Reception

Welcome to our class page. We hope that it helps you understand a little bit more about how we learn in Early Years.

Reception is where your child will develop their knowledge, skills and understanding through a combination of both focussed teacher led sessions and play based learning.

Teacher led sessions are taught throughout the day and aim to develop your child’s skills and knowledge in all curriculum areas. It is here that we come together in small groups to learn. Children are then encouraged to practice these skills and develop their knowledge and understanding through a wide variety of activities and experiences within our early years setting.

Play is very important to your child’s development and is an integral part of a child’s Early Years Foundation Stage. Children will develop their language skills, emotions and social skills through the power of play. Play also helps to nurture creativity and imagination and gives children a sense of adventure. Your child will learn in both our indoor and outdoor classrooms and in these different environments will explore and discover their immediate world. They will be given opportunities to develop their imagination, practice new ideas or skills taught and solve problems. Because it’s fun, children often become very absorbed in what they are doing and therefore develop concentration, resilience and perseverance.

The Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum is organised to take care of and develop the whole child and not just their academic learning. Our Foundation curriculum covers the following:

PRIME AREAS

• Personal, Social and Emotional Development;
• Physical Development
• Communication and Language;

SPECIFIC AREAS

• Literacy;
• Mathematics;
• Understanding the World;
• Expressive Arts and Design.

The prime areas underpin the specific areas and lay the foundations for children’s success in all other areas of learning. The specific areas provide the range of experiences and opportunities for children to broaden their knowledge and skills. 

Here are a few examples of how the toys and activities we have in Early Years will support your child’s learning and development:

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT – We aim to support children’s development by helping them interact effectively and develop positive attitudes to themselves and others. We help children to form positive relationships, manage their feelings and behaviour and support their self-confidence and self-awareness. 

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT – We teach not only the importance of continued physical activity through gross and fine motor activities but also an understanding of why healthy food choices are important. Gross motor activities such as playing ball games, dancing, running, climbing all help to develop body movement, strength, flexibility and co-ordination skills. Fine motor activities are provided to develop skills involving the hands and fingers and using smaller, more precise movements for things such as doing up buttons and writing.

COMMUNICATION AND LANGUAGE – We provide an environment for young children to express themselves and speak and listen in a range of situations, allowing them to develop their language and communication skills. Opportunities like role-play and collaborative play are provided to develop speaking, attention, listening and understanding.

LITERACY – Children develop phonetical awareness in fun and exciting ways. Rich opportunities are provided to explore mark-making/writing and reading.

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT – Mathematics involves providing children with opportunities to develop and improve their skills in counting, understanding and using numbers, calculating simple addition and subtraction problems; and to describe shapes, space and measures.

UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD – We provide opportunities for children to make sense of their physical world and their community through opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places, technology, and the environment

Expressive Arts and Design – We provide activities like drawing, painting, playing musical instruments, singing and role-play to give children the chance to express themselves in creative ways.

Learning Journals – Your child’s Learning Journal will document and celebrate his or her experiences. Over time it will tell a story about your child – his or her learning, friends, and the experiences he or she enjoys sharing with others. Staff observe each child at play because it helps us to understand and support their individual wellbeing and development. We really get to know the children as unique people with special skills, interests and ideas. The more we understand about your special child, the better we can support them in the way that is right for them. We hope that we can work together to build this Learning Journal as a record of your child’s Early Years.