Autumn 1 - Native Narratives

Autumn Term 1 – Week 7

Another fantastic week has flown by in Reception class! 🌟

In Phonics, our new sounds this week were r, h and b. The children have been working so hard to recognise, say and write these sounds. We have been applying our new learning to read and write words and even some sentences — what super writers we are becoming! ✏️In Maths we have been exploring the composition of the numbers 1, 2 &3. 

We had a very special visitor from Darwen Library this week. The librarian shared some wonderful stories with us and talked about all the exciting things we can find and do at the library. The children listened beautifully and were very keen to share their own favourite books! 📚

In RE, we created a story chain prayer to show the journey of beans from farm to table. We thanked God for all those involved along the way — the farmers, the transporters, the shop workers, and the families who prepare our food. The children’s ideas were thoughtful and kind, showing real appreciation for the world around them. 🙏

During French, we played a fun game of pairs to consolidate our learning of colours! We recapped five colours — blue, white, red, green and yellow — then split into teams for Mademoiselles versus Monsieurs. Congratulations to all the Mademoiselles who were our winners this week! 🏆 See if your child can remember their colours in French — bleu, blanc, rouge, vert, jaune! Finally, in Gymnastics, Reception class have been working on the benches, focusing on strength, balance and posture. Everyone worked really hard and showed such enthusiasm throughout the session — well done, Reception! 

What a busy and exciting week it’s been — we can’t wait to see what next week brings (our last week of our first half term!).  

Autumn Term 1 - Week 6

Well, another wonderful week has gone by in Reception class! 

In Phonics our new learning is; ck, e & u. We have been applying our phonics learning to read and write words or sentences! 

In Maths we have been focussed on recognising and creating repeating patterns.  In our Literacy sessions this week our writing tasks have been focused on hearing initial sounds in words and writing these, some of us have also been writing CVC words and sentences independently! ☺️
 

In French this week, Madame Wardle recapped the children’s learning of the French Flag.  They learned the name of the flag, ‘Le Tricolore’, and the colours of the flag ‘blue, blanc, rouge’. We also surprised Madame Wardle with our French flags we had created this week, we enjoyed singing the songs and waving our flags!
 

 In Gymnastics everybody joined in and listened wonderfully to Mrs Winward. Lots of fun was had in our teams demonstrating different skills with different activities, from forward rolls to jumping,pulling and balancing.
We started with a warm up using brightly coloured scarves and ended with a game of musical bumps. 

Autumn Term 1 - Week 5

Well, another wonderful week has gone by in Reception class! 
 

In Phonics, our new learning is o, c, and k. We have been applying our phonics learning to read and write words and sentences! In Maths, we have been focused on comparing measures such as height and mass. In our Literacy sessions this week, our writing tasks have been focused on hearing initial sounds in words and writing these. Some of us have also been writing CVC words and sentences independently.

In French, we learned about the colours of the French flag and enjoyed practising saying them aloud. During Gymnastics, we practised different skills and poses such as the straddle and tuck.

We also had a special School Spirituality Afternoon, which focused on our school vision:

✨ “As God’s family, together we achieve.” ✨

We learned about St Paul and his letters, especially Romans 12:4–8, which tells us that everyone has special gifts. The children reflected on their own gifts and talents and drew pictures to show these.

Throughout the week, we did lots of exploring in our provision, both inside and outside. The children enjoyed using their creativity and imagination in different activities — one highlight was making conker caterpillars!

Autumn Term 1 - Week 4

We have had another amazing week in Reception! In phonics our new learning has been; m, d & g - we have been applying our phonics learning to read and write words or sentences! 👏🌟 In Maths we have been developing our knowledge of sorting and grouping objects.
 

In gymnastics, we have took part in lots of different exercises such as spinning, jumping, walking on tiptoes, balancing and stretching. All children followed clear instructions. In our French learning this week, Madame Wardle introduced us to some animals in French and we used our prior learning of French greetings to introduce ourselves to the animals. 

We have enjoyed lots of activities relating to MacMillan Coffee Morning, the children have enjoyed making cups of tea and coffee, role playing tea parties, cutting and sticking, and making some lovely designs on teapots. Thank you very much for your generous donations of cakes and for those who were able to join us for this morning! 

Autumn Term 1 – Week 3

We have had a very busy week in Reception! The children have continued to explore the provision with lots of enthusiasm, working together and sharing ideas. Highlights this week included building Lego houses for the Three Little Pigs, role-playing “house” and “teacher,” and collecting conkers on the paddock.

In phonics, we have been learning our Phase Two sounds: i, n, and p. The children have been fantastic listeners during our sessions and have followed instructions brilliantly. We have also been practising forming our new graphemes in lots of fun ways: mark making in glitter, painting, using the whiteboards and even drawing with chalk outdoors.

