Yeadon Westfield Infant SchoolOur blogs
Date: 28th Apr 2026 @ 3:07pm
Last week, we were delighted to welcome a volunteer from BrightBites, who delivered a lively and interactive session all about keeping our teeth healthy. The children learned about proper toothbrushing techniques, the names and functions of different teeth, how sugar affects dental health, and why regular check‑ups with a dentist matter.
Every child left with a fun activity sheet, along with their own toothbrush and toothpaste to help them put their new knowledge into practice at home.
Great Athlete Visit - Jenny Wallwork
Date: 28th Apr 2026 @ 1:24pm
Keystage 1 Visit to Skipton Castle
Date: 28th Apr 2026 @ 10:03am
Our KS1 pupils had a fantastic time on their educational visit to Skipton Castle! The children explored the historic grounds, learned about life in medieval times, and discovered how castles were used to defend against invaders. They were especially excited to see the old kitchens and climb the winding staircases. The visit brought their history learning to life and sparked lots of curiosity and great questions. Thank you to all the staff and volunteers!
Date: 2nd Apr 2026 @ 12:46pm
What a busy, happy and hardworking Spring term it has been in Year 2! The children have shown such enthusiasm, resilience and pride in everything they have done, and we are incredibly proud of the progress they are making.
English
This term, the children have worked really hard on their writing skills. We began by exploring the lovely book The Dog That Dug. Inspired by the story, the children used their fantastic imaginations to pretend they were a dog writing a letter, inviting their friends to a party. Their ideas were brilliant and full of personality!
We then spent two weeks creating a non-chronological report all about dragonflies. The children absolutely loved learning dragonfly facts — they really have become our new favourite insect!
Ask your child to share some facts with you — they will definitely wow you! For example:
• Dragonfly nymphs can live underwater for several years before becoming adults.
• They breathe using gills inside their bodies — in their bottoms!
Maths
In maths, we have focused on addition and subtraction strategies, building confidence in using different written and mental methods. Please take a look at the tutorial video on the school website, where I explain the strategies we are using in class.
We have also been working on multiplication and division, especially the 2, 3, 5 and 10 times tables. Any opportunities to practise these at home will really help your child feel confident as they prepare for the transition to junior school.
Design & Technology
DT has been a real highlight this term! The children designed and made a working drawbridge from a cereal box using a pulley system. They worked incredibly hard and were so proud of their finished castles.
History & Geography
Our learning has linked closely to our visit to Skipton Castle. In history, we learned about King Charles I and how the castle was defended during a siege. We also compared him with our current monarch, King Charles III.
Science
In science, we have been learning about plants. The children successfully grew their own cress and can confidently explain what plants need to survive.
PSHE
Our PSHE lessons have included thoughtful discussions about families, who we want to be, gender equality, our brilliant bodies, and life cycles.
PE
In PE, we have loved developing our running, throwing and catching skills alongside a fun hit–catch–run unit. Practising underarm and overarm throws over the holidays would be fantastic (hopefully outside in the sun!).
Looking Ahead
Next half term, we will begin an exciting new topic all about seas and oceans, full of practical, hands-on learning.
Year 2 will also complete their end-of-infant-school assessments (SATs) in maths and reading. The children know these as “special work.” They take place in small groups in a calm and relaxed way over three weeks. There is no need to mention this at home — the children simply see it as another enjoyable part of learning.
Thank You
A huge thank you for attending parent consultations. It is always a privilege to celebrate your child’s successes and share the wonderful progress they are making.
We are so proud of every single child and are looking forward to a wonderful final term together.
Happy holidays!
From Mrs Sharp and the Year 2 Team x
Date: 2nd Apr 2026 @ 12:44pm
That’s it another term done and dusted! After the Easter holiday we are on the last part of our Year 1 journey.
The children have absolutely loved learning about castles and we are all looking forward to our visit to Skipton Castle. We will then be leaving castles behind us and moving on to Oceans and Seas.
