Reception 2024 - 2025

Routines

Our doors open at 8.30 am and the children begin their day with a Morning Challenge such as name writing or a drawing task. As the year moves on they will be given writing and number challenges to complete when they arrive. This is a wonderful opportunity to reinforce learning and build on their skills. The doors close at 8.45 am. It is important that children arrive on time as our daily Phonics lesson starts promptly.

PE lessons will take place every Thursday. Please ensure your child has a full PE kit in school including, black pumps, a white T-shirt and black shorts. All items should be labelled. PE kits will be sent home to wash at the end of every half-term.

At the end of the school day, children are collected from the Reception door at 3.00pm. Staff will release children from class after contact has been made with their adult. Please be patient and do not encourage your child to leave before their name has been called by a member of staff.

Attendance

Regular attendance and good punctuality are important for maximising achievement and obtaining the greatest benefit from education. Being in school every day and on time gives your child the best opportunity to reach their full potential.

Uniform

Reception Uniform

• Black jogging bottoms
• White Polo Shirt
• Red Sweatshirt
• Black shoes (No trainers)

Summer Uniform 

• Black Shorts
• White Polo Shirt

PE Kit

• Black jogging bottoms
• White T-Shirt (with round collar)
• Black pumps

We will be spending lots of time outside all year round. With this in mind, please dress your child in weather-appropriate, easily-managed clothing so that they can develop their independence. We provide waterproofs and wellies so the children can go outside whatever the weather. All clothing should be clearly marked with your child’s name.

Please also provide spare change of clothes in a bag, to be left on your child’s peg.

Communication

Please check Spider for important information and updates throughout the year.

Activities and resources to support your child’s learning at home will be posted regularly on Tapestry. Activation codes have been sent out to all parents. If you have any questions or issues accessing your account, please speak to a member of staff.

The door can be very busy at the start and end of the day. Our priority is to ensure all children arrive and leave safely. If you need to speak to a member of staff, please wait in the Reception playground, away from the door, until all children have left at the end of the day.

The Reception Curriculum

There are seven areas of learning and development in the Foundation Stage.

The three Prime Areas  are Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Physical Development and Communication and Language. They develop children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, and for building their capacity to learn, form relationships and thrive. The three Prime Areas are strengthened and applied through the four Specific Areas : Literacy, Mathematics, Understanding the World and Expressive Arts and Design. Activities are planned across these areas to engage and meet the needs of individual children. Our play-based Curriculum is child led. We follow the children’s interests to plan our lessons and activities. This holistic approach engages and motivates our young learners. It allows our children to take ownership of their learning, develop their interests as well as developing their self-confidence and social skills.  At All Saints, we value and celebrate a range of different nationalities and cultures represented by our children. We welcome families to share their cultural celebrations in school.

Phonics and Reading

The children in Reception take part in daily Phonics lessons. Phonics teaches children to read and write. We follow the Read, Write Inc scheme. The children learn letter sounds and how to blend and segment the sounds to read and write words. As their confidence grows, the children will be given sound cards, word cards and books to practise at home.

Each week the children will choose a story book from our lending library. Please read and discuss the book each night with your child. This will develop your child’s imagination, creativity and language skills as well as promoting a passion for reading.

Please ensure your child brings their book bags to school every day.

Drawing Club

Reception have weekly Drawing Club sessions. Drawing Club is an immersive approach to narrative created by Early Years Expert, Greg Botrill. It’s based on picture books, traditional tales and animations. It provides the opportunity to introduce children to a range of narrative and develop their imaginations whilst at the same time enriching their communication and language and fine motor skills. The children are enthusiastic and thoroughly engaged during their lessons. We are always amazed by the fantastic work the children produce during their sessions which they are always keen to share.

Forest School

The children in Reception have the wonderful experience of taking part in Forest School sessions throughout the year. They are given the opportunity to connect with nature through activities such as den building, bug hunting, bird watching, creating art with natural resources and developing their own outdoor space. Research shows that Forest School has a positive impact on all areas of learning and development.

Supporting your child’s independence

• Going to the toilet. Resist the temptation to pop your child onto the loo and wipe their bottom. It is better to get your child into the habit of doing this for themselves.
• Getting dressed. Avoid clothing with fiddly buckles and buttons. It is also a good idea to have a few dry runs with the PE kit!
• Putting on shoes. Tie-up shoes might be a bit difficult. Go for shoes with Velcro fasteners if possible.
• This includes using a knife and fork, opening their lunchbox, and being able to open everything in the lunchbox.

Supporting your child’s learning

• Sing nursery rhymes and songs together.
• Read books together at bedtime.
• Limit and supervise screen time.
• Play turn taking games.
• Practise writing and recognising their name.
• Encourage mark-making skills.
• Look for numbers and patterns in the environment.
• Practise counting objects.
• Practise recognising and writing numbers to 10.
• Learn the names of shapes.
• Share information on Tapestry.
• Help with homework and read daily.

We are looking forward to working in partnership with you to support your child’s learning and development this year!