Baking has many educational benefits for children. To mark National Baking Week, our Year 1 Teacher and After School Cookery Club leader, Mrs Russell explains why it is such a useful skill to learn.
Baking provides lots of great learning opportunities for children. Not only is it a life skill that they will benefit from as they grow older and throughout adulthood, but it also develops educational skills.
Measuring out ingredients and counting improves mathematics. Talking about what they are doing and understanding instructions improves literacy skills. But it is not just academic skills that can be improved through baking.
We know how much the children like to get involved with the mixing, sprinkling and decorating when baking. These types of actions will improve both their hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.
Getting the children involved in the baking process teaches children what goes into their food and how it is made. Not only that, taking part in baking can also encourage children to be more adventurous and more willing to try new foods.
Baking together with your children can improve relationships, communication skills and help to build confidence. In addition, working through a recipe teaches children planning skills. Helping your child to organise themselves in the kitchen where they are enjoying themselves (and learning without realising!) can encourage them to adopt organisation and planning in other situations.
Children can also make observations of what happens to the ingredients when they are mixed together, put in the fridge or put in the oven. Do they change colour? Do they get harder or softer? Does the mixture get bigger or smaller? The kitchen can be like a science lab with experiments happening everywhere!
So, on a rainy day, why not get all of your ingredients out and bake something yummy to eat. Most importantly, have fun!
Here is a recipe our wonderful Pastry Chef, Mrs Murphy would like to share with you all especially for National Baking Week:
If you would like to try out some more recipes at home, Mrs Bhogal and the catering team have shared some of their other favourite recipes which are available here.
It’s the beginning of a new academic year at Pilgrims and we are all excited to start learning new things. Pilgrims’ Headteacher, Mrs Webster, explains a little more about what the children can look forward to.
I have really enjoyed hearing all about what the children have been up to during the summer holidays! Now, the children have returned to school refreshed and ready to learn. We have lots of exciting things planned for this term! From learning about different types of ‘super powers’, to the different roles our staff have across the school as well as exploring oceans and the creatures who live in them.
Reception
The children’s autumn term topic is ‘Me and my World’. We have started the year settling into the new environment, learning to understand the daily routines and supporting the children to become more responsible and independent. We have now begun to learn about ‘My Family and my Home’ as well as the timeline of a person, from baby to adult.
Following on from this, we will be discussing and exploring the different roles the children might like to have when they grow up. We even have parents and other members of the community coming to speak to the children about the jobs they do. Previous years have included a Formula 1 racing engineer, a firefighter, a vet, a florist and a chef.
Later in the term, we will also be looking at the seasons and different celebrations, tying this in with Christmas and all the excitement that comes with it!
Year 1
The topic for Year 1 this term is ‘Commotion in the Ocean’. This will involve the children learning about the oceans of the world and the amazing creatures who live in them, including blue whales and seahorses. They will even have a visit from a scuba-diver who will explain how he is able to stay under the water for so long and what it was like to meet a shark close-up!
The children will also take a trip to The Sea Life Centre to observe the sea creatures themselves and then learn about pollution in the ocean. Finally, pupils will investigate the history of the seaside and the story of Punch and Judy. Join in with this theme at home by reading Someone Swallowed Stanley by Sara Roberts, watching Finding Nemo or taking a trip to the beach!
Year 2
The theme for Year 2 is Super Powers. There are lots of different super powers to investigate, from creatures with amazing powers of camouflage to the power generated by humans across the world.
The children have already got fully involved in a Superhero dress up day and had a visit from the five-time skipping world record holder, Peter Thompson. It was exhausting just watching him! However, the children were so inspired that many of them have now taken up skipping during their playtime and lunch breaks!
Welcome everyone to the new academic year at Pilgrims – I am excited to watch and learn new things too!
We know thinking of activities to keep your children entertained for the entire summer holidays can be tricky. Here, Mrs Webster, Headteacher at Pilgrims School, shares some fun and educational activity suggestions that the whole family can enjoy this summer.
