Welcome to Reception!

The Year R Crew

Our Vision

Our Curriculum

Parent Information

In Year R we use Tapestry as a way of showing your child's learning journey in school. It is a way of communicating with our parents as well as sharing any learning each week. We working in partnership with parents and would love to see any 'Wow' moments from home too!

Click here to access a range of resources to support your child and your family. 

Click here to access information about getting your child ready for school. 

Find below the Parent Information presentation which explains all about your child's learning in Reception. Please find a video on Tapestry explaining this presentation further.

Our Classrooms

Our Shared Areas

Our Outside Area

2023-2024

Our Curriculum Learning Journey

Summer Term 1

PLOD 'We Are Family'

As part of our Understanding the World learning of Past and Present, we listened to the story 'Peepo' by Janet and Allan Ahlberg. We then talked about how the pictures in the story were from 'then', a long, long time ago. In our colour groups, we then sequenced a time line of our family members ages and when we started school, saying how things were 'old', 'then' and 'now'. We then looked at and sorted pictures of household items into 'then' and 'now'. We drew our favourite things we have 'now' at home, which were not in the story of Peepo 'then', for example iPads and skateboards. There was lots of discussion particularly about the outside toilet, a coal fire to cook on, a whistling kettle and a baby having a bath in a giant bowl! We were so lucky to have lots of Grandparents and Great-Grandparents visit and play with us. They talked about and showed us some games they used to play, which many of us do not play anymore. 

Spring Term 2

PLOD 'Traditional Tales'

We read the story of 'The Gingerbread Man' and began to practise story actions to help us retell the story. We were so excited to make our very own gingerbread men! We carefully weighed out the ingredients and kept stirring until there was a dough! We used the cutters carefully and then used sultanas for the eyes, the mouth and the buttons. Sarah helped us to cook them in the oven, they smelt delicious! 

We continued our learning on traditional fairy tales and read the story The Three Billy Goats Gruff. Wondering Walter set us a challenge to fix a broken bridge. First we looked at different types of bridges and then with a partner, we used our bodies to create bridge shapes. In Discovery Time, we enjoyed making bridges using construction outside, block play and junk modelling. 

In Computing, we learnt all about how to programme a Bee-Bot. We learnt a Bee-Bot is a robot which needs instructions given by us to make it work. We switched it on, pressed the direction buttons and pressed go. We were just like Wondering Walter! Through trial and error, we began to understand the direction buttons corresponded to the way we wanted it to move. We practised lots of turning and direction games too. Harri Heart was really proud of us too, keeping safe and looking after property.

Spring Term 1

PLOD 'Tell Us A Tale'

Five stories from the author Julia Donaldson have supported this half term’s topic of ‘Tell Us A Tale’. The Smeds and Smoos helped with celebrating difference and colour mixing. In Drawing Club, we explored some right and wrong adventures of The Highway Rat. In Maths, The Smartest Giant in Town and Superworm helped us to measure length and height. The children were invited to attend Dragon School based on the story ‘Zog’. They colour mixed water and added glittery extras to create their own dragon potions and explained if drunk, what would happen. This involved many funny potion reactions indeed!

PLOD 'Marvellous Manners'

We started this half term remembering about manners in our ‘Marvellous Manners’ PLOD. We shared the book ‘Be Nice’ and talked about how we show kindness and respect to others. We learnt a manners song and Sammy the Social Seal and Caring Carla have loved seeing the children using their manners in school. Keep up the great work! 

In Computing, we have started to use the iPads. First we talked about what technology and devices we have at home. We talked about how to keep safe using the iPads and signed the Computing Charter. We were introduced to an app called ChatterPix Kids which you can make a photo talk, which we found very funny! We talked about asking permission before taking photos of each other and talked about where the photo goes once it had been taken. Some of us thought it was kept on the iPad and some thought it went to the moon! The app is free to download if you wish to by searching in your device's app store. 

Autumn Term 2

PLOD 'Christmas'

We listened to the magical story of The Nativity and learnt about baby Jesus and Christmas. We talked about what Christmas means to us and how it is celebrated across the world. We have begun to learn some Christmas songs for our Christmas play 'The Nativity' and we chose what character we wanted to be. We can't wait to show you how hard we have worked for our performance. 

PLOD 'Super Shapes'

We listened to a story all about a triangle who tries to fit in with different groups of shape friends. The triangle got upset because she could not play with anyone just like her. The triangle found some other triangles to play with and had a great time because the triangle had learnt so much from her other shape friends too.

