Reception Class

Reception Class is the first year of primary school, when the children have reached statutory school age.

The Reception classroom is set out similarly to the Nursery classroom. The seven areas of learning from the Early Year Foundation Stage still feature and the children still have access to all of the Early Years Resources within the school.

Initially Reception Class pupils continue to follow the EYFS programme. In addition, phonics are developed so that children learn blends using our preferred programme “Read, Write, Inc.” and begin to write words and simple sentences. The children develop at different paces, so there is always a wide range of teaching and learning within the class.

Soon the children begin to follow our primary curriculum. We deliver a whole-school, topic-based approach to learning. We use a major topic each term as a theme that unifies all the children’s learning. Moreover, this theme may be studied across more than one class, allowing for dynamic interactions between different age groups. Children enjoy a predominantly child led curriculum – within that, they attend Forest School weekly and learn a modern foreign language. Children are also given a reading book to take home to read with their parents. This is a great support for their learning and allows parents an insight into their learning.

Across Nursery Class and Reception Class, parents have access to their child’s individual learning journey by means of the online journal Tapestry. Here, our staff upload photos, notes and records of each child’s days in class, allowing parents to log in to view or to contribute to, their child’s unique journal.