The Hive at Whitegate End

In The Hive this afternoon, we explored what it means to be a good friend.

We shared ideas like “plays with me,” “kind,” “trusting,” “cuddles,” “helpful,” and more. We wrote our words on love hearts and tucked them inside our bears before we stuffed them so each best friend is literally filled with the best qualities.

To finish, we designed hoodies so every bear is unique and truly ours. A creative way to talk about belonging, empathy, and the kind of friend we want to be.
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Forest School in the snow 🔥

☃️❄️🌳

At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.

Lest we forget.

“This is Whitegate End. We do things differently here.”

📚 A selection of our beautiful new books for the children in The Hive 😍

The Hive was buzzing today as the children got stuck into some pumpkin carving - and what a brilliant blend of fun and learning it was!

🧠 Why it matters:

• Emotional regulation: The sensory experience of carving helped children stay calm and focused.
• Fine motor skills: Scooping and carving supported coordination and dexterity.
• Creative expression: Each pumpkin was a unique reflection of the child who carved it - silly, spooky, or sweet!

Activities like this help our children build confidence, connect with others, and express themselves in safe, supported ways.

🔥 Story time around the ‘campfire’ in The Hive, this morning 📚

This afternoon at Forest School we collected conkers and had conker battles, using the drill to make holes!

This afternoon we visited Morrisons Chadderton and bought the ingredients for our bagel pizzas, part of our life skills curriculum in The Hive.

This term’s learning in The Hive 🐝

At Forest School this week we practiced our firefighting skills, using flint and steel to create sparks 🔥 We used our fires to make our hot drinks and even tried some popcorn! 🍿

There was some amazing resilience on show, not to mention teamwork!