Reception

What we offer

In Reception, we provide a nurturing and stimulating start to school life, where children learn through a balance of play, exploration, and carefully planned teaching. Our environment is designed to spark curiosity, build independence, and support every child’s early development. We offer rich indoor and outdoor learning experiences, daily opportunities for creativity and problem‑solving, and a strong focus on early reading, writing, and maths. Children enjoy regular PE sessions, music activities, and time in our outdoor areas, helping them grow in confidence and develop a love of learning. Above all, we offer a warm, welcoming space where every child feels valued, supported, and excited to come to school each day.

What we expect

Children are expected to arrive on time each morning, come prepared for all-weather outdoor play, and have clearly labelled belongings, including wellies, waterproofs, and a spare set of clothes.

We encourage children to take part in a wide range of activities—from messy play to PE sessions—so being ready for active learning is essential.

We also promote kindness, curiosity, and positive behaviour as children learn to work together, explore new ideas, and develop important early skills. Our routines, environment, and expectations are designed to help every child feel safe, supported, and excited to learn each day.

What does my child need?

 -  Please make sure all uniform and belongings are clearly named. 

-  All children should have a pair of labelled wellies and a set of waterproofs in school daily.

 - Please make sure your child has a spare set of clothes in their bag everyday.

 - Please send PE kits into school to be kept on your child's coat peg.

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Framework

The Reception year follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework, which sets the standards for learning, development, and care for children from birth to five. Through a balance of play‑based exploration and carefully planned teaching, the EYFS supports children in developing key skills across areas such as communication, physical development, early literacy and maths, and personal, social, and emotional growth. The framework ensures that every child is nurtured, challenged, and supported, helping them build strong foundations for future learning.

Please go to our EYFS Framework page for further details.

Early Reading and Phonics

We use the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds phonics programme in Reception and Key Stage 1 to teach early reading. This programme includes a systematic and dynamic whole-school approach to teaching phonics.

Each Wednesday, teachers carefully choose and send home a corresponding Little Wandle book that is a phonetically decodable reading book, containing sounds the children have been taught. The books also contain useful questions for parents, when discussing the story at home.  The children are expected to read this book at home, returning it on Monday of the following week, to ensure success is shared with the family.

In reception these sessions start by week 4 of the autumn term. Children who are not decoding, do a little blending lesson, following the model set out in Little Wandle Letters and Sound Revised.

Children will also bring a reading for pleasure book home to share with an adult.  This book is to look at together with a focus on vocabulary and developing a love of books.  

Early Maths 

In Reception, we help children develop a strong foundation in early mathematics through practical, hands-on learning. Our maths teaching follows the White Rose and NCETM programmes, which focus on building secure number sense rather than rote learning or worksheets.

Children learn best by doing. They explore numbers through play, using real objects to count, sort, compare and represent quantities. Teachers encourage children to talk about their ideas, explain their thinking and use mathematical language as part of everyday learning.

Key concepts are revisited regularly so children can deepen their understanding and build confidence over time. By using concrete resources and meaningful experiences, we support children to enjoy maths and develop the skills they need for future learning.