Information for New Reception Parents/Carers

In the Early Years at Glebe Primary, we want children to be happy confident, well-rounded individuals with a love for learning. We believe in providing all children with a safe and stimulating environment that builds on each individual’s wants, needs and interests.

We are committed to providing the best possible start to their school life, teaching them skills and giving them experiences which will ensure their well-being now and success in the future.

We have a great Early Years department that is purpose built for young children with a large outdoor space and good-sized classrooms. There are two classes that make up the Early Years department with a maximum of 30 children in each class. Although your child is allocated to an individual class, they have the opportunity to integrate with other children during the school day. 

In Reception, we base our learning on the children’s interests and ideas. The children are encouraged to become independent learners and problem solvers through stimulating play, learning and a caring environment. In Reception we offer a play-based curriculum with exciting learning opportunities in the seven areas of learning:

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

Teaching in Reception is organised through a range of approaches and we provide a balance of child initiated and adult-led activities:

• Planned focused activities where adults work with a small group of children at a time.
• Teachers will differentiate the activity to meet the needs of every child participating.
• Small group teaching of early reading and writing through a phonics-based programme called Read Write Inc. Phonics
• Whole class teaching for short periods of time such as shared story time, direct teaching (for example of maths), songs and rhymes, discussions and sharing work.
• Opportunities for teachers to work alongside children as they develop their own interests in particular areas of the curriculum.

Reception children take part in daily physical activity through their everyday learning. The children in Reception will also be engaging in a P.E session once a week. On the day of their P.E session your child will come dressed in their P.E kit for the school day.

• Morning session - 8.30am – 11. 45am

Our class doors open at 8.30 am. Teachers make themselves visible at the classroom doors and your child will enter the classroom putting their bookbag/backpack and coat away. 

• Lunchtime - 11.45am - 12.45 pm

The government provide free school meals for children in Reception to Year 2. Alternatively, you can send your child in with a packed lunch. During the lunch hour, the children will have the opportunity to run around and play on the astroturf. 

• Afternoon session - 12.45 pm – 3.00pm

Children will return to the classroom for the afternoon session and will be dismissed at 3.00pm by the class teachers. During this time there is a chance to have an informal chat about your child’s day at school and to pass on any relevant information.

One of our key aims is to make the transition into school life as smooth as possible for all children and parents/carers. We enjoy working closely with parents/carers and feeder Nursery settings to ensure we develop each child’s love of learning. In the June/July before your child starts school in September you will be invited to attend an information meeting. In addition, your child will have the opportunity to visit the school for some stay and play sessions.

During the first few weeks in school your child will be learning the routines and building relationships with all the children and staff. We will be focussing on prime areas of learning which are: 

In Reception, we work in partnership with parents/carers to promote the learning and development of all children. Parents/carers are a child’s most important educators, therefore, we endeavour to involve and support parents in as many opportunities as we can.

Class Dojo

In Reception we use Class Dojo which is a secure online Learning Journal to record photos, observations, and comments, in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum, to build up a record of your child’s experiences during their time with us.

This system allows us to work with parents and carers to share information and record the children’s play and learning in and outside of the classroom.

Class Dojo is a website which can be accessed on a computer or laptop, and also on any Apple or Android device such as a tablet or smart phone.