Reception

Welcome to Reception!

Reception 2023-2024

Miss Fisher

RFS

Mrs Ferdinand and Mrs Smith

_{^{Weekly Reminder}}

Monday - Home Reader to be returned (Reading record and Learning at Home book in school)

Tuesday - Library book to be returned

Friday - Monster Phonics book to be returned (Reading record in school)

Our topics

Autumn Term

Starting School

Autumn

Celebrations

Spring Term

Winter

Once Upon A Time...

Spring

Summer Term

In My Little Garden

Under the Sea

Summer Holidays

Reception News

Friday March 14th

It has been so lovely to see so many parents in school this week for Look at Our Learning. We hope you enjoyed sharing all the learning opportunities with your child.

In Phonics, we have introduced the trigraph 'igh' this week. A trigraph has 3 graphemes but makes one phoneme. We have been applying this grapheme in lots of different words - sigh, night, knight. The children also took home the Fluency Book 'The Queen and the Archer' to practise the grapheme 'er' which the children learnt last week.

In UW, we have continued to discuss signs of spring and in EAD the children have drawn spring pictures too. We have planted wild flower seeds in our outdoor learning area which will hopefully grow into a lovely wild flower garden. We are keen to enhance our outdoor learning area with plants and vegetables. If anyone would like to contribute any seeds, bedding plants or vegetable seeds for this they would be gratefully received!

In RBV, the children have been discussing special times. Please could you send in a photo next week of your child at a special time or having a special celebration so that they can talk about it in class.

In Maths, we have been practising counting to 20 in a variety of ways- 1s,2s and 5s and we have continued to focus on odd and even numbers.

In Deal, the children have been helping Grandma to make cakes and have even written their own recipe books!

Finally, a reminder that next week is parents' evening on Monday and Thursday.

Have a lovely weekend!

The Reception Team

Friday March 7th

All the children looked amazing in their costumes yesterday for World Book Day. They had a fantastic time talking about their favourite book, sharing them with Year 3 and looking at all the wooden spoon characters on display in the hall.

We have introduced the grapheme 'er' this week and the children have taken home the Fluency Book 'The Princess and the Toad' to consolidate the grapheme 'oa' that we introduced last week.

In Maths, we have been looking at odd and even numbers.

In Understanding the World, we have been learning about Shrove Tuesday and discussing our favourite pancake toppings.

We also introduced a new game 'Roll a Story' which will help the children to be able to write their own stories with a beginning, middle and end.

Finally, a reminder about Look At Our Learning next week Monday and Friday 8.25 -8.45am. This is a great opportunity for you to come into the classroom to see what we are learning and to talk to your child about what they like doing in school.

Have a lovely weekend!

The Reception Team

Friday February 28th

This week we have introduced the grapheme 'oa' ( Miss Oh No!) and the children have taken home the Fluency Book 'Ship in the Port' to consolidate their knowledge of 'or' that they learnt before half term.

In Maths, we have been learning doubles to 20 and making symmetrical patterns on butterflies.

We have begun our Once Upon a Time topic and we have looked at the key features of castles and how people lived in the past.

In Deal, the children have been detectives as there is some mischief happening in Once Upon a Time land!

We have been reading traditional tales and the children have enjoyed playing with our Jack and the Beanstalk puppets.

Have a good weekend!

The Reception Team

Friday February 14th

Happy Valentine's Day!

This week the children have learnt the new grapheme 'or' and have been blending and segmenting using this grapheme. They have taken the Fluency Book 'Snail in the Rain' home to consolidate the 'ai' grapheme that they learnt last week.

We have introduced a new game called 'Roll a Silly Sentence' which the children have loved playing. Perhaps you could make up your own silly sentences over the half term holiday.

This week was Safer Internet Day and we had a special assembly from Mrs Kaur to remind us how to stay safe on the internet, particularly regarding scams.

In Deal, the children have enjoyed sharing the Story Stick and have recreated the story of 'Lost and Found' with the children playing different characters.

We hope you enjoy looking at the photos of the children playing and learning in spring 1 at the bottom of this page.

Have a lovely half-term!

The Reception Team

Friday February 7th

Everyone looks great in black and white today to support Number Day and thankyou for your contributions to the NSPCC. The children are very excited about finding 100 penguins hidden around school!

This week we have introduced the grapheme 'ai' and the children have taken home the Fluency Book 'Curl Up Cat' to practise the 'ur' grapheme that we introduced last week.

