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)

October Update

We have had a wonderfully busy few weeks in Reception, with the children exploring a wide range of learning across the curriculum. They have developed their teamwork and communication skills through activities such as creating collaborative 2D shape pictures and completing jigsaws together, and they have deepened their understanding of the world around them through our Bonfire Night and Remembrance Day learning. It has been fantastic to see their enthusiasm as they share ideas, ask questions, and build confidence in their play and learning.

As part of our learning about Bonfire Night, the children learnt who Guy Fawkes was and why we remember the 5th of November. They listened to and joined in with the bonfire poem, “Crackle! Spit!” and loved creating beautiful firework pictures using chalks, pastels and glitter, experimenting with colour and pattern to bring their artwork to life.

We also marked Remembrance Day together. The children learnt that the poppy represents the soldiers who fought in the wars, helping us to remember and honour them. They created thoughtful artwork by painting poppies and making poppies using playdough and loose parts, showing great care and respect during these activities.

In phonics, the children are making fantastic progress and have been confidently applying what they have learnt during Drawing Club. Last week, after reading our story The Three Little Pigs, the children used their Fred Sounds to write the words pig, big, and bad. We are so impressed with how carefully they are listening to the sounds in words and how proudly they are beginning to record them in their writing.

In maths, as well as our Maths Mastery number work, the children have been learning about 2D shapes. They enjoyed going on a shape hunt around the classroom and outdoor area, spotting circles, triangles, squares, and rectangles in their environment. They also loved creating pictures using 2D shapes, using their imagination to build houses, rockets and animals. The children have learnt how to describe each shape and the differences between them, using the vocabulary – corners, sides, straight and curved.

The children have also shown a growing interest in playing board games, which has been fantastic for developing their turn-taking, listening, and communication skills. They have particularly enjoyed playing Buckaroo, Tummy Ache, and Smelly Wellies, and they have worked brilliantly together to complete jigsaws. It has been lovely to see them encouraging one another, sharing ideas, and celebrating each other’s successes.

Our weekly PE sessions on Friday mornings with Miss Gliby-Young continue to be a highlight. This half term, the children have been developing their dance skills, moving with increasing confidence and control.

We have also begun practising the songs for our nativity performance, which we will be performing alongside Year 1 and Year 2. The children are very excited, and we look forward to seeing you on Thursday 11th December at 2pm. Before and after the performance, we will be selling reindeer food made by the children to help raise money for new Reception classroom resources. Alongside this, we will also be setting up a ‘giving tree’. Hung on the tree will be suggestions of small, commonly used items that support our everyday learning

and play. If you are able to take a giving suggestion from the tree and bring it into school, we would be extremely grateful, as it will help to enhance our provision and support the children’s experiences.

It was wonderful to catch up with so many of you at parents evening and thank you for all support at home. It was also fantastic to have so many of you at our Stay and Play session on Thursday. We will soon be setting some dates for Stay and Play sessions for the Spring term and will share these with you on class dojo and Seesaw.

Best wishes,

Reception Team