Welcome to our Year R, Squirrel Class page 

Class Teacher: Mrs B Taylor

Support Staff: Miss D Mitchell, Miss A Friday 

PE Days: Tuesday and Thursday  

In Squirrel class we are just beginning our exciting journey through Thorpe Acre Infant School. In our class we work hard on developing our understanding of ourselves and our feelings, making friendships, communicating effectively with others and learning rules and routines. 

Please click on the link below for all the information on what we are learning about this half-term. 

Week Ending 28th November 2025

This week we have been thinking about people who help us. We have been looking at all of the places we can find people who help us in Loughborough such as the fire station, the hospital, the library and our school. We have drawn pictures of the buildings and of uniforms that help us recognise them. On Thursday we went on a walk round the school to find all of the people who help us while we are here!

In Maths, we have been learning about 2D shape. In particular, we have been focusing on squares and rectangles.

Week Ending 21st November 2025

In English Squirrels have been learning about London and some famous landmarks there! They have used construction blocks to build some of the landmarks, and the children listened to the sounds they could hear in the words to write labels for them. They have been learning about what London was like in the past and which buildings are old and which buildings are new.

In Maths the children have been exploring how to make numbers (up to 5) '1 less'. They have been practising using the sentence 4 is 1 less than 5.

Week Ending 14th November 2025

This week we have been learning about London. They have been learning about the landmarks that they might see there, such as the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace and the London Eye.

In Maths, the children have been learning about the '1 more' concept. The children talked about how the number becomes bigger when you add 1 more. We have also used the sentence stems '1 more than ... is ..'

Week Ending 7th November 2025

This week in Squirrels the children have been learning about Bonfire night in literacy. The children listened to a story about Guy Fawkes. We have looked at what people do to celebrate Bonfire night.

In maths, we have been learning about the numbers '4 and 5'. We have looked at different arrangements of the numbers and have had a go at subitising these amounts.

The children have really enjoyed making firework collage pictures, spelling out their name in marshmallows and practising putting on hats, coats, scarves and gloves in our role play area.

Week Ending 31st October 2025

The children in Reception have enjoyed a spooky-themed week. They have been reading the book ‘Meg and Mog’ in English. Meg sent the children a letter which told them how to make their own spell! It was very fizzy!

In Maths the children have been learning about circle and triangles. All of them can explain how they know whether a shape is a circle or a triangle.

Week Ending 17th October 2025

In English the children have been learning about the season of Autumn. They have been learning an Autumn poem and have been practising a performance with some great actions!

In Maths the children have been learning about what s one more and one less than the numbers 1, 2 and 3. They have been using cubes and stories to help them.

Week Ending 10th October 2025

In English the children have been very busy preparing for the Teddy Bears’ picnic. They have written invitations and a shopping list. We also followed a recipe to make biscuits! A big thank you to all adults who attended the picnic – we hope you enjoyed it!

In Maths this week we have been learning about the numbers 1, 2 and 3. We have been matching numbers and learning how to ‘subitise’ This means that the children are able to visually see a number of objects instantly without needing to count them one at a time.

Week Ending 3rd October 2025

English: The children have been learning the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears with the help of actions and a story map.

Maths: Squirrels have been exploring size and mass. The children have learnt words such as 'bigger', 'smaller', 'heavier' and 'lighter'.

During outdoor learning the children tried porridge just like the Three Bears! We had a surprise visit from our own bear who asked us who had been eating his porridge!

Week Ending 26th September 2025

Year R In Literacy the children have been reading the story 'We're Going on A Bear Hunt'. They have made their own actions to help them retell the story. This week's provision has also supported the children with using language from the story. In Maths, the children have been creating and continuing simple patterns.

Week Ending 19th September 2025

The focus this week has been RE and how babies are welcomed into the world. Mrs Pullen visited with her new baby to talk about how she welcomed her baby. The children asked lots of super questions. In Maths, they have been comparing amounts and using words such as “more, fewer, same as”.

Week Ending 26th September 2025

In Literacy the children have been reading the story 'We're Going on A Bear Hunt'. They have made their own actions to help them retell the story.  This week's provision has also supported the children with using language from the story. 

 

In Maths, the children have been creating and continuing simple patterns.

Week Ending 12th September 2025

This week in literacy, the children have been thinking about all the things that make them 'unique'. The children also brought in photographs of their family members and got to share these during Circle Time.

In Maths this week they have been learning about 'matching' and 'sorting' objects.

Week Ending 5th September 2025

The children in Reception have been focusing on getting settled into school life, learning the rules and routines and starting to develop friendships with their new classmates. They have also been working on awareness of rhymes and have been singing and acting out lots of nursery rhymes in Literacy and number songs in Maths. They have started Phonics lessons, learning how to read and write the sounds m, a, s, d, t. They have been playing some Fred games with our new friend Fred, listening to sounds