Welcome to Reception 

Your Reception team will be working together to help you settle, learn and grow. If you are in RG, your teacher is Miss Gallop and if you are in RSG your teachers are Mrs Slobodianyk  and Mrs Goulding. Your Early Years Lead for Reception is Miss Gallop.

Miss Esteban and Mrs Doyle also support us. 

We are looking forward to getting to know each one of you and working closely with your families throughout the year.

Our topics for the Autumn term are ‘All About Me’ & ‘Light, Dark & Celebration’

Our Autumn learning begins with getting to know ourselves, our families, our class and the world around us. Through carefully chosen stories and purposeful play, we will build confidence, communication, independence and a strong sense of belonging.

Literacy

In Autumn 1, our core texts are Our Class is a Family, In Every House on Every Street, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt and Mr Gumpy’s Outing. In Autumn 2, we will read Diwali (non-fiction), Can’t You Sleep, Little Bear? The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark, Stick Man and The Christmas Story. We will explore these texts through talk, role play, drawing, mark making and writing, with lots of opportunities to use new vocabulary and respond to stories. Children will develop their phonic knowledge and begin to use the sounds they know in their reading and writing. At home, please share a book each evening and talk together about the story, characters, events and illustrations.

Maths

In Maths, children will develop a secure understanding of number through practical, hands-on experiences. During the Autumn term we will focus on matching, sorting and comparing; exploring pattern, shape and measure; and developing a deep understanding of numbers. Children will learn to recognise quantities and numerals, compare groups, notice patterns and explain their mathematical thinking. We follow White Rose Maths and revisit key ideas through our continuous provision. At home, you can support this by counting everyday objects, noticing numbers, comparing amounts and looking for shapes and patterns in the environment. 

Numberblocks

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/b08bzfnh/numberblocks - 

Phonics

We will be using the Read Write Inc (RWI) phonics programme. Children will learn a new sound regularly, practise saying and recognising each sound and learn the correct letter formation. As they become ready, they will begin to blend sounds to read words and use the sounds they know in their own writing. We will also support children to recognise the sounds in their names and hear initial sounds in words. At home, games such as ‘I spy’, oral blending and practising the sounds sent home are very helpful. Further information is available in the RWI section of the school website.

https://youtu.be/yln6PpV1G1I?si=9wDDVhA9dgjjJ-iR – Parent video – how to say the sounds

Religious Education

To begin with, the children will learn our class prayers and develop an understanding of prayer as special time with God. We will also learn about our class Saints (RG – St Therese and RSG – St David) We will be working to create our ‘Golden Rules’ for Reception. We will establish our class expectations together, helping children understand how we care for one another and live out our school values each day. At home, you can practise your class prayers with your family (please see the school website for prayers).

Through our Religious Education learning, children will explore God’s love, creation, family and belonging. They will have opportunities to listen to Scripture, talk about their own experiences, pray together and respond through art, music, role-play and reflection. We will also learn about important celebrations in the Church’s year, including Advent and Christmas, as the term progresses.

PE

All children will have a weekly PE session with Mr Bell. Please ensure they come to school in their PE kit on Wednesdays. The Early Years’ curriculum is designed for them to be active throughout the day, every day, and to be aware of their bodies and a healthy lifestyle.

How to support your child in Reception

• Share a story every evening and talk about events, characters, illustrations and new vocabulary.

• Count, compare, sort and group everyday objects, and notice numbers, shapes and patterns all around you.

• Please clearly label all of your child’s belongings with your child’s name. 

• Please ensure your child has a named water bottle in school each day.

• Ensure your child brings their book bag every day. 

• Arrive in good time every morning (gate opens at 8.35 and is locked at 8.55).

• Encourage your child to tidy up and look after their belongings independently.

• Help your child develop independence with everyday routines such as dressing, putting on their coat and managing their own belongings.

We look forward to working with you and your children this year.