estimation can be difficult and we had a range of different answers. Fatih (right) estimated 673 and Shafia (left) estimated 670. In total, there were 672 pieces of equipment. What an estimate!

Estimate the Weight 

Children were given the task to make a figure using cubes. At the start of the session, the children were given a weight that they needed to successfully make. The difficulty was the children were not allowed to weigh their figure until the end. To help assist the children, we provided them with 100g weights. Successfully, Betty-Lew (3A) managed to reach the target of 122g. How impressive!

Shut the Box

The children thoroughly enjoyed the challenging game ‘Shut the Box’. This game involves children having to subitise (recognise numbers without counting) and find the totals to remove all the wooden blocks.

Well done to everyone who has joined us in creating chickens for King Charles Palace.

We learnt of King Charles’ love for chickens and got creative.

This is Aragon’s Cluckingham Palace, pride of place in the front office.

We have a host of mediums used to create over 110 amazing chicken and hens! Ranging from artists aged 3 to 11! A whole school art piece compiled of art work from pupils in nursery to year 6!

We started our day with our Easter egg raffle and had a surprise visit from the Easter Bunny! We were so excited😀 After our Easter raffle, we split off into our house teams where we practised our team chant and enjoyed reading an Easter story all about the Easter Bunny🐰

Next we came back to Reception and had our own egg hunt. Each team had to collect the Easter eggs to see how many points they could win for their house team. Everyone did a great job but an extra special well done to team Unicorn who collected the most points🎉

To finish off our fun morning, we each got to decorate a special Easter decoration to take home! This afternoon we made our own yummy Easter nest cakes! Yum!🐣

Miss Smith (Class Teacher), Mrs Sutton, Miss Boswell (Early Years Nursery Nurses) and Mrs Lynch (Early Years Teaching Assistant).

What have we been up to this half term?

At the start of this half term, we welcomed some more friends into Nursery and have worked hard to teach them our three Golden Rules to continue to build meaningful relationships. We are being kind and caring towards our new peers to make them feel safe and happy in their new environment.

Our Golden Rules are:

• Stay safe.
• Be kind and friendly.
• Look after our toys.

This half term, our topic has been Ready, Steady, Cook and we have been focussing on stories that involve food and cooking. We have read; The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Gingerbread Man, The Giant Jam Sandwich and have even celebrated Chinese New Year! During our carpet sessions, we have been busy learning our Fab Five key words and completing different activities around the stories.

Our unit of work in PE this half term has been dance and we have worked hard to learn a small dance routine. To celebrate Chinese New Year, we also learnt the traditional Dragon Dance! We had to work together as a team to move our dragon up and down and side to side in time with the music.

 We have also launched Foundations for Phonics from the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds scheme this half term! Each week, we have learnt a new sound and played lots of different games to consolidate our learning. Our new phonics display in Nursery helps us remember the sounds and allows us to hunt for more items that begin with the same initial sound.

 This week, we have also been participating in STEM week that has been happening across the school. On Monday, we had our very own Science Day and carried out lots of different experiments. We made a BIG explosion in the playground!! During busy time, we have also been exploring different sized magnets, designing, and building a bridge for the Three Billy Goats Gruff, and using the iPads to take selfies!

We have had so much fun during this busy half term and cannot wait to have more exciting adventures in Nursery!   

What is Reception life like?

Well, it all begins with Early Morning Work – every morning the children come to school and complete challenges as we get settled into the daily routine. The children have become very independent in organising their own belongings and working independently on the carpet. Starting the day with a Maths Meeting where we find out the day of the week and checking the weather – we love this song and always hope for sunshine!

Then we are straight into Phonics where we learn our daily sounds and practise our reading skills, segmenting, blending and sight reading our tricky words.

Next, it’s time for our group reading where we get to enjoy a new book each week that we can read all by ourselves! The grown-ups are really impressed with how quickly the children are progressing, building great independence with reading and turn taking, listening to others read and following the words in their own books!

