In Reception, we have 17 strands of learning. These are broken down into prime and specific areas. Our classroom reflects this learning and has opportunities for our children to show their learning in all areas, inside and out.
Our curriculum is delivered through a mixture of focussed inputs and learning through play.
Construction Area
We enjoy thinking about what we would like to build. We plan it, make it and review it thinking about what we would change.
Maths Area
There are opportunities for maths learning in all areas of provision for eg; measuring the length or height of bricks in the construction area. Reception do have an allocated maths area that children access daily and it includes the tools for counting, telling the time, measuring, sorting and describing shapes and making patterns using a variety of natural objects such as pine cones, conkers and bamboo sticks.
Literacy
We have endless opportunities for reading and writing in our classroom.
We understand the importance of looking after our books and share books with our friends.
We challenge ourselves to recognise key words and to apply phonic knowledge to read and write unfamiliar words.
We are able to write in many areas of the classroom, both inside and out for eg; writing shopping lists in the home corner, writing letters, cards and notes.
Creative
We enjoy being creative in Early Years. We use a wide range of resources in our work such as pastels, paints, art pencils and playdough. In our workshop area we are using a variety of skills such as cutting, sticking, labelling and planning. We listen to a wide range of music, often linked to our current topic and enjoy exploring a variety of musical instruments to accompany our dance.
Physical Development
The children in Reception take part in a whole class PE lesson every week. During this time, we have the opportunity to use the small and large apparatus. We have access to outdoors everyday and enjoy throwing, kicking, rolling and catching balls and taking part in other exercise. Our fine motor skills are developed through writing with different materials such as pens, pencils and chalks. We enjoy challenging ourselves weekly to a finger gym activity which is linked to current topics for eg; lacing shoes for elves and the shoemaker.
We enjoy weekly baking and cooking linked to our topic for eg; baking shoe biscuits for elves and the shoemaker or making pumpkin soup linked to the story of Pumpkin Soup.
Outdoor Learning
Our outdoor area is accessible all day and reflects our indoor classroom with areas such as a ‘builder’s yard’ writing area, water and sand. We have the opportunity to investigate and describe the changes in the seasons and use the seasons in our learning for eg; building and measuring the height of snowmen in winter or creating collages with autumn leaves. We enjoy going on many woodland walks on the school grounds.
Stay and Play
Parents are regularly invited to stay with their child.