Prep (year 2) @ Ditcham Park
Welcome to Prep which is Year 2 at Ditcham Park School. We aim to build on the firm foundation that the children have experienced in Pre-Prep and Reception, and try to move the children towards greater independence.
Prep introduces a number of topics through out the academic year. We aim to provide a curriculum that is relevant and integrated so that the children can gain a personal response to what they are learning.
Some of the topics the children experience are:
- Plants and Animals in the Local Environment
- Transport in the Past
- Religious Buildings
- Mother Nature Designer
- Staying Healthy
To begin the academic year the children visited Sally Buckland’s owls in Compton. It was wonderful to see these beautiful birds so close that you could touch them. The children were mesmerised and wrote some beautiful creative writing as a result. The art work which followed provided a beautiful display. Prep Class decided there and then to adopt ‘Indie’ the Bengal Eagle Owl. We are now able to visit him when ever we wish. |
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April saw Prep going on a ‘mini-beast hunt’ through the bluebell woods. We had a lovely time looking at the carpet of blue that filled our eyes. Unfortunately not one little creature was to be found due to the damp weather, so we had to do it again on a different day. This time we were more successful and the tally of mini-beasts went into their hundreds!
In the first part of the year we drove off to Beaulieu to see at first hand the evolution of motoring. We were able to see penny farthings and bone shakers, old Mercedes and Daimlers to name but a few. The highlight was going on the mono-rail and dressing up in the old clothes people wore long ago. It was a wonderful trip and one we will all remember. Our topic was further enhanced by the arrival of a vintage Rolls Royce owned by a parent who was kind enough to allow seventeen bodies to clamber all over and sketch it. This really was history coming to life and we were all extremely lucky.
The month of May was also a busy time. We all went off to visit Chichester Cathedral where we had the opportunity to have our very own guide and then go and make clay gargoyles. The advantage of visiting a place of worship is that children can experience the atmosphere of the beautiful building which enables them to have plenty to discuss when we return to school. In the afternoon we did a drama workshop based on the life of Saint Richard. We were all dressed up again and processed down the aisles much to the amusement of the tourists. |
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By far our most memorable time this term has been our visit to West Wittering beach. Using the beach as our classroom enabled the children to design, measure and see at first hand the differences between two localities. The weather was kind to us and we were basked in sunshine. This trip was also the culmination of a successful book week where the children had written stories about the sea. What better way to end the week
than to dress up as pirates and find the treasure we had been writing about!
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Mother Nature also provides wonderful opportunities for awe and wonder. The children were able to see caterpillars change into butterflies. They sketched and painted the butterflies’ wings and felt how fragile and delicate they were. The day we released them caused much excitement.
Throughout their time at Ditcham the children have many opportunities to keep themselves fit and healthy. In Prep class the children discuss and try different foods. One challenge was to make a healthy pizza. The classroom was transformed into a restaurant with dough and flour in abundance. The delicious smell that emanated from the classroom was the talking point of the day. |
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