Nursery to Year Six Highlights
Posted on: 16 Jan 2026
Our EHS Values are integral to every aspect of school life, with creativity being particularly in evidence across the Prep School this week.
Posted on: 16 Jan 2026
Our EHS Values are integral to every aspect of school life, with creativity being particularly in evidence across the Prep School this week.
Imagination and Problem Solving!
This week in Nursery, the girls have shown a keen interest in exploring a variety of construction materials, including wooden blocks and magnetic tiles. They have been busy designing and building a range of creations, using their imagination and problem-solving skills to experiment with shape and structure. The girls have been particularly fascinated by how the magnetic tiles glow when placed on the lightbox! While following their own interests, the girls have been supported in developing their creativity, fine motor skills and confidence as they worked both independently and alongside their friends.
Orange Observation
It’s ‘o’ week in Kindergarten so the pupils have been working with oranges. They first explored a large orange using their different senses and shared their observations with a small group of their peers. Each pupil then safely cut their orange in half which prompted some great mathematical discussion and further exploration as the inside of the orange was now visible. More motor skills were required next as the pupils squeezed the juice out of their orange. Every pupil poured the juice they had squeezed into a cup and confidentially tasted it. Reactions to the taste varied which elicited further interesting discussion on personal preference and tolerance of the differing views of others. A valuable learning experience and lots of fun: well done Kindergarten!
Edgbaston Explorers Go Birdwatching!
Our Reception children had a wonderful time during their Edgbaston Explorers outdoor session as they took part in a bird identification activity ahead of next week’s RSPB Birdwatch. Armed with sharp eyes and lots of enthusiasm, the children explored the outdoor area, listening carefully and spotting different birds. They learned how to observe wildlife quietly, recognise birds by their colours and sounds and understand why birds are important to our environment. We look forward to recording our findings next week!
Computer or Not a Computer – That Is the Question!
During our computing lessons in Year One, the girls explored an important and thought-provoking question: What is a computer, and what is not a computer? This topic encouraged curiosity, discussion, and critical thinking as the children began to develop their understanding of technology. We started by talking together about what a computer is used for and where we might see computers in everyday life. The girls then drew pictures of what they thought a computer looked like. These drawings showed a wide range of ideas and experiences. Some children drew laptops, others drew desktop computers, and some included iPads and tablets. This opened up a valuable discussion about the many different types of computers we use today. As a class, we talked about the similarities and differences between these devices, discussing how they all perform tasks, store information, and follow instructions, even though they look different. The girls were excited to share their ideas and explain why they thought their drawing was a computer. To deepen their understanding, the children took part in a sorting activity. They were given cards showing different objects and worked together to decide which items were computers and which were not. This hands-on activity helped reinforce the idea that not everything with buttons or a screen is a computer.
Overall, the lesson was engaging and interactive, helping the girls build a strong foundation in computing concepts. By asking questions, sharing ideas, and working collaboratively, they developed both their technological understanding and their confidence in explaining their thinking.
The Number Detectives!
This week, Year 2 have been working as brilliant number detectives, solving addition and subtraction mysteries with larger numbers! The classroom has been buzzing with energy as the girls investigated equations, both independently and in teams, showing focus, determination and plenty of brainpower. From cracking problems to checking their answers carefully, the girls have demonstrated excellent problem-solving skills and a real love of learning. Their confidence with numbers is growing by the day.
Well done, Year 2 — your Maths magic is adding up beautifully!
Dragon Paintings and Descriptions
In Art, Year Three explored a wide range of dragon images, using these as inspiration to design and paint their own imaginative dragons. They carefully included the key features commonly associated with dragons, such as scales, wings, claws and fierce expressions. In Creative Writing, the children brought their dragons to life by giving them unique names and writing vivid, imaginative character descriptions that showcased their creativity and developing descriptive skills.
Islamic Tiles in Art
Year 4 girls have been busy this week designing beautiful Islamic tiles in their art lessons. The main focus was learning how to use a compass for the very first time to draw a perfect circle. At first, using the compass felt tricky, but the girls showed great patience and concentration. With careful hands and steady turns, they successfully created neat circles that became the centre of their tile designs. The circles were then turned into eye-catching Islamic patterns using lines, shapes and symmetry.
Their finished tiles are colourful, detailed and show fantastic effort. Well done, Year 4, for trying something new and creating such impressive artwork!
Sketching Facial Features
Year 5 pupils embarked on an exciting art project focused on sketching facial features. The work marks the beginning of a carefully planned journey towards creating self-portraits later in the term. A key focus of the lessons was learning how tone and shade can be used to create depth. By experimenting with light and dark pencil marks, pupils discovered how shading can make features appear three-dimensional, turning flat sketches into more realistic drawings. They learned how shadows sit around the eyes and how varying pressure on the pencil can change the mood of a drawing.
We are very much looking forward to seeing the results!
Exploring Watercolour Techniques
Year Six pupils have been developing their artistic skills already this term at the start of a sketching and watercolour painting project inspired by the beauty of spring flowers. In a recent lesson, the children explored a range of watercolour techniques to help prepare them for their final paintings of delicate spring blooms which will include snowdrops. They experimented with washes, blending, layering, and the use of water to create soft backgrounds and subtle colour changes. Pupils also practised controlling the amount of water on their brushes to achieve different effects. We will be creating detailed sketchbook studies of spring flowers, observing the shapes, lines, and patterns of stem and petals. These sketches will form the basis of their final watercolour paintings.
