We have had a fantastic start to the term at Grimsdell as pupils dive into our exciting new theme, ‘Under the Sea’. From imaginative adventures to hands-on learning, it has been wonderful to see children across the school engaging so enthusiastically with the topic in their lessons.

Nursery:

In Nursery, pupils received a special letter from Captain Swashbuckle himself! The mysterious message was packed with clues that led them on a treasure hunt to discover a very special treasure box. They were give the important responsibility of keeping it safe until Captain Swashbuckle returns to collect it. 

This sense of adventure has inspired a whole host of pirate-themed activities throughout the week. The children have designed their own treasure maps, transformed themselves into fearsome pirates and even took part in a pirate snack shop. Armed with five golden coins, they carefully decided how to spend their treasure. We have also been learning a lively pirate sea shanty, helping the children fully immerse themselves in their pirate roles. What an exciting start to our new adventure! 

Reception:

Last week Reception were busy exploring the school grounds searching for clues, which led them on a swashbuckling pirate journey. Along the way they took part in pirate games, cooked on the fire and even made their own pirate medallions to officially join the pirate crew. The children also used AI to create imaginative pirates such as Sonic the Pirate and a rainbow mermaid. Using this as inspiration, the pupils then created their own ‘Wanted’ posters.

In Literacy, pupils have been focusing on the story of Billy and the Pirates, which tells the tale of Billy, a young girl whose trip to the seaside sparks her imagination as rock pools and beach scenes turn into a thrilling pirate adventure. This story supported discussions about imagination, storytelling and pirate-themed vocabulary.

Year 1:

Year 1 have had a wonderfully busy week of learning. They have dived into the fascinating life of Jacques Cousteau, exploring how his incredible inventions helped people discover more about the oceans. In geography this terms theme came to light through the creation of vibrant ocean scenes.

Year 2:

This week in English, the children have been learning about the equipment a diver needs. They explored and named different pieces of equipment and discussed what each item is used for, for example understanding that a mask helps a diver to see underwater. Using images from Diver Dean’s visit, the children practised labelling a diver and added explanations to describe the purpose of each piece of equipment. They also focused on their grammar skills by writing lists using commas. 

Following our exciting visit from Diver Dean, the children wrote about what they had learned. They worked hard to recall information he shared and used a range of reporting verbs such as “said,” “explained” and “told.” The children also practised using speech marks correctly to show when the diver was speaking and added speech bubbles and annotations to pictures from the visit. It was lovely to see their enthusiasm and curiosity throughout these activities.