“Development can only take place when children are actively involved, when they are occupied with a high, non-stop degree of concentration, when they are interested, when they give themselves completely, when they use all their mental abilities to invent and make new things and when this gives them a high degree of satisfaction and pleasure”.  Ferre Laevers

At Stivichall, our Reception year group is made up of three nurturing classes. We believe that every child deserves the opportunity to explore, imagine and create in an environment that celebrates their individuality and natural curiosity.

We love learning! In Reception, we work from the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum (Development Matters 2021). The children develop through play and exploring, active learning and creating and thinking critically:

 

Prime Areas Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED) Communication and Language (C&L) Physical Development (PD)   Specific Areas Literacy (L) Mathematics (M) Understanding of the World (UW) Expressive Arts and Design (EAD)

Aims

In Reception, we want children to develop into happy, confident and independent learners. Through a play-based curriculum and adult-led activities that prioritises language development, emotional well-being and strong learning behaviours, we ensure all children are ready for their transition to Year 1.

Our wonderful outdoor area – open in all weathers – provides a rich and ever-changing landscape where children from all three classes can mix and learn together.

We are passionate about play, recognising it as the foundation of all learning in the Early Years. Periods of purposeful play are supported and extended by our experienced Early Years teachers and teaching assistants. Our children have access to a carefully planned and sequenced curriculum to give them the stepping stones to their education. At Stivichall, we work hard to provide a quality, stimulating learning environment for all children. The children are immersed in lots of practical, first-hand learning experiences through which they are encouraged to explore, experiment and develop their language.  The balance of child-initiated play and adult-directed learning empowers our children to become confident, joyful and lifelong learners.

Curriculum

The curriculum is designed to provide experiences that help to develop strong language and communication skills and increase children’s vocabulary. A focus on high quality texts, carefully planned communication activities and quality language interventions ensures that all children develop the skills to be effective learners.

Our EYFS curriculum maps out skills progression throughout the year so that children have the knowledge and skills to be ready for Year 1. Our aim is for children to be capable readers, confident writers and have the fundamental principles of number deeply embedded. 

We implement our curriculum by carefully planning activities indoors and out, that build on skills and encourage children to discover, explore and investigate. High-quality interactions with adults using sustained shared thinking strategies support children to develop their thinking skills and deepen their understanding.  

Early reading is taught through daily phonics sessions using Floppy’s Phonics. Floppy’s Phonics develops children’s reading, spelling and writing. Phonics sounds are introduced in a systematic way and progress is monitored. Children take books home which closely match their phonic knowledge to further practise and embed reading skills.

Maths is taught daily through Mastering Number and White Rose (SSM). Whole class sessions, followed by small group activities and play-based learning ensures children have a strong understanding of numbers.

Outcomes

From the outset, they take part in our Stivichall Pledge and through our character curriculum, children learn a sense of self, gain independence and resilience.  We aim for children to be able to demonstrate high levels of engagement in activities, develop their speaking and listening skills as well as their social and emotional skills. The children develop a wider sense of the world around them and can draw on these experiences during interactions with others and link this to new learning.  We want them to be confident to take risks and have pride in what they are doing and their achievements.

From their starting points, children build strong foundations of the knowledge and skills needed across all areas of learning so that they are well-prepared for the transition to KS1. We want children to be happy, confident and independent learners. 

 

At Stivichall, we don’t just prepare children for school, we nurture a love of learning that lasts a lifetime – Stivichall is a passport for life.

 

Learning beyond the classroom

We actively encourage families to continue to explore learning beyond the classroom. Here are some suggestions:

• Cuddle up with favourite books and ask - What might happen next?
• Act out stories using toys.
• Pick a new word each day and try to use it in conversation.
• Describe objects in detail, using colour, size and texture language.
• Write letters outside with chalk.
• Play with play dough.
• Find objects around the house beginning with a focus sound.
• Write shopping lists, cards, treasure maps.
• Count steps to bed
• Lay the table for all the members of your family.
• Go on a shape walk and spot circles, rectangles and triangles.
• Weigh ingredients when baking.
• Build models from junk.
• Dance to your favourite song.
• Plant seeds.
• Create a weather chart.
• Create an obstacle course.
• Thread beads.
• Peg washing on the line.
• Use tweezers to pick up small objects.
• Talk about emotions.
• Draw people and faces including all the features.
• Tidy toys.