At Pilgrims, we know how important it is for children to continue learning all-year-round, even during the holidays. Continuous learning builds confidence in our pupils and keeps the mind sharp and stimulated.
Learning throughout the holidays also gives children more flexibility and choice over what and how they want to learn. You don’t have to sit and give your children worksheets to fill out for them to keep learning; there’s so many activities that children can take part in without even realising they are building on their knowledge.
Days out in and around Bedford
If your family loves a thrill, then a day out at Box End Park is perfect for you. Box End Park has a giant aqua park with the UK’s biggest water mega slide, as well as boat skiing and wake-boarding, stand up paddle boarding and more.
For something a little more relaxed, head to Bedford Arts and Crafts Centre where the family can participate in pottery, drawing and painting, jewellery design and lots of other craft courses.
Home to over 200 birds and animals, your children can definitely learn a thing or two at Herrings Green Activity Farm & Bird of Prey Centre. You can watch bird shows, feed the farm animals and even have a family goat walk. If your child is an animal fanatic, they could also be a Junior Animal Keeper for a day!
Enjoying the outdoors
For a day at home in the garden, why not try a bug hunt or some bird spotting? Encourage your child’s curiosity and prompt them to ask and answer questions. How many spots does the ladybird have? What sound does a swift make? What do ants eat?
Get creative in the garden and make a fairy or dinosaur garden. Use sticks and stones you can find outside and some recyclable materials, such as yoghurt pots and kitchen roll tubes, to put your masterpiece together! Help your child’s imagination come to life.
Keep active in the local park by creating your own family sports day or obstacle course. Make sure you keep score so you know who wins the medal at the end of the day!
Bedford Park and Russell Park are both great places to walk or cycle to for a picnic with your friends and family. Open spaces such as these also encourage children to use their imagination and come up with new games to play and activities to enjoy together.
Rainy day activities
One of my favourite things to do on a rainy day is to read a book. Books stimulate all sorts of creativity so you could read one together or even make up your own and act it out with toys or puppets.
I know you all miss Jake over the holidays, so why not write a letter or postcard to Jake letting him know what you have been up to while you’ve been away? Make sure you bring it in for him to read in September.
Another great – and delicious – activity for a rainy day is baking! You could try cooking up one of Mrs Bhogal’s tasty recipes. We think that her courgette and lemon cupcakes are the perfect summer treat.
We would love to see what you get up to over the summer, so why not share your ideas and pictures into the closed Facebook group? Or if you are happy to have your photos shared, send them to our public Facebook and Twitter pages.
We hope you all enjoy the summer and we look forward to seeing how much fun you are having at home!
It’s safe to say that the 2020/21 school year has not been your average year. Here, Mrs Webster, Headteacher at Pilgrims School, sums up the academic year we have had at Pilgrims and explains how everyone has taken all of the adjustments thrown our way in their stride.
We have endured lots of changes, lots of restrictions and lots of new rules over the last year, both in and out of school, and we have even experienced a period of learning from home. But the way that all of the children and staff have showed such courage and resilience throughout this year has been amazing.
We have offered support to the Pilgrims community and beyond throughout the coronavirus pandemic and worked alongside Making Me Charity to look after our mental health. Pilgrims Parents donated school uniform to pupils from St Nicholas Preparatory School in Ghana and we moved our open days online, to provide an insight into school life with our 360 virtual tour.
St Nicholas Preparatory School pupils in Ghana wearing donated Pilgrims School uniform.
Our resident pooch, Jake, has become a hugely important part of school life and he was so excited to welcome all of the Pilgrims pupils and staff back to school on their return in March.
Back in school we have learnt about dragons, princesses and knights, our family, different jobs, the Arctic and the Antarctic. We have held a sports day, understood the importance of kindness, explored our curiosity, worked out with Woolfy and even built a new preschool!
Jonny Woolf handing out our new Mr A Tennis Award, in memory of Mr Anderson who worked at Pilgrims for years and loved to play football with the children in our Owls/Holiday Club.
Thank you to each and every one of you – pupils, parents and staff included – for all of your hard work and for adapting so well to the changes the last school year has brought. I am so proud of what we as a school community have achieved.
