Welcome to our Reception Class Page 2024/25

A warm welcome to Renoir and Morris class page!

Remember lots of our learning will be shared on Tapestry, (https://tapestryjournal.com/) but this page may provide you with a further insight into school life at Round Diamond.

Meet the team

Renoir Class - Miss Conroy and Mrs Mason

Morris Class - Miss Owen and Mrs Charge
 

Important dates

PE is taught every Monday and Wednesday

Children should keep a named kit at school on their peg. This is kit is in addition to their spare clothes bag which also needs to be kept in school.

Autumn 2 Coverage

This term we will be focusing on settling the children into their new school year.

Our key texts this half term are

Bonfire Night

Where the Poppies Once Grew

Big Outdoors, Little Explorers 

Hello Winter

Christmas Story 

Please see our curriculum overview attached to see more detail of our curriculum for this half term. 

Week beginning 2nd December 2024

This week in the children's theme learning they have been learning geography. Within their lesson they learnt about what maps are used for. They looked at old and new maps and compared their features. They noticed that the older maps did not have any man made features such as roads or buildings. 

The children said 

'I know this is old, I can see some hills but nothing else has been built yet.' - Samuel 

'This map has lots of colour, the other looks old.' - Ryan

'On this map there are roads.' - Robin 

Week beginning 25th November 2024

This week in our afternoon learning the children reflected on the month of November. They talked about the different events that had happened such as bonfire night, remembrance day, the school disco and many birthdays too! They all drew their favourite part of November and then 3 pictures were selected to be added to our November card. The November card was then added to our class calendar which we complete at the end of each month. 

Week beginning 18th November 2024

This week  the children were using teddy bears to deepen their understanding of composition. They had to share out 4 buttons between 2 bears and then were given an additional button to see what happened when they had 5 buttons. The children learnt that some ways to make 5 included 3 + 2 and 1 + 4. They know that each is a part and 5 is the whole.

Week beginning 11th November 2024

This week the children have been enjoying our child initiated learning time. Within this time we get to select activities to complete that the teachers have set up for us. Some the challenges this week included singing the 5 currant buns song with currant buns, parking the cars in he car park to spell out different words, playing harder to read and spell word splat, independent writing in the outside writing area and labelling scenes. 

Next week we will be continuing our maths learning on composition. 

Week beginning 4th November 2024

This week the children have learnt about the festival of Diwali. They watched a rendition of the story of Rama and Sita and also learnt about what happens during Diwali such as visiting the temple, giving cards and praying to the Ghar mandir. Throughout child initiated learning time the children had the opportunity to create Rangoli patterns and mehndi. 

Next week the children will be learning about Remembrance Day. 

Week beginning 21st October 2024

This week the children have been linking their learning to the story of 'Leaf Man'. They collected leaves in the outside area and were encouraged to look for 3 different types of leaves. Some chose small, medium, large whereas others chose yellow, orange and brown. On Thursday the children used these leaves to make their own leaf men! They thought about the types of materials that could be used to stick down the leaves successfully.

We hope you have a fantastic half term and will see you back in school on Monday 4th November 

Week beginning 14th October 2024

This week in our maths learning we have been learning about shape! We have been focusing on circles and triangles and finding them in the environment. We learnt that we can find lots of 2D shapes in our classroom and outside area and we identify triangles by having 3 sides and 3 corners and a circle is round! 

Next week we will be making natural art linked to our learning about the artist Andy Goldsworthy

Week beginning 7th October 2024

This week the children were asked to bring in old toys from their family. We had teddies, dominoes and spinning tops too! The toys ranged from a couple of years old to over 50 years old! We discussed who they belonged to and how we can tell they are old because of wear, fading colours and the materials that were used to make them. They loved talking about their special toys and we put them out on a table during CIL and pretended we were in a museum!

Next week we will be learning about 2D shapes.  

Week beginning 30th September 2024

This week the children have been developing their communication and language skills by asking questions. There were a series of questions for the children to answer and they had to ask them to another child in the class. They swapped partners every question so that they had the experience of speaking to lots of different children and developing their listening skills as well as their speaking skills. 

Next week we will be learning about old toys in our history lesson. 

Week beginning 23rd September 2024

This week the children completed some geography learning all about maps. They thought about the story of the three little pigs which is our core text this and they thought about how the pigs would have needed a map to get to each other's houses. They then spent time in small groups looking at different fictional maps. We concluded that maps are used to know what an area is like and to find our way!

