Reception: Nightingale
Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
A warm welcome to our Florence Nightingale Class page.
The reception year is a very exciting time for both parents and children. During this year we will all work together to ensure that your child will develop a love for learning which they will carry with them for the rest of their school journeys. We understand that children learn best when they are interested and intrigued, and as such provide a nurturing and exciting learning environment to give all your children the opportunity to grow and develop into happy and confident learners.
If you have any problems or queries, no matter how small, please do not hesitate to speak to one of the team who will be happy to help you.
Meet the team
Class Teacher: Mrs Mollyneaux
Teaching Assistant: Mrs Hancox
Our Curriculum
In our reception classes, children will build on their pre-school and home experiences and take part in a wide variety of multi-sensory activities in both the inside and outdoor classrooms. Learning opportunities are planned predominately around the children’s interests, wants and needs. This allows us to provide individualised learning for each child. We provide many practical experiences, such as forest school, baking, role play, sand and water and physical play. Alongside this, there will be regular phonics, maths and reading sessions. We provide a balance between teacher and child-led activities and, in addition, we arrange both visits and visitors to help enrich the curriculum.
The EYFS Framework (2021) explains how and what children in our EYFS will be learning to support their development. Our EYFS pupils learn skills, acquire new knowledge and demonstrate their understanding through seven areas of learning and development.
All areas of learning and development are important and interconnected.
There are three prime areas which are crucial for igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning and for helping their capacity to learn:
- Communication and Language
- Physical Development
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development
There are then four specific areas, through which the three prime areas are strengthened and applied:
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Understanding the World
- Expressive Arts and Design
We will ensure that:
- Teaching and learning activities engage and motivate children to learn, and foster their curiosity and enthusiasm for learning.
- There are focused activities to support, develop and extend children’s learning at their own pace.
- Children are given opportunities to develop their own ideas, thoughts and opinions about their play activities.
- Activities are extended/modified according to what the children like/find tricky.
- There are strong links between home and school.
- Parental partnership in their children’s learning is recognised, valued and developed.
Click on the link to look more closely at 'Development Matters 2023'
Our Classroom
Our classroom is designed to create a calm, nurturing and homely environment, which research suggests is the best environment for children to feel safe, learn and thrive in.
We have lots of natural and 'real' resources which encourage curiosity, discovery, awe and wonder through open-ended experiences.
We have continuous provision organised within learning stations around the classroom (resources which are always available) as well as enhanced provision (new or additional resources) which are added in each week by targeting specific skills, with a focus always including early reading, writing and maths.
Class Information
WATER AND SNACKS
In addition to their own water bottles, all children have a drink of milk or water (in a cup) at snack time. We ensure that every child has a drink at this time, so please be reassured that they have been drinking, even if their school bottle still has some water in. We also refill lots of their bottles during the day. Children do have access to water if they forget their bottle. Infant children are also provided with a free fruit or vegetable snack daily.
COATS
Whilst the weather is still fairly pleasant, please ensure that your child has a coat in school with them each day, as we will take the opportunity to go outside in both rain and shine! We recognise that some children may find putting on and fastening their own coat difficult, and we support children in practising and developing this skill in school. This is something that parents can practise at home to help their independence.
WOW VOUCHERS
We love to hear about your child’s WOW moments at home. Please jot down any of your child’s achievements on a WOW voucher so that we can celebrate with them in school and add these to our WOW wall. Please ask if you need any more vouchers.
WELLY WALK
We are fortunate to have a dedicated area for our Welly Walks. Welly Walks offer an ideal opportunity to learn outdoors, and offer a rich and sensory environment for learning, particularly for our children in Reception. We go to the woods on a Friday afternoon. Although we will not take the children outside in heavy rain/snow, we try to go out whatever the weather! Please ensure that your child has a pair of named wellington boots at school. It is very wet and soggy down in the woods at the minute, and we don't want them to get their school shoes dirty.
