Reception Class Page
We have two Reception classes at Wheatfield Primary
RM and RB
Mrs Midlane (RM Teacher) and Miss Bendall (RB Teacher)
Mrs Goldstone (RM), Mrs Binding (RB)
PPA will be on Thursday afternoons. This is when Mrs Midlane and Miss Bendall spend time preparing and planning for the weeks ahead.
(During this time, our class teaching assistants will lead sessions linked to our topic, alongside changing library books with the children.)
Welcome to Reception
About Reception:
In Reception our teachers are Mrs Midlane (Class RM) and Miss Bendall (Class RB). Our teaching assistants are Mrs Goldstone and Mrs Binding.
What should my child bring to school?
Please label every item that belongs to your child including their school uniform and belongings i.e. water bottle. You could use a permanent pen or buy personalised name labels which you can stick onto their belongings. Your child will have a peg in the cloakroom where they can store their coat and welly boots. Your child will have a drawer in the classroom for their book bag and snack.
Term 4 Learning
PSED
At Wheatfield Primary we follow a scheme called Jigsaw. We use the focus for each unit as an overarching ‘theme’ for each term, linking this to our other learning, as we really value the importance of PSED in your child’s development.
The theme for Term 4 is ‘’Healthy Me!”
We will be focusing on within this theme…
-
- Our bodies
- Healthy food and food in moderation
- Balanced diets
- Exercise
- Sleep and bedtime routines
- Keeping ourselves safe and knowing our safe adults
- Keeping ourselves clean
Each day, when children demonstrate going 'above and beyond' by representing our school values, they can be 'In the Spotlight' on our class display. If they reach this, they will be given a special sticker. When they come home with this sticker, make sure to ask them why.
We are also encouraging children to talk about what they have been learning during their 'Choose and Learn' time. If you see them with a sticker about sharing their learning, ask them what they learnt today.
Writing
During Term 4 we will be continue to develop our oracy and writing through 'Write Stuff'. We will continue to learn how to build grammatically correct sentences and begin to record these with less support from an adult. We will focus more on our handwriting this term and ensuring we are forming our letters correctly but activities to develop our fine and gross motor skills will still be available in our provision. We are also supporting children in applying their Phase 2 and Phase 3 phonemes in their writing.
Our writing focus:
- Develop and strengthen our fine and gross motor skills, helping form letters correctly
- Develop our pencil control and grip
- Confidently write our own name
- Continue to write simple words, labels and captions.
- Begin to write simple sentences.
Reading and Phonics
We will be looking at books linked to our PSED overarching 'big questions'. We will also be enjoying our 'Fab 5' books. Each term we have five books that we read each week. On Monday we will read Lunchtime, Tuesday is Pass the Jam Jim, Wednesday is Grumpy Frog, Thursday is You Choose and every Friday we will read The Three Billy Goats Gruff.
Through whole class book talk sessions, we focus on listening to stories, asking and answering questions and orally rehearsing to develop our vocabulary.
We will have daily phonic sessions as a whole class. We have now learnt all phase 2 and 3 phonemes. We will spend this term consolidating this learning before moving on to Phase 4 next term. We will update you through Tapestry about which phonemes we are learning and ways you can support at home.
All children will now have a book coming home. Once children are secure in oral blending and start to read words, we will send them home with a phonetically decodable reading book. Books usually gets changed on a Monday. Please write in your child's Reading Record book and ensure it is in your child's book bag each day, so we can see the reading you and your child have done at home. Every day they read at home, it counts towards a read in our whole school 'Reading Bug' challenge. When they reach a multiple of 50 reads, they will go to see Mrs Carver and choose their own book that they can keep at home. We will only change reading books if they have been read 5 times at home.
Children will choose a book from the school library during our PPA sessions on a Thursday. When they return their book the following week, they can swap it for a new one. This is a book for you to share with your child together, not one you should except them to be able to read on their own.
You can continue to practise their word list and put this in the yellow box in the morning for us to check in school. We will then send home a new word list.
Supporting reading at home...
- Share their school library book which will be changed on Thursday's
- Read their word list
- Read their Phonics book (this has a green bug on the cover)
- Their reading book should be read at least 5 times before we change for a new one.
- Continue to work towards achieving 'reads' on our whole school ‘Catch the Reading Bug’ challenge. For every 50 reads your child will get to choose a brand new book to keep from Mrs Carver!
Maths
In Term 4 we will be covering the objectives of:
- Double and comparing numbers up to 10
- Complex repeating patterns
- Counting out loud to 20
- Combing groups to make a quantity
- Using the part whole model to support addition and subtraction
- Counting on and back from numbers to solve calculations
- Begin to learn our number bonds to 10
- Secure our knowledge of number bonds up to 5
Complex repeating patterns
We teach maths through class inputs, adult led groups and reinforcing the objective and learning in our provision.
Your child will have received their Silver Rings 2 booklet, which will have our termly objectives in. In this booklet, we have written suggested games and activities to support these objectives at home.
Each term your child will receive a new maths planet booklet which includes the objectives we are teaching in class. To earn a certificate, please upload photos/videos to Tapestry of your child engaging with the suggested activities in the booklet. If you have any difficulty with this please come and see us so that we can support you. The booklets can be kept at home and do not need to be returned to school.
To achieve certificates and badges, you must complete booklets for all the terms. If you have misplaced any previous terms booklets, please find a link to them below.
