Welcome to Reception

Our teachers are:

Oak - Helen Earl

Holly - Jenna King / Alice Dowse

Beech - Catriona Card

Our Topics this year are:

Autumn: All About Me and My Feelings, It's Scary and Exciting

Spring: It's Cold Outside, Let it Grow

Summer: All Creatures Great and Small, Around the World and Beyond

Please take a look at this link if you would like to see more about your child's curriculum and what they are learning each term. 

https://www.berkeleyprimary.co.uk/our-curriculum-plans/

In each term we will try to book a visitor/ workshop linked to the topic for the children to enjoy. These details will be sent out as we book them in. We may later in the year look at doing a visit linked to our topic. 

PE:

Your child will take part in a PE lesson each Monday. Please ensure that your child is wearing their PE kit (t-shirt, shorts, leggings, tracksuit bottoms, trainers etc.)

If your child wears earrings, please remove them before they come to school on PE days. Children wearing earrings are not allowed to take part.

Reading

 Your child's reading experience is much more than the reading book which comes home from school. Reading is happening all the time in a classroom and in the school. It is taught in phonics and English lessons, but children are practising and using their 'reading' constantly across all subjects too.

Parents can support this 'reading journey' through regular reading at home. Reading to and with your child every evening for at least ten minutes can make a dramatic difference to a child's achievement within school.

A report from the Oxford University Press highlighted the importance of parents reading with their children.

'Children who read outside of class are 13 times more likely to read above the expected level for their age'.

The report also offers six tips for reading with your child at home, including:

1. Make time to read- even ten minutes a day

2. Choose different types of books

3. Take turns to read

4. Talk about the book- asking your child questions

5. Pay attention to the language

6. Enjoy reading

Your children will bring home two books each week. One book (Bug Club Phonics) will be decodable and your child should be able to decode this independently/ with minimal support. The Bug Club book is chosen specifically in order to help your children consolidate their phonics knowledge.

The second book, is a ‘reading for pleasure book’. Your child will have selected this book themselves from the reception library.

We ask that you read or share a book with your child at least three times a week. Please complete your child's reading record. Please ensure book bags are in school everyday.

Bug Club

 Bug Club is an excellent online book club where your child can access books suitable for their ability. Your child will receive their own login for Bug Club during their first few weeks at school. If you have any questions or problems logging on then please come and see us. 

Questions and Queries

Please speak to one of the teachers or Teaching assistants if you have a question or problem. We are always happy to help. 

Reading Journal

Each class has a reading journal. This is a special book where children can write a review about a book of their choice. When your child brings home the journal, they can create an entry and it will be shared with the class. Examples are included in the journal.