Class 1 is a mixed-age class comprising Nursery and Reception pupils and the teachers are Rachel Thomas and Lucy Jackson assisted by Claire McKenzie. Throughout the day, the children are encouraged to work independently. Every child is also given regular opportunities to work with an adult in whole-class and small group situations. The children are given opportunities to play and explore, to investigate and experience things and to ‘have a go’, both within our beautiful Victorian classroom and the purpose-built outdoor area outside. They are active and develop their own ideas. They are all unique and will have different interests and abilities.

When your child starts school they will engage in lots of fun activities that are planned and designed to enhance their early literacy skills. 

They will…

• access fine motor activities such as, threading, manipulating play dough and building with intricate parts to build strength in their hands
• engage in lots of different mark making using different media, such as, chalks, paints and water
• access Letter and Sounds phonics lessons
• listen to and share stories
• develop their communication skills acting and taking on a role in the role play and small world areas 
• access activities that aim to develop letter knowledge, knowledge of sounds and early phonics

We balance an enabling mathematical environment which encourages independent exploration of concepts with daily focused inputs to ensure all children are able to access the curriculum. Mathematical thinking is embedded in the daily language of our classroom.  We count our friends in the morning and think about what would happen if one more joined, count our footsteps when we walk around the school and begin to read some times on the clock so we know what is happening next in the day!

We base our teaching around a theme that the children have demonstrated interest in, and ensure that it has meaning to their lives.  Each session is recorded in the children’s learning journey so that they can reflect on them at a later date and be shared with parents.

The children are supported by their Year 6 buddies who look after Reception on the playground, share fantastic stories with them and keep them safe. These friendships will develop over the school year and will remain fond memories as they progress through their primary school life and beyond! 

Spring 2023

Autumn 2022