Week beginning 16th September 2024 

This week the children have been exploring the use of colour for a purpose. The children had a plate of fruit and vegetables and used these to inform their choice of watercolour paint for their learning. They learnt how to use the water to 'activate' the paint and carefully used their brushes to apply the paint gently so they did not rip their paper. 

Next week the children will be learning about fictional maps! 

Week beginning 9th September 2024

This week in maths the children have been learning about different routines. As a class the routine of the day was discussed as well as the routines that happen at home. The children acted out their routines from home such as getting dressed, brushing their teeth and eating breakfast!

Next week the children will be using colours for a purpose in their afternoon theme learning!

Week beginning 2nd September 2024

This week the children have been settling into life in reception! They have learnt all of our new routines including rolling snack, lunchtime and how to transition from child initiated learning into our maths, literacy, phonics and theme learning. The children have been brilliant at displaying Round Diamond behaviours already and we are excited for the year ahead!

2023-2024

Week beginning 15th July 2024 

This week the children have been geographers! They looked at a range of maps of different settings including old maps. The children discussed how the older maps didn't have buildings and roads on. Then, they looked at a map of our outdoor area and they had to find 3 different locations marked on their map, as pairs they used their knowledge of the outside area to find the locations and were so excited when they reached their destination! 

Week beginning 8th July 2024

This week we have been preparing for year 1 with some transitional learning. We used squared paper from the year 1 maths books to practise writing our numbers; one per box! We also enjoyed our move up day and meet the teacher events to prepare us for the new academic year. 

Week beginning 1st July 2024

This week we have been completing a range of CIL including making different flags out of peg boards for the Euros, making harder to read and spell word fans, playing the lazy-Suzanne word writing game and sorting odd and even sweets! The children have loved  immersing themselves in these activities and are so independent in using the resources. 

Week beginning 24th June 2024

This week the children have continued their learning about Hawaii and have made their own leis and had a go at their Hawaiin Hula dancing! They practised kahalo, hela, ka'o and 'ami and loved learning about how to move their hands and feet to the music. 

Next week the children will be starting their new theme of dinosaurs leading up to the end of the school year!

Week beginning 17th June 2024

This week we have been learning about different places around the world through books. We looked at non-fiction books and found images of maps, flags, food and landscapes to help us learn more about the country the book was about. Then, we learned specifically about Hawaii and made some posters showcasing the beautiful Islands!

Week beginning 10th June 2024

This week the children have been completing observational drawings of the outside area and of natural objects such as flowers. The children had to think about the features of the object and the shapes they needed to use to make it look realistic. As a next step challenge, some children labelled their picture using the appropriate vocabulary. 

Next week we will be starting our next book of the week 'How to Catch a Rainbow' and the children will be learning about the rainbow state, Hawaii!

Week beginning 3rd of June 2024

This week the children took part in Sport's Day! They were engaged with all of the challenges as they moved around the all weather pitch and were keen to show off their sporting skills such as throwing, balance, sprinting, hopping and jumping. Well done to all of those who took part and well done to our sprinting champions!

Week beginning 20th March 2024

This week we have been looking at 3D shapes in the outside area. We noticed that the most common 3D shapes were cylinders and cuboids but we could hardly find any cubes or spheres! For the whole week we had been learning about 3D shapes in the classroom and made models with the smaller 3D shapes. 

We hope you have a fantastic half term break, we will see you back in school on Tuesday 4th June. 

Week beginning 13th May 2024

This week we have been learning about old and new toys. The children thought about the toys that they use in their homes now and then had a look at some toys from their parents, grandparents and even great grandparents! We talked about the materials that the toys were made from such as wood, metal and cotton. The children loved sharing their toys. 

Week beginning 6th May 2024

This week in PE the children have been learning new ball skills. The children have learnt to throw and catch a ball for themselves and to each other. The children learnt the skills such as keeping their eye on the ball and using open hands to catch. 

Week beginning 29th April 2024

This week the children learnt about India. They looked at where India is on a map and even had a go at trying some Indian foods such as basmati rice and naan bread. The children loved the foods they tried, even the children who were a little unsure had a go and some children made links to their home lives having tried those foods before. 

Week beginning 22nd April 2024

This week the children have been learning the skill of subtraction using a range of resources to practise this skill. The children took away resources and then found the new total. Some children had the challenge of recording their answers on a number sentence.  