PE AND MUSIC
PE will take place on Tuesday morning with Mrs Townsend. As the children are now changing into their PE kits, please ensure that all belongings are clearly labelled with your child’s name. That way, if your child brings someone else's uniform home, we can quickly return it to the owner. The children keep their PE kits on their pegs throughout the term, and then they will be sent home half-termly for washing. Please can ear-rings be removed for PE.
Music lessons will be conducted by our specialist teacher, Mrs. Farrington, every Tuesday morning.
LABELLING
Please ensure that all belongings (uniform, coats, shoes, lunch boxes, book bags, water bottles etc) are clearly labelled with your child’s name. This helps your child to recognise their name and locate their own belongings but also enables misplaced items to be easily identified and returned.
WHAT ARE WE LEARNING THIS TERM?
During the first two weeks, the children will explore healthy eating, oral health, and the story Oliver’s Vegetables through a range of engaging activities. They will learn about different fruits and vegetables, describe foods using rich vocabulary, discuss healthy choices, and discover how nutritious foods help their bodies grow strong. Children will make fruit salads, develop their fine motor skills through food preparation activities, and take part in role-play, storytelling, and taste-testing experiences. They will also explore where food comes from, plant seeds, sort and graph foods, and enjoy food-themed songs, rhymes, and creative activities.
During weeks three and four, the children will focus on safety, environmental awareness, and protecting our oceans through the stories of Stanley and Somebody Crunched Colin. They will develop their communication skills through storytelling, prediction, discussion, and role-play while learning important vocabulary linked to pollution, recycling, and conservation. Children will explore the impact of littering on animals and habitats, investigate recycling, create environmental posters and ocean-themed artwork, and take part in a variety of physical, mathematical, and scientific activities that promote caring for the world around them.
In the final weeks of term, the children will learn about growth and change in people, plants, and animals. They will investigate what living things need to survive, explore plant parts and life cycles, and reflect on how they have grown and developed over time. Through planting, observing, sorting, counting, creative activities, role-play, and movement games, the children will continue to develop their communication, mathematical, and scientific understanding while building confidence, independence, and a sense of responsibility for caring for living things.
PHONICS
Phonics is the key to unlocking reading and writing, and that is why we have chosen to use the Read Write Inc (RWI) phonics and writing scheme at our school.
Learning to read is a life-long skill and a key thing your child will learn. Everything else depends upon this skill, and so, at Bourton, we put as much energy into ensuring that every single child not only learns to read but learns to love reading!
We have included some documents at the bottom of this page which you can use to support your child at home, but here are the Set 1 Sounds your child will be starting to learn in Reception:
Video links you may find helpful when practising phonics at home with your child:
How to help your child learn the Read Write Inc. phonics sounds (youtube.com)
Read Write Inc. | Set 1 Sounds | Learn Phonics | British Teacher (youtube.com)
Reading the bouncy sounds with your child - YouTube
MATHS
In Maths, the children will be learning about the number 10, exploring its composition and developing their understanding of number bonds to 10. They will investigate different ways to make 10 using practical resources, games, and problem-solving activities. Alongside this, we will revisit and consolidate key mathematical concepts taught throughout the year. A particular focus will be on developing rapid recognition of quantities through subitising to 5 and strengthening recall of number bonds. Through engaging, hands-on activities, the children will build confidence in their number knowledge and apply their mathematical understanding in a variety of meaningful contexts.
For further information, please look at the parent guide attachment.
Important dates:
Monday 1st June – Children return to school and have their first PE lesson of the term.
Friday 5th June - Wear green for Mental Health Day.
Saturday 6th June - FOBS duck racing event on the Village green.
Tuesday 23rd June - Parent Open Morning.
Wednesday 1st July - Sports Day.
Friday 10th July - Reports out.
Monday 13th July - Class Swap Morning.
Friday 17th July– Break up at 2pm