Reception 2025 - 2026

Welcome to Reception

Our values and aims

As part of a unified EYFS team, we work closely with our Pre-School room to support children’s development across the entire Foundation Stage.

In Reception, children are at the centre of everything we do. We value each child as an individual and use their interests to plan meaningful, engaging experiences that foster a love of learning.

We aim to create a nurturing and inclusive environment where every child feels safe, happy, and valued. Through play-based learning and carefully planned activities, we support children to explore, discover, and develop at their own pace.

Our goal is to help children become self-confident, resilient, and independent learners. We encourage curiosity, creativity, and a positive attitude towards challenges, building strong foundations for future learning.

Learning Together

Our learning in Reception is delivered through a curriculum built around engaging themes, while following the statutory EYFS framework.

Autumn 1 - All about me and seasonal changes

Autumn 2 - Light and Dark

Spring 1 - Happily Ever After

Spring 2 - Real life Superheroes

Summer 1 - Amazing life cycles

Summer 2 - Journey around our World

Our School Day  

• A balanced day of learning, play, and exploration
• Consistent routines to help children feel safe and confident
• A mix of whole-class, group, and independent activities
• Learning indoors and outdoors through continuous provision
• Daily phonics, maths, reading, and topic learning
• Opportunities for child-initiated play and exploration
• Breaks and lunchtimes support independence and social skills

Learning beyond the classroom

We enrich learning through real-life experiences such as visits to the library, seasonal walks around our local area, visits from the emergency services, and observing life cycles with caterpillars and tadpoles, helping to bring learning to life.

Parental involvement

We aim to involve all parents in their child’s learning journey. Regular reading at home is encouraged to support fluency and a love of reading. We use Tapestry to share and record learning, with parents able to view and contribute throughout the year. We also hold stay and play sessions throughout the academic year, where parents are invited into school to see learning in action.

General Information

• Packed lunch required for full-day sessions
• Daily snacks and milk are provided (until age 5)
• Please send a labelled water bottle
• Wellies and a puddle suit are needed for outdoor learning and play
• Reading books are changed on Tuesdays and Fridays
• PE days are Tuesdays and Thursdays – children should come to school in their PE kit on these days

School Dinners and Snacks

• All children in Reception and KS1 receive free school meals
• A healthy morning snack can be brought from home, or toast is available for 20p per day
• An afternoon snack is provided for all children and includes a selection of healthy fruit and milk
• Milk is provided for children until the age of 5
• Children may bring a packed lunch if preferred

Milk and a piece of fruit are given to your child each afternoon (milk is provided until your child turns 5).