Welcome to Reception

PE

Children are to come to school in their P.E kits on their designated days. Please ensure that your child comes appropriately dressed following school PE dress code. 

Wednesday – Indoor PE  

Your will be informed when PE will begin this half term 

 

Phonics in Reception 

At our school, we follow the Read Write Inc. (RWI) phonics scheme to help children develop the skills and confidence they need to become successful readers and writers. Our children enjoy five fun and engaging 30-minute phonics lessons each week. For four days, we focus on learning a new sound, recognising it and practising how to form the corresponding letter correctly. On the fifth day, we revisit and consolidate the sounds we have learnt, including practising letter formation. We begin by introducing all 31 initial sounds as a whole class, before moving children into smaller, focused groups tailored to their individual learning needs and stages of development. Half-termly assessments help us ensure that every child receives the right level of support and is challenged to progress when they are ready. Phonics learning doesn't stop at the end of our lessons! Our Reception provision is filled with exciting phonics activities that children can independently explore throughout the day, helping them practise and apply their new skills through play. We also love working together with parents to support learning at home! Each new sound is accompanied by a teacher video shared on Reach More, demonstrating how to pronounce the sound correctly and the writing rhyme used to support letter formation. We also regularly share fun ideas, games and activities through Reach More and paper resources sent home, giving families plenty of opportunities to practise together. By working in partnership, we aim to make phonics an enjoyable, positive and successful experience for every child! 

Reading in Reception 

At our school, we believe that developing a love of reading from an early age is an important part of every child's learning journey. In Reception, we aim to make reading a fun, enjoyable and positive experience, allowing children to develop their confidence and skills at their own pace. Our approach to reading is guided by each child's individual development, ensuring that they receive the right level of support and challenge as they progress. Initially, children will bring home a picture book (wordless book) in their homework pack. These books are a wonderful way to encourage storytelling, develop vocabulary, build comprehension skills and spark imagination as children talk about what they can see in the pictures. As their reading skills develop, children will begin to bring home colour-banded reading books carefully matched to their individual ability and stage of learning. Throughout the school day, children have daily opportunities to enjoy reading with a school adult, helping them to build confidence, practise their skills and develop a love of books. We also recognise the important role families play in their child's reading journey! We encourage parents and carers to share books and read together regularly at home, making reading a special and enjoyable part of everyday life. Each child will receive a reading record in their homework pack, which families can use to celebrate their child's reading experiences, record the books they have shared and comment on their progress. By working together, we hope to nurture happy, confident and enthusiastic readers who develop a lifelong love of reading! 

NumBots in Reception

We use NumBots to help our Reception children develop confidence and fluency in maths through fun, engaging games. NumBots supports children in developing their number sense, recognising numbers, understanding number relationships and building early calculation skills. 

The interactive activities encourage children to practise their maths skills at their own pace, helping them to become more confident and independent mathematicians. Regular practice helps children to develop their understanding of number while enjoying their learning. 

How can you help at home? 

We encourage children to use NumBots regularly at home, little and often, to help build confidence and secure their early maths skills. You can support your child by: 

• Encouraging them to practise regularly and celebrating their efforts. 

• Talking about numbers and number patterns in everyday situations. 

• Praising perseverance and encouraging them to keep trying when something feels tricky. 

• Celebrating progress and improvements, however small. 

Remember, it's not about being the fastest or getting the highest score. What matters most is developing confidence, enjoying maths and making progress at an individual pace. 

Celebrating NumBots Achievements 

Every two weeks, we will celebrate our children's achievements on NumBots by recognising their effort, progress and commitment to practising their maths skills. 

Our aim is to ensure that all children feel their effort, progress and perseverance are valued, rather than certificates only going to the children who achieve the highest scores. We want every child to feel proud of their achievements and motivated to keep learning. 

Certificates may be awarded to children who have: 

• Made great progress – showing improvements in their scores, accuracy or understanding. 

• Shown commitment – practising regularly and consistently. 

• Persevered – keeping going and trying their best, even when activities are challenging. 

• Achieved a personal best – beating their own previous score or reaching a new milestone. 

• Built positive habits – engaging regularly with the activities and developing consistent practice routines. 

• Shown a positive attitude – approaching maths with enthusiasm, confidence and a willingness to learn. 

Through our fortnightly celebrations, we aim to motivate all children, build self-esteem and encourage a lifelong love of learning in maths. 

