Reception

Welcome to Reception!

In reception we believe in providing a safe and stimulating environment where all children con flourish.  We believe that each child is unique and that children learn best when playing and learning are combined. We know that the most successful learners are happy, confident, curious, motivated and engaged. We provide a nurturing environment which reflects our core values and interests of our children, develops skills for now and success in the future and offers challenges so that children are able to achieve their full potential.

Our Team

Your class teachers are Mrs Crook and Mrs Holt.

Mrs Crook will be teaching Mondays, Tuesdays & alternate Wednesday afternoons.

Mrs Holt will be teaching alternate Wednesday afternoons, Thursdays and Fridays.

Mrs Sheppard and Mrs Duncan are our class teaching assistants and will be with us Monday-Friday.

Wednesday mornings will be taught by Mrs Reekie & Miss Windle

Our topics for this year are:

We will cover each topic through a mixture of teacher-led whole class learning, small group or 1:1 teacher-led activities and continuous provision related to the topic that allows the children to learn more through independent, group or individual play. On top of this there will be visits to Forest School, daily phonics sessions, weekly music and RE sessions and two PE sessions a week (on Mondays and Thursdays for this term). Children can come to school in PE kit on PE days. These can also be worn on other days.

We conclude most topics where possible with an 'Express'. Parents are invited into the classroom so that the children can share with them some of the things that they have learnt during their topic.

As we move through the term, we will update the page with photos and highlights from the topic.

If you haven't already done so, have a look at our curriculum map below for more detail on what your child will be learning during their time in Reception.

Autumn Term 1 - Do you want to be friends?

This is a great topic to start the school year as it explores what friendship looks like, the new setting, how to be a good friend and how to take care of each other. We will read lots of stories about friendship and base our learning, in all areas of the curriculum, around these stories, giving the children the chance to play together, get to know their new school and each other. 

Autumn 2 - Why do squirrels hide their nuts?

During this topic, we will find out all about the seasonal changes we see as we move into Autumn and then Winter.  The children will listen and respond to stories about woodland animals and will find out about how different animals prepare for the cooler months. Which animals hibernate for the winter?  Where do they go?  How do they know when it is time to wake up?  We will make careful observations to discover patterns, similarities and differences in the natural environment.   A trip to Braywick will bring all this learning together and enrich the children's understanding of our natural world.

Spring 1 - Why can't I have chocolate for breakfast?

During this topic we will take a close look the things we eat and how they can affect our health and well-being by investigating a wide variety of foods.  We will take scientific look at the changing state of foods by cooking, melting, mixing and freezing. This will be complimented by our chocolate workshop which will delve into the science and ignite our imaginations. Finally we will research where different foods come from, how they are grown/produced and also how we can keep our bodies healthy by eating a balanced diet. 

Additional information and resources

Bug Club

Presentations