We have all been authors this week, just like Oliver Jeffers! We have written our own versions of 'Lost and Found' and they are now displayed in our classrooms and along the main corridor in school.

In Deal, we have been focussing on oracy and we have been learning about what a good talker looks like. The children are great at shared ideas and taking turns to talk and listen.

In PSED, we have been discussing how to stay safe on the internet ahead of Safer Internet Day next week. We have also be focussing on not spending too much time on screens whether it is a phone, tablet or Ipad. Less screen time is very beneficial for all children.

Have a lovely weekend!

The Reception Team

Friday January 31st

This week the children have been introduced to the grapheme 'ur' and they have taken home the Fluency Book 'Green Frog' to practise the 'ee' grapheme introduced last week.

In Understanding the World, we have enjoyed celebrating Lunar New Year. We have decorated our role play area and we have tasted noodles and prawn crackers! We will continue this next week with dragon dancing outside too!

Next week is Children's Mental Health week and we had a special assembly this week from 3 visiting speakers who told us about how our thoughts can influence our feelings and our behaviour. We are also focussing on the school value of 'Community' and we are pairing up with another class to share ideas and activities.

In Deal, the children really enjoyed receiving a thankyou letter from the boy as we were able to send the penguin back to where he belonged!

Have a lovely weekend!

The Reception Team

Friday January 24th

In Literacy this week, the children have learnt the new grapheme 'ee' and have taken home the Fluency Book 'Brown Owl' to consolidate their knowledge of the 'ow' grapheme introduced last week.

We have continued with our focus book 'Lost and Found' and the children have written letters to the zoo asking if they have lost a penguin!

In Maths, we have been learning about more than, fewer than and equal amounts. The children were very good at suggesting ways in which we could share the counters out equally.

In Understanding the World, we had a special assembly delivered by Mrs Holmes to celebrate World Religion Day. We discussed how lucky we are to have so many different religions in our school community.

In Expressive Arts and Design the children have been learning about textures and layering with different materials to create winter collages. Once they are completed we will display them in our classrooms.

Have a great weekend!

The Reception Team

Friday January 17th

This week the children have been learning the new grapheme 'ow' as in 'now', 'bow' and 'cow.' They have taken home the Fluency Book 'Cook Book' to consolidate their knowledge of the 'oo' grapheme introduced last week. We have also introduced a new game of Car Park to help them to recognise the digraphs 'ch,sh,th,ng'. Digraphs are two graphemes that make one phoneme.

Please continue to practise all the graphemes and Fluency Books at home as this will help develop their confidence when reading and writing at school.

In Maths, we have been focussing on composition of 6,7, and 8 and 5 'and a bit' using a 5 dice representation. The children were really good at knowing how many more we need to make 6,7, and 8 if we have 5 already.

We had a special assembly on Wednesday from a visitor where we thought about kindness and how we can be kind everyday. We are learning a new song, The Kindness Song, as a reminder.

In Deal, the children have continued to learn facts about penguins and we have written our own penguin facts too. The children have learnt that the penguin in our book is lost but they need to work out where he has come from. Hopefully we will be able to reunite him with his family!

Have a great weekend!

The Reception Team

Friday January 10th

Happy New Year!

We hope you all had a lovely break and it has been so nice to welcome the children back to school.

We have loved playing in the snow this week and exploring the wintery outdoors!

We have learnt the new grapheme 'oo' this week, pronounced 'u', as in 'foot,' 'wool' and 'hood'. The children have taken home the new Fluency book Winter as we are looking at seasonal changes and what we notice about winter.

In maths, we have continued to focus on composition within 5 and the children are getting really good at recalling number facts within 5.

In Deal, we have introduced a new story about a boy who finds a penguin. I wonder if you can guess which book we will be focussing on this term?

Have a lovely weekend and keep warm!

The Reception Team

Friday December 13th

This is the last message of the year as next week we will be on our Christmas holidays!

I hope you agree that all the children were amazing yesterday in their production of 'A Bundle of Joy'. They showed so much confidence and enthusiasm and we were all very proud of them. They had a special message from Santa afterwards too!

We have learnt a new grapheme 'ar' this week and the children have taken home the Fluency Book 'Zoom, Zoom' to consolidate their knowledge of the grapheme 'oo' that we learnt last week.

They have been busy with lots of Christmas activities in the classroom and we will put some photos on this page next week.

