General Information

• Reading books and records need to be in school everyday so that children can read with a member of staff.
• Reading books are changed twice a week and your child will bring home a book banded reading book and a shared book.
• Children will need to have wellies and a waterproof coat in school at all times to play outside in all weathers.
• Please can you name all of your child's belongings and help them to practise recognising them at home.

In Autumn 1 our first topic is "All About Me"

During this learning, we will be thinking about ourselves, our families and the world around us, including our local area.

During these first few weeks, our staff will be getting to know your children and completing baseline assessments, to help us build our curriculum around your children’s strengths, interests and areas of need

We will be taking part in the governments reception baseline assessment – more information can be found here:  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reception-baseline-assessment-information-for-parents

Later in the term our topic will be ‘The Gingerbread Man’ and we will base our work around the book “The Gingerbread Man” by  Mara Alperin

During this topic we will learn in a variety of ways, covering all elements of the EYFS curriculum. 

Personal Social and Emotional Development: 

We will take part in circle time activities, and begin to develop relationships with our new friends and teachers.

We will read stories such as “the colour monster” to help us think about our feelings and emotions.

Communication and Language: 

We will roleplay the various stories, taking on different roles and characters 

We will orally compose sentences about the stories that we are reading. 

We will think about using the past tense correctly eg. "The gingerbread man ran away”

Literacy:

We will read a variety of stories and will show understanding of what we have read. 

We will begin our phonics lessons, with words and tricky words linked where possible to our key texts 

We will label characters from the story using our phonics to help us

We may begin to write captions or sentences about the stories that we are reading. 

We will sequence stories and use pictures to tell the story using good vocabulary. 

Mathematics:

Our maths learning this term will include 

- Numbers to 5, working with these numbers in a variety of ways, including subitising, number formation, and number bonds.  

Physical Development:

We work on our handwriting, beginning to form our letters correctly

We will learn how to hold our pencils correctly.

We will take part in PE lessons with our teachers.

Understanding the World:

Technology - We will use ICT, including purple mash to access painting programmes, story activities and songs and games.

The World - We will begin to learn about the world around us, including the seasons, and our local area.

Expressive Arts and Design: 

We will learn drawing skills by completing a self portrait.

We will begin to learn painting skills

We will begin to learn skills including design, and joining materials.  

MEET THE TEACHER

Below is the powepoint used at our "meet the teacher" evening on 14.09.21 

Meet-the-teacher-evening-eyfs.pptx

Parents Information Powerpoint 

Please see below a powerpoint of information regarding starting school in September. 

Information-Evening-PPT-2021.ppt

PARENTS INDUCTION MEETING

If you follow these links, you can listen to a pre-recorded parents presentation by Mrs Booth, our Early Years Lead

EYFSInduction-Meeting-Part-1.mp4

EYFS-Induction-meeting-pt.2-1.mp4

What to Bring to School

• School book bag and reading books
• Reading record (this will be provided)
• School water bottle (these will be provided in the first weeks of term) 
• Waterproof coat and wellies (if these could stay in school that would be great!) 
• Sun hat and sun cream on hot days
• Woollen hat and gloves on cold days
• PE kit (from October half term)
• Spare underwear and socks
• Packed lunch if your child is having one. (Please note that all children in EYFS are entitled to a free school lunch. More information on school lunches is available on the website)

Please note that you do not need to provide a snack for your child. Fresh fruit is available every day. 

Documents to help with starting school 

Here are some slides from a powerpoint presentation Miss White put together on what being "School Ready" means

What-doe-it-mean-to-be-school-ready.pdf

Some useful hints and tips for parents  when preparing for and when starting school 

Skills-for-starting-school.pdf

Starting-school-checklist.pdf

Activities which you and your child could be doing before you start school

Skills-for-starting-school-1.pdf

Activities-to-do-before-your-child-starts-reception.doc

If you or your child have any fears around starting school - look at this document: 

fears-booklist.pdf

A list of books you could be looking at prior to starting school - starting-school-booklist.pdf

Dont forget that as EYFS parents, you can keep up to date on what you child has been learning and any WOW moments, by accessing the tapestry website or app. 

https://tapestryjournal.com/

If you do not have access to this, please speak to your childs teacher. 

