The Junior School Curriculum

Reception

Nursery and Reception make up the Foundation Stage of your child's education.

In Reception we aim to provide a friendly, happy and secure environment in which the children may settle easily and where learning can take place. The curriculum covers six main areas under the headings of:

Communication, Language and Literacy
Problem Solving, Reasoning and Numeracy
Knowledge and Understanding of the World
Physical Development
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Creative Development

all of which establish literacy and numeracy, sociability and self-confidence in a child.

GENERAL INFORMATION

We hope that by now each child has a book bag in which to carry school books and letters. It is important that you look in your child's book bag every day to check for new information or notices.

It is important for the children to have book bags in school everyday.

Toys - sometimes we ask children to bring in a toy as part of a topic but generally we do not encourage children to bring toys into school.

Please provide your child with a pair of plimsolls/trainers in a school shoe bag. This bag should be kept in school during the week as there are many occasions when the Reception children can use the large climbing frame.

NOTICEBOARD

There is a class notice board on Reception's window. Please check this for any items needed to support your child's learning.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Help your child by encouraging them to be more aware of the world around them. Help to develop their powers of observation by talking and discussing things of interest.

If you have a computer at home you could play games together to practise mouse & keyboard skills.

The Topics we cover in our school year are as follows:

Autumn Term:

Myself
Autumn
Celebrations

Spring Term:

People Who Help Us
Dinosaurs

Summer Term:

Water in Our World
Weather
Where I live

HOMEWORK

Homework is on Fridays and will include some writing / maths or something from curriculum from the previous week.

Please return the book on Monday when the homework is completed. Work is to be completed in pencil and all pictures coloured in. (No felt-tips please).

LITERACY/ENGLISH

Reading

Reading is not a race - it is a doorway into a world of information and imagination. Please read with your child as often as possible - ideally this should be a little every day.

Ideas to help your child at home:

Discuss front cover & illustrations in books.
Can your child predict what might happen next?
Ask your child to point to the words as s/he reads them.
Write words out, use word-sheets, cut them out & play games with them etc.
Repeat word/ sentence together.
Look at words around you, when you visit shop etc.
Visit your local library.

Spelling & Writing

In Reception during Spring & Summer term, children will begin to learn simple spellings. These will be sent home each Friday to learn for the following week.

Please encourage your child to write independently e.g. Birthday cards, Stories, Invitations etc.

Library

In Reception our library day is Friday. The children should return their borrowed book the following week to receive a new book.

NUMERACY / MATHEMATICS

At this age, children learn more easily through practical experiences using various, suitable materials within the home.

Ideas to help your child at home:

Practise sorting everyday materials e.g. spoons & forks, laundry, toys into sets according to type and colour.
Practise telling the time, focusing on the o'clock using both digital and analogue clocks.
Take your child shopping - work out change using 1p, 2p, 5p.
Look at the calendar days and the seasons.
Play number games e.g. Snakes and Ladders, Snap, Ludo. This helps with sequencing, ordering, counting on and turn-taking.
Include your child when cooking, for example, estimating and weighing.
Look at shapes of objects, both solid and flat shapes: cube, cuboid, cylinder, circle, triangle etc.

P.E.

Children will change at school for P.E. Please ensure names are on all items of clothing. Encourage children to practise dressing and undressing themselves at home.

Reception have P.E. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The children should have two separate bags for their P.E. kit and outdoor shoes. Please ensure that your child's P.E. kit includes white socks, a tracksuit and a pair of plimsolls/trainers. Please note that no jewellery is allowed in school. Plimsolls/trainers should be kept at school during the week as the children will change their shoes to play on the climbing equipment.

VISITS / SPECIAL OCCASIONS

We will be celebrating Harvest Festival next Wednesday, 23rd September. All gifts of non-perishable food items will decorate the windowsills at the Church before going to worthy causes.

We aim to have a visit each term. This term, we will be visiting the Polka Theatre on Tuesday 24th November to see 'Goldilocks'. Next term, we will be going to see 'Charlie and Lola' on Friday 19th March, also at the Polka Theatre.

The Chessington Lodge Christmas Celebration will take place on Friday 11th December at 2.00 p.m. at St Mary's Church. The Christmas Parties will take place on Wednesday 16th December. We will give you more details about these events nearer the time.

If you have any concerns or problems during the year please do not hesitate to come and see Miss McClean or Miss Seager.