Autumn 2

Festivals and celebrations

Week 1

Another  exciting and eventful week in Reception! We have been learning about lots of upcoming celebrations and special occasions, with plenty of opportunities to get creative, share our experiences and develop our understanding of the world around us.

This  week, we explored the history behind Bonfire Night and discussed the importance of keeping safe when celebrating. The children enjoyed creating some fantastic firework artwork using a variety of techniques and materials. We made colourful splatter paintings  using toothbrushes, paintbrushes and other tools, created chalk firework pictures and experimented with different media, including playdough and pipe cleaners, to make our own wonderful firework creations. In preparation for Remembrance Day, we talked about why we remember and the importance of this special occasion. The children created their own poppy wreath and discussed why we observe a two-minute silence on Sunday and on 11th November. We  also explored Diwali in preparation for the weekend. Some children were very excited to share what they were looking forward to celebrating with their families. We would love to hear about these special experiences, so we kindly ask families who are celebrating  Diwali to upload some photographs to Google Classroom for the children to share with their friends in class. We are looking forward to seeing them!

This  week marked the start of our new phonics groups. We have continued to consolidate our Set 1 sounds, with a particular focus on blending. The children are working incredibly hard to listen carefully and blend sounds together to read words. We are also very proud  of those children who are beginning to independently write CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words. Keep up the fantastic work!

In  Drawing Club this week, we focused on the story Little Rabbit Foo Foo. The children thoroughly enjoyed exploring the book and have come up with some wonderfully imaginative ideas. We have been particularly impressed with the creative thinking and fantastic  sentences they have been developing in their literacy work.

In  Maths, we have been exploring 3D shapes. The children have enjoyed investigating which shapes stack and which ones roll. We have also been learning the names of different 3D shapes and exploring their properties. There has been lots of hands-on investigating and some excellent mathematical thinking!

In  PSHE, we have been thinking about what keeps our bodies healthy. We discussed the importance of making healthy choices and talked about different ways we can look after ourselves.

It has been an extremely busy and exciting week, with so many wonderful learning opportunities. We are incredibly proud of how hard the children are working and all the enthusiasm they bring to their learning. 

Well done, Reception!

Autumn 1

Marvelous Me

Well done, everyone, for another fantastic week of learning and discovery! We are so proud of the children’s enthusiasm, curiosity and the wonderful progress they are making.

Week 5

We have had another marvellous week in Reception as we continue our ‘Marvellous Me’ topic. This week, we have been learning all about harvest. We have been talking about where our food comes from, how food is grown and the different places we can buy our food. The children have enjoyed learning about farms and the journey that food takes from the field to our plates. We have also explored how people celebrate harvest in different parts of the world and talked about how important it is to be thankful for the food we have.

In phonics, we are continuing to learn our Set 1 sounds. The children are working really hard to remember the sounds and are becoming increasingly confident at recognising them. We have also started to practise blending sounds together to read words and segmenting words into sounds. It has been wonderful to see the children beginning to apply their phonics skills independently.

In Maths, our focus this week has been the number 5. We have been developing our number recognition and counting skills, while looking more deeply at how 5 can be made in different ways. The children have explored different representations of 5, including using objects, fingers and five frames. We have also been looking at different combinations that make 5 and encouraging the children to explain their thinking.

In Art, we have continued our harvest theme by creating our own harvest baskets. The children explored different colours and shapes and enjoyed creating their own designs. They were encouraged to think carefully about what they might find in a harvest basket and used their creativity to bring their ideas to life.

In PSHE, we have continued talking about families and what they mean to us. We have discussed how every family is different and special and thought about the people who care for and support us. The children have enjoyed sharing their experiences and talking about the things they like to do with their families.

It has been another busy and exciting week, and we are so proud of how well the children are settling into Reception and developing their confidence, independence and curiosity. Well done, everyone

Week 4

The children continue to settle in wonderfully and have had another busy and exciting week of learning! 

We have continued exploring our topic, “Marvellous Me,” and have been  learning about different parts of our bodies. We talked about the parts we can  see on the outside, as well as some of the amazing things happening inside our bodies, and discussed how different body parts help us.

In phonics, we have continued learning our sounds and have been introduced to  Fred the Frog!  The children have enjoyed playing fun phonics  games to help develop their blending and segmenting skills.

In maths, we have been taking a closer look at the number 4. We practised counting to four, recognising the numeral and  exploring what the number four is made up of.

In art, we discovered the wonderful artist  Giuseppe Arcimboldo. We talked about how he created portraits using paintings of fruits and vegetables. We discussed our favourite foods and then created our own fruit and vegetable self-portraits. The children had great fun being creative and were very proud of their artwork!

In PSED, we have continued getting to know the people in our class. We played a fun game
called “Who is Under the Rug?”, where the children had to guess who was hiding. There were lots of giggles and  excitement as we tried to work out who was underneath!

The children are continuing to learn our school routines and are settling in very well. We are so proud of how they  are growing in confidence each day and enjoying their time at school.

We look forward to another week of exciting learning, fun and adventures!

Week 3

What a wonderful first full week we have had in Reception! We are incredibly proud of the way the children have settled into school life and are becoming increasingly familiar with our daily routines. Throughout the year, we will continue to nurture and support the children as they develop their independence, confidence and resilience.

This week, we began our first   phonics sessions  following the   Read Write Inc. (RWI) programme. The children are working in small groups and have made a fantastic start. Each day, they are learning a new sound and bringing home the sound they have been learning so that they can practise with you at home. They have been working hard to learn their phonemes and have particularly enjoyed playing 'teachers' with the sound cards!

In maths this week, we have been focusing on the number 3. The children have been learning to count to 3, recognise the numeral 3 and develop a deeper understanding of how the number is composed. We have enjoyed exploring numbers through practical activities and play, helping the children to develop their mathematical understanding in fun and meaningful ways.

Our topic this term is  'Marvellous Me!'  The children have been looking carefully at their own features and have created some wonderful self-portraits through painting and drawing. We have also been talking about our families and celebrating the fact that we are all different, unique and special.

It has been a lovely first full week in Reception, filled with learning, laughter and lots of new experiences. We are so proud of the children and all they have achieved already.

We are looking forward to many more exciting weeks of learning, exploring and growing together!