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Reception

Reception Class 2025-26

Welcome to Reception

Helpful Reminders: 

Staffing 

Reception is taught by Mrs Dhariwal. Mrs Foster teaches in the Reception on Thursday mornings. The class is supported by Mrs Bhatti, Miss Gilbert, Mrs Evans and Miss Sinclair.  

Belongings

Please send your child to Reception each day with a named water bottle, lunch box (if they are having a packed lunch) and a small bag containing a change of clothes, which they can leave on their peg. It would be useful to have a spare pair of named wellington boots which can be left at school. During the colder months, please ensure your child has a warm coat with them every day. 

Please ensure they bring their book bag with their red reading diary and reading book into school everyday.  

Food and drink

Children are provided with a piece of fresh fruit each morning, so there is no need to send in a snack. A carton of milk is also provided in the afternoon. Please let me know of any allergies/ intolerances if you have not done so already.

For those children staying for lunch, you have the option of sending in a lunch box or ordering a school meal.  Please can you tell the children what they will be having! This avoids the unknown and helps them with the whole lunchtime experience.  

Please can you ensure that lunch boxes are nut free and any small items which may cause a choking risk, such as grapes, or cocktail sausages, are cut in half lengthwise. Juice or squash is fine in lunch boxes, but we do ask for water only to be in the bottle the children access throughout the day.

P.E

We have an outdoor learning session on Monday mornings and a PE session on Thursday mornings. On both days, children are asked to come into school wearing their PE Kit  with long hair tied back and earrings removed.

Library 

We will visit the library every Monday.  Please ensure your child had their book in their bag on that day so that they are able to swap it for a new book of choice each week.  

Tapestry

We use Tapestry, which is an online learning journey of your child’s progress. We will record any ‘Wow’ moments in school and ask you to add anything exciting you have been doing at home; whether it is a trip to the park, family day out or other special occasion. We give the children an opportunity to share these updates with their class, which helps to develop communication skills and self-confidence.  

The EYFS curriculum is broken down into the seven areas of learning:

Our topics in Spring Term 1 are:

  • Winter Wonderland
  • All Creatures Great and Small
  • Chinese New Year 

The EYFS curriculum is broken down into the seven areas of learning:

Communication and Language

  • Talk about seasonal changes during winter walks, encouraging your child to describe what they can see, hear and feel.
  • Share information books about animals, habitats and celebrations such as Chinese New Year.
  • Encourage your child to retell stories using their own words.
  • Discuss new vocabulary such as hibernate, temperature, celebration, tradition and zodiac.
  • Play simple listening and attention games.
  • Useful link: https://www.topmarks.co.uk/speaking-and-listening

Literacy

  • Read winter-themed stories together and ask questions about characters and settings.
  • Help your child hear and recognise initial sounds in animal names.
  • Practise writing simple words using phonics learnt at school.
  • Encourage mark-making: writing labels, lists or simple captions.
  • Useful links: https://www.phonicsplay.co.uk/resources, https://www.topmarks.co.uk/english-games/5-7-years/letters-and-sounds

We are also sharing the text Super Milly and the Super School Day by Stephanie Clarkson

The text, Super Milly and the Super School Day is shared, letters of encouragement for the main character are written and the concept of qualities and positive traits such as kindness and generosity being super powers is explored. The children reply to a job advert for a superhero before writing their own superhero story with them as the main character, but first they must decide what their super powers will be and who they will help. This is done through singing and adding to a superhero song, sung to the well-known melody of Ten Green Bottles.

 

For my information on the text please click here 

Maths

  • Count winter objects and compare groups using mathematical language.
  • Explore 2D and 3D shapes, especially when making crafts.
  • Measure lengths using non-standard units.
  • Talk about time and routines during celebrations.
  • Useful links: https://www.topmarks.co.uk/learning-to-count, https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/early-years

White Rose curriculum in Maths and the Reception topic overview can be found on the Maths Curriculum page.

For a more detailed curriculum coverage for the year please click here_

Understanding the World

  • Observe and discuss seasonal changes in winter.
  • Learn about animals and their habitats.
  • Talk about Chinese New Year traditions and the Zodiac story.
  • Explore maps showing where different animals live and where China is located.
  • Useful links: https://kids.nationalgeographic.com, https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/curations/chinese-new-year

Expressive Arts and Design

  • Make simple animal crafts, winter collages, or a Chinese dragon.
  • Dance to traditional Chinese music and explore rhythm.
  • Encourage imaginative play linked to winter, animals and celebrations.
  • Useful links: https://www.cbeebies.co.uk/makes, https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/school-radio/music-jack-and-the-beanstalk-index/zk6rkm

Physical Development

  • Practise fine motor skills through threading, cutting and using tools.
  • Encourage outdoor play to develop coordination.
  • Support simple cooking tasks related to Chinese New Year.
  • Useful link: https://www.topmarks.co.uk/early-years

Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED)

  • Talk about how animals care for their young and relate this to empathy.
  • Discuss how families celebrate events differently.
  • Encourage turn-taking through themed games.
  • Support your child in expressing feelings during busy times.
  • Useful link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/topics/feelin______________________________________________

Contact information

For general things e.g. lost jumper, wearing trainers because shoes are too small etc. please contact the class teacher using the messaging function on Tapestry.  

For more significant concerns or worries, please email secretary@nshprimary.co.uk

with FAO Mrs Dhariwal in the subject.

Any changes to school pick up should go through the school office.

EYFS Topic Map and Progression of skills 2025

Maths Pathways to learning:

Literacy Pathways to learning:

General links: 

 

  • Letters and Sounds Phase 3 phonic games to help children learn to read, write and spell.

  • Oxford Owl Packed with free eBooks and activities to help you support your child's reading and maths at home.