Al Sedra Infants - Week 17

Dear Parents,

Developing strong foundations in the infant school years goes beyond learning letters and numbers. Alongside the curriculum, it is essential that students develop transdisciplinary skills that support learning, wellbeing and long-term success.

Communication and social skills enable children to share ideas, listen respectfully, collaborate with others and build confidence. These skills help children feel secure and valued within their school community. Thinking and research skills encourage curiosity, creativity and problem solving, allowing students to explore ideas, ask questions and develop a deeper understanding of the world around them.

Equally important is self-management. When students learn to manage their emotions, organise themselves and persevere with challenges, they become more independent and resilient learners.

By nurturing these skills alongside academic learning, we support students in achieving the highest levels of personal achievement, confidence and readiness for future learning and life.

Yours faithfully,

Pamela Abbas

Head of Infants

ECAs

18^th & 25^th January and 1^st February

This week, the students have enjoyed learning about different habitats from around the world. Where they explored the desert, jungle, woodland and safari environments through stories, discussions and creative activities.

In the desert area, the students learnt about camels and how animals survive in hot, dry conditions. Our jungle activities focused on colourful animals such as parrots and monkeys, while encouraging the students to use descriptive language. In the woodland, we talked about animals including owls, ladybirds and foxes. Our safari theme introduced lions, elephants and giraffes, and the students loved pretending to be explorers as they learnt about these animals and their environments.

Through these activities, the students developed their vocabulary, imagination and understanding of the world around them. They also practised fine motor skills through crafts and mark making, supporting their early writing development while enjoying learning through play.

This week, our Reception students stepped back in time on an exciting journey into the medieval world. They explored castles, knights and everyday life in medieval times, learning how people lived in the past. Using their imagination and creativity, the students designed their own castles. They also had the opportunity to try medieval style writing using feathers, just like scribes from long ago.

In Maths, the focus was on understanding mass, with particular attention given to the concepts of heavy and light. Through hands on activities, the students compared the weights of various objects such as blocks, toys and books.

In IPC, we explored the difference between an object and a material. The students loved investigating everyday items and can now confidently name the materials that objects are made from. They also enjoyed describing their properties, using words such as hard, soft, rough and smooth, and explaining their ideas to their friends.

In Writing, the students have been busy innovating their text maps. They changed the ingredients in the story and added wonderful adjectives to make their writing more interesting and imaginative. During continuous provision, the writing challenge was to put the text map in the correct order and read it to a teacher. It has been lovely to see their growing confidence and pride when sharing their work.

In Maths, we have been learning about doubles and near doubles. The students used their knowledge of doubles to help them work out near doubles and explain how they found their answers. During continuous provision, the Maths challenge involved adding and subtracting using cubes and taking part in our “race to the finish line” game, which has been a big hit and a fun way to revise number skills.

Year 2 have had an exciting week exploring how raw materials can be transformed into building materials, creating their own structures along the way. The students were also introduced to a new text map, through which they explored famous landmarks in London and Qatar. In numeracy, the students began learning about multiplication and are developing an understanding of multiplying groups.