Reception

Our Early Years area is designed for young children, with spacious classrooms and a large outdoor learning environment that encourages self-selection, independence, exploration, creativity and active play. The year group is made up of two classes, each accommodating up to 30 children.

While every child is assigned to their own class, they also have regular opportunities to learn, play and socialise with children from across the Reception classes. This helps them to build friendships, develop confidence and feel a strong sense of belonging within the wider school community.

At Glebe, children experience all seven areas of learning through a carefully balanced mix of adult-led teaching, focused group activities and purposeful play. Learning is shaped by children's interests and experiences, alongside engaging topics, themes, continuous provision and daily phonics sessions.

Our skilled staff carefully plan learning opportunities that support children's development across all areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum:

• Communication and Language
• Personal, Social and Emotional Development
• Physical Development
• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding the World
• Expressive Arts and Design

Reading at Glebe

At Glebe, we are committed to fostering a lifelong love of reading in every child. A passion for books is nurtured through the sharing of stories, songs and rhymes, providing opportunities for children to talk about, retell and act out familiar stories. We also encourage children to follow their interests through a wide range of fiction and non-fiction texts.

Books are shared with the children every day and are carefully integrated throughout the learning environment to inspire reading during child-initiated play. Children are encouraged to explore and discuss both storybooks and information books across all areas of provision. A quiet, inviting book area provides opportunities for children to enjoy books independently, and the selection is regularly refreshed to reflect current topics and children's interests.

Each child takes home a phonically decodable reading book that closely matches the sounds and words they are learning in school. They are encouraged to read this book independently to build confidence and fluency. Children also choose a library book to share and enjoy with their families at home, helping to develop a love of reading beyond the classroom.

Our Focus Texts

Our Top 10 Books to Learn by Heart

Throughout the Reception year, children learn a collection of ten carefully selected books by heart. These books often feature repetitive language and predictable patterns, making them easy for children to join in with and enjoy. As children become familiar with the stories, reading becomes an interactive and engaging experience, helping them develop confidence, language skills and story knowledge.

Each book provides rich opportunities for discussion, enabling children to explore new vocabulary, deepen their understanding of the story and develop their comprehension skills. Through repeated exposure to these much-loved texts, children build a strong foundation for future reading success.