Reception New Starters
Dear parents/carers,
I am delighted and feel privileged to be part of your child’s learning journey this year. Early years is a fantastic place, and I am enthusiastic about ensuring that every child who joins us, has the best possible start to school life.
We have a fantastic outdoor area, and I know you will enjoy exploring the changing seasons and supporting our local wildlife with me. We have a challenge every year, to share fifty books with each other! All the adults enjoy reading so much, that we have created an indoor and outdoor reading area.
We hope you find the following information useful. As always, we offer an open-door policy so please contact us if you have any queries or questions.
Kind Regards,
Miss Trees
A typical day in Reception
We welcome children into the setting at 8:30 AM. Children are encouraged to place all their belongings into their personal locker. Water bottles are kept in the classroom so that they are accessible during the day. The day will begin with a short, interactive phonics session before moving onto maths and literacy. Children will be given the chance to explore and practice the skills for that week in both the indoor and outdoor environment. After lunch, the children will have the opportunity to join in our topic; we have a new focus each half term, please see the school website for our curriculum maps.
Our learning environment is vibrant; we are very lucky to have an amazing outdoor area with mud kitchen, role play, sand and water play, enabling the children to use their imagination and build upon their natural curiosity which we feel is integral to development at this age.
Information about our curriculum can be found in our reception policy:
A typical day in Reception
Forest Fridays
Forest School takes place every Friday. Our early years staff are Forest School trained, and the forest area is currently undergoing an exciting development, led by our Junior Leadership Team in school. It will have an outdoor classroom, pond, mud kitchen and a real campfire for the children to explore. Forest School activities are carefully planned and each week children will be introduced to a new skill often linked to the sustainable development goals; we want the children of our future to understand how to take care of their immediate environment in practical ways. Children often get muddy during forest school sessions; therefore, we suggest bringing wellies and a waterproof coat. Children love immersing themselves in the natural area and we do not place restrictions on them - the more mud the better.
Curriculum
The curriculum your child will follow is called the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum. This covers children’s learning from birth up to and including 5 years of age.
The curriculum is divided into 7 areas of learning:
Three prime areas:
- Communication and Language
- Physical Development
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Four Specific areas:
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Understanding of the World
- Expressive Arts and Design
Children will learn in a carefully structured and well-resourced environment as part of an adult-led whole class approach or sometimes in small groups or as individuals with an adult as a co-play partner or facilitator of learning.
Phonics/Early Reading
In Reception, we follow Read, Write Inc. phonics. You can find more information regarding this on our school website. Parents are invited into school to join in a phonics workshop in October to become familiar with the programme.
Children will initially bring home the sounds and corresponding words that we have been learning in school, together with a reading book of their choice to share with an adult at home. As the children progress, they will bring home the book we have been reading in phonics sessions together with a ‘book bag book’ and a book of their choice. We also have a book swap outside the Reception classroom.
More information about early reading can be found here:
PE
PE sessions take place one whole afternoon per week and are led by West Bromwich Albion Football Club coaches. On PE days, children will come to school wearing PE uniform.
Details of the PE uniform can be found on the school website:
Attendance
Children need to arrive on time and we would love children to be in school every day.
Please inform school if your child is unwell and make sure we have up to date phone numbers so that we can contact you as soon as possible if your child should become ill whilst in school.
Seesaw
In Reception, we use the Seesaw app to share what we have been learning and investigating in class. Homework will be set using the app too. The app is interactive, enabling parents/carers to share achievements from home. Children will be sent home with a code to access their personal seesaw account during the first half term.
In class each child has an individual learning journey, we use Seesaw and this journal to inform next steps.
Parents' Evening
Parents' Evening is held three times per year, this is an opportunity to share all the children’s achievements and discuss next steps together.
Rewards
Our positive behaviour policy is on the main school website; however, we place emphasis on high expectations in Reception, in line with our STARS Christian values: Sharing, Trust, Achievement, Respect and Safety. We value teaching our children the value of team work together with respecting each other opinions and embracing difference.
In the classroom we have a zone board where children will have their star moved to silver or gold for demonstrating the STARS Christian values. One child each week is selected as Star of the Week and will receive a certificate given out in our weekly collective worship celebration which parents/carers will be invited in for to share the achievement. In addition to this, each week, one child whose name has made it all the way to the top of the zone board, into ‘sunshine’ will get the chance to take our class bear, ‘Popcorn’ home for the weekend.
The children really thrive from having these systems in place and enjoy sharing each other’s achievements.
For more information view our behaviour policy
School lunches
All children in Reception are currently entitled to Universal Free School Meals.
If you receive benefits and financial support, then your child may also be entitled to Free School Meals funding which is given to the school.
Check if you are eligible and apply for free school meals on the Worcestershire Children First website
School lunches can be ordered online through ParentPay. A menu can be found on our school website and options chosen when they are ordered.
Snack and milk
The children are provided with free fruit or vegetables every day. Children receive free milk up until the day of their fifth birthday but it can be purchased after this date.
More information can be found here:
Extra-curricular activities
We run after school clubs every evening, and children can sign up for these every half term. There are a range of clubs, including arts and crafts, dodgeball, horticulture club and many more, so there is something for everyone.
More information about extra-curricular clubs can be found here:
Wrap Around Care
We offer breakfast club (7:30-8:30 AM) and after school club (3:00-6:00 PM) during term time. Sessions are booked in advance through ParentPay, or you can contact the office if you pay using vouchers.
More details can be found about wrap around care can be found here:
Holiday Club
During school holidays, we use a provider called The Bugs Group who put on sessions every day to provide childcare for families. There are a range of activities they can do such as football, dance and gymnastics.
More information about holiday clubs can be found here:
Uniform/book bag/water bottle
Our uniform plays a very important part in giving our school its identity. It helps to develop loyalty and pride in belonging to Cutnall Green C of E Primary and Pre-school. Please support us by ensuring that children come to school in the correct uniform.
Please ensure that every item of clothing is clearly named - even socks!
All uniform and book bags can be purchased online from Brigade Clothing Ltd.
More information on school uniform can be found here: