Reception

Welcome to Reception

We have two classes in Reception who work closely together. Staff provide an

enabling and exciting environment to aid the children in their first steps in school,

and develop their skills, knowledge and confidence.

                          This page will give you information on how the children learn in Reception.                                           

RM Class

                                        Teacher: Mrs Mander                                          

Teaching Assistants: Mrs Lawes and Mrs Newell

RA Class

Teacher: Mrs Avery

Teaching Assistants: Miss Collins and Mrs Trotter

Mrs Starling teaches in RM all day on a Monday, and Wednesday Afternoon.

She teaches in RA on a Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning.

 Reception days are slightly shorter than the rest of the school.

Start time 8.50am

Finish time 3.15pm (If possible please collect your Reception child first).

Early Years Foundation Stage

The Early Years is the period of time in your child's life between birth and 5 years.  This is a time when children learn rapidly developing skills, language and knowledge in a wide range of areas. During this period your child will be following the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework which focuses on 7 areas of learning and development which consist of:

The Prime Areas:

• Communication and language
• Physical development
• Personal, social and emotional development.

The Specific Areas:

• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding the world
• Expressive arts and design

These 7 areas are used to plan your child’s learning and activities. The professionals teaching and supporting your child will make sure that the activities and experiences planned are suited to your child’s unique needs. It is designed to be flexible so that staff can follow the children's needs and interests.

Children in the EYFS learn by playing and exploring, being active, and through creative and critical thinking which takes place both indoors and outside.

The EYFS Framework has been updated for September 2021. You can find out more about it in the video and document below.

New EYFS - Parent Video 

Reception Baseline Assessment  

All Reception children take part in the Reception Baseline Assesment. This takes place on a 1-1 during the first six weeks of the Autumn Term. Please see video and parent leaflet below for more information.

Reception Baseline - Parent Video

PE

Our PE day is a Friday. Please ensure PE kits are worn to school on those days. 

• White t-shirt/ school PE shirt
• Dark shorts;
• Dark joggers/leggings and sweatshirt;
• Trainers - preferably with velcro fastenings

Forest School

On Forest School days it is important that children wear trousers that cover their legs, so that there is less chance of them becoming scratched. You may chose for your child to wear black/dark blue tracksuit bottoms or leggings. The children will then wear their welly boots with a waterproof or wetsuit depending on the weather. We will let you know when Forest School sessions begin.

Reading Eggs

In Reception, we would love your child to participate with the Reading Eggs and Fast Phonics on line learning programme. Please support your child to try the activities, games and watch the learning videos which will help to develop their phonic knowledge, blending skills and spelling. There are decodable books for them to read, stories for you to share with your child and printable worksheets for practical practise and reinforcement. We will be able to follow your child's progress through the programme and see their hard work. Encourage your child to engage with the Reading Eggs and Fast Phonics programme regularly for short periods of time. 

Tales ToolKit

In Reception, we use the program, Tales Toolkit. This is a fun and interactive way of helping children to develop their oral story telling skills. There are four key symbols that are used to help children develop their own narratives. Please see the website below and the parent information documents to find out more about this program. All parents in Reception can sign up to become members of the Tales Toolkit family. Make sure you have a look and begin your story telling journey. 

Reception Tours

The Reception Classes are housed in their own building on the main school site. The children in Reception have their own outdoor area which includes a bicycle track, mud kitchen, a woodwork bench, water areas, a construction area and an outdoor reading and writing station.  The children also have access to the main school where they can visit the library and have PE lessons in the Hall. The children are also able to access the school field for sports and the Forest School site. 

If you have any questions about the Reception Class at St Mary's School, please email the school office.

Early Years Websites for Parents