Starling Blog

In Starlings, we have continued to focus on developing engagement in learning, communication and independence. Communication, speech and language, numeracy and independence are supported and encouraged through each strand of learning and our daily routines in Starlings.

Aspire

In Starlings this half term we have continued to focus on learning our initial phonics sounds and recognising objects that begin with different sounds. Our mark making abilities are developing well and we have shown great creativity when mark making in cards for special adults within our school community. In Maths, we have been counting to 10 forwards and backwards using a variety of songs to help us. We have shown resilience when completing different Maths games alongside our friends, learning how to take turns.

Inspire

Through our PSED lessons this half term, we have explored independent life skills. We have created a sensory garden in our outdoor area and all the Starlings have enjoyed interacting with a range of different plants. They have showed curiosity in smelling and feeling the different textures.  

Teamwork
We have continued to develop relationships within our Starling community and have daily sessions of playing and eating alongside each other. We have continued to read lots of different pirate stories. The children have had lots of fun learning about the different words connected to ‘pirates’. We are particularly enthusiastic when listening to the port side story song. We are looking forward to our first Starling school trip to Brighouse in the final weeks of term too.

What a busy half term! We look forward to more adventures in September 2026

The Starlings Team

In Starlings, we have continued to focus on developing engagement in learning, communication and independence. Communication, speech and language, numeracy and independence are supported and encouraged through each strand of learning and our daily routines in Starlings.

Aspire

In Starlings this half term we have been working hard to learn our initial phonics sounds and we have also been showing enthusiasm when developing our mark making. In Maths, we have been exploring 2D shapes and ordering numbers to 10. We have been working on completing different Maths games alongside our friends, learning how to take turns.

Inspire

Through our PSED lessons this half term, we have explored a range of emotions showing our creativity through making different faces in a mirror to replicate emotions. We have also enjoyed our Pirates topic and listened to many different songs about pirates with enthusiasm.

Teamwork
We have continued to develop relationships within our Starling community and have daily sessions of playing and eating alongside each other. We have read the story ‘Titch’ and shown our curiosity about the world around us by planting our own seeds and decorating our own plant pots. We were also very lucky to visit the ducklings in Reception. Some of us showed great curiosity when visiting them. We were careful and able to hold and stroke them.

What a busy half term! We look forward to more adventures in Summer 2.

The Starlings Team

In Starlings, we have focused on developing engagement in learning, communication and independence. Communication, speech and language, numeracy and independence are supported and encouraged through each strand of learning and our daily routines in Starlings.

Aspire

We continue to develop the children's ability to recognise and distinguish between environmental sounds. Alongside this, we are focusing on initial sounds and helping the children connect sounds with objects. The children have been delighted to meet 'Boris the Bear' during our pre-phonics sessions and are enthusiastic about joining him on exciting 'sound' adventures. In Maths, we have shown determination, by continuing to work towards a better understanding of ‘big’ and ‘small’. This is a key concept and we are working hard to understand it and be confident in using it in different areas of our learning.

Inspire

We have been creative in our English, Art and Music lessons. We have enjoyed reading ‘The Little Red Hen’ and creating art pieces around the story. We have even started to grow our own wheat! In Music we have loved singing and signing along with singing hands traditional nursery rhymes and songs about fairy tales. We have also shown lots of enthusiasm when we explored a sensory fairy tale adventure using different pieces of classical music and objects to represent each section of our story.

Teamwork
In our P.E. lessons this half term, we have continued to develop our gross motor skills and working as part of a team. In PSED we have enjoyed finding out about the nature all around us and the community we live in.  Our daily routines continue to help us with belonging, and we are continuing to learn and play considerately alongside each other and build positive relationships.

The Starlings Team

In Starlings, we have focussed on developing engagement in learning, communication and independence. Communication, speech and language, numeracy and independence are supported and encouraged through each strand of learning and our daily routines in Starlings.