Week beginning 15th April 2024

This week we have been enjoying the sunshine! We have been learning scientifically, using our outdoor environment to enhance our experiences. We explored forces using the cars and ramps, searched for mini beasts and learnt about sinking and floating in the water area. As we start to enter Spring we are excited to see all of the changes we will observe in our outdoor area!

Week beginning 25th March 2024

This week we have been learning about sharing amounts between two. We had some 'Easter Eggs' and shared them between the two Easter bunnies! The children had to think about the system of one for me and one for you until they had all been shared out. As a next step challenge they had to check the amount and write the numeral. 

We have had another fantastic half term, we hope you all have a wonderful Easter break.

Week beginning 18th March 2024

This week in literacy the children have been reading the story of Jack and the Jellybean Stalk. This story links with our text Jack and the Beanstalk and the children have loved seeing how this story differs. As part of their learning the children labelled pages from the book using their phonetic knowledge. 

Next week we will be having our Easter Stay and Play with our grown ups - we can't wait!

Week beginning 11th March 2024

This week the children have been immersed in fairy tales! Within child initiated learning the children have been making crowns, counting out magic beans, building towers for Rapunzel and creating scale patterns on Ariel's fish friends! The books that children have enjoyed listening to include Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, The Three Little Pigs and Goldilocks and the Three Bears. 

Week beginning 4th March 2024

This week in PE the children have been developing their ball skills by throwing, catching and kicking. They were encouraged to keep their eyes on the ball. Next week the children will be immersed in fairy tales. I wonder how many fairy tales your child knows? 

Week beginning 26th February 2024

This week the children have been learning about where in the world they live linked to our book of the week 'The Way Back Home' by Oliver Jeffer.They learnt about the United Kingdom, Stevenage and Great Ashby. The children then learnt about other planets in our solar system. They learnt that the sun is a star that gives energy through light and heat. The children then created their own planets using watercolour paints and poster paints. 

Next week the children will be continuing their learning on Space. 

Week beginning 12th February 2024

As part of the children's learning about the world and other cultures they tried some Chinese food that was kindly given to us by Fortune's Place (the local Chinse in Great Ashby). They tried egg fried rice, veggie spring rolls and prawn crackers. The children loved trying this new food and some of the children had tried to before!

Week beginning 5th February 2024

This week in maths the children have been learning about their number bonds to 10. They have learnt the number bonds song '9 and 1 are number bonds, 8 and 2 are friends, 7 and 3, 6 and 4, 5 and 5 are twins.' The children used numicon to find their number bond friend and some children even had a go at writing the number sentences! Next week we will be learning about Chinese New Year, Pancake Day and Valentines Day. 

Week beginning 29.01.2024

This week we have been looking at things from the past. We looked at a mixture of objects and photos and talked about the changes we noticed between today and in the past. The children thought about the way the photos had been taken, the materials that were used and the way things worked. 

Next week we will start our new theme of Chinese New Year and we will be learning about this celebration. 

Week beginning 22nd January 2024

This week in our afternoon learning we have been learning about making healthy food choices. The children learnt about the different food groups and we discussed what  healthy meal could look like. During CIL one of the challenges was to sort the healthy and unhealthy foods. As a class we discussed that all foods are fine in moderation and treats are an important part of a balanced diet too! 

Week beginning 15th January 2024

This week we have been retelling the story of Perfectly Norman. The children used the story map that we had created as a class to retell a story with a friend. They used the emotions words they had used such as shocked, nervous, happy, sad and excited as they retold the story and took it in turns to tell different parts. 

Next week the children will be learning about healthy food choices and creating a balanced plate of food. 

Week beginning 8th January 2024

Happy New Year! Welcome back to school! This week the children are straight back into their maths learning with identifying more and less. The children have learnt that more means a larger amount and less means a smaller amount. We have learnt that even if a set of objects are bigger it doesn't mean there is more! The children looked at two groups and identified which had more and which had less, some children had concrete resources to support their understanding of this concept. 

Week beginning 11th December 2023

This week the children have enjoyed consolidating their reading skills in their phonics review lessons. Each review lesson has a reading section where the children use all the skills they have learnt in phonics to read independently. We encourage a reading finger to point out digraphs, trigraphs and harder to read and spell words and it has been wonderful seeing their reading become fluent. 

Week beginning 4th December 2023

This week the children had a special visitor from St Nicholas' church Revd Keene. He taught the children the story of the birth of Jesus and discussed ways in which Christians celebrate Christmas. The children learnt names such as Mary, Joseph and Jesus. 