The children have learnt all about their bodies and differences between males and females in PSHE. In science we have done investigations in our annual Science Week and found out about how to grow plants. In D/T the children made a castle with a working drawbridge. Hopefully, they could tell you all about it! The children have taken part in dance this half term with Nicola and they loved it! They performed their finished dance to some other classes.
We are thrilled with the continued progress the children are making in maths, reading and writing. Please keep finding time at home to read with your child as it really makes a difference. We still have a lot of outstanding reading and library books so please take some time over the holidays to have a good look and return any you find. Please keep helping your child with their phonics and spellings as next term they will be completing the National Phonics Assessment for Year 1.
It has been another busy few weeks and we now just have one more term left! Thank you for your continued support. See you for the Summer term.
Mrs Whitehead and the Year 1 Team
Date: 2nd Apr 2026 @ 12:43pm
And that was the Spring Term! After a cold start in January, we are ending with plenty of sunshine.
During this half term the children have loved exploring fairy tales. These classic and much-loved tales have enabled the children to listen to stories with enjoyment, join in with familiar language, flourish as story tellers and develop even more their skills as writers.
Each week the children in Reception focused on a different fairy tale.
Week 1: The Gingerbread Man
Making the clay gingerbread men was enjoyed by all the children in the class. All were truly unique! The children quickly joined in with the story language and adapted the story when playing independently.
Week 2: The Three Little Pigs
The children had a go at making houses out of various materials and engaged in lots of other provision. We listened to various versions of the story.
Week 3: Red Riding Hood
This week the children had the opportunity to make some delicious lemon cheesecakes. The children could decide if they would give their dessert to an adult, just like Little Red Riding Hood did, or if they would eat them themselves!
This week was also science week. The children had a jam-packed week. with lots of science in provision for the children to access.
Week 4: Jack and the Beanstalk
The children had a fantastic week learning about Jack and the Beanstalk. They really enjoyed exploring the story and showed great enthusiasm during activities. It was wonderful to see their creativity and confidence grow as they retold the tale and took part in related learning.
Week 5: Goldilocks
What has happened to Goldilocks? This was the question on everyone's lips. During the final week of our fairy tale topic the children had a go at solving a crime! Knowing that Goldilocks and the Three Bears had been in our classroom sparked some wonderful imaginative play and lots of independent reading and writing. Well, done, Reception.
Week 6:
We have enjoyed learning about Easter and joining in with Easter crafts and activities within our provision. We took part in the Big Sing for parents and went to Church for our annual Easter Service.
The children are all making good progress and as each half term finishes, we become even more proud of them. All your support at home is greatly appreciated.
All children have thoroughly enjoyed this half term and we look forward to another hugely successful half term after the holidays.
Enjoy your break!
Team Reception xxx
Date: 2nd Apr 2026 @ 12:41pm
It feels like we’ve experienced all the seasons this half term although the children continue to play outside in all weathers.
We have continued our focus on Nursery Rhymes this half term and the children have really enjoyed singing and acting them out over the past few weeks.
We've learnt ‘5 Currant Buns’ where we had a shop and a very busy playdough bakery. In week 2 we learnt ‘The Wheels on the Bus’ where we had a bus station and an actual bus. We learnt ‘London Bridge is Falling Down’ where there were many towers and bridges built and knocked down. We’ve also learnt Hickory Dickory Dock and 5 Little Eggs. The children’s singing is fantastic and I think we can safely say we all know lots of Nursery Rhymes off by heart now.
In phonics we have been continuing to focus on our listening skills and the children are brilliant at counting the syllables in words. We have also been learning to listen for rhyme at the end of words and have loved playing our rhyming bingo games. We have now learnt all our initial sounds. We have also been working really hard at blending words orally. If we can do this by the end of Nursery we will be ready for Reception!
In maths we have been continuing our work on amounts, counting skills and reading numbers. The children are fantastic at reading and finding numbers all over the classroom now. We have also been working hard at counting out objects, only touching one at a time and lining them up neatly. Our favourite phase at the moment is, ”Messy mathematicians make mistakes!”
