With 20+ years of teaching experience across Europe, I bring extensive expertise as a Reception Teacher and Forest School Practitioner. Passionate about play-based learning and the outdoors, I've developed a dynamic environment that fosters children's exploration and connection with nature. Here you'll find some of my outstanding resources to support your own teaching and learning!
With 20+ years of teaching experience across Europe, I bring extensive expertise as a Reception Teacher and Forest School Practitioner. Passionate about play-based learning and the outdoors, I've developed a dynamic environment that fosters children's exploration and connection with nature. Here you'll find some of my outstanding resources to support your own teaching and learning!
Everything you need to create your own bug hotel!
This lesson plan clearly presents how to easily build your own bug hotel while teaching children the importance of garden wildlife.
The Bug Hotel lesson plan remains within the Forest School ethos and focuses on the social and emotional aspects of learning.
The Bug Hotel lesson plan can be adapted to suit a Maths, Science or Forest School lesson.
The Bug Hotel lesson plan is recommended for children in Nursery, Reception and Key Stage 1.
A sheet to record your assessment of the children in numeracy. Print this sheet twice (there are enough rows for 15 names) and use it for on-entry, term 2 and term 3 assessment. Simply fill in beside each child's name their results for numeral recognition, ability to count objects, count irregular objects and so forth. Each term's entry is on the same page to allow for progression to be seen easily.
6 Lesson Plans/Activities including Art with Natural Resources, Bug Hunt, Building a Bug Hotel, An Introduction to Fire, Cooking on an Open Fire, and Small World Story Making with Faries (Fairy World). Also included is a Risk Assessment for having a fire and an Introduction to Forest School.
This is an ideal introduction to get you on your way to confidently leading a group of children outside.
The activities are designed for children from Reception up to Year 2 but they can easily be adapted for Nursery and older year groups.
Please be aware, these are designed for teachers and are there to be interpreted. True Forest School does not follow lesson plans. These resources are designed to give ideas and act as a back up for the practitioner to deliver a catalyst and prompts for learning whilst being prepared to follow the children in their learning journey! Forest School should be led by the children.
A 4-page leaflet comprising a bank of activities for teachers, support staff, childminders and parents to engage with their child to help their learning. The activities all involve using playdough to help the child develop in the key areas of learning such as Speaking & Listening, Mathematics, Personal, Social and Emotional Development etc. The leaflet is extremely useful for parents of children in EYFS and Year 1. The leaflet also serves to assist planning in the classroom and can be particularly useful for teaching assistants when leading intervention groups.
This complete intervention pack includes activities for finger gym, numeracy, and writing. It is designed for support staff (LSAs and TAs) to grab and deliver targeted support without the stress of them having to plan it. It is also great for NQTs or new to Early Years teachers! This complete pack is organized in such a way to allow the person delivering the interventions to list the children involved and annotate notes to support further development including the children’s next steps.
These activities are designed for children in Nursery, Reception and Year 1.
This complete intervention pack includes over 40 NEW activities for finger gym, numeracy, and writing ready-planned to boost learning. It is designed for support staff (LSAs and TAs) to grab and deliver targeted support without the stress of them having to plan it. It is also great for NQTs or new to Early Years teachers! This complete pack is organized in such a way to allow the person delivering the interventions to list the children involved and annotate notes to support further development including the children’s next steps.
These activities are designed for children in Nursery, Reception and Year 1.
5 simple playdough mats numbered 1-5. Designed for Nursery and Reception (EYFS). These mats are themes with apple trees and require the child to place X number of apples (playdough) on the tree. Each mat is designed to show the required number of apples in the pictorial form as well as displaying the numeral.
Using these mats with playdough is an excellent method of teaching children about number and quantity through moving from concrete to visual and finally to numerical representation.
A set of Ten-Frames including numerals to 10 to use in maths interventions. Suggested activities are included to work with children in the Reception class (EYFS).
These Ten-Frames and numerals should be printed and laminated and can be used with counters or playdough.
Ten-Frames are a fantastic way for children to understad the concept of number and quantity using concrete objects linked with numerical representation.
Back to School! This resources will suggest ideas for resources in curriculum areas around your classroom. With a focus on continuous provision, this resources will tell you what should be available for the children in areas such as the reading area, creative area, sensory area etc. Aimed especially to support NQTs and new to reception teachers, this resource will save you heaps of time planning what resources are needed where.
FREE: An on-entry assessment for numeracy
FREE: An ‘All About Me’ booklet to send home to your parents for the children to complete and return.
Back to School!
A complete lesson plan and activity for baking Pumpkin Pancakes!
This is suitable for Nursery, Reception and Year 1 children.
The lesson plan first guides you with teaching a carpet session on baking, discussing the ingredients and process with the children.
Areas of Learning/ Learning Objectives are included to show what the children are learning from this plan. However, these are just examples as there are many Learning Objectives which could be applicable. The Areas of Learning are taken from Development Matters.
A complete lesson plan including resources for teaching your Nursery and Reception children about the life cycle of a pumpkin.
The lesson plan guides you with teaching the life cycle of a pumpkin and the PowerPoint aids this. There are also worksheets included which are differentiated into 3 abilities.
Learning Objectives are included to show what the children are learning from this plan. The Areas of Learning are taken from Development Matters.
A complete lesson plan and activity for teaching Reception children about measurement.
The lesson plan guides you with teaching how to estimate and find out by measuring with interlocking cubes (ideal units for young children). It also teaches children positional and mathematical language when, for example, identifying position and comparing in relation to the other (bigger than, the same as, next to)
Areas of Learning/ Learning Objectives are included to show what the children are learning from this plan. The Areas of Learning are taken from Development Matters.
