Home-School-Agreement Please read this document
It gives us great pleasure to welcome you to our school and thank you for giving us the opportunity to work with and get to know your children. The first year at school is so important, as it builds the foundations for your child’s personal, social and emotional development, as well as their academic skills, knowledge and understanding. They will soon feel that they belong – to their class, to their house and to the school community. With this, and their developing confidence, your child will continue to thrive throughout their time at Glenfall Community Primary School.
In Reception we endeavour to provide fun, hands-on activities for the children to explore within a safe, challenging and stimulating learning environment, tailored around their interests. This promotes motivated, enthused and eager learners as well as developing a strong sense of independence.
Promoting a love of reading early on is extremely important and we are passionate about exposing the children to a variety of authors and exciting reads, helping to deepen and enrich their vocabulary. By providing exciting opportunities for the children, we encourage them to be curious learners and problem solvers, as well as helping them to find out about the world around them.
Introduction to the Team
Working in Reception this academic year we have a very close team. Mrs Catherine Whyte is the Reception teacher, she has worked in our school in the Reception class for over 20 years. She is supported by Mrs Louise Hatfield who takes the class for alternate Wednesdays covering Mrs Whyte’s planning time.
We have a number of teaching assistants in Reception. Mrs Jo Allen works with the class every morning and Mrs Lisa Elliott joins us every afternoon.
This Term
Our topic this term is ‘Space’, we will be learning all about the planets and the solar systems. We will be visiting a planetarium and designing and making our own rockets to hang from the ceiling in the classroom. We will also be observing the changing seasons and learning all about the weather. We will be looking forward to Spring and practising our dance and song for the Easter celebration.
Forest School
This academic year we have our Forest School sessions timetabled for a Thursday morning. We provide the children with waterproof trousers and the children wear their wellies. We prefer the children to have their arms covered when we go to Forest School to avoid stinging nettle stings. We also occasionally head down to Forest School ,or onto the field, on other days to experience different weather. For this reason we ask families to keep a pair of wellies in school all the time.
Physical Education
Our PE day this term is Wednesday. We ask the children to come into school in their PE kits and with trainers on that day. We also like to get our balance and pedal bikes out on a Friday, if the weather is good, so we ask children to wear their PE kits on Friday as well.
Phonics
We use a phonics scheme called Anima Phonics to deliver our phonics sessions. It is a full synthetic phonics programme which introduces the children to phonic sounds with a mnemonic action and an animal mascot. In the Autumn term we introduce up to 4 sounds per week and the children will bring a colouring sheet home to complete and keep. They will also bring home four flash cards on a Friday to use for practice and word building at home. By the Summer term we are working on more complex diagraphs and learning to read our Rainbow words.
Have a look at these websites for some tips for reading at home!
Our Curriculum
The EYFS framework identifies the essential role of play in the children’s development. It is through both child-led play and play directed by an adult that the children develop confidence and relationships with others. Through play the children extend their vocabulary and develop their communication skills. Our curriculum is designed with this in mind.
Glenfall-Curriculum-overview-Year-R (2)
Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
In the Foundation Stage, a variety of structured play and practical activities are planned to help children develop in the following three prime areas of learning:
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development
- Communication and Language
- Physical Development
And the four specific areas of learning which help the children to strengthen and apply the prime areas
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Understanding the World
- Expressive Arts and Design
The framework can be found here Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) – Schools (https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/improving-the-quality-and-range-of-education-and-childcare-from-birth-to-5-years/supporting-pages/early-years-foundation-stage). We plan and teach this framework through topics that excite the children according to their needs and interests.
Gallery
Fire in Forest School
Fun on the Adventure Playground
Sock Puppets
Sock Puppets
Balancability
Roaming Reptiles