Week beginning 27th November 2023

This week the children learnt about winter! They learnt about how autumn signs starts to fade as we move into winter and they were excited to see lots of ice and frost in the outdoor area. On one of the tuff trays we had ice and the children thought about ways to melt it. They used warm water, their hands and dragged the tuff tray into the sun to help melt the ice!

Week beginning 20th November 2023

This week the children have been continuing their learning of segmenting and blending when writing. The children have been sounding out CVC words and some children have started writing captions too!

Next week the children will be learning about a new book all about winter!

Week beginning 13th November 2023

This week we were lucky to have Sporting Futures in to deliver one of our PE sessions. The children learnt about Children in Need and played group games which included the character of Pudsey Bear! The children showed energy and excitement during this lesson and used team work to complete all the challenges that were set. 

Week beginning 6th November 2023

This week the children have been learning all about Remembrance day. As part of this learning the children made poppy biscuits. They learnt about following a recipe, measuring and mixing ingredients and decoration too! The children talked about the different textures they could feel as they touched the flour and sticky mixture and said they smelled delicious as they baked in the oven.

Next week our learning will move onto woodland animals. 

Week beginning 30th October 2023

This week we have been learning about bonfire night. We have linked all of our learning to this including making fireworks, learning about Guy Fawkes and learning about bonfire night safety! Next week we have our Autumn walk on Monday at approximately 9:10 and it will last roughly an hour/hour and a half. Please ensure you have emailed admin to state who will be attending with your child. 

Week beginning 16th October 2023

This week we were using our senses to explore the outside area. We thought about our sense of hearing and used this to see what autumnal sounds. The children listened carefully and heard the wind, the trees rustling, the crunchy leaves, the cars and the aeroplanes! We discussed how we couldn't hear the nocturnal animals as they are sleeping so we looked at videos of these to see what noises they made, we were surprised at some of the funny noises they make!

Have a fantastic half term! After half term we will be learning about Bonfire night!

Week beginning 9th October 2023

This week in maths we had a teddy bear's picnic! The children all had a bear, some bears were big, some small and some medium. We told a story about how the bears would like a cup of tea, cake and a blanket for if it gets cold! The children had to problem solve in their groups to ensure each bear had the correct item. 

Next week we will continue our autumnal learning.

Please remember to book your parent consultation for Monday 16th or Tuesday 17th of October. 

Week beginning 2nd October 2023 

We have been so busy in our literacy learning this week!

As a group we sorted some objects into the corresponding grapheme groups. Our independent learning included cutting out images linked to the story such as 'puff' and 'pig' and ensuring they were in the correct column using our knowledge of initial sounds. 

We continue to use our phonics in our literacy learning to consolidate all of the sounds we have learnt and apply these to different activities. 

Next week we will start learning about the story of 'Leaf Man' by Lois Ehlert. 

Week beginning 25th September 2023

This week we focused on independence, therefore we set the children the challenge of changing their shoes by themselves during PE. The children had special stickers in their shoes to ensure they put them onto the correct feet. They were so proud of their achievements and we will continue to promote this level of independence. It would be fantastic if your child could practise this skill at home so that they can be independently putting on their shoes.

Next week we will be continuing our learning linked to our core test 'The Three Little Pigs.' 

Week beginning 18th September 2023

We wanted to share our lovely weekly celebration. Every week we play the song 'Proud' by Heather Small and the children sit excitedly and wait to hear who has won the blue rosette. We celebrate the child who has won with a big round of applause! Manners certificates are also given to the children who have shown outstanding manners, these can be given by any teacher in the school!

Week beginning 11th September 2023 

This week the children have been learning how to create different patterns. They explored zig-zags, stripes, dots and many more patterns. They used super pincer grip to create their own patterns onto flower petals.

In their maths learning the children made 'rainbow numbers' by selecting 3 colours and using the number guide to write their age.

Next week the children in reception will be exploring different types of homes and discussing who lives in their house. 

Week beginning 4th September 2023

This week in reception we have welcomed the children into their new classrooms. They have explored all of the areas of their new learning environments and have been learning the expectations of being in reception. Next week we will start literacy and maths learning which will be linked to our core text 'What makes me a me.' 

Please remember if you have not brought in a named puddle suit, wellies, spare clothes and PE kits please do this as soon as possible.

