Reception

A Day in Reception

Arriving in the morning

The academy gates (Gordon Road entrance) will open at 8:30am each morning. We ask that parents/carers drop you off at the entrance to the EYFS area where the teachers will meet you each morning.

We like to be able to have a quick check in with you and your parents/carers as you arrive so that we have a settled start to the day. If a longer chat is needed we ask parents/carers to request a meeting at another time.

8:35am – 8:55am: Register

Each morning the teachers will call the register to check if all of the children are present. You will be asked if you are having a cooked dinner or a packed lunch from home.

8:55am – 9:20am: Handwriting/Story (Communication, Language and Literacy)

9:20am – 9:50am: Phonics

We spend some time each day helping you to learn your letter sounds and names. You will work with an adult and you may even take some work home to share with your families! It’s very important that you try your best to practice the letters and sounds and remember them as best as you can.

When you attend the academy you will begin to learn to read. You will read books with your teachers and after a while you will take reading books home to share with your family. At first you will remember stories just by looking at the pictures and then, with lots of practice, you will begin to use your phonics to help you sound out and blend the sounds in words.  Phonics books are sent home on a Wednesday each week for you to practice at home each day.  They are then returned every Monday.  In addition to this you will take home a sharing book from the classroom or library to enjoy at home.

You will also get to do lots of writing at the academy.  You will learn how to form your letters correctly and also how to write short sentences.

10:00am – 10:10am: Snack

The academy will provide you with a snack and a drink. We encourage the children to be as independent as possible, even when peeling fruit and pouring drinks.  Snack normally consists of a piece of fruit and a carton of milk.

10:10am – 10:45am: Child-initiated outdoor play

During this time the children are encourage to be as independent as possible, choosing activities and learning through play. Adults help to support and scaffold the children’s learning through questioning and discussion. We use this time to ensure that the children experience a broad curriculum.

There will also be lots of activities for you to do, such as:

• Playing in the sand and water
• Construction activities
• Bug-hunting
• Singing and dancing
• Playing on the trikes, bikes and scooters
• Playing with the puppets
• Using play equipment to jump, climb and throw
• Role play
• Outdoor Maths and Literacy activities

10:45am – 11:30am: Continuous provision and directed activities in and outdoors

Children are given a range of options to access play opportunities (ones that link to curriculum areas as well as self -chosen).

11:30am – 12:40pm: Lunchtime

We will all have our lunch in the main academy hall. We will walk over to the hall together and then we will sit at tables and eat our lunch with our friends. All of the reception children are entitled to a free hot dinner. It is really important that you are able to eat your dinner with a knife and fork so make sure you try to practice at home.

After we have eaten lunch, the children play on the playground. Although closely monitored, the children are given the opportunity to take part in unstructured play which encourages them to develop their own games and rules.

12:40pm – 12:45pm: Registration

12:45pm – 1:30pm:  Maths

At the academy we will do lots of mathematical activities. You will do lots of exciting things, such as counting, sorting, measuring, weighing, looking at shapes, making models, following directions and using the computer.

There are lots of things that you can do at home to help you with your maths, such as:

• Sorting blocks by colour and size
• Fit jigsaw pieces together
• Learning nursery rhymes and number songs
• Talking about how we can add, subtract, group and share numbers using objects
• Play lots of games where you throw dice and move along a board
• Talking about whether things are ‘heavier’ or ‘lighter’ and ‘bigger’ or ‘smaller’
• Talking about time using words such as morning, afternoon, today, tomorrow, next, last, after, front, back etc
• Learning about how we use money
• Encouraging your child to recognise shapes in their environment
• Talking and recognising numbers wherever possible!

1:30pm – 3:00pm: Child initiated play/directed activities

3:00: Time to go home

Unfortunately, we can’t let you go home with a different adult unless we have been told that you are being picked up by someone different. Passwords are used for these occasions.

Pick up is also from the Gordon Road Gate entrance. Parents and carers are asked to wait in the EYFS play area for the children to be handed over by staff.

Hopefully this will give you an idea of what a day in Reception might look like. A typical week would also include:

• A PE session in the hall
• A music session
• Visitors to the class i.e. police officer, road-safety officer etc.
• Targeted intervention groups ie. speech and language
• Celebration days ie. Halloween, Fireworks night etc