Welcome to our October 2025 Newsletter from St Peter Chanel Nursery & Pre-School in Sidcup! We’ve had a wonderfully busy and creative first half term in our new Pre-School building and gardens. The children have settled brilliantly and are enjoying exploring the indoors and outdoors, making new friends and growing in confidence every day.

Our Topics:

Week of 10th October: All About Our Families

- The children talked about who they live with and the people who are special to them.

- They drew pictures and painted boxes to make their own houses.

- We made great use of our grass area; the bikes and climbing equipment have been very popular.

Week of 17 October – Colours & Artists

Week of 17th October: Colours & Artists

- Exploring and recognising different colours.

- Mixing powder paint to create new colours.

- Large-scale outdoor painting.

Famous Artists:

- Kandinsky circles

- Piet Mondrian grids

Week of 24 October: Colours, Artists & Diwali

- Painting inspired by Paul Klee.

- Creating “Starry Night” like Van Gogh.

Diwali:

- Paper plate lamps and sparkly paintings

Maths, Nursery Rhymes & Reading

Maths

Across the three weeks, the children have been developing early number sense through:

Using mathematical language such as more, lots, lots of, and the same when comparing groups of objects.
Recognising changes in quantities during play and everyday routines.
Practising subitising (instantly recognising small quantities without counting) up to five.
Younger children have been using finger rhymes to support early number recognition.

Nursery Rhymes

Each week included a focus rhyme to support listening, rhythm, memory and language development:

“Down at the Station” – linked to creative train-making activities.
“Hey Diddle Diddle” – with related cutting activities to support fine motor skills.
“Hickory Dickory Dock” – a favourite with actions and role-play as the clock and mouse.

Nursery rhymes also feed into Rhyme Time, where older children have been practising:

Listening and attention
Alliteration
Rhyming words

Reading & Literacy

Each week introduced high-quality picture books aligned to the learning theme:

Older Children:

Together We Can
The Colour Monster
The Best Diwali Ever

Younger Children:

Pip & Posy: The New Friend
Full, Full, Full of Love
Where’s Spot?

These books supported:

Understanding emotions (e.g. The Colour Monster)
Talking about families and relationships
Following simple narratives and predicting what comes next
Building vocabulary and comprehension

Supporting Learning at Home

You can help your child’s development with simple daily activities:

Use quantity words at snack or meal times
Colour hunts
Go on nature walks and discuss what you see
Sing nursery rhymes together
Read stories

Reminders for Families

Please label water bottles, coats, jumpers, shoes, and lunchboxes clearly.
Flat book bags are available from the school office (£7.50) – these help us keep children’s work neat at home time.
If you need to speak with staff, fee free to speak to us after pick-up so we can give you our full attention.

Looking Ahead

If your child turns four before 31 August 2026, it’s time to apply for a primary school place. Applications close 15 January 2026. More details: Bexley Council Admissions.

We are also hosting St Peter Chanel open mornings for parents interested in joining Reception in September 2026. Upcoming dates:

Friday 28 November 2025 – 9.30 to 11.00am

With warm wishes,

The St Peter Chanel Pre-School Team

Nursery & Preschool, Sidcup – Newsletter October 2025