During science week the children had the opportunity to have a go at their own experiments. We looked at chemical reactions by mixing milk, washing up liquid and food colouring to make dancing milk. We investigated forces by testing which toys and resources are magnetic. We discussed floating and sinking and tested our theories with objects from around the classroom. We also asked, “Are egg shells strong?” We were amazed at how many books we could pile on top of egg shells….24!!
As the weather has got better we have seen lots more play and exploration outside again. The mud kitchen has been open for business and we have had cakes, mud paint and soups galore being served up all day.
Finally, we were so proud of our Nursery children taking place in their first whole school performance in the Spring Sing. Children you were amazing!
We all hope you have a wonderful Easter break and we'll see you next term.
Date: 2nd Apr 2026 @ 12:40pm
The sun is finally shining (most of the time) as we approach the Easter break. It has been another busy half term with lots of learning and fun! The children have visited the library, had an Easter bonnet parade, Year 1 have had dance with Nicola and they have all really engaged in learning. This week you received information regarding the proposed amalgamation. Please take time to read it and see me if you have any further queries. I wish you all a lovely Easter break and we will see you all on Monday 20th April at 8.40am.
Class Visits to Yeadon Library
Date: 31st Mar 2026 @ 11:13am
Last week, all classes enjoyed a visit to Yeadon Library. The librarian explained how children can join the library and how many books they are able to borrow. She then shared a story with the group before the children explored the library in pairs, choosing a book to enjoy together.
Date: 18th Mar 2026 @ 4:29pm
Well done to the children who took part in the Multiskills Festival at Horsforth School on Tuesday!
Date: 13th Mar 2026 @ 4:31pm
We have looked at chemical reactions by making milk dance!
We have investigated forces testing what toys and resources are magnetic.
We tested the theory “Are egg shells strong?” We placed 4 egg shells in a square and predicted how many books we could place on top before they smashed. Our highest guess was 10 but we managed to pile 24 books on top before the smashed eggs collapsed.
We talked about floating and sinking and tested our theories on different resources from around the classroom.
Date: 10th Mar 2026 @ 11:43am
As part of Science Week, the children in Key stage 1 carried out an exciting science experiment to discover what happens to Skittles when hot water is poured over them. They made predictions beforehand and carefully recorded their observations and results.
British Library Storyteller Visit
Date: 10th Mar 2026 @ 11:42am
This week, a storyteller from the British Library visited our school to work with the children in years 1 and 2. Together, they retold the story of The Three Little Pigs, acting it out using props, sounds, and expressive actions. The children then had the opportunity to create their own imaginative story inspired by the session.
World Book Day Vocabulary Parade
Date: 6th Mar 2026 @ 10:37am
Date: 13th Feb 2026 @ 2:30pm
Where has the time gone? The children settled back into the rhythm of school brilliantly after their Christmas break, and it has been a joy to see how quickly they re-engaged with learning.
Our topic this term has been Castles, and the children have been thoroughly captivated from the very start. Our areas of provision have allowed the children to explore what castles look like, what life was like inside them, and even how castles were attacked and defended!
Literacy
In English, we explored The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig, where the children reimagined the traditional tale of The Three Little Pigs. This time, the story focused on the three little wolves and the Big Bad Pig. The children created their own alternative endings, deciding what happened to the Big Bad Pig, and their ideas were imaginative, humorous, and a real joy to read.
The children also spent time exploring The Tunnel. They rewrote the story in the first person, imagining themselves as the hero. Their writing showed excellent use of descriptive language, particularly through expanded noun phrases, and they carefully sequenced events using time adverbials. Miss Dales and Mrs Sharp have been blown away by the quality of the children’s writing. We are continuing to work on punctuation, neat handwriting, and spelling, particularly Common Exception Words.
