Welcome to Reception
Starting Reception is a very exciting milestone and often marks a child’s very first step into formal schooling. It’s a time filled with new experiences, and we know it can feel both exciting and a little nerve-wracking for children and parents alike. From the very beginning, your child will start learning through play—exploring, discovering, listening to stories, and beginning to understand how school life works. They’ll gradually get used to the school environment, build confidence in concentrating, and learn to listen to and engage with their teacher.
In our Early Years classrooms, we are fortunate to offer a rich and varied learning environment. Children have access to both indoor and outdoor areas, and every day is filled with exciting opportunities for learning and play. Alongside their learning in English, Maths, Religious Education, and Phonics, children take part in a wide range of engaging, hands-on activities. These include singing songs, creating art with different materials, dressing up and imaginative role-play, strengthening their hand muscles in our fine motor area, exploring in the Mud Kitchen, and building in the Construction Area. These carefully planned experiences support all areas of development and encourage children to become curious, independent, and enthusiastic learners.
We’re here to support both you and your child every step of the way. To help ease the transition, we’ve put together some useful information below that we hope will give your child the very best start to their school journey. If you have any questions or need further support, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.
Reception Classes
Aspen Class: Miss Townley
Elm Class: Mrs Phillips
Cedar Class: Mrs McEneaney
Sycamore Class: Miss Baker
Useful Links
Below are some links to sites that you may find useful, please click on the link and it will automatically direct you:
Early Years Foundation Stage Safeguarding Reforms: Consultation Response
Early Years Foundation Stage: Nutrition Guidance
Supervised Toothbrushing Guidance
Development Matters: Non Statutory Curriculum Guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage
Physical Education
This half term our PE days will be Monday and Wednesday. The children come into school in their PE kit.
- Black tracksuit pants/leggings
- White school polo/tshirt
- Black jumper/hoody
- Plain black trainers/pumps
Please ensure that all items are clearly named.
If your child is going to a sports after school club, they can come into school that day in their PE kit.
Reading
Reading is at the heart of our curriculum, as it underpins the development of essential language skills needed for communication, social interaction through play and success across all areas of learning. Read Write Inc. reading books, Reading for Pleasure (RfP) books and yellow reading records are sent home each Friday. We encourage children to read for a short time each evening while they have their books. However, we understand that this is not always possible. As a minimum expectation, children should read at home with an adult at least three times per week. Please record each reading session in your child’s planner. The Reading for Pleasure book is intended to be read to them by an adult on several occasions to help foster a love of reading. Please record this in their planner as well. To ensure books can be changed and redistributed promptly, reading wallets — including all borrowed books — must be returned every Wednesday. Thank you for your continued support.
Homework
As well as reading, children will receive a weekly homework task based on our current learning. This could be an English, phonics, maths, RE or cross-curricular task. Please complete and return no later than Wednesday the following week. Children should also regularly practise Fred Talk and blending using the Read Write Inc. phonics videos and QR codes available on Seesaw or on the paper copies provided.