This week in Reception – Phonics
This week in Reception – Phonics This week your little one will be starting their phonics journey. Phonics is the way we teach children to read and write by helping them recognise the sounds that letters make. We begin with the very basics and build up step by step so children can blend sounds together to read words and segment words to spell. Some key things to know: • Sounds, not letter names – At this stage, we focus on the sounds letters make (e.g. s = “sss”) rather than their names (“ess”). • Blending – Children learn to push sounds together to read simple words (for example, s-a-t becomes sat). • Segmenting – The opposite skill: breaking words into sounds to help with spelling (dog = d-o-g). • Daily practice – We revisit sounds regularly, and lots of repetition helps them stick. You can support at home by listening for sounds in words when you’re out and about, pointing out letters in books or signs, and encouraging your child to enjoy sharing stories with you. Please do let me know if you have any questions about phonics—I’m always happy to chat about how best to support your child.
Mental Health and Wellbeing - Recognising and Managing Stress
Stress is something we all experience – but for children and young people, it can feel especially overwhelming. This guide presents 10 simple, actionable strategies to help young people manage stress in a healthy and balanced manner. Whether it’s noticing early signs, encouraging open conversations, or modelling calm responses, there are plenty of ideas here to support positive change. Perfect for both school and home settings, the guide equips adults to identify subtle signals of stress and create safe spaces for pupils to open up. It also suggests mindful habits and healthy routines that can become part of daily life, promoting long-term emotional strength and mental wellbeing.
Staying Safe Around Water
Whether it’s sunny days at the beach or fun in the paddling pool, children are naturally drawn to water. But with excitement comes risk. This guide brings together 10 clear, practical tips to help parents and educators protect children around water – whether that’s at home, on school trips or on holiday. Backed by the Royal Life Saving Society UK, the advice includes knowing what beach flags mean, avoiding inflatables in open water, and learning to ‘float and call’ in an emergency. With a focus on prevention and supervision, this guide is a must-read for summer safety and beyond.
Beached Themed Reading Cafe
Wow, what an incredible day we had at our beach-themed reading café! A massive thank you to everyone who joined us and made it such a fantastic success. It was truly wonderful to see so much fun, laughter, and, most importantly, a clear passion for books filling the room!
Reception - Art and Design - Creating Bikes!
This week, Reception have been using their artist’s eyes to create something extra special! Inspired by Mrs Armitage on Wheels by Quentin Blake, we designed and made our own spectacular bikes – each one bursting with colour, creativity and imagination. We paid close attention to shape, texture and detail, using a wide range of materials like buttons, sequins, fabric and pipe cleaners. It was all about looking carefully, making thoughtful choices and expressing our own ideas – just like real artists do. Developing our observational skills helps us in so many areas of learning, from early writing and drawing to science and maths. It’s amazing what you notice when you really stop and look! And just like Mrs Armitage, we’re always thinking about how we can add that little bit extra.
Let’s Talk Dummies – Helping Your Pre-Schooler Get Ready to Talk and Learn
Dummies can be really helpful when children are little, especially for comfort and sleep. But as they grow and get ready for nursery or school, dummies and bottles can start to get in the way of their talking. Using a dummy too much can make it harder for children to: • Babble and practise new sounds • Move their tongue properly for clear speech • Develop teeth and mouths in a way that supports speaking All of these things are really important as children build their confidence with talking, listening and joining in – key parts of being ready for school. How can you help? • Try to keep dummy use just for sleep times • Take the dummy out when your child is playing, exploring or talking • Start to reduce dummy use gradually – and aim to stop altogether before they turn 2 If you’re not sure where to start or would like some ideas, just ask a member of staff – we’re always happy to help. Together, we can support every child to find their voice and feel confident for their next steps. ????????
Online Safety - Nintendo Switch 2
Nintendo’s long-awaited Switch 2 has finally arrived, blending fresh hardware with fan-favourite franchises. From Mario to Pikachu, the familiar mascots are back – but so too are evolving online features, in-game purchases, and potential exposure to mature content. As ever, it’s essential that parents and educators understand the risks to young players. Among these are GameChat voice communication, camera-based gaming, and potential access to mature-rated titles. This guide outlines what to watch out for and how to keep children safe, engaged and having fun.