2022-2023

Week beginning 10th July 2023

Transition

This week in Reception the children met their new Year 1 teachers. They were so excited to get to know them and see their new classrooms. 

After the transition morning on Thursday the children drew a picture of themselves with their new class teacher.

Week beginning 3rd July 2023

2D Shapes

This week in maths the children have been learning about 2D shapes. The children have become very confident in identfying 2D shapes and can describe each shapes properties. 

The children have enjoyed exploring with the 2D shapes to create pictures. The children considered carefully about which shapes and their properties would be a choice choice and fit to make a final design. 

Week beginning 26th June 2023

Mug Cakes

In Reception the children have been enjoying reading the book ‘Chocolate Cake’ by Michael Rosen. They have all been getting very hungry thinking about chocolate cake every day 😋

In our topic learning today, the children had a go at making their own chocolate cakes in a mug 😍 the children followed a recipe, adding the ingredients into their individual cup. They then cooked them in the microwave. They smelt amazing!

Week beginning 19th June 2023

Healthy Eating 

This week in Reception the children have been speaking about healthy eating, discussing the benefits of healthier food choices. 

During CIL, the children were able to design a 'fruit kebab' using felt tip pens to draw which fruits they like. Using this plan, the children made their fruit kebab out of play dough. 

The children also had a go at creating a 'healthy lunch' box, they were encouraged to choose a variety of food from different food groups. 

Week beginning 12th June 2023

On the farm 

This week in Reception the children have been learning about life on the farm. The children learnt about the different animals that live on the farm and their young and where each of these animals live on the farm. During CIL, the children drew pictures of farm animals and their young and also had a go at matching each animal to the right home. 

They have also enjoyed creating their own narratives about life on the farm on the small world.

Week beginning 6th February 2023
🌟Cross-Curricular days🌟

This week in Reception the children have enjoyed taking part in the 'Inspirational People' cross-curricular days. 

On Tuesday the children met Darren Edwards who was a former mountaineer and was paralysed from the waist down in a climbing accident. Darren spoke to the children about how he has since found "strength through diversity" and has not given up on his dreams of exploring.

On Wednesday the children met Paul Sturgess. He is officially recognised as being the 'World's Tallest Basketball Player', with his height measuring 7ft8in. The children were in awe of Paul's basketball abilities and had a go at replicating these in their outdoor learning. 

The children also thought about what skills and attributes they have which are 'inspirational' and makes them unique.

Week beginning 22nd May 2023

🐻 Toys 🐻

This week the children enjoyed bringing in a special toy from home after comparing toys from the past and now in their theme learning. Many children spoke so confidently about the special toys from home and enjoyed playing carefully with each others toys.

Week beginning 15th May 2023

🤔 Real or nonsense? 🤔

The children in Reception have been enjoying one of the tuff spot challenges outside this week. They have to use their segmenting and blending skills to read the words on the coins and then decide whether they are ‘real’ or ‘nonsense’ words. Once they have decided if the word is real or nonsense they have to either put it in the ‘bin’ or in the treasure ‘treasure chest’ representing whether it is a real or nonsense word.

Week beginning 8th May 2023

🌟 Celebration assembly 🌟

This week the Reception children went to their first whole school celebration assembly. They behaved impeccably and made all of the staff at Round Diamond feel extremely proud.

Week beginning 1st May 2023

Celebrating

This week we have been discussing the upcoming celebration of the Kings coronation and discussing different ways the coronation may be being celebrated across the country.

The children have decided that in Renoir they would like to celebrate the kings coronation by having our very own street party in the role play area!

In CIL, the children have been busy painting bunting to decorate our 'street party' role play area.

Week beginning 24th April 2023
💬 Message in a jar 💬

During CIL, the children have been writing special messages to put in the jar that was going to be thrown out to sea.

Once the children had finished writing their message, they had to roll it up and tie it with some string. Then they posted their message in the jar ready to go out to sea very soon! 🌊

Week beginning 17th April 2023

🐚 Switching it 🐚

During CIL, we had an exciting maths challenge.

First the children had to use their subitising skills to see how many shells were in the bowl. Then they had to write and solve the number sentence using the shells that they had chosen.

As a next step 👣 the children had a go at ‘switching it’ (adding the same numbers but in the other order) to find the same total. The children used the bowls of shells to switch their number sentence and then they recorded the new number sentence accurately on their whiteboards.

