Reception/Y1

The Reception Team this year are:

Mrs Dodson (Class Teacher - Monday - Thursday)

Mrs Gilby-Young (HLTA - Friday Morning)

Mrs Hawkins (Headteacher - Friday Afternoon)

Mrs Allison (Teaching Assistant)

Mrs Preece (Teaching Assistant)

January Update

We have been so proud of how well the children have returned to school after the Christmas break. They have settled back into routines beautifully and have come back ready to learn, showing enthusiasm, focus, and confidence in their learning from the very first week.

This month, we have had a strong focus on the Zones of Regulation. The children have been learning to recognise and talk about their feelings, discussing which zone they are in and what strategies they can use to help themselves. It has been lovely to see them beginning to use this language independently and showing greater awareness of their emotions and those of others.

The children are now writing their name every morning, and they are making fantastic progress with this. Many children are showing increased confidence in forming letters correctly and taking great pride in their work. This daily practice is really helping to build their independence and fine motor skills.

The children have shown a particular interest in learning about penguins, which has led to lots of exciting, child-led learning. They have created icy worlds for penguins to play in, drawn penguins, and added simple captions such as nest and fish, applying their phonics knowledge in a meaningful and purposeful way.

Alongside Drawing Club, we have introduced story mapping to help the children retell stories using sequencing words first, then, next, after that, and finally. Together, we mapped out the story Lost and Found on a large roll of paper, drawing pictures for each part of the story. The children were highly engaged and enjoyed working collaboratively, using the pictures to help them remember and sequence the events in the story.

We also enjoyed going on a winter walk on a cold, frosty morning, where the children looked carefully for signs of winter. They noticed frosty grass, icy puddles, bare trees, and chilly air, and enjoyed talking about what they could see, feel, and hear.

In maths, we have been developing our understanding of the numbers 6, 7, and 8, exploring the composition of these numbers in different ways. The children have enjoyed using practical resources to build, break apart, and represent numbers, helping them to deepen their number sense and confidence.

It has been a wonderful start to the new term, and we are incredibly proud of how confident, curious, and engaged the children have been in their learning.

We look forward to welcoming everyone to our Stay and Play session next Tuesday (3rd February) at 2.30pm and sharing some of the children’s learning with you.