Year 2 have thoroughly enjoyed their exciting dinosaur topic, The Land Before Time. Throughout the term, the children have explored fossils and learned about the important work of palaeontologists. They particularly enjoyed excavating chocolate chips from “cookie fossils” and creating their own fossils from salt dough. The children also developed their writing skills by researching and recording fascinating facts about dinosaurs, while using mathematical skills to measure and compare dinosaur footprints.

A highlight of the topic was welcoming Dinomania to school. The children were captivated by the visit, especially meeting Bramble, the realistic robotic dinosaur. They also enjoyed educational visits to Cardiff Museum, where they were amazed to see life-size dinosaur models, and to Fonmon Castle, where they explored the dinosaur trail, excavated a life-size dinosaur skeleton from the sand, and watched an entertaining dinosaur show. These experiences brought their learning to life and inspired great curiosity and enthusiasm.

We were so unbelievably lucky to have a visit from the gentleman who actually discovered and named the Dracoraptor, a new species of dinosaur, found on Barry Island in 2014! We learnt a lot about this dinosaur during this topic, so it was wonderful to hear all about it from the palaeontologist himself.

The children demonstrated excellent creativity and teamwork when designing, making and evaluating their own junk model dinosaurs. Alongside their topic work, they enthusiastically participated in Sports’ Day, showing determination, resilience and great sportsmanship. Another memorable event was Cultural Day, when the children proudly came to school wearing their beautiful cultural outfits and enjoyed celebrating the diverse backgrounds within our school community. It has been a fantastic term filled with memorable experiences, hands-on learning and wonderful achievements.