Now it is time for some busy time! During the day the children access lots of different activities in and outside of the classroom. We play games, read stories, create in the art area, explore maths, relax in the thinking den, role play in the home corner, café, vets, or baby clinic and make up stories in the small world area. We often use puppets to retell stories we are learning about as well as going on hunts to investigate the world around us.

One of the things we like most in Reception is the exploration table. Where we explore water, sand, mini beats, floating and sinking, playdough, magnets and much much more. Construction is fun too where we build tall towers, invent cars or build fireworks or robot heads with the straws.

After some free flow exploring, we are ready for a snack and a story! We love to add in voices and expression – we practise this in our weekly prosody sessions. We love to put our detective eyes on and look for tricky words and digraphs and now trigraphs in the words we are reading.

Then we are off to explore again while the adults help us in our catch-up groups. This is where we can revisit taught sessions to help everyone remember all that there is to remember! We practise our name writing and play flash card recognition games with our sounds and numbers. One of our favourite catch ups is when we play tricky word splat! That’s really fun.

Now it’s time for maths! We have maths carpet session where we explore RekenRek learning to spot numbers quickly by using our moto ‘don’t count, say the amount’ this is subitising - a really tricky concept that the children are mastering.

Then we investigate a maths topic such as adding or subtracting, doubling, shape and quantity. The children use lots of resources to explore these themes practically and then get to apply these skills within ICT games, workbook tasks and practical activities.

Finally, after all this hard work we are off to lunch! Where most of us have a delicious hot meal ready for some outside play – sometimes in the big playground where we love to run, sometimes in the Year 1 Quad (where we try and climb the mountaineers climbing wall!) and sometimes back in our environment to explore the outside themed activities where the Early Years Practitioners support the children in their exploration.

After some break time we are back inside for our topic carpet session, this will be based on many different themes and will cover many aspects of the Early Years Framework. We create mind maps of information we have gathered; we watch videos and presentations about our topic to gain knowledge to apply when working on the provision in our classes. Recently we have enjoyed learning about different celebrations, the Hungry Caterpillar story, Chinese New Year and now we are enjoying the traditional tale of the Gingerbread Man. At this time of the day we are building our confidence in working independently following instructions and completing tasks as a whole class. The children are really building stamina with this.

Then it’s time for some group work where the adults work with the children to develop skills and knowledge around our themes, we dig a little deeper here and extend all children to enable them to reach their personal goals. We practise turn taking, writing skills, following instructions and completing personal tasks to meet our targets. Children also have the opportunity to explore in all 3 reception classrooms at this point, accessing even more exciting opportunities and working with a range of adults.

After, it’s back to the carpet for a small review of the learning of the day, wellbeing check ins and a snack!

Some of our busy days also include PE sessions and a focus on Music and ICT within the timetable too!

Back to busy time and completing the afternoon challenges before we get ready for home, learning to be independent with gathering our belongings and packing our bags. This can be tricky some days with letters and work to include too!

Then its Talk for Stories where we explore the features of different stories (including a range of texts) and the exciting vocabulary we can pinch for our own story telling. We love to predict what’s happening next! Then it’s song time with our daily nursery rhyme and a review of the busy day!

And … off we go home!

• Running on the spot (running away from Mr and Mrs Baker)
• Ladder work (climbing up and down the beanstalk)
• Squat (sitting in Daddy, Mummy and Baby Bear’s chair)
• Star Jumps (the Troll jumping on to his bridge) 
• Reach up and down (building the house for the 3 pigs)

We are very pleased to announce that we have raised just over £1500 and we are very much looking forward to spending this money on purchasing new equipment for our outside area, with a particular focus on gross motor development. We would like to say a huge thank you for your support with this sponsorship and we cannot wait to show you what we have purchased!

Take a look at the pictures to see all the fun we have had!

Each year group were given a continent to ‘explore’, taking part in many different activities and lessons to immerse themselves in that continent.