Knutsford School Welcome to Year Reception

1. Knutsford School Welcome to Year Reception

2. Staff • Class teachers: Miss Griffiths (Elm) & Mrs Baldwin (Beech) • TAs: Mrs Monahan (Elm) & Miss Pounds (Beech) • PPA staff: Mrs Wellock (Elm) & Mrs Hill (Beech) • MSAs: Mrs Freeman, Mrs Thangarajand Mrs Shehzadi Your child may also come into contact with the following members of staff who work across the school: • Mrs Hutchinson (Inclusion Coordinator) • Mrs McConnon (Inclusion Support Worker) • Mrs Jain (EAL teaching assistant) • Mrs Tunwell (fine and gross motor skills teaching assistant) • Miss Forbes (Intervention TA)

3. Daily routines • The children should arrive by 8.55am each day and, when the whistle blows, line up on the infantplayground. If your child is late they will need to sign in at the office so they can be registered. • At the end of the day the children will be seen out of their classroom door. • All infant children are provided with a free healthy snack. • In Reception we have ‘rolling snack’ several times a week between 10.00 - 10.45. We will be asking for parent helpers to assist with this. • Lunchtime is at 12.00 – 1.00

4. Topics The main topics the children will be learning about are: Each half term you will receive a curriculum newsletter which outlines what we are aiming to teach in each subject. Previously we have had a dress up day in Spring 1, gone on a mini beast hunt to Knutsford playing fields in Spring 2 and visited Woburn Safari Park in Summer 1.

5. PE • We have PE on Monday (indoor) and Friday (outdoor) • PE kits should be in school every day in case of unavoidable changes to the timetable. • Children will be put into their houses before Christmas and we will let you know which colour t-shirt they will need to have. Siblings will be in the same house so coloured t-shirts can be worn straight away. • The main focus of PE each term is as follows:

6. Reading • Reading is the key to success in many areas of the curriculum and we give it a high priority. • For the first half term we hear the children read individually (once a week). This will alternate between class teachers and the TAs. All children start by reading books without words to develop their story telling, prediction and comprehension skills. • After October half term the children will have guided reading sessions once a week where we look at a book in more depth as a group. • ‘Quick as a Click’ words are checked on your child’s reading day. These will be changed when your child can read them fluently. • The reading book your child takes home will be changed weekly, please sign their reading record to show it has been read. • On Fridays children can choose a ‘shared book’. This is for you to read to them.

7. Home learning • Home learning activities at Knutsford support a broad and balanced curriculum, not just the English and maths curricula. The activities we give the children consolidate and extend the learning they do at school. We aim to help children develop a love of learning across the curriculum. • We would appreciate your support with homework: • encourage your child to look after their home learning books/sheets and take a pride in their work • provide a suitable place, away from TV, mobile phones and other distractions, in which home learning can be completed, whether working alone or with an adult • monitor home learning and inform the class teacher if an issue arises • support your child to plan their time and meet deadlines

8. Home learning • Home learning, including phonics will be sent home on a Friday and needs to be returned the following Thursday. • The home learning grid is linked to our topic theme and covers a range of subject areas. • Some of the home learning activities are practical and we welcome photos and videos of these on Tapestry. • Please encourage your child to use the sounds they have learnt when recording their homework (which might mean words are spelt incorrectly, but phonetically). • Initially your child will be given the sounds they have learnt in phonics on flashcards to encourage them to word build. Throughout the year this will change and become more formally recorded.

9. We expect all children to wear the correct school uniform at all times, including for PE: http://www.knutsford.herts.sch.uk/parent-info/school-uniform/ All items should be clearly marked with your child’s name. Lost property! We endeavour to return named items but most items in lost property are not named. School uniform

10. E-safety E-safety is of paramount importance in today’s world and it forms an ongoing theme in our computing curriculum in each year group. The e-safety codes we use with the children, along with other information you may find useful, can be viewed on the school website. http://www.knutsford.herts.sch.uk/children-learning/e-safety/ Please be aware of what your child accesses on computers, tables and phones at home. Unless you have the appropriate controls in place your child will be able to access more than cute kitten videos on You Tube.

11. Communication Communication is a two way process. Please do not hesitate to talk to us if you have any queries or concerns and we will do our very best to help in any way we can. And vice-versa, we will contact you if we have any queries or concerns regarding your child’s learning or behaviour. How to contact us: • Note to school with child • Mornings (for very quick messages) • After school • Leave a message with admin staff and we will contact you • Parent teacher consultation evenings

12. Parental help • Do you have any spare time? • We are always looking for parents to come in and help, preferably on a regular basis. If you have half an hour to spare you could hear children read. Have a chat with the class teacher if you would like to offer regular help. • Letters for rolling snack will go home tomorrow. If you are able to help once or regularly please fill in the form and return. • Parental help is subject to satisfactory DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks being carried out. Further information is available from Mrs Allnutt in the school office.

13. Magic moments • We want to celebrate the successes your child has had at school and at home. • If your child has a ‘magic moment’ please send in a photo/certificate/ medal for our board. • This could be of a special event, completing a challenge or moving onto a different stage in a club.

14. Being independent When we change into PE kits for the first time it usually takes at least 30 minutes! Please practise the following with your child: • Putting clothes that are inside out the correct way (sleeves) • Putting a coat on and doing it up (zips) • Dressing and undressing

15. Tapestry • Please comment on your child’s observations. • We’d love to see your child’s learning at home, please add your own observations. • If you have not changed your password please do so.

16. Questions?