It has certainly been a memorable year for us all at Pilgrims and I can’t wait to welcome you all back for the new school year in September. In the meantime, I hope everyone enjoys the summer holidays!
Kindergarten pupils on the hunt for bugs.
At Pilgrims we help to ensure that children participate in regular exercise, with the aim of making sure that our children continue their love of physical activity into the next stage of their school journey and then into adult life. Here, our enthusiastic Specialist Tennis and PE Coach, Mr Woolf from ‘Woolfy Tennis’ explains why taking part in exercise and physical activity is so beneficial to the children.
The children at Pilgrims are all at crucial stages of their growth, so it is important that they lead healthy lifestyles. The more physical activity a child participates in when they are young, the more likely they will continue as they get older.
Exercise not only helps children to look after their physical health and fitness, but it also benefits mental health. Physical activity reduces anxiety, helps children to pay better attention at school and promotes good sleep, which is critical for brain development. So, all in all, exercise helps children to get the most out of school!
Therefore, sport is a very important part of school life for the children at Pilgrims. We want all of the children to enjoy sports and so we teach them healthy competition, but also that having fun is not all about winning, it’s about taking part.
Some children naturally enjoy taking part in sports activities, while others may need some encouragement to participate in physical activity. At Pilgrims the staff know how important it is to find something that the children enjoy in order to encourage movement.
One idea for you to do at home is to take regular trips to the park or open spaces and play catch or tag with them. We also encourage the children to walk, cycle or scoot to school wherever possible.
Parents and caregivers can also be a role model for the children by taking part in physical activity themselves – active parents tend to raise active children! For some inspiration of exercise to do at home with the whole family, head to the ‘Pilgrims at Home’ page on our website and join in with the ‘Workout with Woolfy’ video!
As school has reopened and pupils have settled back into the classroom again, Mrs Webster, Headteacher at Pilgrims School, explains how Pilgrims adapted to deliver a full and rich curriculum while pupils were learning from home and how the school has ensured that children were provided with a happy and welcoming environment on their return.
After learning from home for the second time in the space of a year, we have made it a priority to ensure that everyone settled back in comfortably and enjoyed being back in their school environment.
The children have transitioned between learning from home and learning in the classroom in such a positive manner. And, of course, they have been so excited to meet up with friends again, some of whom they hadn’t seen since Christmas.
Positive minds both inside and outside the classroom
Since welcoming back all our little people, our main focus has been ensuring the children feel happy and safe. We have focused on reducing anxiety and ensuring both children and parents are aware of how the school has adapted and is operating safely.
As a school, we also work closely with the Making Me charity and we will be holding a special Children’s Mental Health Week early in the summer term. The week will provide the children with lots of opportunities to express their feelings – whether through stories, pictures or games – telling us what they can do, what they like to do most and also what they would like to learn to do next. Something for grow-ups to think about too!
One of our school values is ‘curiosity’ and outdoor learning is a valuable tool for the children at Pilgrims, especially as the weather improves.
As part of their summer term topic, ‘Stick Together’, our Year 1 children will be spending their entire first day back at school on the field! They will discover what creatures live in our pond, learn to identify the plants and trees around them, take part in team-building games , create dens using whatever they can find in the woods and lots more.
Outdoor learning not only enables pupils to be curious, but it also encourages imagination and creativity, which in turn enables the children to flourish.
I hope that the children all have a lovely, well-deserved Easter break and we look forward to seeing them again in the summer term.
If you want to find out more about our school, head to our Open Day page to see how we engage and inspire each child to unearth their individual interests and talents at Pilgrims.
If you had a time machine where would you go? Into the past or straight to the future? To mark ‘Pretend to be a Time Traveller Day’, our Headteacher Mrs Webster looks at the power of the imagination.
One of our core values at Pilgrims is curiosity, so on this Pretend to be a Time Traveller Day, we would like to encourage the children to wonder about what life might be like living in a different time or place.
Learning about history is important for children because it enables them to develop better understanding of the world in which we live. Building knowledge and understanding of historical events also helps them develop a much greater appreciation for current events today.
