Reception Class (4 - 5 years)

Teacher: Mrs Julia Exley B.Ed Hons
Assistant: Mrs Sally Belson NVQ Level 3

Timings
8.50 am – 4pm Monday-Friday (3.45pm on Wed.)

Daily Routine
from 8.20am - School opens
8.50am - Registration
9.10am - Assembly
9.30am - Reading / Sound work/LiteracyFrench
10.15am - Snack time
10.30am - Outdoor play
11.00am - Maths activities / Topic work / Writing activities/ Child Initiated Activities
12.30pm - Lunch
Outdoor play
2.00pm - Creative activities (painting, clay, making models, role-play, pastels, drawing etc.)
Physical activities (gym, ball skills, dance and drama, swimming, yoga)
Child Initiated activities
4 .00pm - Home
4.00-6.00pm - Late service available with tea at 5pm.

Early Years Foundation Stage
In the Reception class we continue the Early Years Foundation stage covering the six areas of learning (Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Communication, Language and Literacy, Problem Solving, Reasoning and Numeracy, Knowledge and Understanding of the World, Physical Development and Creative Development.) We achieve this through broad-based topics such as Ourselves, Food, Buildings, Change or Weather. At the beginning of each half term, the class creates, with the teacher, a plan of work based on the topic and their interests. We believe it is important to give the children a voice in their learning.

Literacy
We build on the work started in the Nursery on sounds following the Sounds-Write programme. When your child knows all the alphabet sounds and can spell several words they start reading scheme books. These books are brought home each day to involve parents in the reading process.

We begin learning cursive writing by forming individual letters ready to join up later in the year.

Mathematics
We introduce the Abacus Maths scheme in Reception which we teach through practical activities and fun workbooks. We provide maths activities everyday in the form of teacher led tasks such as learning to write numbers correctly or addition sums as well as child initiated number games, computer programs, sand tray and building with 3D shapes.

French, Music and Games are taught by specialist teachers.

Indoor environment
The Reception classrooms are on the ground floor and comprise of two bright rooms containing different areas such as book corner, computer, craft table, painting easel, writing table, role-play corner, sand/water tray and work space. Our resources are clearly labelled and in easy reach of the children. We also have access to resources from across the Pre-Prep. including our well-stocked library.

The teachers direct activities in small groups and plan lessons carefully to meet each child’s needs. We use a wide range of resources and apparatus to interest and stimulate the children.

Children have plenty of opportunities to develop learning through a wide range of creative activities such as making cards on the writing table, making junk models of rockets, designing pictures on the computer, playing games and gardening.

Outdoor environment
The outside environment plays an integral part in the children’s lives and there is easy access from the classroom to our beautiful garden. We encourage the children to learn through outside play, gardening, chalking on a blackboard, painting the patio with water, riding on tricycles, climbing equipment, large sandpit and camp making.

Assessment
We build up an Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) profile for each child over the year by observing the child in their chosen activities. We record the child’s achievements on the profile and use this to plan the child’s learning. The profile forms the basis of reports to parents and is shared with the child’s next teacher.

If a teacher or parent has concerns about the progress of a child we are supported by an experienced SEN team who can advise and assess them if necessary.

Home/School links
We believe in close links between home and school. We encourage parents to take an active part in their child’s education coming into the classroom on a daily basis, keeping us informed of any relevant information, bringing in things associated with our topic and talking to the class about a particular talent or experience such as making pasta, cooking, violin playing or being a doctor. The children keep a journal to record events or special moments at school and at home providing a link between parent, child and teacher.

We keep parents well informed of their child’s progress through informal chats, regular parents evenings and an annual report.

Transition to Class 1
At the end of the summer term the class has opportunities to go into Class 1 to get to know the teacher Mrs Vian and the resources in the classroom. This enables children to move confidently into the next class in the following September.

Julia Exley. Reception Class Teacher