Topic (Science, History, Geography & Art)
Our learning across the wider curriculum has been closely linked to our castles theme. In geography, the children have been using maps and locating Skipton Castle. In history, we learned how castles were attacked and defended, as well as how toilets have changed over time. The children were very relieved to discover that we no longer use moss and a stick after going to the toilet!
In science, lessons have been very practical as we explored the properties of materials and discussed which materials would be best for building a castle. We concluded our work on martials by conducting an experiment to see which material would work best to keep a teddy bear’s feet dry!
In art, the children have been designing and creating a personal Coat of Arms that represents them. Over five weeks, they developed their drawing and painting skills, explored texture, and produced some fantastic final pieces that they were very proud of.
Maths
We have been extremely busy in maths this half term. The children have covered place value, addition, subtraction, fractions (½ and ¼), and measuring. Learning has been very hands-on, with lots of practical resources used to support understanding. We will continue to consolidate these skills next half term. Addition and subtraction can be particularly tricky concepts to master, so any extra practice at home would be greatly appreciated.
PE
In PE, our focus has been on skipping, and the progress the children have made has been outstanding. All adults in school have commented on how skilled and confident the children have become this year.
The children were also visited by the Super Skipper Festival for an additional skipping workshop. Jodie worked with the children on a range of skills, including the side straddle, single bounce, and side swing, among others. She commented on how fabulous the children were, praising their politeness, engagement, and how capable they were throughout the session. During our outdoor PE sessions, the children have been working in pairs and larger groups to attack and defend targets.
Reading
The children in Year 2 take part in whole-class reading sessions almost daily. These sessions help to develop confidence, pace, fluency, comprehension, and reading with expression. Please continue to read at home with your child at least three times a week.
Reading books should be returned on Monday mornings and will be changed and sent home again on Monday afternoons. Our library day is Tuesday.
Thank you again for your continued support this half term. It has been a busy and exciting one. If you have any questions, please speak to a member of the Year 2 team and we will be happy to help.
Many thanks,
Mrs Sharp
Date: 13th Feb 2026 @ 2:25pm
Well we’ve done it, another half term completed. The children have once again worked hard and have been so engaged with their learning. They are loving the topic on Castles especially making their own Coat of Arms in our art lessons. They know all about why and where castles were built, who lived in them and how they were attacked and defended. Hopefully, they can also tell you the names of all the different parts of a castle. Try asking them what arrow loops are! The children are now well prepared for when we visit Skipton Castle in the Summer Term. I’m sure you will enjoy looking at all their work during the shared learning visits.
The children have learnt about keeping safe around medicines, when to take them and who can give them. In Science they have learnt about different materials and have investigated material properties. They really enjoyed the investigation to find a suitable material to make some waterproof boots for a teddy! They love being scientists. In RE they have learnt about making good choices and they have had some interesting discussions! The weather hasn’t allowed for as much time in our outside provision but the children have still been physically active with extra time in the hall accessing different games areas. We have also had time to bake Medieval bread and learn about Chinese New Year. The children have also been thinking about how to keep them selves safe on the internet. This is so important so please take some time to talk to your child about this.
We are so proud of the progress the children are making in maths, reading and writing. Please find time at home to read with your child as it really makes a difference and remember to send the reading books back in every Wednesday! Library books are changed on a Tuesday.
It has been another busy half term and we are now half way through the year! Thank you for your continued support. See you next term and hopefully we will see some sunshine!
Mrs Whitehead and the Year 1 Team
Date: 13th Feb 2026 @ 2:24pm
Wow, where has time gone? Another half term done and dusted! We now have Miss Holmes and Mrs Shaw in Reception and the children have adapted to this change so well. They’ve had another amazing half term of learning through play, exploring new resources and becoming an integrated part of the school.
We have spent a week thinking about E-safety and the importance of asking a grown up for help if we are unsure about anything when using tablets, computers or other devices. The children have listened to some lovely stories that cover the importance of staying safe online.