This term the Year 1 children ‘travelled back to the medieval times’ for the topic ‘Oh what a knight!’ and there has been much excitement about castles, dragons, princesses and knights.
Why not try one of the following fun activities with your child:
- Train a pet dragon
Imagine you have found a dragon’s egg – you need to build a nest to protect it and wait for it to hatch. Once it has hatched you need to build trust by regularly feeding him from your hand. Next, you can start to train him to fly and breathe fire! Flap your arms, run and jump, then take deep breaths and blow to show your pet dragon how it is done. You have now trained your own pet dragon!
- Build a castle
Find a cardboard box and build your dream model castle. Make sure it has a moat, a drawbridge and ramparts. The moat stops your enemies from entering the castle and the drawbridge allows your friends to come in. Decorate it in true medieval style with knight armour and a throne. Then mark it with a personalised flag and become king of the castle!
- Become a knight
Knights were warriors who had good manners and were always dressed well. As a knight, you own a horse and protect important people. You need a sword and a shield and some heavy metal armour. Make sure you have all of your kit and then go and fight off your enemies and protect your loved ones from danger!
- Become a princess
Princesses were surrounded by beautiful things and wore glamorous dresses. To be a princess use your kindness, manners, courage and intelligence to inspire others. Be graceful, true to yourself and give others the royal treatment. Next, imagine you have been locked in a tower not knowing how to get out. Will a brave knight come and save you, or will you save yourself?
Looking ahead
As well as a trip to the past, we would like to encourage the children to look ahead to the year 2021 and beyond.
In the last year our children have experienced uncertain times and there are still restrictions in place at home and in school that prevent them doing many things they used to take for granted.
So why not time travel into the future and look at what you want to do as soon as you can?
Here are some ideas:
- Visit family and friends in person
Throughout 2020, we have all spent lots of time video calling, voice messaging and contacting our family and friends through online messaging. While we are thankful to have the technology which has enabled us to keep in touch with loved ones throughout the year, nothing can replace the simple joy of human contact. I know I am looking forward to being reunited with my family and friends!
- Celebrate!
Throughout the year there will have been lots of special events and important occasions, such as birthdays, arrival of new family members or personal achievements, that will have been cancelled, postponed or celebrated differently. The children might want to celebrate and mark these occasions once the restrictions are lifted.
- Go on holiday or a short break
Travel both in and outside of the UK has been restricted throughout 2020 and the four walls of our homes have become very familiar. Once these restrictions are lifted, the children might appreciate a change of scenery, whether this is a break in the UK or abroad.
- Go for a day out
It is no secret that children enjoy a day trip, whether that involves heading to the zoo, the cinema, a museum or a soft play centre. While some of these have been open at points during the COVID-19 pandemic, there have also been restrictions in place.
If you need any guidance or support in relation to the coronavirus pandemic, please go to https://www.pilgrims-school.info/school-life/covid-19/. If you have a query that is not covered on the coronavirus webpage, please call or email Jo Webster or Lucy Nightingale. You can also email enquiries@pilgrims-school.org.uk.
Kindness goes a long way. To mark World Kindness Day 2020, our Headteacher, Mrs Webster, discusses why kindness is so important for the children at Pilgrims.
At Pilgrims, being kind and compassionate towards each other is just as important as education, which is why we encourage the children to work together to help and support each other.
We recognise that the early years of education are an important part of life because little people start learning from birth. The values that children learn in this time build the foundations for children to create their own character and ethos that stays with them for life.
As adults and role models, we believe it is our responsibility to inspire kindness in our pupils and to teach them that no act of kindness is ever too small.
This is why kindness is one of our core values at Pilgrims – “We treat everybody in a kind, compassionate, caring and supportive way so that everybody feels happy and safe.”
Kindness Award
We also have a special ‘Kindness Award’ which is given out each term to a child who has demonstrated an act of kindness above and beyond. The award was established and named after one of our teachers, Linda Hewitt, who sadly passed away. The children are aware of how special the award is, so they look after it well before it is ready to be passed on to the next person.