Week beginning 27th March 2023

✍️ Writing ✍️

This half term in reception we have been focussing on our independent writing in literacy.

This week, the children completed some independent sentence writing in literacy. First, the adult said the sentence, then the children counted the number of words in the sentence using their counting fingers and finally the children went to their tables to write their sentence independently.

Keep being determined to improve your writing Reception 🌟

Week beginning 20th March 2023

🥕 🐰 🐣 Easter Stay and Play 🐣 🐰 🥕

This week the children had an 'eggciting' time taking part in their stay and play.

Thank you so much for joining us. We hope you had lots of fun with your child and made some lovely Easter keepsakes!

Week beginning 13th March 2023

 ‎‍👩‍👧 Parent Opening Day  ‎‍👩‍👧

The children had a fantastic day sharing their learning with their adults from home. Thank you so much to all of the adults that could join us.

Week Beginning 6th March 2023
💰🥕 Exploring money 🥕💰

This week, many of the children have been enjoying exploring one of the outdoor challenges.

The children have been visiting the vegetable shop and exploring using different amounts of money to pay the shopkeeper for their purchases.

Week Beginning 27th February 2021

📖World Book Day📖

The children in Reception had a fantastic day celebrating World Book Day on Friday.

They even got to meet famous author James Campbell!

Week beginning 20th February 2023
🥕Vegetable workshop 🥕

This week the children took part in a 'vegetable workshop' funded and delivered by HCL.

During the workshop, the children discussed making better food choices and its importance. Then, the children had the opportunity to try some new fruit and vegetables. 

The children were really open minded and they all tried something new, many children now know the name of this 'new' food and what it looks like.

The children will be keeping a close eye on the dinner options at lunchtime now to see if they can spot the fruit or vegetable they liked and choose it to have with their meal.

Week beginning 6th February 2023
🌟🐧Cross-Curricular days🐧🌟
 

In Reception as part of the whole school maths cross curricular days, the children have been learning about penguins and exploring with number blocks.

On Thursday the children listened to the story ‘365 Penguins’, there was some fantastic maths talk by the children, we discussed adding ‘one more’ as each penguin arrived into the story. During CIL, the children had a go at drawing and painting their own penguins as well as continuing a pattern with arctic themed pictures.

On Friday, the children took part in a 'number block' fashion show  show their fabulous number blocks outfits. They then made their own number block masks and printed 'number block' pictures.

Week beginning 30th January 2023

✏️Tricky words ✏️

During CIL, the children have been enjoying practising writing some of the tricky words that we have been learning in phonics.

Week beginning 23rd January 2023
🥢🧧 Chinese New Year 🧧🥢

This week was the start of Chinese New Year and we were really excited to celebrate this festival with the children 🙂

There has been lots of learning opportunities linked to Chinese New Year for the children to explore, some of which included;

• Trying different Chinese foods

• Making ‘lucky money’ red envelopes

• Making Chinese dragons, we had a go at making them dance too!

• Making lanterns

• Having our own ‘Great Race’ through a dice game

• Retelling the Chinese New Year story using small world resources

Week beginning 16th January 2023

❤️ Kind messages ❤️

During CIL, the children have been writing kind messages to their friends. This has developed from our current PSED theme of 'friendship'.

It has been wonderful to see the children using their phonics to complete independent writing and celebrating the special friendships that have made in Reception since September!

Week beginning 9th January 2023
🌟 New Year Goals 🌟

The children have been thinking about their goals and wishes for 2023! Many children have shared that they would like to get even better at reading or writing, or develop their skills within a particular sport such as football or basketball.

Week beginning 19th December 2022
🎄📆 Christmas Learning 📆 🎄

The children have had a fantastic last week at school before Christmas!

They have had Christmas dinner, made Christmas cards and calendars for the new year, performed for you all in their nativity and taken part in lots of other fun Christmas learning.

We hope you all have a great break over Christmas and we look forward to welcoming you and your children back in the new year!



❄️ Snow Day Learning ❄️
❄️ Monday 12th December 2022 ❄️ 

Please find below some learning challenges to complete today if you wish. But remember, stay safe and have lots of fun! 

Literacy- write your name in the snow with a stick… make sure you form all of your letters correctly!

Phonics- play a game of ‘Obb and Bob’ on the phonics play website. Make sure your grown up selects the write phase letter sounds in line with your phonics learning at school.

