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Tiny Teachers – Learning Together!
Have you ever wondered what the benefits of mixed-age learning are?
Our Year 1 and 2 pupils have been exploring maths in a unique way through their Tiny Teacher roles — building leadership, oracy, and confidence as they guide and support one another.
Working collaboratively in mixed-age groups allows children to learn with and from each other:
Younger pupils gain inspiration and new strategies from their older peers.
Older pupils strengthen their understanding by explaining and modelling their thinking.
It’s wonderful to see how this approach nurtures teamwork, communication, and problem-solving, while making maths engaging and meaningful for everyone!
Care and Compassion
It has been wonderful to see how quickly our new children are settling into life at Tealby School. They are already beginning to find their way around, get to know routines, and build new friendships.
A special mention must go to our older children in year 3-6, who have been fantastic role models. They have shown great kindness and patience, helping the younger ones learn about school life and supporting them with everything from finding their classrooms to joining in with games at playtime.
It really is lovely to see the whole school community working together, with our new starters growing in confidence each day and our older pupils demonstrating such care and responsibility. Moments like these truly reflect the nurturing and supportive ethos of Tealby School.
Making the Most of the Sunshine
We’ve been enjoying the wonderful weather this week, and it’s been fantastic to see our Year 6 Playground Leaders truly shine.
They have been simply inspirational —organising games and supporting our younger children during playtimes entirely independently, without any adult direction at all.
Their leadership, kindness, and initiative have made a real difference on the playground, and we’re incredibly proud of the positive example they’re setting for the rest of the school.
Our School Values
We are incredibly proud of our pupils who have been demonstrating Tealby School's values through creativity, leadership, and kindness.The older children in Years 3/4 continue to write and perform poems that truly capture the spirit of our school community – Margaux’s CEDRIC poem is definitely one to add to the Tealby Poems Anthology.Their thoughtful and inspiring work doesn’t just impress – it sparks something wonderful. Younger pupils follow in their footsteps, eagerly writing their own poems and even performing them with growing confidence and pride.It’s been heart-warming to see how the older children’s example has created a ripple effect, encouraging everyone to find their voice and share it.
A brilliant example of how our values of respect, courage, and inspiration are being brought to life every day at Tealby School.
First visit to the outdoor classroom
Class 1’s first time in our outdoor classroom was a success! We investigated 3D shapes including which shapes roll, stack and slide before going on a nature scavenger hunt.
Class 1 were very excited to be learning outside!
Outdoor learning
Seasonal senses
This week we went back to where we started and got the blindfolds out again.
There were two tables prepared with three each of things to taste, smell and touch. With the sense of sight being removed, the children had to listen to their unblindfolded partner, who guided them to what they were experiencing.
Lots of chatter and fun, the children made some good guesses of what they were feeling, smelling and tasting. Some things confused them, they were unsure of what Thyme was, a few guessed correctly. The Rosemary fronds were thought to be evergreen leaves until I suggested squeezing and smelling them. The cranberries, plum jam, blackberries and pear were enjoyed, the ground cinnamon not so much! A lot of children really liked the smell of the burnt wood and the raspberries.
Lots of children tried foods that they said they wouldn’t have tried usually, and they liked it!
A lot of fun on a wild windy Wednesday.
Forest school Y5
Our last week together in the woods, today we used saws and knives to create mushrooms. We have observed lots of mushrooms in the woods over the last few weeks and so we got to make our own.
The children learnt how to use saws safely and we revisited the knife safety rules. The group had remembered most of the rules and so we got on. The children did really well and were proud of what they had made.
After dinner, we did fire in a short session but once again the children did a really good job.
Matthew and Maria commented on what a great group they have been over this four weeks and we can’t argue with that!
Outdoor learning
Wednesday of Week 6 was a very wet day, so outdoor learning turned into indoor learning. We learnt how to turn newspaper or packaging paper into plant pots using folding only. After a bit of confusion(caused mainly when Mrs Nicholls missed an entire step and had to retrace the steps), we all made some really great pots. They were planted up with either conkers or wildflowers. Hopefully we will get some trees and wildflowers to enhance our home space.
Outdoor learning
Bug hotels
We spent some time discussing which insects, arachnids and other invertebrates hibernate and which do not. The children had some prior knowledge of this but were surprised at some of what we discovered too.
We made tin can bug hotels using what we could find on the field. Some children used hammer and nails to make ventilation holes in the end, some didn’t. Some chose to leave theirs on the field and some went home with them.
Forest school with Y5
Flint work with our Y5s today and we started with using flint to butcher a Roe deer. The children stepped up to the mark and took a lot of time and effort to do a really good job. Matthew was pleased with the result and how much meat they got off. A very sensible approach to this task made us very proud. We sampled a bit of the meat which was cooked on the lid of the Dutch oven.
After dinner, the complex task of flint napping. We are making flint knives and today the children began to make the blades from flint. This needs patience and careful handling and once again this super group achieved what they set out to do. They even tidied their own things away without being asked! Well done.
Outdoor learning
Returned with thanks this borrowed earth…
Rain stopped play outside this afternoon. We made plaques to decorate our outdoor areas, using clay and a nice variety of collected items like grass heads, acorns, seed heads, pine cones etc. The children shaped the clay and either made indentations or placed items into the clay.
Once dry we will hang them outside, eventually they will break up and be left to disperse back into the ground.
Outdoor learning
Know a tree…
The blindfolds were out again this week ready to explore the feel of a tree or plant.
This time, the blindfolded person took the arm of their partner and was led to a tree, plant or bush to see how it felt to touch. They had to investigate whether the leaves were smooth and shiny, the bark rough or smooth etc. They were then supposed to be led back a different way and sent to find it once in blindfolded although that part got lost in translation. The children rose to the challenge and lots of fun was had. We then found out how to age a tree using handspans-and we tested this theory on one of the big stumps in the roundhouse. Lastly, we learnt how to estimate how high a tree is by walking away and looking through our legs!
Outdoor learning
Trust…
This week we are getting to know our new classmates and that involved an exercise in trust.
The children got into pairs, one had to wear a blindfold and their partner had to take them(without touching them) to a tree, plant or bush.
The idea was that the talker would use directional language to direct their friend away or around any hazards. The language used was amazing, and apart from a nettle sting, everyone was very successful. It was also great to hear language indicating other senses were heightened when sight was removed, eg
” I can small nettles, we must be at the back.”
”This is a big tree, am I in the corner?”
Everyone got to have a turn and there was some fantastic teamwork on show. Well done everyone.
