Reception

Welcome to the Reception classes at George Tomlinson Primary School. The Reception year is the conclusion of the EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage) which is the time in a child’s life between birth and age 5. There are two Reception classes at George Tomlinson: Otters class and Pine Martens class.

Your child will be learning skills, acquiring new knowledge and demonstrating their understanding through the 7 areas of learning and development which form the EYFS curriculum.

Children should mostly develop in the 3 prime areas first. These are:

• Communication and Language;
• Physical Development;
• Personal, Social and Emotional Development.

These prime areas are those most essential for your child’s healthy development and future learning.
As children grow, the prime areas will help them to develop skills in 4 specific areas. These are:

• Literacy;
• Mathematics;
• Understanding the World;
• Expressive Arts and Design.

These 7 areas are used to ensure our provision covers all aspects of your child’s learning. They will determine what the environment has to offer. The staff who are teaching and supporting your child will make sure that all activities are suited to your child’s unique needs.

Children learn by playing and exploring, being active, and through creative and critical thinking which takes place both indoors and outdoors. The curriculum is led by play, with mainly child-initiated opportunities but there are some ‘planned’ exploitative activities and events each week.

Children are introduced to short phonics sessions, (just before lunch), whole class mathematical input (singing or problem solving, just after lunch), and early morning reading. The rest of the day is free for children to continue their learning, persuing activities that cover all areas of the curriculum. Teachers are there to support and guide them to feel competent in all areas of the Foundation Stage Curriculum, ready for year 1

Children in Reception have access to their main classroom, the two parallel classrooms, and a large outdoor space. They also visit the school field each Wednesday afternoon for some planned activities and the school Library once a week.

• EYFS Supporting your Child at Home
• High Frequency Words Practice