Have a lovely Christmas!

The Reception Team

Friday December 6th

Thankyou for all your contributions for our annual Christmas Fair. We look forward to seeing you there tomorrow from 2-4pm.

This week we have continued to practise our Christmas production 'A Bundle of Joy' and we are looking forward to performing it for you next Thursday at 9.30am.

The children have learnt a new grapheme, 'oo', this week and they have taken home the Fluency Book 'Chip Shop' to consolidate their knowledge of the graphemes learnt last week.

This week we have been thinking about the special people in our lives and why they are special to us. We have also been recognising when something has made us happy and we have been putting happy hearts into our Happiness Heart Jar.

Yesterday, we were lucky enough to have a taster session from Jo Jingles who will be offering an extra curricular club in the new year.

Have a lovely weekend!

The Reception Team

Friday November 29th

Thankyou to all those who have contributed chocolate and sweets for our forth-coming Christmas Fair on Saturday December 7th at 2-4pm.

Please can you bring in your child's costume to school for the production of 'A Bundle of Joy ' if you have not already done so. We have sent an email to the parents that need to bring a costume in. If you haven't received an email then we will provide the costume.

In Phonics, we have learnt 4 new digraphs ( 2 graphemes that make 1 phoneme) ch, sh, th, and ng. The children have been playing a new game Zap It! to practise these graphemes. They have also taken home the Fluency Book 'The Big Quiz' to consolidate the graphemes they learnt last week.

We had a special assembly this week to launch 'Happiness Day'. Happiness is one of our school values and the children were thinking about recognising the things that make them happy every day. Both RF and RFS were rewarded with a Golden Bee for their amazing listening and contributing skills during the assembly.

In Deal, the children were really excited to receive a letter from the swan in Stickman explaining that it had lost its egg and the children had to find it. It was eventually found outside in the grass. The children then had to decide whether to tell the police or save the nest. They decided to save Stickman and rebuild the nest to protect the eggs!

Finally, a reminder that next week we are collecting bottles for the Bottle Bola and cakes. The children will be able to wear their own clothes as a thankyou for all the Christmas Fair contributions.

Have a lovely weekend!

The Reception Team

Friday November 22nd

This week we have been busy rehearsing our Christmas production 'A Bundle of Joy.' The children have worked really hard to learn their lines and songs. Next week we will be trying on their costumes. We can provide most of the costumes but we will let you know if we would like you to bring anything else to school.

In Phonics we have learnt 4 new graphemes y,z,qu and zz. The children have taken home the Fluency Book 'Fox and Box' to consolidate the graphemes learnt last week. We have also introduced the tricky words 'was' and 'all'.

Thankyou to all those who have brought in uniform and books today for the Christmas Fair. Next week the PTA are collecting chocolates and sweets for the Chocolate Bola, which is very popular. Don't forget the Christmas Fair on Saturday 7th December at 2-4pm. It would be great to see you all there!

This week is Road Safety Week and we have been talking to the children about how to cross the road safely and where to cross the road safely.

Finally, this week the children have taken part in the whole school Design and Technology days. They have designed a playground for a squirrel and they are making it today using all the boxes that have been donated this week!

Have a lovely weekend!

The Reception Team

Friday 15th November

We have had a busy week this week! On Monday we had a minute's silence for Remembrance Day and talked about why we do this. On Tuesday we wore odd socks for anti-bullying week - the theme this year was 'Choose Respect' so we thought of lots of ways we can be kind and respectful. We all looked super in our own clothes today for Children in Need! Thank you for your donations.

In Phonics we introduced 4 new graphemes - j, v, w and x and have been using these sounds to write captions. We also introduced new Tricky Witch words 'my', 'they', 'you' and 'for'. The children brought home the fluency book 'Up the Hill' to consolidate the graphemes learnt last week.

In Maths we introduced the concept of 'whole' and 'parts' and learnt that whole things are often made up of smaller parts. We investigated this with a jigsaw puzzle and thought about how we could see the parts that made it whole.

In DEAL we had a visit from a Story World police office who had received a letter from Mrs Stick Lady reporting that Stick Man was missing! Our home corner turned into a police station and we have been helping the investigation by collecting evidence and writing descriptions of Stick Man.

To celebrate World Nursery Rhyme week each class had a visit from the Reading Fairy and joined in with lots of nursery rhymes.