(Letters will be sent out during the first few weeks of school)

In this section you will find links to websites and apps which you can use to support your childrens learning at home 

Reading and Writing 

• b-and-d-poster-1.pdf - this writing prompt may help your child if they confuse their b and d
• Letter-Formation-Guidance.pdf - a document showing how we teach letter formation in EYFS 
• HF-words-Powerpoint-1.ppt
• Reception-High-Frequency-Words.pdf

• https://www.phonicsplay.co.uk/  using the following free login details username: jan21      password: home

• https://www.teachyourmonstertoread.com/ - currently free if used on a computer. Small charge for use on ipads / other devices 

• https://www.phonicshero.com/ - currently offering a 7 day free trial 

• https://readingeggs.co.uk/- currently offering a 30 day free trial for website and app users

Alphablocks are another fun way to  learn phonics - https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/b01cz0p1/alphablocks

TRICKY WORDS 

https://www.youtube.com/watch/TvMyssfAUx0?safe=true - Tricky word songs that we use in school 

A Website with lots of ideas for teaching tricky words - 

https://phonicshero.com/teach-tricky-words/#:~:text=Play%20memory%20games%20such%20as,or%20Letters%20and%20Sounds%20words.

Tricky word activity mats -

Tricky-words-make-and-read-activity-mats-1.pdf

Tricky-words-activity-booklet-phase-2.pdf

Powerpoint from support session - tricky words

English-Support-Session.pptx

Maths

Numberblocks are a great way to learn numbers and have fun - available on IPlayer and as an app too!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/joinin/numberblocks-help-your-child-with-maths

Ten Town - Your child will have a login for ten town. Please speak to your class teacher if you have lost your login details. 

https://beta.tentown.co.uk/

Other websites to support with learning in EYFS

• Twinkl  https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resources/parents They are currently providing some activities and resources for free. 

• https://www.topmarks.co.uk - some brilliant games and activities!

• http://www.ictgames.com - ICT games for different subjects 

• www.busythings.co.uk  - Excellent site built around the 7 areas of learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage. You can access a free 7 day trial but you need to subscribe after this period to access the content – various subscription packages available.

• http://www.crickweb.co.uk/Early-Years.html 

• http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/barnabybear/  - Visit the world with Barnaby Bear!

Apps

This link shows lots of useful apps for early years -

https://famly.co/blog/inspiration/15-early-years-apps-to-continue-learning-at-home/

This document also gives further ideas of apps you can download 

eyfs-apps.pdf

THIS DOES NOT APPLY UNTIL AFTER OCTOBER HALF TERM 

Reception have PE twice a week (days will be confirmed)

On these days we ask that children come to school in their PE clothes rather than their school uniform.

Weather dependant they can wear their shorts and school coloured PE T- shirt and House PE sweatshirt. If the weather is cold, then track suit bottoms/leggings would be more suitable. Trainers are preferable to pumps as it is possible the children may be outdoors for some lessons.

Please see below the long term plan for EYFS 

EYFS-Long-Term-Plan.pdf

This year's theme is Express Yourself.

We want the children  to think about how they can express themselves, talk about how they are feeling, and also who they can talk to if they are not feeling ok. 

More information for parents can be found here: https://www.childrensmentalhealthweek.org.uk/parents-and-carers/

Below, we have uploaded some activities to help you and your children think about and support their mental health this week.

Please remember, all the staff at Church Lane are here if you are your child need us - please contact us if you need us. 

Draw your feelings:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STdJ__8ORyE&feature=youtu.be

A great activity in which your children can draw their body and think about how they are feeling – they can express this in any way they choose. The video goes through this step by step.

Meditation and Yoga for children

Your children will already be familiar with “cosmic kids yoga”

On this website you will also find guided meditations for children.  They are called “peace out”

                https://cosmickids.com/

 Mindfulness Colouring

We have uploaded some mindfulness colouring sheets to the class page that your child may wish to use this week.

