This week, Year 4 made the most of the beautiful sunshine by taking their learning outdoors, immersing themselves in The Lost Words—a stunning collection of poems and illustrations celebrating the beauty of British wildlife.

Inspired by the book, pupils explored the school grounds, slowing down to observe the nature all around them. From towering oak trees and delicate daisies to busy bees, fluttering butterflies and singing birds, the children took time to notice the wonderful plants and animals that make our local environment so special.

Using these observations, the children composed their own acrostic poems inspired by the style of The Lost Words. They carefully chose ambitious vocabulary and vivid imagery to capture the beauty and importance of the natural world, celebrating the wildlife they encountered during their outdoor learning.

To accompany their writing, pupils created beautiful watercolour paintings of their chosen ‘lost words’, combining art and poetry to produce vibrant pieces inspired by nature.

The week culminated in a poetry walk around the school grounds, where pupils confidently performed their poems outdoors, surrounded by the very landscapes that had inspired their writing. It was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate creativity, develop speaking and listening skills, and deepen their appreciation of the natural world.

As Robert Macfarlane writes in The Lost Words:

“Enter the wild with care, my love
And speak the things you see;
Let new names take and root and thrive and grow.”

Year 4 certainly did just that, embracing the beauty of the outdoors and discovering that nature can be one of the greatest inspirations for writing.