Next week we will be completing our first DT project, building some playground equipment for a squirrel! Please can you send into school any recycled cardboard tubes and boxes (cereal box size or smaller) to support with this activity.

Have a lovely weekend!

The Reception Team

Friday 8th November

Thankyou to those of you who have brought a picture of your house/home to school. There are some children who have still not brought their photographs in. If you would like to email them to school then we will print them out. We will be using these photographs next week.

We have introduced 5 new graphemes this week - f, ff, l, ll and ss. The graphemes ff, ll, and ss are double consonants and we call them double ff, double ll and double ss. The children have been applying these when reading cvc words such as bell, huff and mess. They have brought home the Fluency Book 'Mum's Hat' to consolidate the graphemes learnt last week. We have introduced the new game Car Park 2 to practice applying these graphemes when reading.

In Maths, we have continued to focus on comparison of number- more than and fewer than.

In Deal, we have introduced the children to Stickman and discussed his home and his family. The children have made stick pictures outside and completed leaf rubbings too!

Finally, we have been looking at why we wear poppies and how people will be commemorating Remembrance Sunday this weekend.

Have a lovely weekend!

The Reception Team

Friday November 1st

Thankyou to all the parents who attended parents' evening meetings this week. It was lovely to hear about how much the children are enjoying coming to school and how they are keen to share their learning with you.

This week we have introduced 2 new graphemes - h,b. We have applied our phonic knowledge to blend when reading captions - pack a pen, cat in a hat etc. We have also introduced the Tricky Witch words 'his' and 'has'.

Today most of the children will be bringing home a new Monster Phonics book which is closely aligned to the phonics that your child is learning. Please read this book as often as you want to at home and return it next Friday when they will receive a new book. If your child does not have a Monster Phonics book in their bookbag then they will have a reading activity specifically for them to complete at home. If you have any questions please ask!

The children will be starting their new Deal topic next week which uses the book Stickman by Julia Donaldson as the focus text. As part of this we would like the children to bring into school a photograph of their home if possible to be used for some Deal activities next week.

We have been discussing how to keep safe on Bonfire Night which I know many children will be celebrating this weekend.

Please can you remember to discuss the meal choices that you choose online with your child before they come to school. We cannot change any choices that you have chosen as each meal is made specifically for each child.

Finally, we have begun to practise our Christmas songs this week for our forth-coming production of 'A Bundle of Joy.' More information about this will follow nearer the time.

Have a lovely weekend!

The Reception Team

Friday October 18th

The children all look fantastic in their Superhero costumes. They have loved Superhero Day and will bring a Superhero certificate home with them today!

Thankyou to all the parents who have attended 'Look at our Learning' this week. The children have loved showing you around and sharing their learning with you.

This week we have introduced the graphemes e,u,r, and the children have taken home the Fluency book 'Cat and Dog' to consolidate the graphemes learnt so far.

We are sending home a copy of all the Monster Phonics handwriting rhymes today as some parents have asked if they can practice these at home. Please look out for these rhymes in your child's book bag.

In Maths we have been focussing on comparison with 'more than' and 'fewer than' within 6.

In PSED, Personal, Social and Emotional Development, we have been discussing germs and how to prevent germs from spreading.

In EAD, Expressive Arts and Design, the children have created mixed media autumn pictures which will be displayed in the classrooms.

We also went into the hall for our first assembly this week. It was a special Harvest Assembly and the children were able to join in with singing the 3 Harvest songs that they have been learning in Music with Miss Nolan.

There are new photos to view at the end of each half term. You will find them in a folder on the class page.

Finally, a reminder to sign up for a Parents' Evening slot which will be held after half term.

Have a lovely holiday!

The Reception Team

Friday October 11th

This week we have introduced the new graphemes o, c, k, ck and the high frequency words to, into, no, go, and the.

Please remember to keep practising the graphemes we send home as this will help your child when reading and blending words in school everyday. We also sent home the Fluency Book 'Dad's Map' to consolidate the graphemes learnt last week.

The children have been shown how to play a new phonics game, Car Park, which they have loved playing this week. This game enables them to apply their phonic knowledge in familiar words.

In Maths, we have been learning about composition of 3 & 4 and in RBV the children have continued to think about which stories are special with a focus on the Quran.

In Deal, the children have been asked to complete a Superhero mission by finding the lost cat. They have made posters about the missing cat and hopefully the cat will be found today!

