Activities in Reception are child and teacher initiated.  During child-initiated times, the teachers make careful observations and engage with the children, enhancing their learning through questioning, modelling, and adding more resources.  We encourage children to be independent, interested in the world, ask questions and most importantly, have fun.  We emphasise learning through play and are able to target each child’s needs individually due to our small class sizes.  By the time they have reached the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage in Reception, they are ready to progress on to a more formal learning environment in Year One.

The children develop an understanding of mathematical concepts of Addition and Subtraction, counting in 2s, 5s, and 10s. Shape, Space and Measure, are also learnt through practical and meaningful activities such as cooking in the Food Tech Room, collecting interesting natural objects outside during Outdoor Learning and measuring in the Sandpit.  The children are taught how to record numbers and a strong emphasis is placed on mental arithmetic.

The Reception classrooms are bright and airy, well-equipped with modern technology, including interactive whiteboards, large creative areas that are always accessible, and stimulating resources at child height so that they can fetch and put them away themselves.  As part of building independence, we ensure that children take responsibility for their classroom.  The large French doors allow the children to free-flow in and out of the classroom during their child-initiated play.  The outside side area is fully enclosed and astro-turfed, allowing it to be used in all weathers. 

Some topics we cover include All Around the World, Animals and Transport.  Visitors such as dentists, the Animal Zoo, and theatre companies come to visit the children to teach them more about the important jobs they do and what the children can do to help themselves.  In addition to the visitors, we go on exciting trips, including the FAST Museum in Farnborough.

Children visit the school’s purpose-built Library each week and have their Digital Learning lesson taught in the classroom on touchscreen Chromebooks.  They are taught by specialist teachers for Art, Swimming, PE and French once a week and Music twice a week.  The children also participate in Outdoor Learning once a fortnight, which always ends in a very welcome mug of hot chocolate!