Reception

Welcome to Reception’s Class Page

With Miss Cohen, Mrs Williams, Miss Bettison and our thirty brilliant Reception learners!

Miss Cohen is the key person for all of our Reception children.

Our EYFS setting supports children to develop their social skills, build resilience and become curious learners. We do this through a story based curriculum and through provision to explore, imagine and recreate the real world. 

Our bespoke Early years curriculum is based on the Development Matters document milestone and assessment points. We have split the curriculum sequence into three, child centred sections: All About Me, Creative Me and Me Now, Me Then. Each of these sections have text that will drive the learning with the unique child at the centre.   

Early Years Curriculum: EYFS Child Centred Curriculum

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What happens in Reception?

We want to build children who are independent, confident and thoughtful. We understand that the building blocks of our school are in our hands and that is why we take a very holistic approach to education, understanding that every single one of our children is unique, individual and incredibly special! We love all of our children and that is why we are so keen to meet the varying needs of each one, ensuring that by the time they leave our Reception class they are ready to embark on the exciting journey of school life.

We like to have a very varied, lively and real classroom setting where the outdoor activities and indoor activities give us the best chance of accessing the full foundation stage curriculum where all children can learn. We learn through our provision, whole class and small group activities. We follow Little Wandle for our phonics and Reading. We use Mastery Number for our Maths mastery to enhance our mathematic reasoning and understanding. 

From our point of meeting we put a real emphasis on our relationship with you. We work hard to build these relationships with the hope that our parents feel happy to come and chat to us to celebrate, query and catch up on their child’s day.

 

 

 

 

During our child-led project work we have been exploring Africa. We looked at where it was on the map and then made binoculars for our safari to look for animals. 

Our mud portraits during Woodland time were amazing!

In Maths we have been representing 1 in lots of different ways 

During our woodland time Reception made portraits using natural resources that they could find.

Reception and Year 6 really enjoyed celebrating together at the buddy party

The children created their own Dots to celebrate Dot day and learnt that we can all be creative! 

Reception used blocks to make AB patterns using two different colours.

 

 

 

Reception class have settled into school brilliantly and are becoming a strong Reception Family.

 

Look how tall our plants have grown! We have been measuring our plants each day and comparing how much the have grown in centimetres.

Fee Fi Fo Fum! Look what has grown in Reception! They children have been reading the story Jack and the Beanstalk and received some magic seeds in the post. Overnight a beanstalk grew!

We have been exploring seeds this week and writing predictions about what we think they will grow into.

Reception reflected on ways we can say sorry during our worship today. They thought of ways we can say were are sorry and ask for forgiveness.

It has been a wonderful experience to watch our caterpillars grow into butterflies. We created life cycles to remember their journey.

 

 

 

Look at our number work! We have been showing 10 using a part whole model and writing calculations.

We have been busy detectives looking for tricky words!

We have been reading Matisse’s magic trail and we created our own trails outside, like in the story.

Reception have been writing calculations and showing part whole models to make 8.

Reception have been deciding what they want to learn more about. This interest this week is teeth and dentists. We went to the library to look at books all about teeth so we could learn more.

In P.E. we have been moving our bodies to music. We created our own routine to the Greatest showman song.

 

Our new Artist we have been studying is Monet. We used oil pastels to recreate his picture Waterlilies.

We have been busy showing everything we know about number 7.

 

Reception have loved reading ‘The Dot’ and we had our very own dot day to celebrate us being artists.

We have been working on our balancing skills in P.E. We mirrored our partners to make some different balances with our bodies.

We have been busy Mathematicians learning all the ways to represent 6.

We went on an exciting walk to our local park with our Year 6buddies. They are great role models for us to have and will help us in our first year at school.

 

We have really enjoyed learning ball skills in our Physical Development lessons. We have been bouncing, over arm throwing and under arm throwing over the past few weeks.

Reception have learnt about Advent and made their own Advent promise.

This week we have been learning all about number 3. The children made their own concept maps to show 3.

 

Reception Remember- They reflected on Remembrance Day and made poppies to display in the classroom.

This week we have been very busy reading the Owl Babies story and retelling the story using Talk4Writing actions. We have also been showing how we can represent 2 in lots of different ways.

 

Autumn 1 

 

 

   Information about Planning 2022-2023

Here is what is happening in our class this year:

Play Planning Progression: Common Play Behaviours

Long term plan: EYFS Child Centred Curriculum

 

Autumn One: 

Our topic is All about me: Half Term Planning Overview Autumn 1

In RE our topic is God’s World: RE autumn 1

Newsletter:Newsletter-A1

Autumn Two: 

Our topic is All about me:A2-Half-Term-Planning-Overview

In RE our topic is God’s Family: RE Reception planning

Newsletter:Newsletter-A2

Helping at Home

Maths

Following our Maths information evening for parents, we have shared some useful documents to see how Maths is taught in school. The most effective way for you to help would be to practise the ‘progression in number facts’ and times tables.

