The Foundation stage (Reception Class) Curriculum Children in Reception Class will be working within the Foundation Stage Curriculum. Many children will have been to nursery or playgroup and will have already begun work on the Foundation Stage. The areas of the curriculum covered at pre-school settings are described as stepping stones and provide skills, understanding and

Early Learning Goals

The areas covered in Reception Class are described as Early Learning Goals.

The Early Learning Goals form the final part of the Foundation Stage Curriculum, and it is these goals that the children will be working towards achieving by the end of their year in Reception Class. These Early Learning Goals provide a smooth transition to the National Curriculum, which begins in Year One.

The Foundation stage Curriculum is organised into six areas of learning:

Personal, social and emotional development
Language and literacy
Mathematical development
Knowledge and understanding of the world
Physical development
Creative development

A typical day in Reception class is organised through adult focused activities, where the children work in small groups or individually, with an adult, and child choice activities which involve the children choosing from a 'menu board' of activities planned to develop skills set out in the Early Learning Goals in all six areas of learning.


The Foundation Stage Profile

The children will be assessed on entry to Reception Class in relation to the Stepping stones, which they may have been working on during their time in pre-school settings. These assessments will be made in all 6 areas of learning and will be achieved through planned activities and teacher observation. The information obtained will ensure that each individual child will be provided with opportunities to suit individual needs and these assessments will be recorded in the Foundation Stage Profile document.

Assessment will be ongoing throughout the year in Reception Class, looking at children's progression through the Stepping Stones, through the Early Learning Goals and any progression further. Through recording this information in the Foundation Stage Profile, a picture of the whole child is provided at the end of the Foundation Stage. This information will provide the Year One teacher with information about each child and serve as each child's end of year report.


Preparing For School

To help your child to develop an understanding of the world around him or her, it is important to share experiences and discuss what you see, hear, feel, taste and smell.

Outings

Take your child to places of interest, to the shops, to the park, walk with your child, and travel by car, bus and train. When shopping, allow your child to handle small quantities of money and encourage counting and sorting according to colour, size and numerals on the coin.

At Home

Let your child help with the cooking and baking and encourage counting, weighing and measuring. Your child can help with the washing by sorting, naming colours and putting away by finding pairs etc

Play

If possible provide a variety of toys and activities which you can enjoy together- bricks, jigsaws, plasticine, construction toys, dominoes, crayons, paints, cutting and sticking activities

Looking At

Encourage your child to talk about things around them, such as the weather, clothes, people, buildings, plants, animals, books and the television.

Listening To

It is important for your child to practise listening skills using the radio, story tapes and music.


Starting School

Preparation

A good sleep will prepare your child for an active day ahead. Try to treat the first day at school as the start of a new routine. It may be upsetting for you to leave your child in the care of someone else, but his or her attention will be attracted to something in the classroom.

The First weeks

Your child will be attending our school in the Reception Class on a part time basis for the first 2 weeks. This approach will help your child adapt to the school routine slowly and more confidently. It will allow the children to form relationships with both adults in the classroom and their peers and will allow time for assessments for the Foundation Stage Profile.

Break-Time

The children all sit together as a class group before break time and have a drink of milk, apple or orange juice and a slice of toast. This is a great opportunity to develop personal and social skills within the class group. We ask parents for a contribution of £1 per week and request that it be sent into school as the beginning of the week. Please ensure that the money is in an envelope with the child's name on, thank you. We participate in the 'Free Fruit for Schools' scheme where each child has a piece of fruit for the afternoon playtime each day.

Practise

Encourage your child to become independent by tidying up toys, dressing and undressing, fastening buttons and zips, using the toilet, washing and drying hands and using a knife and fork.

Sharing books with your child can develop good language, reading skills and a love of books. Choose a time when you are both relaxed, and let your child choose a book to share- don't be worried if your child chooses books they have read lots of times before, children's reading and enjoyment of books is developed trough lots of repetition. Encourage your child to talk about the stories and pictures. Singing nursery rhymes is an ideal way to help develop your child's memory skills and knowledge of rhyme.


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