Wondering Walter set us a challenge to learn about circles and triangles. We had to go on a shape hunt and find these shapes in our classroom and outside. He was so impressed with how many we found, we got a sticker!

PLOD 'Nursery Rhymes'

Nursery Rhyme Sing-A-Long

We dressed up as our favourite Nursery Rhyme characters and sang lots of songs in front of our families. We were very excited to share our singing and to perform for the first time at school. Some of us were lucky enough to visit Ancasta Grove Care Home and the residents were so pleased to watch us sing and perform. 

Remembrance Day

Today, Colin the Cultural Crab helped us to learn about the importance of Remembrance Day and why we wear poppies. We printed our own poppies using paint and even played a matching word game outside. We held a silence and watched a story animation about a rabbit during the war.

Autumn Term 1

PLOD 'Getting to know you'

The Charter Rules

We have been busy learning all about school, as well as learning all about each other. We learnt we are all part of a 'Crew' on board a boat called the Sarisbury Challenger. We listened to lots of stories about how to follow the 'Charter Rules' and the adults continue to help us with these rules and new routines. We have talked about our families and shared our Summer scrapbooks which we made at home.

Caring Carla

We got introduced to Caring Carla, one of the four characters from the CREW Members. Caring Carla helps us to follow the Charter Rules, to be kind and gentle, as well as using kind words, hands and feet. We have already shown some amazing Caring Carla skills. 

Resilient Rosa

We were introduced to Resilient Rosa, another one of our Crew characters. We learnt how she can help us to be resilient, to keep trying, to try different ways and to never give up. We practised in lots of different ways including writing our letters, reading tricky words and even playing with our friends. 

Harri Heart

Harri Heart is a key character and member of the Sarisbury Crew! Harri will be helping our children keep safe both at school and at home, as part of our school curriculum. Look out for Harri!

The Charter Rules

We have been busy learning all about school, as well as learning all about each other. We learnt we are all part of a 'Crew' on board a boat called the Sarisbury Challenger. We listened to lots of stories about how to follow the 'Charter Rules' and the adults continue to help us with these rules and new routines. We have talked about our families and shared our Summer Scrap Books which we made over the summer.

Welly Walk

Every Wednesday afternoon we put on our wellies and go on a Welly Walk around the playground and field. We had lots of fun playing games, using the parachute, jumping in muddy puddles and collecting leaves. 

PLOD 'Autumn'

We have been busy learning all about Autumn. We read story Leaf Man and made our own pictures using leaves that we collected from our welly walk. The artist Andy Goldsworthy also inspired us to create more pictures. We talked about what changes in Autumn and Harri Heart helped remind us about keeping safe on darker nights.  

2022-2023

Our Curriculum Learning Journey

Summer Term 2

Our third P.L.O.D. this half term has been about 'All Change'

A microwave arrived in our classroom with three different sized bowls and spoons. We talked about what a microwave is used for and decided it was for making a hot breakfast. Some of us thought about the story Goldilocks and the three bears, so we found the story in our book corner and read it. We were really hungry after the story, so we decided to make the perfect porridge. Carefully we measured and stirred the ingredients together. We then used the microwave to make it, we saw how it went from cold and runny to hot and sticky. We then tasted the porridge and added in toppings of syrup and fruit to make it taste even better. We thought our porridge was better than Baby Bear's but we didn't want Goldilocks to have any!

We had our visit from Titchfield Festival Theatre. They performed the story of Goldilocks and the three bears. The children listened and joined in brilliantly.

Our second P.L.O.D. this half term has been about 'All Creatures Great and Small'

We read The Very Hungry Caterpillar and created our printing skills to create a butterfly. 

After that, we read a funny story called Norman the slug with the silly shell.

We used our funky fingers skills to roll up paper to create our own snails. 

We even found some real snails outside and created them a new habitat and gave them some freshly picked strawberries from the garden.

Our first P.L.O.D. this half term has been about 'Super Shapes!'

We read a story called 'The Perfect Fit' about how a triangle tries to fit in with other shapes and how working together and learning from one another is important. This story really helped us to learn the names of the shapes as well as some of the properties. 

We also looked at the artist Henri Matisse and discussed what we could see in this picture. We thought it was an eye, a flower and a snail. We created our own pictures inspired by Henri.