Reception

Welcome

Thank you for visiting our new starter welcome page, we are really excited to meet you and your child and we look forward to you starting in September. This page features lots of information to introduce you to life in our Reception classes. 

We look forward to welcoming all new starters for a stay-and-play session which will also provide parents with an opportunity to meet staff.

If you require anymore information, please do not hesitate to contact the school office or speak to one of the Reception team in person. 

Mr Branscombe - Headteacher 

Welcome Video

Welcome to Reception meeting - video.mp4

Learning Environment

The images below show the layout of our learning environment: 

The Reception Staff Team (2023 / 2024)

Mrs Wharton

Early Years Leader Teacher

Mrs Yeomans

Teacher

Mrs Stratton

Teacher

Miss Simpson

Teacher

Mrs Fadlelseed

Learning Support Assistant

Mrs Ray-Moneypenny

Learning Support Assistant

Mrs Street

Cover Supervisor

Mrs Robinson-Burke

Learning Support Assistant

Daily Timings


The school office is open from 8.00am – 4.30pm. The office staff can help with queries regarding school dinner, uniforms, copies of letters, important dates, etc. All payments for snack, trips and uniform must be made at the office. 

If you are unable to collect your child and need them to be collected by a friend or family member please phone the office or tell a member of the Reception team. We value your child’s safety and will not let them go with people we do not know.

Meal Times

Breakfast 

Please make sure your child has something to eat and drink before they come to school so that they are ready to learn. Being hungry can affect children's ability to concentrate. 

School dinners 

Currently, a hot meal is free for all children in years R to 2. We will be asking children to choose their meal using our computer system each morning. We would be very grateful if you could help your child choose their meals to ensure they select something that they like! A menu will be provided at the beginning of each term. Packed lunch Your child may bring in a packed lunch in a named box or bag. Please pack your child a healthy packed lunch to suit their appetite. Please remember that the children only have a limited amount of time in which to eat their lunch, so only pack what they will eat. Any uneaten food will be put back in their lunchbox for them to bring home so that you are aware of what they have eaten. Please do not send food containing nuts, peanut butter, or any nut products to school. We may have children with life-threatening allergies. No fizzy drinks, glass bottles, chocolate or sweets are to be brought to school. 

Snack Time 

We share a snack every morning which includes fruit and milk supplied by the local authority. We also supplement this with other foods throughout the year, particularly during important celebrations such as Christmas, Easter, Chinese New Year, Eid and Pancake Day. This helps encourage children to experience different foods. 

Parental contribution 

To help us to supplement snack times and cooking activities throughout the year we ask if parents could make a contribution of £5 per term or £15 at the beginning of the year. 

Attendance and Medical Information

Please make sure your child attends school every day. We want them to learn as much as they can and build good habits for the future. 

What to do when your child is unwell 

If your child is not well we ask you to keep them at home from school until they are better. If they are suffering from vomiting or diarrhoea it is important to keep them at home for 24 hours from the last episode to avoid the spread of illness. If your child is not going to be in school please let us know as soon as possible. You can do this via the Studybugs app, phone or text. 

Telephone: 02392 341133 

Medicine 

If your child needs any prescribed medicine during the school day, please bring this to the school office. If your child needs regular medication, like an inhaler, please bring it in at the beginning of term so it can be kept in the classroom.

Curriculum

 The Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum is a play based approach to learning. 

The areas covered are: 

Learning happens both inside and outside the classroom. We provide many first hand experiences throughout the year and we have lots of opportunities to explore and find out. Children are encouraged to be independent, solve problems and make connections. We provide stimulating and fun activities that we hope will encourage children to engage fully in their learning.

Recording Children’s Learning 

The adults in Reception observe the children throughout the day. Significant observations are recorded by adults and then put into each child’s individual learning journey, Maths and English books. We use an online learning journey called Seesaw and you will be given a login so that you can look at these observations and add your own. We encourage you to be part of this process and value your contributions, so please share with us on Seesaw if your child has done anything they are proud of at home.

Working Together

Each half term we have a parent session that provides the opportunity for you to come into school and work with your child. It is also a chance for us to update you on what we have been learning in school and how you could help at home. We also hold parent’s evenings and the autumn and spring term to discuss your child’s progress. At the end of the year you will revceive your chilld's annual report. 

Once your child has begun to recognise letters during phonic sessions we will start to send reading books and keywords home. Please try to spend 5-10 minutes reading and practising the keywords every day. 

Top Tips: 

You can find more helpful tips on this great leaflet

Book bags

We ask that each child has a book bag to put their reading books and key words in. Letters and other items will also be put into your child’s book bag so please check them regularly. Book bags can be bought from the school office for £3.50.

Uniform

School Uniform 

PE Kit

Children need black shorts and a coloured school PE t-shirt. Children will be given a team colour and the office will be able to tell you which colour t-shirt you need to buy. If they have a sibling in the school already they will be in the same team colour as them. Children do not need plimsolls. All items of the school PE kit can be bought at the school office, including PE bags.

Transition Stories

Here are a few videos of key staff members reading stories - we thought you could use these as a way of introducing your children to staff members before they join us. If your child has been with us in our on-site Nursery, they may recognise some familiar faces!

Enormous Turnip.MOV

Enormous Turnip – Mrs Wilson 

Yuck said the Yak.MOV

Yuk Said The Yak – Miss Saunders

Shark in the Dark.MOV

Shark In The Dark – Mrs Ahmed 

1 is a snail 10 is a crab _ Becky Hussey.MOV

1 Is a Snail, 10 Is a Crab – Mrs Hussey

Guess how much I love you in summer - Miss Turner.mp4

Guess How Much I Love You – Miss Turner