At SS Peter and Paul, we understand a good early education is the foundation for later success. Starting school is an exciting time: a time of new experiences, new friends and new places. Our school days provide a secure and nurturing environment where the children in Reception can play, explore, experiment, investigate and learn. We encourage children to acquire skills and knowledge through first-hand experience, gaining a sound understanding of the world around them.
Our school day is filled with lots of fun and excitement. Our classroom is split into a creative area, mark making/writing area, maths area and an area for construction. We have a role play room attached to our classroom and an adult focussed area for tasks and challenges. Our outdoor area is full of different opportunities for learning and sparking the children’s curiosity. We have a maths and literacy shed outside, as well as an area to develop fine and gross motor skills and the children are free to come in and out of the classroom.
Over the course of the year we teach lots of different topics, which are led and adapted by the interests of the children in the class. Through these topics the children learn vital skills in all of the seven areas of learning in the early year’s curriculum, preparing them for their transition into year 1.
Our school day is filled with lots of fun and excitement. Our classroom is split into a creative area, mark making/writing area, maths area and an area for construction. We have a role play room attached to our classroom and an adult focussed area for tasks and challenges. Our outdoor area is full of different opportunities for learning and sparking the children’s curiosity. We have a maths and literacy shed outside, as well as an area to develop fine and gross motor skills and the children are free to come in and out of the classroom.
Over the course of the year we teach lots of different topics, which are led and adapted by the interests of the children in the class. Through these topics the children learn vital skills in all of the seven areas of learning in the early year’s curriculum, preparing them for their transition into year 1.
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Phonics and Reading
We follow the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised Expectations of Progress:
Children in Reception are taught to read and spell words using Phase 2 and 3 GPC’s and words with adjacent consonants (phase 4) with fluency and accuracy. We teach phonics for 30 minutes at the start of everyday and this begins week two of the Autumn term. We review the weekly learning each Friday to help the children become fluent readers.
We teach children to read through reading practice sessions 5x a week. These are taught by a fully trained adult to small groups of 6 children or less. We use books that are matched to the children’s secure phonic knowledge and we assess the children by using the Little Wandle assessment grids every six weeks. Any gaps in their learning are addressed immediately using 1:1 intervention catch up groups, so that no child is left behind. I, Mrs Middleton the class teacher, monitor and rotate the groups so I can work with each one on a regular basis.
Each reading session has a clear focus, so that the demands of the session do not overload the children’s working memory. The first three reading sessions are designed to focus on three key reading skills:
We then use the final two reading sessions to read 1:1 with the children, checking understanding and fluency. Children who are not yet blending then have the opportunity to have additional blending practice with an adult to help them confidently learn to read books.
We follow the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised Expectations of Progress:
Children in Reception are taught to read and spell words using Phase 2 and 3 GPC’s and words with adjacent consonants (phase 4) with fluency and accuracy. We teach phonics for 30 minutes at the start of everyday and this begins week two of the Autumn term. We review the weekly learning each Friday to help the children become fluent readers.
We teach children to read through reading practice sessions 5x a week. These are taught by a fully trained adult to small groups of 6 children or less. We use books that are matched to the children’s secure phonic knowledge and we assess the children by using the Little Wandle assessment grids every six weeks. Any gaps in their learning are addressed immediately using 1:1 intervention catch up groups, so that no child is left behind. I, Mrs Middleton the class teacher, monitor and rotate the groups so I can work with each one on a regular basis.
Each reading session has a clear focus, so that the demands of the session do not overload the children’s working memory. The first three reading sessions are designed to focus on three key reading skills:
- Decoding
- Prosody: teaching the children to read with understanding and expression
- Comprehension: teaching children to understand the text.
We then use the final two reading sessions to read 1:1 with the children, checking understanding and fluency. Children who are not yet blending then have the opportunity to have additional blending practice with an adult to help them confidently learn to read books.
Special Friends
We understand that starting school can be daunting and to help we pair up a year 6 child with our Reception children. We find it helps them to know that when they are at playtimes there is always a friendly face around if they need help or someone to play with. The special friends also have opportunities to help each other with their learning, the Year 6 may come down to help them log onto a computer or even have time to colour or draw with them! They build a very special bond over the year and both the Year 6 and Reception children love time spent with their special friend!
We understand that starting school can be daunting and to help we pair up a year 6 child with our Reception children. We find it helps them to know that when they are at playtimes there is always a friendly face around if they need help or someone to play with. The special friends also have opportunities to help each other with their learning, the Year 6 may come down to help them log onto a computer or even have time to colour or draw with them! They build a very special bond over the year and both the Year 6 and Reception children love time spent with their special friend!
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Other Important Information
We have PE on a Tuesday afternoon and homework and reading books go out on a Friday and need to be returned the following Thursday to be marked and changed.
We have PE on a Tuesday afternoon and homework and reading books go out on a Friday and need to be returned the following Thursday to be marked and changed.
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