Finally, a reminder about Look at our Learning Week next week. Parents and carers are invited into classes at 8.25am on Monday or Friday to enjoy sharing all the activities with your child. It is a great opportunity for you to see what your child enjoys doing in school.

Also, don't forget Superhero Day on Friday 18th October.

Have a lovely weekend!

The Reception Team

Friday 4th October

This week we have introduced the graphemes m,d,g and the children have been learning the high frequency words -and, dad and am. They took home the Fluency Book 'In a Pit' to consolidate their knowledge of the graphemes introduced last week.

We are really pleased with how many graphemes the children can identify and how many of them are able to blend CVC words independently!

In Maths, we have been creating AB, AAB and ABC repeating patterns. Perhaps they could make one for you this weekend. They can use anything they can find at home - fruit, buttons or socks!

In RBV, Religion, Beliefs and Values, the children have been looking at stories that are special and have learnt about the story of Noah's Ark.

In Understanding the World, the children have been talking about internet safety and how to stay safe online.

In Deal, the children have been introduced to the superhero Juniper Jupiter and they have loved designing and making their own superhero capes out of the pillow cases!

Finally, to celebrate the end of our Deal topic we will be holding a Superhero Day on Friday 18th October. The children can come to school dressed as their favourite superhero on that day. Please do not buy anything new especially for this event as the children will all have their own superhero capes to wear.

Have a great weekend!

The Reception Team

Friday September 27th

This week we have introduced the graphemes 'i' and 'n' and the tricky words - as, is, and I. The children have been practising blending CVC words with these graphemes such as pat, sat, pin, and tin. Please look out for these new graphemes in your child's word envelope.

In maths, we have continued to practice subitising to 3 and looking at the composition of 3.

In Deal, drama, engagement, active, learning, the children have been introduced to Professor Think It and they have designed their own Superhero capes. We have talked about what our unique talents are too! Please remember to bring in an old white pillowcase if you have not already done so.

We have continued to look for the signs of autumn and the children are learning a new autumn poem and an autumn song.

Perhaps they could sing it to you this weekend!

The Reception Team

Friday September 20th

This week we have introduced our new phonics scheme- Monster Phonics. The children have enjoyed learning the black cat letters -s,a,t,p and have begun to blend them into CVC words. They have also been learning the tricky word 'as.' They will bring these graphemes (letters) home in their word envelope today. Please practise these graphemes at home as often as you can so that your child becomes familiar with them. Regular practice at home will develop confidence when reading in school.

We have visited the library this week for the first time. Please return library books on Tuesdays.

We also enjoyed our first visit to Nature School on Tuesday. Please ensure your child has named wellies and waterproof trousers in school so that they can enjoy Nature School every week.

We will be sending home their first Home Reader on Monday. This is a book that you can share with your child. We do not expect the children to be able to read this themselves. It is an opportunity to enjoy the book together and it is accompanied by a sheet with some helpful tips which has been written by the Reception teachers. Please return the Home Reader with the sheet every Monday so that your child can get a new book.

In Maths, we have been learning how to subitise to 3 (knowing the amount of objects without counting). The children are getting really good at this- perhaps you can ask them to show you this weekend!

Also this week we have introduced DEAL - Drama, Engagement, Active, Learning. Through this children will be learning about Superheroes and will be designing their own Superhero cape. Please could you send in to school an old white, plain pillow case for your children to draw their design on by Friday 27th September. If you have any problems with this please talk to your class teacher.

Have a lovely weekend!

The Reception Team

Friday September 13th

The children have settled into school so well and are already making lots of new friends. We have been very impressed with how they have all embraced school life and have enjoyed staying for lunch too!

Thankyou to those parents who attended the Curriculum Evening last night. We hope you found it useful. There is a copy of the Powerpoint that we showed on this class page. Thankyou also to those parents who signed up to the PTA. Your support is greatly appreciated. If you would like to help the PTA in any way please let your class teacher know.

We have introduced the 3 bees to the children - be kind, be respectful, be our best- and the children have written and signed a class charter to remind us of how we behave in school. We will start sending our bees home next week with a child as a reward for demonstrating these 3 bees in school. Please remember to return the bee to school the next day.

The teachers have completed the statutory Reception Baseline Assessments with the children this week. Next week we will be carrying out activities based on our favourite books. Please remember to send your child's (named) favourite book to school on Monday.

Have a lovely weekend!

The Reception Team