Reception Maths – Exploring Repeat Patterns
Today in maths, Reception continued their learning on repeating patterns. We started with visual prompts and the children worked in small groups to recreate the patterns before having a go at continuing them independently using a variety of resources like cubes, shapes and pegs. The children showed fantastic focus and teamwork as they spotted the unit of repeat and carefully selected objects to match and extend each pattern. This learning links to the EYFS Mathematics Early Learning Goal: ???? “Explore and represent patterns within numbers up to 10, including evens and odds, double facts and how quantities can be distributed equally.” It also supports: ???? Communication and Language – discussing colours, shapes and sequences ???? Physical Development – fine motor control when placing and organising resources ???? Personal, Social and Emotional Development – taking turns and working together We were so proud of the children’s confidence and creativity in today’s session!
Reception RE - Learning About Islam
What a wonderful way to explore and learn! Our Reception children have been diving into "Learning About Islam," and these photos capture some fantastic moments. It's clear to see how many aspects of the Early Years Foundation Stage are being met here: Understanding the World: Children are developing a deeper understanding of different cultures, beliefs, and traditions. This helps them make sense of their community and the wider world around them. Personal, Social and Emotional Development: Through activities like role-play and respectful learning, children are building empathy, respect for others, and a positive sense of self. They're also learning about different ways people express their beliefs. Communication and Language: Whether discussing what they've learned, asking questions, or explaining concepts to each other, these activities encourage rich language development and communication skills. Expressive Arts and Design: We can see children engaging with props and potentially creating their own understanding through imaginative play, fostering creativity and self-expression. It's inspiring to see our young learners so engaged in such meaningful and inclusive education! #EYFS #EarlyYears #UnderstandingTheWorld #DiversityAndInclusion #LearningAboutIslam #ChildDevelopment #ReceptionClass
Reception - Maths - Equal and Unequal Groups
Look at our brilliant Reception class in action! They've been immersed in some fantastic Maths learning, focusing on "Equal and Unequal Groups." It's wonderful to see the children so engaged and hands-on, developing crucial early mathematical concepts. They're exploring: Counting and Cardinality: Precisely counting objects within groups. Comparison: Visually and practically identifying when groups have the same or different numbers of items. Problem Solving: Working together and independently to sort and arrange objects to make groups equal or understand why they are unequal. Practical activities like these are so vital in the early years for building a strong foundation in maths. Great work, everyone! #ReceptionClass #EarlyYearsMaths #EYFSMaths #EqualAndUnequalGroups #HandsOnLearning #EarlyYearsEducation #ProblemSolving
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Reception - Art and Design - Creating Sharks
Our Reception class has been unleashing their inner artists with some fantastic "Art and Design" work! They've been busy "Creating Sharks," and it looks like a wonderfully messy and engaging process. Activities like these are brilliant for developing so many key skills: Creativity and Imagination: Children are encouraged to express their ideas and bring their vision of a shark to life. Fine Motor Skills: All that moulding, shaping, and decorating helps strengthen those small hand muscles essential for writing and other tasks. Problem-Solving: Deciding how to form the shark, what materials to use, and how to add details requires thoughtful planning and execution. Sensory Exploration: Engaging with different textures and materials provides a rich sensory experience. What amazing focus and concentration from our young artists! We can't wait to see the finished shark masterpieces! #ReceptionClass #ArtAndDesign #EarlyYearsArt #CreativeKids #FineMotorSkills #SensoryPlay #CreatingSharks #EarlyYearsEducation
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Online Safety - Youtube Kids
YouTube Kids promises a safe, child-centric experience with colourful visuals, age-filtered content, and robust parental controls. Designed to appeal to younger viewers, the app has grown rapidly, being used by tens of millions of children worldwide. But is it as safe as it seems? Despite YouTube Kids’ safeguards, reports have highlighted worrying issues, such as inappropriate content slipping through filters, subtle advertising, and the use of manipulative design to keep children engaged. Our guide explores how to navigate these pitfalls, offering practical advice for making sure children get the most from the platform – without the risks.
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