Aspire

We are continuing to work on environmental sounds, being able to identify and differentiate between them. We have also been working on initial sounds and matching sounds to an object. The children have really enjoyed meeting ‘Boris the Bear’ as part of our pre-phonics sessions and love going on new ‘sound’ adventures with him. In Maths, we have shown determination, working on numbers and counting and knowing the difference between ‘big’ and ‘small’.

Inspire

We have been creative in our Art and Music lessons, exploring lots of different aspects of the solar system and space. The children have really engaged with our sensory space adventures in music and have displayed great creativity when making sensory galaxy bottles and space crafts in Art.

This half-term, we have been exploring new books, including ‘Whatever Next’. Pupils have been enthusiastic during our English lessons when exploring sensory activities and joining the characters from our story, baby bear and owl, on a journey to the moon.

Teamwork
In our P.S.H.E. lessons this half term, we have continued learning about ‘people who help us’. This learning has continued as it is important, for our children, to recognise the people within our community who are there to keep us safe.  We have looked at the emergency services and other key people who the children interact with. Our daily routines continue to help us with belonging, and we are continuing to learn and play considerately alongside each other and build positive relationships.

The Starlings Team

In Starling, we have focussed on developing engagement in learning, communication and independence. Communication, speech and language, numeracy and independence are supported and encouraged through each strand of learning and our daily routines in Starling.

ASPIRE

We are continuing to work on everyday sounds such as animal noises and sounds we hear around school and being able to identify and differentiate between them. We have also been working on initial sounds and matching sounds to an object. The children have really enjoyed singing nursery rhymes and are able to join in with them and request their favourites. In Maths, we have shown determination, working on numbers and counting. We are continuing to develop skills in matching, sorting and comparing, measure and patterns.

INSPIRE

We have been creative in our Art and Music lessons, exploring lots of different aspects of the season such as, fireworks, festive colours and sounds. We have really enjoyed creating sparkling snowflakes and reindeers and getting ready for our winter performance.

This half-term, we have been exploring new books, including ‘Owl Babies’. Pupils have been enthusiastic when exploring sensory activities and creating fluffy owls with feathers and their own ‘owl homes’ with natural materials such as twigs and leaves. 

TEAMWORK
In our P.S.H.E. lessons this half term, we have been learning about ‘people who help us’. It is important to recognise the people within our community who are there to keep us safe.  We have looked at the emergency services and other key people who the children interact with. Our daily routines have helped us with belonging, and we are continuing to learn and play considerately alongside each other and build positive relationships.

The Starling Team

In Starlings, we have focussed on developing engagement in learning, communication and independence. Communication, speech and language, numeracy and independence are supported and encouraged through each strand of learning and our daily routines in Starlings.

Aspire

We have focussed on sounds such as animal noises and musical instruments, being able to identify and differentiate between them. We have looked at recognising similarities and differences between sounds, and matching sounds to an object. We’ve been encouraging children to join in with songs and rhymes. 

In Maths, we have shown determination, working on transactions, numbers and counting. We have developed skills in matching, sorting and comparing, measure and patterns.

Inspire

We have been creative in our Art and Music lessons, exploring lots of different aspects of the season such as harvest time, woodland creatures, autumn smells and flavours, the changing weather and the sounds of autumn. 

This half-term, we have been exploring new books, including ‘The Hungry Caterpillar’ and ‘Goodnight Owl’. For each story, we have read the book as a class, explored a sensory story version and read as a 1:1 book. Pupils have been enthusiastic when using these texts as the basis for fine motor activities, handwriting activities and sentence building.

Teamwork
In our P.S.H.E. lessons this half term, we have been learning about ‘emotions’. It is important to recognise and accept all emotions and help our children to process how they are feeling within our community.  We have introduced our pupils to a range of strategies to help them when they are struggling to process challenging emotions. Using our ‘class emotions board’ on a regular basis has supported our pupils to manage the big emotions they may feel. Our morning routines has helped us with belonging, and we are all beginning to learn and play considerately alongside each other.

The Starlings Team