Every effort counts, every improvement matters, and every child has something to celebrate! 

50 Things Before 5

We believe that some of the most valuable learning happens through everyday experiences, play and exploring the world around us. 50 Things Before 5 is a wonderful way to encourage our Reception children to develop new skills, build confidence and create special memories through fun, hands-on experiences. 

The aim is to encourage children to try a range of activities and experiences before their fifth birthday, helping them to develop curiosity, independence and a lifelong love of learning. 

Learning Through Experiences 

From exploring nature and splashing in puddles to baking, building dens and sharing stories, these simple experiences provide fantastic opportunities for children to learn through play. 

Taking part in activities can help children to: 

• Develop communication and language skills. 

• Build confidence and independence. 

• Explore the natural world and develop curiosity. 

• Strengthen physical skills and coordination. 

• Develop creativity, imagination and problem-solving skills. 

• Build relationships and enjoy spending time with family and friends. 

Weekly Home Learning 

Each week, we will share a focused activity linked to our 50 Things Before 5 initiatives for families to enjoy together at home. These activities provide a fun and practical way to develop children's early mathematical understanding through everyday experiences. 

We encourage parents and carers to explore the activity with their child and look for opportunities to practise number skills through play and real-life situations. This might include counting objects, spotting numbers in the environment, comparing quantities or finding numbers during everyday activities. 

Once you have completed the activity, please share photographs of your child's home learning through Reach More. This allows us to celebrate the wonderful learning taking place at home and helps children make connections between their experiences and their learning in school. 

Each week, we will share the children's photographs with the class, giving them the opportunity to talk about what they have done, share their experiences with their friends and celebrate one another's achievements. This is a lovely way to develop speaking and listening skills, build confidence and strengthen the partnership between home and school. 

We love seeing the children exploring, discovering and learning beyond the classroom, and we look forward to celebrating their adventures together! 

How Can You Get Involved? 

We would love families to join us in exploring the 50 Things Before 5 activities at home and in the local community. Many activities are simple, free or low-cost and can be enjoyed as part of everyday family life. 

You could go on a nature walk, collect autumn leaves, splash in puddles, visit a local park, make something together or enjoy a story in a new place. The possibilities are endless! 

There is no need to rush through the activities. The aim is to enjoy the experiences together, talk about what you discover and celebrate the little moments of learning along the way. 

Sharing Our Adventures 

We encourage children to share their adventures with their friends and teachers. Photographs, drawings and conversations about their experiences are wonderful ways to develop speaking and listening skills and help children remember and reflect on their learning. 

By sharing these moments in class each week, we can celebrate children's efforts, encourage their curiosity and inspire others to try new experiences too. 

Every experience counts, and every little moment creates an opportunity to learn! By working together, we can give our children exciting opportunities to explore, discover and develop a lifelong love of learning before they turn five. 

Timetable

What We're Learning

Details of the Reception learning journey can be found here: 

Reception - What we're learning

Autumn Term

This half term, our Reception children will begin an exciting journey of discovery as we explore the theme “This is Me!”. Through engaging, hands-on experiences, stories, songs, play and creative activities, children will develop their confidence, independence and understanding of themselves and the world around them. 

In Literacy, we will enjoy a wide range of stories and nursery rhymes, explore the Colour Monster, develop our listening and speaking skills, and begin our Read Write Inc. phonics journey. We will also have fun with drawing and developing our early writing skills. 

Our Maths learning will focus on recognising and subitising numbers 1, 2 and 3, counting forwards, and developing an understanding of cardinality and ordinality through practical activities, games and rhymes. 

As we learn more about ourselves, we will explore family and relationships, health and wellbeing, and emotions. We will talk about our homes, who lives with us and the places in our local community. In RE, we will think about belonging, different groups we are part of, and how people show their worldviews. 

Our wider curriculum will give children plenty of opportunities to be creative and curious. We will investigate signs of Autumn, explore the past and present, experiment with different art materials, colours and shapes, and develop our cutting and modelling skills through Design and Technology. 

Through PE, we will develop our physical skills by running, hopping, jumping, balancing, throwing and catching, as well as practising our scissor and fine-motor skills. In Music, we will experiment with a range of instruments, sing familiar songs and move in response to music. 

Above all, we want Reception to be a happy, nurturing and exciting place where every child feels valued, confident and ready to learn. We look forward to seeing our children grow in independence and curiosity as they discover more about themselves and the world around them.