A very warm welcome to Reception

Reception is where the excitement begins! A child’s first experience of school supports their attitude to learning. It is important to lay foundations for a positive attitude towards school. We aim to make a child’s experience at school stimulating, fulfilling and happy.

The foundation stage environment is developed around our termly projects and the children’s interests. It is an exciting and engaging place to be, where we encourage our children to be independent learners through a range of practical activities. The children learn primarily through a variety of play and real life experiences.

Our teaching is delivered through carefully planned tasks, incorporating a mixture of child initiated and adult led activities. These are organised so that each child can acquire basic skills, knowledge and understanding.

We feel that it is important to develop a passion for reading and provide each child with a rich and wide vocabulary, in order for them to express themselves effectively and confidently.

Development is tracked through ongoing assessment, through observation and interactions with the children. These observations help us to shape our planning on an ongoing basis, tailored to the children’s interests and next steps. We use Tapestry to record and share children’s learning.

The Early Years Foundation Stage Framework (EYFS) sets out four guiding principles, which shape practice for teaching in Reception.

A Unique Child

Positive Relationships

Enabling Environments

Leading to

Learning and Development

The Early Years Foundation Stage Framework is structured around three Prime and four Specific areas of learning and develop, which are all important and inter-connected.

Within these areas there are 17 Early Learning Goals that children work towards achieving by the end of the year.

The way in which a child engages with other children, adults and their environment links to the Characteristics of Effective Teaching and Learning.

Supporting your child with transition

You can make your child’s transition to school easier by being aware of the differences between learning at home and at school and supporting them in coping with these changes.

Here are six ways that you can help:

1. Your child will have to follow instructions and stay focused. Prepare him/her for this by giving instructions in a clear voice one at a time. Play the game of ‘what did I say?’ you say something and your child repeats it, they then turn their back and you say something else that they then have to repeat.
2. You can help prepare your child for the physical demands of a classroom by making sure he/she is used to sitting still for short periods.
3. Classrooms can be noisy! Help your child to realise that sometimes we can do things more effectively by being quiet and still. When all the children in the class are good listeners, the class can learn better. Practise ‘good listening’ with your child; look at the person speaking, keep your hands and feet still, hear what is said and think quietly about it.
4. Reassure your child that it is positive to ask questions if they are unclear about an activity.
5. Your child will have to respond to instructions, line up and take turns. He/she will have to sit and work closely with other children. Talk to him/her about school routines and be reassuring. We don’t want them to experience any anxiety.
6. Your child will be learning to interact with unfamiliar adults he/she has not met before.