A wonderful example of one of these special acts of kindness was when one of our Year 1 pupils saw that a girl in Reception was anxious about going to our after-school club, Owls, for the very first time. Unprompted, the Year 1 pupil immediately went over and gave the Reception girl a hug, reassuring her that everything would be OK and that she was there for her if she needed anything whilst she was in Owls. How wonderful it was to watch as the nervous girl started to smile and happily walked into Owls.
And with the current coronavirus pandemic filling our thoughts each day, it is important for the children to find lots of different ways to show that they can be kind and consider the feelings of others.
The simple act of saying hello when you walk past people or saying please and thank you in conversation are examples of kindness that will come naturally to children the more they are practiced. We encourage the children at Pilgrims to praise their friends, to tell them something they like about them or invite a new friend to join in with their game.
Outside of school, children can chalk a picture outside their house for people to walk past or paint some pebbles and leave them around the area. This will brighten people’s day as they walk past or find the pebbles.
We don’t know what battles other people are facing privately, so acts of kindness, no matter how small, can have a significant impact on someone’s day and a positive effect on mental health.
Even in the middle of a pandemic, there are still ways for the children to be kind to each other and kindness is contagious. So, this World Kindness Day, encourage your children to be kind with their hands, feet and voices and to carry out at least one act of random kindness.
If you need any guidance or support in relation to the coronavirus pandemic, please visit our COVID-19 page.
If you have a query that is not covered on the coronavirus webpage, please call or email Jo Webster or Lucy Nightingale. You can also email enquiries@pilgrims-school.org.uk.
It’s the beginning of a brand-new academic year here at Pilgrims. From discovering dragon eggs on the field to finding out about the different jobs people do, Pilgrims’ headteacher Mrs Webster explains what fun things the children will be getting up to over the coming months.
After months of home-learning and not being able to see our friends, it’s great that we’re all allowed back in school to start the new academic year together. Although we are still social distancing and making sure we keep the classrooms clean and wash our hands regularly, we’re really enjoying being back at school and we have lots of exciting things to learn over the coming weeks.
Reception
Reception have started the year by talking about ‘me and my world’. Children are working together and learning all about sharing and taking turns, which is particularly important after being at home for so long during lockdown.
Learning about numbers, writing simple sentences and understanding daily routines are also some of the skills pupils will be developing this term.
We are very excited to be finding out about our family, jobs and reading books about seasons and Christmas, while watching Autumn Watch on BBC to learn more about nature and wildlife.
The teachers have also arranged ‘visits’ from some other parents and members of the local community to take place via Zoom, so the children can ask questions about their jobs!
Year 1
Meanwhile, in Year 1, the theme this term is ‘Oh what a knight!’ which means building drawbridges, investigating dragons and writing to a princess all form part of the school day.
We’re excited to find out about castles, dragons and knights and use our imagination to become a good knight and help rescue the princess (or help the princess rescue herself!).
Perhaps you could spend some time over half term visiting a real-life castle or building a model castle to keep the princess safe? There are also lots of interesting books to read including the Secret World of Castles and the Princess and the Pea!
Year 2
In their final year at Pilgrims, the children will be learning about the Arctic and the Antarctic as part of their ‘Pole to Pole’ topic; which animals live there? do polar bears live next to penguins? do humans live there? what do their houses look like? The children have already created their very own ‘Inukshuks’ – a cultural Inuit art tradition from the Arctic. The children made them using clay and, outside, using real stones.
Getting used to being back at school
We understand that some children may be finding returning to school particularly scary. This is why we’re making sure we make their experience is as normal as possible, so they don’t become overwhelmed or uncomfortable.
Beyond the classroom the children will return to their swimming, games and PE sessions and also enjoy some lessons outside in our purpose-built, outdoor classroom.
Staff will continue to remind children about the importance of keeping classrooms and equipment clean and practicing personal hygiene, so we keep ourselves, our friends and our families safe.
A copy of our coronavirus risk assessment can be found here: https://www.pilgrims-school.info/school-life/covid-19/