Foundation Learning Topics

EXPLORER WORKSHOPS

DRAMA4ALL

SCHOOLS CLUBS

INSET WORKSHOPS

Foundation topics

Creative learning

Our foundation creative learning topics offer fun learning and imaginative play for younger children.

Click on a topic to find out more.

Secret spies

Join our detective from the International Spy School on a top secret mission to save the World Wide Web! Our agent needs the children's help and there's no time to lose!

Improvise spy characters and embody stereotypical detective traits using body language and movements
Play fun & exciting drama and role play games incorporating the children's own ideas about spies
Discover clues from the 'Brainio Song' to practise solving mysteries

NB. This workshop is suitable for Foundation and KS1.

The ice queen

Brush off your snow boots, grab your gloves and prepare for a magical, snow-filled quest full of snowmen, singing and surprises!

Bring Elsa back to Arendelle so she can restore summer
Improvise and role-play parts of the story
Play a number of enchanting games
Sing a Frozen song medley, containing 'let it go', 'do you want to build a snowman?' and 'fixer-upper'

The funky farmyard

Pull on your wellies and meet us down on the farm for lots of animal adventures.

Learn the farmyard rap
Warm up your voice with moos, quacks and neighs
Sing Oh McDonald had a farm
Do the donkey trot dance

Tea under the sea

Dive down deep and join us on a wild and watery adventure. Bucketfuls of fishy frolics!

Warm up to the fishy funk song!
Meet Dolly Dolphin and go for a hurtle with a turtle
Learn the smellyfish jelly fish poem

Rumble in the jungle

Camouflage clothes at the ready, map and compass packed. Journey to the jungle for an amazing adventure where you will meet and become lions, snakes, crocodiles and parrots.

Sing the crocodile counting song
Slither like a snake, swing like a monkey and stretch like a giraffe as you dance the Jungle Jive
Travel across the jungle to help rescue Eli the elephant

Beep! Beep!

Grab your boat, fire engine, car or lorry and get on the road for the race of a lifetime.

Sing the wheels on the bus song
Act out different types of vehicles
Create a traffic soundscape

Learning objectives:

To listen and respond appropriately
To represent ideas through role play
To recognise members of the community that help us
To develop co-ordination, control and movement

Castles, knights and princesses

Grab your sword and tiara and head deep into the forest on the adventure of a lifetime.

Transform into a perfect princess or a dazzling knight
Ride a unicorn across the forest to discover the hidden castle
Sing the what do you find in the forest song.

Learning objectives:

To immerse ourselves in a fairy tale world.
To develop confidence when singing in front of an audience.

NB. This workshops is suitable for Foundation and KS1.

Mermaids and Pirates

Grab your cutlass and polish your scales then jump aboard the Jammy Dodger to meet Long Gone Silver and Melinda Mermaid for a dastardly adventure to rescue the Sacred Coconut from Treasure Island and the Evil Pirates.

Warm up to the coconut calypso
Learn the rum rap
Sing the pineapple party song
Follow the clues to rescue the golden coconut

Learning objectives:

To immerse ourselves in pirate life
To reinforce our teamwork skills

NB. This workshops is suitable for Foundation and KS1.

Superheroes

Grab your cape, mask and boots and help save the world from the destructive powers of 'the bad boppa' and 'the party people' by zooming off on an adventure to teach them about the importance of our environment and how to recycle.

Create individual superhero characters and become them
Journey to party land in a superhero sonic rocket improvisation
Learn the rocket in my pocket song

Learning objectives:

To immerse ourselves in the superhero world
To begin to understand how the choices of humans can have a negative effect on the Earth

NB. This workshops is suitable for Foundation and KS1.

Books and reading

Sessions are based around a number of popular books and designed to reinforce children's' experiences with literature.

Re-capping and enacting the story
Hot-seating and character role-play
Improvisations around the themes of the story
Group discussion and what we have learnt.

Books include: The Enormous Turnip, The Selfish Crocodile, The Gingerbread Man, The Gruffalo, The Smartest Giant in Town, The Snail and the Whale, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, What the Ladybird Heard, We're Going on a Bear Hunt and others.

Mini beasts

A thought-provoking session exploring the local environment. Uncovers the environment's impact on our everyday lives and the flora and fauna diversity.

Improvising an excursion to a local forest
Mini beast character work and role-play
Discussing ways we can preserve the environment
Comparing the differences between large and small plants

Learning objectives:

To talk about different mini beasts
To talk about how mini beasts are different and the same
To represent their ideas through role play
To compare the home of mini beasts to the home of humans

NB. This workshops is suitable for Foundation and KS1.

Discover your body

A fascinating workshop about the human body. Find out what's happening inside and discover the amazing processes and systems that keep us alive.

Dr Fithart (actor in role) leads a workshop on how our body works
Physical warm up and stretch to learn about muscles and balancing
The importance of water Command Game
What are our senses?
Perform the tongue vs nose rap

Learning objectives:

To recognise different body parts
To know the importance of exercise and a healthy diet
To represent ideas through music

NB. This workshops is suitable for Foundation and KS1.

Outer space

Go on an intergalactic adventure through our solar system to discover basic facts about the planets and our place in the universe:

Train to be an astronaut to take over the evil 'cruel commander'
Look at the nature of space travel
Travel to the moon with the moon rock song
Learn about the characteristics of the different planets with the planet rap

Learning objectives:

To represent ideas through role play
To show good control and co-ordination in large and small movements
To move confidently in a variety of ways
To describe some characteristics of space

Dinosaurs

Catch the dinosaur express with us and fly back 65 million years on a dino-discovery mission! An engaging introduction to the mesozoic era for 4-5 year olds:

Become dinosaurs in an energised physical warm up
Learn the 'dinosaur noises' song
Embody different dinosaurs in a fun character command style game
Play teambuilding drama games and use listening skills to trick the evil brachiosaurus

Learning objectives:

To represent ideas through role play
To listen and respond appropriately
To describe a range of dinosaurs
To consider how the world was different when dinosaurs lived

NB. For a more advanced version of this workshop for KS1, click here.

People who help us

This workshop aims to help broaden the children's understanding of the world around them. They will learn how we are kept safe and healthy, are encouraged to appreciate and show respect for the people who help us every day:

Understand the importance of the emergency services and learn how they keep us safe
Acknowledge and show appreciation for the people who help us in our local communities
Understand road safety with Molly the lollipop lady
Sing the 'Miss Polly had a dolly' song
Learn how to respect one another