Maths- make a snowman (or a snow animal of your choice) how many buttons will you give him? How many fingers does your snowman’s branch/arm have? Is your snowman bigger or smaller than you? Maybe you could make 3 snowmen/snowballs and put them in size order. 

PE- Follow along to ‘Christmas Specual’ cosmic kids yoga video. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pMeKIAEpWxw 

Story time- cosy up under a blanket with your favourite soft toy and listen to a story read by your grown up. Maybe you could echo read some of your grown ups funny voices when they read. 

If you complete any of this learning, make sure you send it back to us on tapestry so we can see it 🤩

Week beginning 5th December 2022
🎄📆 Advent Calendars 📆 🎄

It's December!!!

The children have been very excited that we are the countdown to Christmas today and they are enjoying sharing their story from the book advent calendar. I wonder which book will be unwrapped tomorrow...

Week beginning 28th November 2022
🔢 Number 🔢

This week the children have been continuing to practise the skill of counting using 1:1 correspondence during their maths learning. The children are now getting really confident using their special counting fingers,

They have also been sequencing numerals in order by threading digits!

Week beginning 21st November 2022
👩‍⚕️ A visit from the nurse 👩‍⚕️

This week, the school nurse, Mrs Grayling, came to visit us to talk about the importance of good hygiene when we have a cough or cold.

She reminded the children to cover their mouths when they cough and the importance to taking care of our personal needs, including wiping our noses and washing our hands frequently.

Week beginning 14th November 2022
🐿️🌳 Woodland Animals 🌳🐿️

This week the children in Reception have been learning about 'Woodland Animals'. This learning has been centered around the text of 'Who's hiding in the Woods today?' by Katharine McEwan.

The children have really enjoyed taking part in a range of learning around the theme of 'Woodland Animals' this week.

Week beginning 7th November 2022
🍂 Autumn Walk 🍂

The children had a lovely time on their 'Autumn Walk' with grandparents. Whilst on the walk, children enjoyed collecting autumn treasures on their journey sticks.

During the walk, the children shared lots of their autumn knowledge with their grown-ups and pointed out the seasonal changes that were taking place.

Thank you to all of the grown-ups that joined us ❤️

Week beginning 31st October 2022

Celebrations 🎆🎇

This week in Reception the children have been learning about celebrations. The children first learnt about Halloween, they discussed their costumes and they printed onto pumpkins. The children also had a go at making their own 'Halloween Potions' outside. 

Alongside this, the children were also learning about 'Bonfire Night'. They watched videos of fireworks, discussing the different colours and sounds. It was lovely to see children replicating what they saw into paintings and role play. The children also learnt the story of Guy Fawkes and even had a go at making a stick puppet of Guy Fakwes to use on the small world. 

Week beginning 17th October 2022

Space 👨‍🚀🚀

In Reception we had two very exciting days about space! The children have enjoyed listening to lots of stories about space, they had a go at retelling the narratives through their play. The children in particular enjoyed pretending to be 'Baby Bear' flying into space with a colander as their space helmet and a cardboard box for their rocket. 

They also made rockets out of 2D shapes, decorated stars, designed spaceships and created a packing list for their own space journey. 

With the wet weather, the children embraced this by putting on their piddle suits and became astronauts in their space boots and space suits. 

All the children were so excited to visit the inflatable planetarium on Friday afternoon! 

Week beginning 10th October 2022

🍁 Autumn 🍁

In Reception we have been learning about the season of autumn.

The children have been on an autumn scavenger hunt, compared the different seasons, created their own autumnal leaves and they have also recreated a tree using different body parts, all whist carefully selecting the appropriate colours and resources.

Alongside this, children have been reading the story of Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert and they have even made their very own leaf men.

Week beginning 3rd October 2022

💻🐬 E-safety 🐬💻

This week the children had their first E-Safety lesson.

They learnt about the importance of keeping their personal information safe and what to do if they see something they don't like online.

All of the children in Reception also signed the EYFS E-Safety agreement. 

Week beginning 26th September 2022
🩳👟 PE 👟🩳

The children have been enjoying participating in their PE lessons with Mr McGregor.

The children are also persevering with their independence of getting themselves dressed and undressed for PE.

Week beginning 19th September 2022

🌟✏️ Phonics ✏️🌟

The Reception children have settled into their differentiated phonics groups well and they are having lots of fun learning their new sounds in their phonics groups.

Some children have also began learning to orally segment and blend sounds in words using their robot arms.

It has been wonderful to see the children so engaged and enthusiastic with their phonics learning! 
 