Bronze 1 (Term 1 booklet) found here = Certificate will be awarded at the end of term
Bronze 2 (Term 2 booklet) found here = Bronze Badge will be awarded at the end of the term
Silver 1 (Term 3 booklet) found here = Certificate will be awarded at the end of term
Silver 2 (Term 4 booklet) found here = Silver Badge will be awarded at the end of term
Gold 1 (Term 5 booklet) found here = Certificate will be awarded at the end of term
Gold 2 (Term 6 booklet) found here = Certificate and badge will be awarded at the end of term
Term 4 Wider Curriculum
Throughout our entire curriculum for EYFS, we always centre the needs of the children as well as their interests as the focus of our learning for our wider curriculum.
At Wheatfield Primary School we are very fortunate to have such fantastic outdoor spaces including our amazing onsite forest ‘The Wild Wood’. We will regularly be learning in the woods We think about and explore our four seasons and use our school grounds in all weathers, so it is essential your child has a waterproof coat and wellies in school every day.
We will also be exploring…
- Seasonal changes and the weather
- Nature Weaving
- Planting Seeds
- Nature Faces
During Term 4 the children will develop their confidence in self-selecting by using the classroom resources. We will be exploring the work of William Morris, developing our printing skills.
We also learn many rhymes and songs from Poetry Basket Spring Booklet, as well as enjoying the many songs on the BBC Teach website. (Nursery Rhymes and Songs - A to Z - BBC Teach)
In RE this term, we will be learning about the Christian religion and why they celebrate Easter. We will be learning about what symbolises Easter and learning the Easter story.
As always, we have overarching themes of the term but we also adapt our learning based on the children's current interests to keep the children engaged and learning purposeful to them.
Home Learning
How can I help my child at home?
Phonics/Reading
- 1 x School Library book each alternate week (changed on Thursday's)
Library books are provided to help children develop a 'love for reading'. The children are not expected to be able to read them themselves. - 1 x Phonic book each week (changed on Monday's)
- Phonic booklet
Your child will be provided with a phonic booklet and will be given strips of words to read (called word lists and common exception words). Common exception word lists need to be read by sight. When your child can successfully and confidently read their words put your booklet into your child's class communication box located outside of the cloakroom. - Phase 3 sound booklets This is to complete at home with your child.
The "Reading Bug" incentive - please write in your child's yellow reading record book each time you read with them. This should be a minimum of 5 times a week.
We will acknowledge your child's reading at home and these reads will count towards earning a '50 reads certificate' and brand new book to keep from Mrs Carver.
Maths
We recommend practising practical maths skills in a fun and playful way, weaving it into every day life - maths is all around us!
- Maths Planet booklet
Your child will be receive a maths planet booklet which has guidance on how to support maths at home. Their booklet doesn't need to be returned to school, but we would love to see photos of your child practising their maths at home on Tapestry! We will give out certificates at the end of each term for children who have had a go at maths learning at home!
How do we learn in Reception?
Every day children will have carpet time sessions consisting of daily Phonic, Maths and 'Book talk' sessions.
We support children through adult led activities as well as through child led play and have
access to the outdoor environment all day. Every child is provided with a weekly adult led writing and maths group session as well as being given time to read 1-1 with an adult.
We also have regular outdoor learning sessions inspired by Forest School principles in our very own onsite
Wild Wood! Click here to find out more about Outdoor Learning at Wheatfield.
Our Classrooms
Our classrooms are designed to create a calm, nurturing and homely environment, which research suggests is the best environment for children to feel safe, learn and thrive in.
We have lots of natural and 'real' resources which encourage curiosity, discovery, awe and wonder through open ended experiences.
Both Reception classrooms mirror one another with the same (or similar) resources purposefully planned to support children's learning and development. We have continuous provision organised within learning stations around the classroom (resources which are always available) as well as enhanced provision (new or additional resources) which are added in each week by targeting specific skills, with a focus always including early reading, writing and maths.
We use our knowledge of children's interests and abilities to engage them in play and to
'continue their learning when an adult is not present' during child led choice time. This develops a wide range of skills such as consolidating their learning, developing their levels of independence and their resilience.
Reception Spring Newsletter 2024
An overview of what we will be up to for the Spring term in Reception!
Tapestry
We use an online 'learning journal' known as Tapestry to track the achievements and interests of your child.
EYFS staff regularly update your child's journal and we strongly encourage families to upload their own contributions.
We often upload class notices and other important information regarding just Reception children on our Tapestry page.
Check your notification settings to ensure you receive all updates. If you do not have access to your account, please speak to a member of the Reception team.
Click the icon to log in or find out more
Communication box
We have a yellow communication box by our cloakroom doors each morning. Please put your child's letter and sound booklet/math planet booklet and any letters/notes.
There will always be one member of staff from the Reception Team on the cloakroom door each morning to greet your child, so if you have any queries they will be available to help and pass messages on.
Whole school notices including key dates and information will be published in the weekly
school newsletter.
What should my child bring to school?
Please label every item that belongs to your child including their school uniform.
You could use a permanent pen or buy personalised name labels from the internet which you can stick onto their belongings.
P.E Kit
Our P.E days will usually be on Fridays.
Please make sure that your child comes into school on a Friday wearing their school P.E kit.
*We will be starting PE once the children are all in full time*
Please provide a spare change of clothes in case they get muddy/have an accident
(Spare clothes: this should be keeping with the school colours - a top, bottoms, underwear and socks)
Resources for learning at home:
Writing and Phonic resources
Math resources