Foundation Stage 2

(Reception)

Welcome to Park Primary School! When your child joins their Reception class, we’ll quickly get into an enjoyable routine that starts their learning journey in school. Children register themselves, choose their lunch and join us on the carpet to begin the day.

A partnership with parents is fostered and valued and we ask you to help us as partners in developing your child’s learning. We hope that in encouraging an effective partnership between home and school, we can help your child become an independent learner. It is very important to us that your child is happy at Park Primary School. We have an open-door policy and parents are welcome to come and speak with us if they have a query.

Once your child has settled into their new routine, we will invite parents to come into school every Wednesday and take part in a ‘Stay and Read’ session.

A typical day in F2

8.45 Self-registration and Phonics Morning Task

9:00 – 9:30 Phonics

9:30 – 10:30 Literacy/Maths

10:30 – 10:40 Squiggle While You Wiggle

10:40 – 10:50 Snack time

10:50 – 11:45 Choosing time

11:45 – 11:50 Story time

11:50 – 12:00 Get ready for lunch

12:00 – 1:15 Lunch

1:15 – 1:30 Registration and EAD skills

1:30 – 2:45 Choosing time and small group work

2:45 – 3:15 Story and home time prep

In School

The learning experiences within our early years are linked to the seven areas of learning and development within the EYFS. These are split into the Prime and Specific areas. The three prime areas are those which the children should develop first hand and are considered most essential for the healthy development and future learning of our children. These include:

• Physical Development:  This involves providing opportunities for children to be active and interactive; to develop their co-ordination and control of gross and fine motor skills. Children must be also helped to understand the importance of physical activity and to make healthy choices in relation to lifestyle and food. We have weekly P.E sessions where children can learn and develop skills to play team games, practice developing their gross motor skills by climbing and jumping and explore how their bodies can move in dance.
• Communication and Language: This involves giving children opportunities to experience a rich language environment; to develop their confidence and skills in expressing themselves; and to speak and listen in a range of situation
• Personal, Social and Emotional Development: This involves helping children to develop a positive sense of themselves and other; to form positive relationships and to develop respect for others; to develop social skills and learn how to manage their own feeling and behaviour; to develop the skill to self-regulate and be able to behaviour appropriately in a variety of situations e.g. in a group and as part of a class.

As children grow and make progress in the Prime areas, this will help them to naturally develop skills with the four Specific areas:

• Literacy: The early teaching of literacy involves encouraging children to link sounds and letters and to begin to read and write. We use the ‘Letters and Sounds’ programme ‘Little Wandle’. The children have a decodable book and they also have a choice of a none scheme book to ignite their love and interest in reading. From the beginning, children are taught to blend for reading and segment words when writing.
• Mathematics: The early teaching of mathematics is delivered through the ‘White Rose’ maths scheme. Opportunities for counting, subitising, calculating addition and subtraction problems, creating patterns and problem solving are provided within provision and through direct teaching.
• Understanding the World: this involves guiding children to make sense of the natural world around them and their community through opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places, the past and present. Once your child settles into Reception, we will take part in Forest Fridays. The children will go outdoors and explore and woodland environment and learn new skills.
• Expressive Arts and Design: this involves enabling children to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials, as well as providing opportunities and encouragement for sharing their thoughts, ideas and feelings through a variety of activities in art, music, movement, dance, role play and design and technology.

Play

At Park Primary School, we believe that well-planned play, both indoors and outdoors, is a key way in which young children learn with enjoyment and challenge. Through play, children can develop an understanding of the world around them. They can practise and build up ideas, concepts and skills. They learn how to control impulses and to understand the need for rules. They can take risks and make mistakes, think creatively and imaginatively.

During play children learn how to communicate with others as they investigate or solve problems. They are able to express fears or relive anxious experiences in controlled and safe situations. They can be alone, be alongside others or cooperate as they talk or rehearse their feelings. We can help children to learn through their play by planning and resourcing a challenging environment, supporting children’s learning through planned play activity, extending and supporting children’s spontaneous play and developing children’s language and communication in their play

Home Learning

To support our phonics, we will let you know what sounds will be taught that half term so your child can practice at home and when your child is ready, we also send home reading books and spelling books. It’s also helpful to discuss your child’s day with them, engage with them and show interest in their schooling. You’ll find that your interest will help to keep them interested too, and to keep them learning once school is over.

Each half term, our learning intentions are shared on Class Dojos so you are aware of what is being taught. As well as this, you will receive an observation of your child each term and an overview of their strengths and further next steps.

Our Themes

• How do I feel?
• Off We Go! / Let’s Celebrate
• Animal Kingdom
• Once upon a time
• Nature Detectives
• Under the Sea

The children at Park Primary School experience a smooth transition between Foundation Stage one, Foundation Stage two and beyond. Staff effectively communicate and collaborate to ensure the children leave EYFS with a secure solid foundation to meet the needs of the National Curriculum.

The children have a variety of exercise books to evidence their learning. Assessments are recorded and ‘wow work’ shared with parents. Photographs, children’s voices and floor books demonstrate the scope of learning.

Learning Independence

Before starting school, it is helpful if your child could do some or all of the following.

• Dress and undress independently
• Change their shoes 
• Use the toilet independently
• Wash and dry hands
• Tidy away toys
• Have a preference for a dominant hand
• Put on their coat and do the zip or buttons up
• Write some or all of their name
• Use a knife and fork

Helpful Links for parents:

Little Wandle https://www.littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk/resources/for-parents/       

White Rose Maths Early Years https://whiteroseeducation.com/parent-pupil-resources/maths

Oral Hygiene https://help-for-early-years-providers.education.gov.uk/safeguarding-and-welfare/oral-health

Hey Duggee Toothbrushing Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oStaJTHgHMU

Our themes learning intentions are discussed each half term on our ‘Dojo class story’. The Dojo system is used in Nursery as a platform for you to see what is happening in Nursery/school and notify you of important events. The private messaging that runs alongside Dojos enables you to message the teacher with any queries you may have. The teacher will respond (as soon as they are available) out of session times between 730am and 850am/ 330pm and 5pm.

By the end of the Reception year most children will be able to read, write and understand shape, measure and number. We also learn about the world around us and get used to following rules, being polite and being friendly towards each other.

This is just the beginning for your child and our job is to make sure they both enjoy it and get the preparation required for a fulfilling future in education.