Reception is a special time in your child's learning journey. It's a year filled with curiosity, creativity, and growth. In the Early Years, we focus on nurturing the whole child; supporting their personal, social, emotional, and academic development through a rich and engaging curriculum.
Our days are filled with play, exploration, and discovery. Children will be learning through hands-on experiences both indoors and outdoors, developing key skills in communication, early literacy and numeracy, physical development, and understanding the world around them. We place great importance on building strong relationships, fostering independence, and creating a safe and joyful environment where every child feels valued and confident.
We believe that learning is most powerful when it's a partnership between home and school. Throughout the year, we'll be sharing updates, celebrating achievements, and inviting you to be part of your child's learning journey. Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns. We are here to support you and your child every step of the way.
Curriculum
We are so excited to start our year with our BIG questions, 'Who am I and where do I belong?' We begin the term by talking about our families and things that are special to us. We learn about houses around the world and begin to think of similarities and difference between our own and other families. We start to think about communities we belong in and how people help those communities. We introduce RE by thinking about how Christians help other during Harvest and go on to think about other members of our community to help us. Texts we will be using this term include 'The Colour Monster Goes to School' by Anna Llenas, and 'People Need People' by Benjamin Zephaniah.
Phonics
Autumn 1 - Week 3 phonics videos: Read Write Inc. - Reception
These videos match the phonics learning in school this week.
We learn everywhere
At St Wilfrids we have a spacious outside learning environment as well as our indoor learning environment. The children will have access to both environments in all weathers. Please ensure your child has named wellingtons, waterproof coat and trousers at school at all times.
What is your child doing at school?
The Early Years team use an observation tool called Evidence ME. The app enables us to record those Wow moments in your child’s learning. The app also allows us to send you those special moments to celebrate with your child at home. Equally adults at home are able to share with us those wow moments at home.
Reading and Phonics
Your child will be given a book bag. Each Thursday your child will choose a story book to bring home and share with you. The books will be swapped each week on a Thursday.
We will begin RWI phonics as soon as all the children are in school full time. Once the children are familiar with a range of sounds they will bring home a reading book to practice the sounds they have learnt at school so far. Please ensure that your child brings their book bag to school each day with their books in it. Once your child is given their first reading book, they will also be given a reading diary for you to record each time you read with them. Your child will receive a certificate for practicing their reading at home.
Power Maths
In early years we use Power Maths. Power Maths enables children to explore number, calculation, shape and space and measure in a investigative way along side our child centred approach to all learning.
Home Challenges
At the beginning of each term the children will receive a list of home challenges, activities that we suggest they do at home. Each challenge will link our project questions and an area of the EYFS curriculum. The children can choose which ones they do and upload evidence to EvidenceMe.
PE
Within the Early Years Curriculum, we plan and provide opportunities for the children to develop their gross and fine motor skills as part of our continuous provision. We start PE after Christmas and have a weekly lesson on Fridays. Please send your child to school in their PE kit on this day.
Water bottles and Snacks
Please ensure your child has a named water bottle every day, containing water. Children will be provided with a fruit snack, if they would like to bring in an additional healthy snack for break time they can (e.g. fresh fruit, dry crackers or breadsticks, a bagel, raisins). Please ensure any snacks are both nut and egg free.
We are really looking forward to the coming term and hope the children’s enthusiasm and engagement will shine through at home. As always, our door is always open and we are happy to answer any questions or discuss concerns. Please do contact us on the Early Years email: YearR@stwilfrids-hh.school if you have any questions.
Many thanks for your continued support,
Miss Killick and Mrs Malcolm