In phonics and literacy, the children have been focusing on recognising digraphs and have been working hard on their letter formation when writing words and sentences. They all continue to try so hard and it is a joy to watch them grow in confidence each and every day.
The children are challenging themselves when reading in school and hopefully are enjoying sharing their reading books at home. Thank you for your continued support with this. We are asking that you try to hear your child read at least three times a week and leave a comment in the yellow reading record. Please return your child’s reading book to school by Wednesday and we will send a new one out every Friday.
The children have continued to work hard in maths. This half term we have covered adding, subtracting and sharing with numbers to 10. We are encouraging the children to count objects reliably up to ten and developing the skills of counting objects to 20 (and beyond). We are now working on the numbers 11-20. We are really proud of how the children engage during our carpet sessions and then independently access their own learning through our provision.
Tapestry is working well. Thank you for sending in photos and videos of your children at home, keep sending them in. We love seeing what they get up to and we think it is equally important for you to see how happy and busy they are in school! Please remember to 'like' any of our Tapestry posts so we can see who we are reaching.
Next half term we will be thinking about Fairy Tales and story language. The children will be working in groups to retell the stories. If you have any fairy tales at home, please share them with your children over the holidays.
Enjoy your break and we look forward to another exciting term in Reception.
Team Reception
xxxx
Date: 13th Feb 2026 @ 2:22pm
This term we have welcomed Mrs Lofthouse and also some new children and we have been so proud with how they have settled, begun to make friends and been welcomed by our old children into our Nursery team.
Our focus this half term has been Nursery Rhymes and the children have loved singing (with real gusto!) and acting them out over the past few weeks. We've enjoyed Humpty Dumpty, Incy Wincy Spider, Old McDonald had a farm and Once I caught a fish alive. Our favourite so far though has been Miss Polly had a Dolly. This week we have turned our home corner into a doctor's surgery and we have witnessed a very organised doctor’s office with children taking lots of messages and writing notes and also many successful treatments and operations!
In phonics we have been continuing to fine tune our listening skills, orally blend words and learning to clap the syllables in words. We have been practising speaking in sentences and making sure we pause between the words and say them clearly. We have also begun learning our sounds and the children have impressed us so much by remembering them and saying them correctly!! So far, we have learnt, s,a,t,p,i,n,m,d,g,o.c and k
In maths we have been working on our counting skills. The children are getting brilliant at remembering to touch an object first and then say its name. a vital skill to have when counting accurately in Reception. We have also been continuing our work on amounts and have been investigating for example capacity, talking about “too much, too little and just right”.
In provision, we have tested our observational skills bird watching, spotting different birds in our outdoor environment. Inside we have also focused on our fine motor skills, practising using scissors correctly and developing our pincer grip using tweezers to sort pom poms and free spiders from a web.
With all this rain we have been taking advantage of developing our gross motor skills in the sensory room. We’ve had a great time rolling, climbing and balancing.
We all hope you have a wonderful break and we'll see you next term.
Date: 13th Feb 2026 @ 1:01pm
We come to the end of a very, very rainy half term! It has definitely not dampened the spirits of the children. The learning and enjoyment has continued non stop! I love this term as it is when children really start to fly as they feel confident and ready for a challenge – even more than usual!
STARS Before and After School Club
Date: 28th Jan 2026 @ 8:44am
Date: 28th Jan 2026 @ 8:31am
This week, the Year 2 children took part in a skipping workshop, developing new skills and having great fun along the way.
Date: 15th Jan 2026 @ 1:46pm
In computing, KS1 have been learning about algorithms and debugging. They played on Google Quick Draw which uses AI based on a machine-learning algorithm trained on millions of past drawings! We had lots of fun.
Date: 13th Jan 2026 @ 11:50am
Welcome back to all our staff and children
Date: 13th Jan 2026 @ 11:44am
The children have settled well into the new term and it is lovely to hear about all the things they have been doing over the Christmas break.
Date: 19th Dec 2025 @ 12:20pm