In phonics, we use cued articulation actions to support the children with their pronunciation and recognition of sounds. Please find a video below demonstrating these actions for each sound. You may use this video at home to support your child.
 

Week beginning 12th September

🌳 Exploring Outside 🌳

The children have been enjoying exploring the outdoor area and engaging in lots of different activities as part of their Child Initiated Learning.

It has been lovely to see them begin to develop some friendships and talk to their peers with increasing courage.

Week beginning 12th September

🍽️ Lunch time 🍽️

The children are doing a fantastic job at eating their lunch in the dining room.
 

They are trying hard to remember their manners when collecting their food from the cooks and they are eating their food with increasing independence.

The children are also enjoying playing outside on the Key Stage 1 playground once they have finished eating.

Week beginning 5th September 2022

⭐ First week ⭐

It has been wonderful to meet you children this week.

The Reception children are already becoming more independent and they are settling into the school routine well.

We can't wait to continue to get to know the children and watching them flourish throughout the year.

Week beginning 27th June 2022
🐌🐸🐹 Animal Visit 🐹🐸🐌

As part of our cross-curricular learning the children enjoyed a visit from Wild Science.

The children met Gary the snail, Sid the hamster, Stefano the frog and Randal the lizard. 

The children asked lots of questions and learnt lots of interesting facts about each of the animals.

This week in literacy,the children will be writing their own non-fiction books about the animals that visited.

Week beginning 20th June 2022

🐛 The Very Hungry Caterpillar 🐛

This week in literacy we have been reading the story of The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Clarle.

Each day, the children have had the opportunity to try one of the fruits that the Hungry Caterpillar ate in sequence.

Upon tasting each fruit, the children were encouraged to think of cloud words (adjectives) to describe the fruit. The children then used the  adjectives shared to write sentences to sequence a retelling of the story.

Week beginning 13th June 2022

🐞🐛🐜 Mini-beast hunts 🐜🐛🐞

This week in Child Initiated Learning the children have been enjoying going on mini-beast hunts.

They have enjoyed predicting where they might find each of the mini-beasts on the checklist and then using the magnifying glass to take a closer look in the outdoor area. 

Week beginning 6th June 2022

🌎 Geography Fieldwork 🌎

This week the children all took part in some Geography Fieldwork.

The children began by looking at a map of the local area and naming some of the local roads. They went outside in small groups to see if they could spot these roads in real life.

They had lots of fun exploring the local environment and developing their map skills.

Week beginning 23rd May 2022

👑🇬🇧 The Queen’s Jubilee 🇬🇧👑

This week the children have been celebrating the Queen’s jubilee.
 

They have  designed some royal crowns, drawn and painted a portrait of the queen, written and posted letters to the queen and had a picnic on the field to celebrate.

Week beginning 16th May 2022

🪴 Planting 🪴

This week the children have enjoyed exploring planting different seeds. 
 

During this time, the children have been learning and using new vocabulary linked to planting. They have been discussing what a plant will need to keep healthy and thinking carefully where they will place there plant so that it can be healthy.

Week beginning 9th May 2022

🖥 Using Technology 🖥

During CIL, the children in Reception have been enjoying practising their segmenting and blending skills using the computer and the interactive whiteboard. 

The children have been navigating the pirate coins into either the treasure chest or the bin, depending on whether they were real of fake words.

It has taken some real determination and perseverance this week for the children to use the computer mouse with success.

Week beginning 2nd May 2022

🔍 Odd and Even 🔎

In Maths the children have been exploring odd and even numbers.

The children have been making their own numicon number lines to help them identify the odd numbers and some children have even noticed a pattern.

We have also been listening to and joining in with the Odd Todd and Even Steven song to support our learning.

Week beginning 25th April 2022

Rhyming

In literacy this week we have been reading the story of ‘The Gruffalo’ by Julia Donaldson.

The children have enjoyed joining in with the repeated refrains and phrases in the story and discussing the different characters.

In addition, we have begun exploring the skill of rhyme. The children have had ago at finding the rhyming words in the story, making 'silly soup' with rhyming words and  completing one syllable rhyming strings. 

Week beginning Monday 18th April 2022

🌸 Outdoor Area 🌸

This week, the children have enjoyed exploring some of the recent renovations that took place in our outdoor area during the Easter break.

It has been wonderful to see so many areas of the early years curriculum being explored in Child Initiated Learning.