Reception

Curriculum Newsletter 

Reception 

 

Welcome back Reception! 

Welcome back to another exciting term!

Uniform  

It remains essential that all children have a named coat in school every day and a named pair of wellies to keep at school would be very useful also.  Please make sure your child is wearing the correct school uniform and that it is clearly labelled to avoid confusion.  Uniform guidelines are outlined on the school website – please contact the school office if you have any questions.   We always welcome donations of spare underwear or clothes. 

Water Bottles, Snacks and Lunches 

All children should bring a labelled water bottle to school every day. It is essential that bottles contain water, not squash or juice as this supports the development of good oral hygiene. We promote healthy eating to establish lifelong healthy food choices. Reception children are provided with free fruit and milk for snack time. Healthy ideas for packed lunches can be found on the school website. 

 

PE  

Our topic this term in PE is Gymnastics: Jump, Roll and Balance! 

Please send in PE kits on a Monday to keep in school for the week in case of any changes. Children will need black shorts/leggings/joggers and a plain t-shirt in their house colour. Children will also need trainers. Jewellery: A reminder that only stud earrings and wristwatches may be worn to school. Earrings must be removed by the child or covered for PE. Please can children not wear bracelets or necklaces to school at all. 

 

GLF Curriculum 

This term our GLF Curriculum focus is Art, and we will be answering the question ‘Can I create a piece of art based on a period of history?  The children will be taught several artistic techniques and will ultimately select their preferred technique to create their own individual showcase art piece for inclusion in a classroom gallery. 

 

The areas of learning and development  

There are seven areas of learning and development in the Early Years Foundation Stage. All areas of learning and development are important and inter-connected. Three areas are particularly important for building a foundation for igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, forming relationships and thriving.  

These are the Prime areas:  

• Communication and language: the number and quality of the conversations they have with adults and peers throughout the day in a language-rich environment is crucial. By commenting on what children are interested in or doing and echoing back what they say with new vocabulary added, practitioners will build children's language effectively. Reading frequently to children, and engaging them actively in stories, non-fiction, rhymes and poems, and then providing them with extensive opportunities to use and embed new words in a range of contexts, will give children the opportunity to thrive.  

• Physical development: Physical activity is vital in children’s all-round development, enabling them to pursue happy, healthy and active lives. Gross and fine motor experiences develop incrementally throughout early childhood, starting with sensory explorations and the development of a child’s strength, co-ordination and positional awareness.  

• Personal, social and emotional development: PSED is crucial for children to lead healthy and happy lives and is fundamental to their cognitive development. Underpinning their personal development are the important attachments that shape their social world. Strong, warm and supportive relationships with adults enable children to learn how to understand their own feelings and those of others.  

We also support children in four specific areas, through which the three prime areas are strengthened and applied. The specific areas are:  

• Literacy  

• Mathematics  

• Understanding the world  

• Expressive arts and design  

 

 

 

Curriculum:

Reading and Phonics  

It is crucial for children to develop a life-long love of reading. Reading consists of two dimensions: language comprehension and word reading. Language comprehension (necessary for both reading and writing) starts from birth. It only develops when adults talk with children about the world around them and the books (stories and non-fiction) they read with them, and enjoy rhymes, poems and songs together.  

At our school, we follow the Read Write Inc phonics scheme to teach your children the knowledge they need to become confident readers and, eventually, confident writers. Your child receives daily phonics sessions. We communicate with you the sounds that your child is learning and send home phonics reading books weekly.  Please return these books every Friday.  It is essential that you hear your child read regularly as this can make a huge impact on their reading ability and in turn their writing skills too. Please write an entry in their Reading Diary each time.  

  

During our ‘Talk through stories’ sessions, (which provide the opportunity for children to really explore key texts, understand the principle of the story, learn new vocabulary and explore new characters), we will focus on one key text at a time which the children will become very familiar with.  

How you can support us further 

We are committed to working in partnership with our families and our community. We welcome parent/carer involvement in our curriculum and would be particularly interested this term in working with any artists working with any media and materials, or any members of our community who work in museums or galleries.  Please speak to your child’s class teacher if you would like to come and visit us. 

This term we have lots of sensory and artistic experiences planned.  We would like to ask for a voluntary contribution per child (payable via Parent Pay) to support this. We always make good use of unwanted items so if you have any kitchen roll tubes, pieces of soft untreated wood, corks, small boxes, washed yoghurt pots, old books or even toys, please bring your donations to class at drop-off.  

If you have any concerns, please do come and speak to a member of the reception team, bearing in mind that we tend to have more time at the end of the day as our priority in the morning is to settle the children and begin our learning. Thank you for your continued support – we are all looking forward to another exciting term ahead and partnering with you in your child’s learning and development. 

 

Mrs Tyler 

Reception Class Teacher