Complete Pumpkin Bundle which includes The Pumpkin Life Cycle Resource Pack, Measuring Pumpkins and Pumpkin Pancakes.
This complete pack includes lesson plans, presentations and resources ready to use for Kindergarten and 1st grade children.
The lessons in this pack can also be purchased seperatly.
Life Cycle:
A complete lesson plan including resources for teaching your pre-schoolers, Kindergarten and Nursery and Reception children about the life cycle of a pumpkin.
The lesson plan guides you with teaching the life cycle of a pumpkin and the PowerPoint aids this. There are also worksheets included which are differentiated into 3 abilities.
Learning Objectives are included to show what the children are learning from this plan. The Areas of Learning are taken from Development Matters, England.
Measuring Pumpkins for Halloween:
A complete lesson plan and activity for teaching your pre-schoolers, Kindergarten and Nursery and Reception children about measurement.
The lesson plan guides you with teaching how to estimate and find out by measuring with interlocking cubes (ideal units for young children). It also teaches children positional and mathematical language when, for example, identifying position and comparing in relation to the other (bigger than, the same as, next to)
Areas of Learning/ Learning Objectives are included to show what the children are learning from this plan. The Areas of Learning are taken from Development Matters, England.
Pumpkin Pancakes:
A complete lesson plan and activity for baking Pumpkin Pancakes!
This is suitable for Kindergarten, First Grade, Nursery, Reception and Year 1children.
The lesson plan first guides you with teaching a carpet session on baking, discussing the ingredients and process with the children.
Areas of Learning/ Learning Objectives are included to show what the children are learning from this plan. However, these are just examples as there are many Learning Objectives which could be applicable. The Areas of Learning are taken from Development Matters, England.
EYFS Assessment pack including:
A long Observation Proforma with key prompts to make observing simple.
A Reading Observation Proforma with key prompts to make observing reading simple.
Numeracy Assessment Grid for recording on-entry baseline and termly progress in Numeracy
Phonics/Literacy Assessment grid for recording on-entry baseline and termly progress in phonics
A shape assessment grid for recording children's knowledge of simple 2d shapes.
Characteristics of Effective Learning: Bank of Statements
Complete your characteristics of effective learning easily with these ready-made statements which have been differentiated for the low, medium and high attaining child. Simply copy and paste the statements which most resemble the child in question and edit accordingly.
These statements will also prompt you with ideas for completing your more 'personal' report.
Outdoor Learning Forest School (Complete set of Activities)
6 Lesson Plans/Activities including Art with Natural Resources, Bug Hunt, Building a Bug Hotel, An Introduction to Fire, Cooking on an Open Fire, and Small World Story Making with Faries (Fairy World). Also included is a Risk Assessment for having a fire and an Introduction to Forest School.
This is an ideal introduction to get you on your way to confidently leading a group of children outside.
The activities are designed for children from Reception up to Year 2 but they can easily be adapted for Nursery and older year groups.
Please be aware, these are designed for teachers and are there to be interpreted. True Forest School does not follow lesson plans. These resources are designed to give ideas and act as a back up for the practitioner to deliver a catalyst and prompts for learning whilst being prepared to follow the children in their learning journey! Forest School should be led by the children.
Intervention Planning for Early Years. Targeted Support for Finger Gym, Numeracy and Writing:
This complete intervention pack includes activities for finger gym, numeracy, and writing. It is designed for support staff (LSAs and TAs) to grab and deliver targeted support without the stress of them having to plan it. It is also great for NQTs or new to Early Years teachers! This complete pack is organized in such a way to allow the person delivering the interventions to list the children involved and anno
Early Years Classroom Design (Setting up your Classroom)
This resources will suggest ideas for resources in curriculum areas around your classroom. With a focus on continuous provision and aimed especially to support NQTs and new to reception teachers, this resource will save you heaps of time planning what resources are needed where.
FREE: An 'All About Me' booklet to send home to your parents for the children to complete and return.
Playdough Leaflet: Ideas for parents
Back to School! This resources tells you what you need for resources in curriculum areas around your classroom. With a focus on Continuous Provision, this resources will tell you what should be available for the children in areas such as the reading area, creative area, sensory area etc. Aimed especially to support NQTs and new to Reception teachers, this resource will save you heaps of time planning what resources are needed and setting -up.
FREE: An on-entry assessment for numeracy
FREE: An on-entry assessment for phonics
FREE: An on-entry assessment for shape
FREE: An ‘All About Me’ booklet for children to complete about themselves and their family.
NOW INCLUDES THE INTERVENTION PACK FOR FREE!!!
This complete intervention pack includes activities for finger gym, numeracy, and writing. It is designed for support staff (LSAs and TAs) to grab and deliver targeted support without the stress of them having to plan it. It is also great for NQTs or new to Early Years teachers! This complete pack is organized in such a way to allow the person delivering the interventions to list the children involved and annotate notes to support further development including the children’s next steps.
These activities are designed for children in Nursery, Reception and Year 1.
Included in this bundle is:
A long Observation Proforma with key prompts to make observing simple.
A Reading Observation Proforma with key prompts to make observing reading simple.
Numeracy Assessment Grid for recording on-entry baseline and termly progress in Numeracy
Phonics/Literacy Assessment grid for recording on-entry baseline and termly progress in phonics
A shape assessment grid for recording children's knowledge of simple 2d shapes.
A sheet to record your assessment of the children in 2d shape recognition. Print this sheet twice (there are enough rows for 15 names) and simply fill in beside each child's name their results for recognition of each shape which is clearly shown.