Progression in number facts

Rothwell St Mary’s Calculation Policy

Useful websites

https://ttrockstars.com/login   

Home – new design – updates v1

https://whiterosemaths.com/homelearning/early-years/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/watch/playlist-numberblocks-songs

 

Phonics

There is a parent link to Little Wandle resources and how to help.

For parents – Letters and Sounds (littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk)

Reading at home-LS-KEY-GUIDANCE-ENGAGING-PARENTS_FINAL (1)

Overview of Little Wandle- Programme-Overview_Reception-and-Year-1-1 (1)

Capital letter formation- Capital_letter_formation-4

How to say phase 3 sounds- How-to-say-Phase-3-sounds-August-2022- (2)

Useful websites

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP_FbjYUP_UtldV2K_-niWw

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This page is filled with useful information that you need to know about routines in Reception. 

Reading books 

When the phonic program starts your child will bring home a reading book matched to the phonic sounds that have been taught in school. Please use the 3 session guidance to share the book with your child. Reading books will be handed out on Friday and returned to school the following Wednesday. 

P.E.

In Reception we work on gross motor skills this can take the form of P.E. lessons, going on the trim trail and tyres to support and develop their core strength, stability, balance, spatial awareness, co-ordination and agility. Gross motor skills provide the foundation for developing healthy bodies and social and emotional well-being.

Gold book assembly 

This assembly takes place every Friday at 9am. Two children from each class are selected to be celebrated during the assembly. One child from each class will also be selected for the handwriting award to take home for a week. 

Collective worship 

Collective worship will take place in the Reception classroom every Thursday at 8:40am. Everyone is welcome and it is a special and important time to share with your children. 

Fruit and Milk 

Fruit and milk takes place throughout the day in Reception, children can access whenever they like morning or afternoon. School milk is available to book online but is free until your child turns 5.

https://www.coolmilk.com/

Have a look at some of the books we will be reading throughout Reception…

Recommended reads: https://www.booksfortopics.com/booklists/recommended-reads/reception/

 

We have created this page to give you more information ready for when your child joins our family next academic year. It was wonderful to see some of you at the doorstep visits and hopefully, you all received your starter packs and have begun to look through the information.

New parents meeting PowerPoint: Parents’ Info Evening 2023

What could you do between now and September? 

 

FAQ

What support will my child have at lunchtime? 

Reception are taken into the lunch hall by Mrs Sweeney, Miss Duffy and Mrs Williams. Then they are cared for by teaching assistants from throughout the school both in the hall and out on the playground/ field.

What if my child is a fussy eater? 

Our School lunch menu is displayed on the website and there are always lots of options for your child to choose from. The staff that are in the lunch hall support and encourage children to try. In our experience children usually try new food and enjoy them because they are eating with their friends.

My child struggles to hold a pencil or mark make should I worry? 

No, this is not something to worry about. Your child will learn in Reception the way to hold a pencil through activities. They will encourage and develop their fine motor skills.  Mark making is a very important step before writing and is to be encouraged. Any ‘scribbles’ are amazing and should be celebrated.

What happens if my child has a toileting accident? 

Please do not worry! All children have accidents at some point even if they never normally do and this is completely normal. We ask that you put spare pants and a change of clothes in your child’s bookbag. If your child does have an accident they will be assisted by either Miss Cohen or Mrs. Williams. They will encourage your child to be as independent as possible but will help where necessary.

How can I help my child at home?  

When your child starts in September it will be extremely helpful to practice flashcards/reading every night and record this in their reading record. This will be completed at school as well.

What happens if my child is a little bit unsettled at drop off time? 

Even if your child is really upset we do encourage you to leave them as soon as possible. In our experience children usually settle much quicker and with minutes. A telephone call to you will be made to let you know that your child is fine.

Do I need to give my child snacks? 

No, your child will not need to bring snacks with them. They will bring a water bottle daily, this will be filled in school.

There are no children from my child’s nursery going to school with them.

Please do not worry. As Rothwell St Mary’s does not have a nursery we take children from lots of different settings. So most children have come to us without knowing other children. They very quickly form new friendships.

Does my child need a school book bag and a P.E. bag?

Yes, your child will need a school book bag that they will bring to school every day with their flashcards and reading record inside. On P.E. days they stay in their P.E. kit for the full day.

My child is summer born, does that matter? 

No, each child is unique and on their own journey. Regardless of their birth month children develop and progress at their own pace. We encourage independence and this will help your child enormously.

 

Does my child need pumps and trainers? 

Yes, your child needs pumps for inside the classroom which stays in school and trainers which they wear Monday and Wednesday for P.E.

Pumps:                                                                                                                                                                                               Trainers