Highcliffe St Mark Primary School A Church of England Foundation School
Foundation Information
Welcome to Foundation!
Mrs Oakley, Mrs Bridle, Mrs Kingham and Miss Robins welcome you to the Foundation year group page!
Look at what we have been learning!
Lizzie the vet came to visit the children in Foundation this week!
As part of our topic, the children have been reading Hairy Maclary, Rumpus at the Vet, role-playing how to care for animals, and using their imaginations to write about their own pets. We even thought of questions we might like to ask a vet… and then one just happened to turn up!
The children had great fun learning how vets keep animals still, why pets might need to visit the vet, and how to bandage a poorly paw. Lizzie also shared an exciting story about the time she looked after a snake!
Ask your child about what they learnt during Lizzie’s visit—they may even be able to show you what they know using their cuddly animals at home.
We have met a real-life superhero… a paramedic!
The children learnt some basic first aid skills, including how to put bandages and slings on each other. The paramedic also explained how important it is to know the number of the house they live in, so they can tell the person on the phone if they ever need to call 999.
Please talk to your child about this at home to help reinforce what they have learnt.
Autumn Discovery Day
We had such a fun day celebrating our Autumn Discovery Day! We spent the whole day outdoors, taking part in activities to support our understanding of the world and learning more about the season we are in. We were also on the hunt for the animal who had stolen all our leaves!
The children explored our forest areas, created the most amazing autumnal collages, and even enjoyed some delicious soup made by our kitchen team to help keep us warm. We ended the day by solving clues and discovering that the squirrel was The Leaf Thief.
Back in our classrooms, we enjoyed reading the story together while drinking hot chocolate.
Ask your child what their favourite part of the day was, and we can’t wait for our Winter Discovery Day soon!
To access the photos from our Autumn Discovery day, please use the link below.
A visit from Gerald the Giraffe!
As part of our PSHE scheme, Harold the Giraffe from CORAM came to visit us. He talked to the children about how to keep their bodies healthy.
We explored different body parts, including why our bones are important and how our hearts and the food we eat help to give us energy. The children also helped Harold check his overnight bag, making sure he had packed all the important items to keep himself clean and healthy.
We had lots of fun learning about the importance of exercise and sleep so that our bodies can continue to grow and get stronger.
Ask your child what their favourite part of Harold’s visit was!
Stop, Look, Listen and Think
The team from BCP Road Safety came to visit the children in Foundation. We began by reading a story about staying safe near roads and when travelling in a car. This included learning about the importance of wearing a seatbelt and using a car seat.
The children then had the opportunity to take part in role play, acting as pedestrians, cars, community police officers, traffic lights and road crossing officers. This helped everyone practise staying safe as the lights changed near our pretend road in the hall.
Ask your child what words they should use with an adult to check it is safe to cross the road!
Welcome service at Church
The children did an incredible job walking to Church, performing, and listening so carefully. Despite the windy weather on the way, there were lots of smiles as they sang their Autumn songs, the hymns we have been learning in hymn practice, and proudly shared their self-portraits.
Ask your child what their favourite thing at school has been this half-term, we’d love to hear what they say!
Welcome Church Service (video)
Starting school!
What a fantastic (but very rainy) first week we have had. We have been exploring our new classrooms and learning gardens, whilst making lots of new friends. We are so proud of how the children have settled as they begin their new school adventure. Here are some of the things that we have been doing this week...
