Reception (Foundation 2)

We have had a fabulous start to the new academic year and we’re having a great time getting to know each other. This year, we have a lovely combination of children who attended our school Nursery last year and new starters who have attended a range of other settings. What is exciting is that everyone now has the opportunity to make new friendships with so many other children and develop relationships with Foundation Stage staff. All children will soon be assigned a Key Person; the adult who will form a close bond with that child and act as the link between home and school. Having a Key Person is a crucial aspect of children’s development in Early Years.

In September, we always have a big focus on encouraging the children to talk freely about themselves, family members and friends. The children’s lives and interests are at the heart of everything we do in Early Years; we try to find out what is important to the children so that we can provide activities that stimulate and engage them, to enhance their learning. Having familiar objects around them, such as photographs of family members and pictures of their favourite characters, also makes children feel safe and secure, at a time when they are going through a period of transition into “big school”. We will do everything possible to help your child settle in and feel relaxed with us.

In our Foundation Unit, we continue to promote the importance of health and hygiene by regularly washing and sanitising our hands and ensuring adequate ventilation at all times. It’s become a vital part of everyone’s daily routine and the children understand the importance of keeping germs at bay. We also actively promote the importance of exercise, rest and good oral hygiene by providing healthy snacks and milk and/or water as well as reminding children of the importance of brushing their teeth at least twice per day. We very much appreciate any support you can give to your child in encouraging them to be independent in going to the toilet, dressing themselves and using cutlery independently.

At Westvale Primary, we use the Maths Mastery approach, focusing on one number each week. The idea is that the children develop a very secure knowledge of that number before moving on to the next number. Our chosen Phonics scheme is Read Write Inc, where one letter sound per day is taught (more information to follow). We will be enjoying stories written by our class author Jill Murphy and can’t wait to discover lots of exciting topics throughout Reception year!

If you have any questions, concerns or just need to tell us something about your child, please don’t hesitate to approach us. We are always here to work in partnership with you, in the best interests of your child.

Looking forward to a happy and successful year of learning,

Miss Fealey (Reception teacher/Early Years Lead)

Miss Marsh, Mrs Tracey, Mrs Hodgson (Foundation Stage Teaching Assistants)