In maths, we have been exploring numbers to 5, learning how to represent them in different ways and beginning to notice patterns. The children particularly enjoyed using counting songs and games to help with their learning.

We also had a wonderful time developing our fine motor skills through cutting and mark making activities. These skills are really important for building strength and control ready for writing.

This week we also enjoyed our curriculum enhancement sessions with our specialist teachers. In French, the children were introduced to simple greetings and enjoyed joining in with songs and actions. In gymnastics, they developed their balance and coordination through fun movement activities and games.

It has been so lovely to see the children settling into routines, making new friends and showing lots of curiosity and confidence in their learning. We are very proud of how hard they are working already!

Autumn Term 1 – Week 2

We have had a brilliant second week in EYFS! The children are continuing to build lovely friendships with their peers and are exploring the continuous provision with growing confidence. They have been absolutely fantastic in the big hall at lunchtime and have really enjoyed discovering the large playground and outdoor apparatus on the yard.

Miss Clayton has been so impressed with the children’s listening and enthusiasm during carpet and group sessions. These have included phonics, mark making (pencil control), Maths, PSHE and worship. In phonics this week, our new sounds were s, a and t. During focussed provision, the children have had lots of opportunities to develop their fine motor skills, practise letter formation, and write their names.

Outdoors, the Reception children have been working hard to develop their gross motor skills. They have loved creating obstacle courses with tyres and planks, water painting with big brushes, and building with large blocks.

We also enjoyed some exciting extra learning experiences this week, including a visit from the Life Education bus, where we learnt all about our bodies, our first gymnastics session with Mrs Winward, and French with Madame Wardle.

Autumn Term 1 – Week 1

Our First Week in Reception! 🌟☺️

What a fantastic start to the school year! The children have been absolutely amazing during their first week in Reception. It has been a real joy to watch them settle in so confidently—exploring their new environment, forming early friendships, and beginning to show their wonderful personalities.

The children have enjoyed getting to know both our indoor and outdoor provision, diving into activities with great enthusiasm. We’ve seen fantastic teamwork, curiosity, and creativity already!

A big well done to all the children for learning the lunchtime routine so quickly. They’ve been brilliant at collecting their tray, cup, and cutlery independently – such grown-up superstars!

This week also included some exciting ‘firsts’—our very first phonics lesion, maths work, PE lessons and a fun-filled French session with Madame Wardle. The children approached both with energy and excitement, and we were so proud of how they listened, joined in, and tried something new.

Miss Clayton is incredibly proud of every single child for showing such confidence, independence, and resilience during their first week. What a wonderful beginning to our Reception journey!

We’re already looking forward to seeing everyone again on Monday for another week of fun, learning, and discovery. 🌟👏

The EYFS classroom is a special place where the children are the centre of everything. It is filled with beautiful authentic resources for the children to explore and enjoy - both indoors and outdoors. We will be following the children’s interests and curiosity to lead their learning and enhance our provision further, this term immersing ourselves in the children’s favourite books, stories and characters. We will also be providing the children with opportunities to explore our theme of ‘Me and My Home’. This terms learning focusses on children settling into school rules and routines; developing selfregulation skills and confidence to access the classroom environment effectively; and on children identifying themselves within their wider family network.

Welcome Message from Miss Clayton 

Welcome to Reception Class!

My name is Miss Clayton and I am the Class Teacher. We also have Mrs Schofield and Mrs Gottweiss who are our class Teaching Assistants. Miss McDermott also works with our class on Monday and Tuesday afternoons. 

We are looking forward to sharing all the children's learning taking place inside and outside the classroom over the year. Please make sure you check the 'Our Learning' tab to see what we have been doing each week! 

Reception Class Reminders

-Please read at home with your child as much as possible. At least 3 times a week.

- Please can book bags be brought to school each day. 

-Children will receive Phonics/Literacy and Maths Home Learning once a week.

-Children can bring a bottle of water into school each day.

-Please ensure your child’s clothing is clearly labelled with their name to avoid lost uniform.

Sports Days

PE is on Tuesday and Wednesday. 

Children will need to wear their sports kits to school on these days.

Classroom Expectations

• Homework: Sent out on Friday and due back on Monday.

• PE Days: Tuesday and Wednesday.  (please remember your PE kit).

• Behaviour: In our class, we always...

       Use kind hands and kind feet

       Use kind words

       Do good sitting

       Do good listening

       Do good looking

       Be a good friend 

       Share

       Be gentle 

       Hang up our coats and belongings on our peg

       Put our bookbags away neatly

Practical Information

• School Day Times: Start – 8.45 | Finish – 3.15

• Communication: We use tapestry for learning or contact the school office.

• Reminders: Please bring your bookbag and a water bottle every day.