Reception Early Years Curriculum Meeting

1. Welcome to Reception Early Years Curriculum Meeting

2. Our aim for this meeting • Our Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum • What a day in Reception looks like… • What a week in Reception looks like… • Our Uniform • Reading in Reception • Library Service • Supporting you to support your children further • Supporting us to support your children • Questions & Sharing

3. Our Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum • Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage • Prime areas of learning • Specific areas of learning • We aim to deliver a broad and balanced curriculum based on books that will stimulate the children’s learning experiences. • We build a profile of each child’s learning journey right through from nursery to reception. - These will be available for you to look at during parents evening.

4. What a day in Reception looks like… • We encourage our children to be independent learners. • We provide a balance of child initiated learning and adult led activities. • These activities are differentiated to suit every child’s needs • The children have access to their own reception classrooms and a shared outside area.

5. What a day in reception looks like…

6. What a week in reception looks like… There are a number of activities and events that the children will take part in throughout the week in these include: • A focused RE lesson • PE taught by a specialist every week. (This term we will have PE on a Thursday Afternoon) • Big Writing on a Friday After half term we will take part in: • EYFS assemblies on a Wednesday Morning • Infant school assemblies on a Friday • Forest School in small groups Other activities will include: • Dance for a term • On special occasions we meet with our partner class to share our learning. • When there are special events in our school we all take part – for example ‘Harvest Assembly’

7. Our Uniform • It is important that all children are dressed in the right school uniform • Looking presentable • Each item should be clearly labeled • If children are not in the correct uniform a letter will be issued Girls Uniform Boys Uniform

8. Our Uniform • As part of our home school agreement we would like to remind all parents of NO: • Jewellery • Hair extensions, • Beads in hair, • Coloured hair bands etc. • That all children with long hair should have it tied back at all times! Please  • PE kits will be kept at school and sent home for freshening up every half term.

9. Reading in Reception • Each child will have a reading record book • Reading books will be changed weekly - children will be put into a group and each group will have a set reading day. • Your day will be clearly highlighted in your reading record book. • Please ensure that you comment on your child’s reading to ensure the book is changed and that your child reads to you as often as possible. • Target bubbles – to support reading at home. • All chn will start with the same targets. Class teachers will give the children new targets as they feel these targets have been achieved.

10. Library Service • Library service will take place once a week on your child’s reading day – this will start after half term. • Children will borrow books from the book corner • To encourage children’s love for reading • We suggest that you use this book to read to your child, share it and enjoy it together. • We will record the date and the title in your ‘Reading Diary’ we would then like you to encourage your child to draw and then write something about the book you have shared. • We will award a stamp for every time you record in your reading diary. • For every 3 stamps we will be awarding the children team points • For every 10 stamps your child will receive a prize!

11. Sharing WOW Moments! earlyyears@st-josephs-inf.croydon.sch.uk We would like you to share with us any ‘WOW’ moments you have with your child. These can include: • Using and applying learning e.g. • using their sounds to read words in the environment • Working out how much money to give at the shops Looking after a pet Visits to zoos, farms, museums But most importantly these should include learning moments! We will be celebrating your efforts and the children’s learning that takes place beyond the Reception setting. These will be displayed on the notice board in the playground next to the Reception Outside Area and continued on the display board outside the Infant office. Do visit these boards often with your children and discuss what their friends have been up to.

12. Supporting you to support your Children further How we can help • We will be sending home a ‘Mathematics Booklet’ • After half term the children will have A phonics book, called ‘My Sound book’ These items are for you to keep at home. You do not need to bring them back into school. We will however be asking you to celebrate with us any of your child’s amazing efforts in their phonics book. We will put these examples on display to celebrate your child’s home learning. • After Half Term you will also have access to our ‘EYFS Fronter Classroom’ - where we will be sharing the learning that happens in the classroom and there will be links for you to support and further your child’s learning at home. • There are a number of workshops for parents coming up over the year. Please check the letter you have and attend as many as you want. IF there are any other areas that you feel you would like support in then please let me know.

13. Our School Website Log in Parents Room Information, helpful hints & links, parent forum. We’d love your input!

14. Supporting us to support your children How you can help • We are keen for you to engage in dialogue as often as possible with your children • So we are suggesting a Mobile Free Zone! • Can you volunteer your time? This could include: • gardening, • reading, • sharing a book, • or any other suggestions you may have… there’s lots you can do to help.

15. Catch Up, Share and Explore We would like to warmly welcome all our Reception Parents for a Refreshment on St Joseph’s  and an opportunity for you to catch up and share your experiences. We have booked our first Coffee Morning for Thursday 1st October 2015 @ 9am – 10am Then the 1st Thursday of every month

16. Questions and Sharing Please take this time to ask any questions or queries you may have. We hope this meeting has been helpful and look forward to working with you 