'Together, our good works can make a real difference'

Friendship - Respect - Wisdom

At the heart of our family school is our belief that by working together we can make a real difference.

Our vision is to be a deeply caring, successful school that develops children into confident, thoughtful and responsible citizens today and into the future. Through our embedded Christian values, we strive for all to flourish and shine their light, recognising that together our good works can make a real difference.

‘Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works.”

Matthew 5:16

Welcome to Reception!

A very warm welcome to Reception! We are delighted to begin this exciting learning journey with you and your child.

Our Reception class has places for up to 16 children and follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Statutory Framework (2024), informed by Development Matters (revised 2023). We provide a nurturing, stimulating environment where every child is encouraged to become confident, curious and independent.

Staff and Routines

Our Reception teachers are Miss Glover (Mon/Tues) and Mrs Rose (Wed/Thurs/Fri), supported by our dedicated Early Years team, including Mrs Darmody and Miss Knight. Together, we provide a warm, nurturing environment where every child feels safe, valued and ready to learn. Our daily routine provides children with a balance of adult led teaching, child initiated learning and plenty of opportunities to learn through play, both indoors and outdoors.

A typical day includes:

• Signing in, putting belongings away and settling in activities
• Phonics using the Little Wandle programme
• Reading, writing and mathematics sessions
• Child initiated learning through continuous provision
• Outdoor learning and physical development
• Story time, singing and language rich activities
• Snack time and opportunities to develop independence and social skills

Clear routines help children settle quickly, develop confidence and become increasingly independent as they progress through the year.

What Your Child Needs Each Day

Please bring to school each day:

• School book bag
• Reading book and yellow reading record (to be returned on a Monday)
• Homework folder (details on this later in the term)
• A named water bottle
• A named coat

If needed, please provide a named bag of spare clothes to be kept in school.

PE kits stay in school during term time and are sent home at the end of each term for washing. Reception children do not need an outdoor PE kit.

Please make sure everything is clearly named, including coats, water bottles, book bags, PE kits and plimsolls.

To encourage independence and save space in our cloakroom, we ask that children only bring their school book bag and not additional bags or large rucksacks. To save any spills, please do not put bottles in book bags!

Our Curriculum

Communication and language are at the heart of everything we do. Through high quality interactions, purposeful play and carefully planned learning experiences, we help children develop the skills they need to thrive.

Our Reception curriculum is designed to:

• Build on children's interests, experiences and individual starting points.
• Develop confidence, independence and a love of learning.
• Provide opportunities to revisit, practise and apply new skills in meaningful contexts.
• Support learning both indoors and outdoors through engaging, hands on experiences.
• Encourage children to think deeply, solve problems and develop their language through skilled questioning.

We recognise that every child develops at their own pace. Our experienced staff carefully observe children's progress and adapt learning to meet individual needs. Where additional support is needed, we work closely with our SENDCo and, where appropriate, external professionals to ensure every child can flourish.

Working in Partnership with Parents

We believe children achieve their very best when home and school work together.

Throughout the year we keep parents informed by:

• Weekly and termly updates on our class page
• Celebrating children's achievements and special 'Magic Moments'
• Sharing learning through floor books, journals and examples of children's work
• Sending home certificates and celebration pieces
• Offering regular opportunities to meet and discuss your child's progress

We also operate an open door approach, and staff are always happy to speak with parents at the beginning or end of the school day, or indeed schedule an appointment. 

Safeguarding

The safety and wellbeing of every child is our highest priority. Our safeguarding and welfare procedures are set out in the school's Safeguarding Policy.

A Year in Class One

What do we get up to in autumn?

Autumn is a very special time at school. It is the beginning of our school journey and there is so much to learn! As well as autumn walks and investigations of the environment and our locality, we are learning about respect for each other and the wider world, respect for diversity as we meet children and families from all faiths and cultures and we are developing our ideas about hopefulness for ourselves and others.

Much of our learning during this first term happens through structured and unstructured play. 

What do we get up to in winter?

We still continue to be out and about in winter, observing the changes in our local environment and hoping for snowy days! We enjoy finding out about lots of winter festivals and celebrations, and enjoy the period of Advent. Christmas is a very special time for us and we enjoy cooking, crafting and lots of singing and dancing as part of the celebrations.

What do we get up to in spring?

Our learning may include:

• Planting seeds and beans and watching them grow.
• Learning about lifecycles and the changing seasons.
• Outdoor learning in our school grounds.
• Caring for our environment through activities such as gardening or litter picking.
• Visits to our local church and opportunities to learn about our community.

As every year is different, our activities are planned to meet the needs and interests of the children while making the most of the opportunities available.

Take a look at our photographs to see some of the exciting experiences our children have enjoyed.

What do we get up to during the summer?

Hooray for summer - summer brings the chance for plenty of sport and sporting events. We learn how to work at sports on our own, in small groups and as part of a whole class or school. We develop ambition alongside respect and enjoyment.

In class 1 reception class this year, we are using our new curriculum and introducing our new topics. An overview of the topic ‘All About Me’ is available to view on this class page, as well as in our classroom. Our class web page will showcase lots of our activities and adventures, so please keep having a look to see what your child is enjoying at school. The website also has lots of important dates and curriculum information, including our reading policy and reading scheme. We will be holding our first reading and phonics workshop during this first term and the date and time will be sent out to you shortly.

There will be lots of news and information, as well as diary dates to remember, but we will communicate as clearly and regularly as we can with you, via parent mail and the website. We are really looking forward to working with you, and we cannot wait to share your child’s learning journey. If you have any worries or concerns, don’t hesitate to catch us at the door morning or afternoon. Emails should be sent to enquiries@allingtonsedgebrook.lincs.sch.uk.

Kindest regards from the Class 1 team.