Welcome to Reception!

Each week we'll be keeping you up to date with a "blog". In addition to this, please read our half-termly curriculum map to find out what will be happening in Reception. 

Important information

PE - Thursdays. Please come to school in your PE kit on this day and this day only. 

Books - Change books on  Friday. Your child will come home with a library book every Friday and a phonics book every Friday.  Please make sure you have been reading at home at least three times a week. Please record any reading you have done in your reading diary. Your reading diary must always be in your book bag so that we can read with you in school. 

Phonics – We are learning all our single letter sounds. To help your child, please watch the videos on the phonics page of sounds at home with your child to help them with their sound knowledge. There are also Fred games to help your child with blending. Please log onto Oxford Owl to see what has been assigned to your child. 

Maths - Please log onto Numbots and practice with your child at home. 

---

Autumn 1 

Week 6

This week the children have been learning all about autumn and seasonal change. They enjoyed reading The Leaf Thief, talking about the four seasons, and spotting signs of autumn on our walk — from colourful leaves to shiny conkers. The autumn walk was a real highlight, with everyone excitedly ticking off items on their checklists and sharing what they found.

In maths, we compared groups of objects using the language of “more than” and “fewer than”, even when the groups looked different. The children are becoming confident at explaining their ideas and noticing differences in size, colour and shape.

We also visited the church for Harvest, where the children joined in beautifully with songs and listened carefully to the service.

On Yellow Day, we explored feelings and emotions, thinking about what makes us happy and how we can show kindness to others.

In PE and music, the children practised following paths, taking turns, and creating their own ‘witchy’ call-and-response songs — all with great enthusiasm!

Week 5

This week the children were very excited to continue learning the story of The Little Red Hen. They wrote ingredient lists and then baked their own bread to share together – a real highlight!

In maths, we explored small numbers by subitising 2s and 3s, showing amounts on our fingers, and using positional words to describe patterns of 4.

Our learning about the five senses began with listening. The children experimented with different materials to make their own instruments, then explored taste by trying sweet and bitter drinks and, of course, enjoying the bread they had baked.

In PE and music, the children followed instructions, played games safely, and practised harvest songs with great enthusiasm.

Week 4

This week we continued our work on The Little Red Hen. The children retold the story with actions, used story maps, and practised putting pictures in the correct order to understand the beginning, middle, and end.

In maths, we explored the numbers 2, 3, and 4. The children discovered that 2 is made of “1 and 1,” that 3 can be made of “1 and 1 and 1,” and that 4 is “four 1s.” We also compared sizes through the story Goldilocks and the Two Bears and enjoyed a teddy bear picnic.

We have also learned about our bodies. The children played Simon Says, labelled body parts and discussed what we use our hands, feet and legs for. In PE, we practised stopping safely and moving with control. In Music, the children sang, kept the beat, and explored feelings through songs.

In RE/PSED, we talked about the groups we belong to, including our families and our school. We had Mrs Pashley and Mrs Hodgson who shared about their important roles in our school.

Week 3

This week we started a new story, The Little Red Hen. The children joined in with actions, retold the story together, and created their own story maps.

In maths, we practised careful counting, explored sounds, and learned that the last number tells us “how many altogether.” We also enjoyed matching objects and pictures through fun games.

For art, we looked at Hanoch Piven’s work and made colourful self-portraits using mirrors. In PE, the children practised moving safely and following instructions.

In RE/PSED, we talked about friendship, shared ideas on what makes a good friend, and played games to show kindness and connection.

Week 2

What another fantastic week in Reception! The children have settled beautifully into their new routines and have been busy with lots of exciting learning.

We started of the week by practising sharing news, listening carefully to others, and reminding ourselves of our class and carpet rules. Everyone enjoyed introducing themselves again and talking about their weekends.

In literacy, we read a lovely story all about families and the story "our class is a family". The children loved talking about who is in their family, and they each drew their own family picture.

In Maths, we started our new NCETM learning on numbers. The children explored subitising (recognising small amounts without counting) with numbers 1, 2 and 3. We played quick-fire games spotting patterns of dots, showed numbers on our fingers in different ways, and hunted for smaller groups of 1, 2 or 3 hidden inside larger sets of objects.

The children have also explored feelings using the zones of regulation and talked about how all our emotions are okay. A real highlight was meeting Rosie the therapy dog, which the children absolutely loved! In PE, we focused on moving safely in space through fun games and activities using our new scheme.

It has been a busy and exciting week of settling in, exploring our new routines, and beginning our learning journey together. Well done Reception – what a brilliant start!

Week 1 – What a Wonderful Start to Reception!

We’ve had such a fantastic first week in Reception! The children have loved exploring their new classroom and spending time outdoors – the mud kitchen and bike track have been big favourites.

It’s been lovely to see new friendships beginning to blossom as the children play and learn together.

In Phonics, we have been playing lots of fun “Fred Games” to practise oral blending, helping the children to turn the sounds into words.