Play some calm, relaxing music as your child completes these. You may wish to do one too!

mindfulness-colouring.pdf

Non-Screen Time

Take some time away from your screens today

Here are some ideas you could use:

 https://medium.com/pobble/simple-and-fun-non-screen-activities-that-children-can-do-at-home-115543cb3b9c

Non-screen-activities-from-Pobble-1.pdf

Here are some frequently asked questions, and their answers, regarding starting school. 

If your question has not been answered here, please contact the school office who will be happy to help. 

FAQS

My child is still unable to get dressed independently. When will they be expected to do this at school? When will PE start?

PE sessions begin as soon as your child starts school, but they will not be expected to change into PE kits until after October half-term. To begin with, children are encouraged to take off their clothes one item at a time as a class and teachers will talk them through this. Lots of children require some support with certain items (eg. Jumpers) but we encourage them to be as independent as possible when changing.

Will my child be able to play with children who are in the alternate class?

Yes. Some of your child’s lessons will take place within their own class, with their class teacher. However, both reception classes are currently mixed for sessions such as maths and phonics. This allows practitioners to tailor the learning more closely to your child’s specific learning needs. Your child will also have the opportunity to mix with children from the alternate class during Busy Bee Learning time. This is when children are provided with the opportunity to learn through play and it takes place throughout each day in between lessons.

Will my child have access to both outdoor learning areas?

Yes. We ensure that both classes both have access to both outdoor learning environments each day, so your child will have frequent opportunities to use both.
 

Do I need to send in a snack for my child?

No. We ask that you do not send in a snack because the children are given fresh fruit to snack on each day at snack time until they begin KS2.

How long will my child be expected to sit on the carpet for when they start school?

When your child starts school, carpet-based lessons will be approximately 10 - 15 minutes long. Maths, English and phonics sessions will take place on a daily basis and topic sessions will also take place frequently. These sessions will be active, engaging and tailored to the interests and learning needs of your child. This will increase over the year as we prepare for year one. 

How is reading assessed and when will my child receive a reading book?

Your child will receive a reading book during their first half-term at school. Books are divided into colour bands based on the level of comprehension and the reading skill required. Children are read with by a member of staff at least once every two weeks and your child can be moved up onto the next book band at any time, when the staff feel that they are ready and are showing appropriate reading and comprehension skills.

 We encourage you to support your child with their reading at home by reading frequently and discussing stories as you read them. We also offer a phonics information evening in the Autumn term during which we discuss some useful strategies to support reading.

How are children divided into classes?

After the nursery visits and visits to school have taken place, the EYFS team will sort your child into the appropriate class based on their friendships. We aim to ensure that each child has at least one familiar friend in their own class, although the two classes do frequently mix together. Your child will also be sorted into a colour team at this time. If they have older siblings, we will take their colour team into account when allocating one for your child.

What uniform do I need to purchase and how can I purchase it?

The uniform for boys consists of grey trousers or shorts, black shoes, a white shirt or polo top and a navy jumper. The uniform for girls consists of a navy jumper, grey skirt, a grey dress or grey trousers, a white polo top or shirt, black shoes and blue checked summer dresses with white socks in the summer. Uniform can be ordered from the smart uniform, or alternatively can be purchased from a supermarket.

How can I prepare my child for school?

We encourage you to listen to the presentation for new parents that will take place in the summer prior to your child starting school. We will discuss the structure of a typical day at school and how to prepare your child during this particular evening. When your child attends for their visit, they wll also be provided with a homework folder containing some useful activities to work on at home. 

You can also find more information on the school website under "Starting School in September"

How does the school dinner system work?

When your child starts school, they will be entitled to free school meal until they start KS2. Dinner choices are divided into four options each day; a main option, a vegetarian option, a jacket potato option and a sandwich option. The dinner system also works across a three week time frame and the choices are set at the beginning of the year for each specific day and week. A menu will be sent home at the beginning of term and it will also be displayed outside your child’s classroom. Your child’s class teacher will explain the different options each morning and  then your child will tell them what they would like. We will then order your child’s choice ready for lunch time. We need to be informed of any food intolerances or allergies prior to your child starting school so that we can cater to these.