Starting School
Mrs O'Dea
Executive Headteacher
Mrs Burdett
Head of School
Our Inclusion Team
Mrs Horton
Inclusion Manager
Mrs Ankin
Home/School Liaison Officer
Is responsible for attendance and health care plans. She is also able to make referrals on to outside agencies who can support families within their homes.
Mrs Hucker
Learning Mentor
Works with children in school who require a greater level of pastoral support.
Ms Clark
SEN Admin Assistant
The inclusion team will work closely with the pre schools should a child be transferring up to Great Wakering with additional needs.
Care plans or transition plans will be put in place to support the transition and will be reviewed a few weeks in to the Autumn Term.
The school work closely along side South Essex Extended Services and through them can access family support workers, food bank vouchers, grants to support families who are struggling financially as well as a range of educational support workers.
WREN CLASS - RECEPTION STAFF
Mrs Lupton
Class Teacher
Miss Colwell
Class Teacher
Miss Louise Traynor
Learning Support Assistant
Mrs Sarah Reayner
Learning Support Assistant
ROBIN CLASS - RECEPTION STAFF
Mrs Guilcher
Class Teacher
Mrs Willson
Learning Support Assistant
Mrs Wiliams
Learning Support Assistant
What is the Early Years Foundation Stage?
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is the stage of education for children from birth to the end of the Reception year.
It is based on the recognition that children learn best through play and active learning.
Three prime areas of learning and development
Communication and Language
Physical Development
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Four specific areas of learning and development
Literacy
Mathematics
Understanding the World
Expressive Arts and Design
The three characteristics of effective learning- how young children learn- these are taken into account when we plan and guide children’s activities.
Playing and exploring
Active learning
Creating and thinking critically
Throughout your child’s year with us in Reception, you will be kept updated on your child’s choice of activities, progress in all areas of the curriculum and achievements through comments and photographs linked to their learning.
Each child has their own account and each parent will have their own personal login details.
School Uniform
Autumn/Winter
Spring/Summer
P.E.
You need a t-shirt, shorts and trainers (all named) Jogging trousers and jumper will be needed in the winter months.
Book Bags & Uniform Names
Please clearly write the first name or initials on book bags and uniform, including shoes and trainers. You can also ask the uniform ship to embroider these.
Helpful tip - Attach a personal keyring/chain onto your child's book bag which will help them recognise and find the bag easier.
What to bring to school
Book bag
PE Kit
Coat
Water bottle
Wellies
What NOT to bring to school
Pencil cases
Toys
Teddy bears
Sweets, crisps or snacks
Parental Involvement
Tuesday afternoon 3.05-3.25 – Each Tuesday afternoon feel free to pop into school and look at the work we have been doing in class.
Any concerns or notices at school gate – There will always be an adult present at the gate. Please give notices to them and they will pass them onto the class teacher.
Homework – Homework is handed out each Thursday - please ensure it is handed in by the following Wednesday.
Home school Reading Record books - When you read at home, please write in the home school book. We like to hear how your child is progressing.
Before your child starts school...
Talk about coming to school
Walk past school
Try uniform on
Practise getting changed
Communicate with the school about any issues
Name everything!
When your child starts school, we would like them to be able to...
Recognise their name
Use the toilet independently
Get dressed/undressed independently
Open their lunchbox
Use cutlery
Tidy up after themselves
Take Turns
Parent Workshops
In the Autumn term there will be a maths and a phonics workshop to help parents understand some of the things their children will be learning in class. These are really helpful even if they are a refresher!
A typical day in Reception
8:35 - Come in, hang coat up and morning activities.
8:45 - Register and lunch choices
8:55 - Phonics Session
9.20 - Group Reading Session
9:45 - Snack time (Reception only - this is provided)
10:05 - Free-flow (focus groups or independent choosing)
11:30 - Talk for Writing (English whole class focus)
12:00 - Lunch
13:00 - Register
13:05 - Maths session
13:25 - Free-flow (focus groups or independent choosing)
14:30 - Tidy up and story
15:05 - Home Time
Group reading - These sessions introduce new vocabulary, develop comprehension. Children explore fiction and non-fiction books and learn to differentiate between them. They discuss settings, characters and story content. Children also learn to recognise the sequence of events and reflect on how the stories make them feel.
Talk for writing - Throughout the school, each class uses talk for writing to teach and support writing. The best writers are readers. To write you need to be familiar with language rhythms and patterns. To write a sentence pattern you need to be able to say it and you cannot say it, without hearing it. Reading builds up children's imagination and allows them to internalise vocabulary and sentence patterns. The richness, depth and breadth of reading shapes and determines the writers we become. They learn a variety of texts and their structure, then use the structure to innovate and write their own versions - poems, stories, recounts, letters, instructions, reports etc. Innovations are more verbal in EYFS but once again, foundations are being laid in order for the children to build on their writing skills as they progress through the school.
Free flow - During free flow activities we provide children with many different opportunities and experiences, which covers different aspects of the curriculum such as art and design, fine and gross motor skills, communication and language, social and emotional skills and understanding the world.
PE Lessons
P.E. happens on a weekly basis. Your child’s PE kit will remain in school and be sent home every half term to be washed. Changing for PE is progressive. At first, they just change their shoes and we work up in stages to the full PE kit! Mrs Steel is our school sports coach and she gives the children a fantastic input towards their physical development through team games and specific skill sessions. Most of all, they are lots of fun!
Music Lessons
Every week, the children have music a lesson. They sing, dance and learn to play a variety of instruments.
Theme Days
Each term we will have theme days linked to our learning. Some of these days we dress up for and others we will invite you to take part in. Dates for your diary will have all the upcoming events.
Outdoor learning
Outdoor learning is a great activity which includes team games, team working skills, an increase in their self belief, confidence, learning capacity, enthusiasm, communication, problem solving skills and emotional well being. It provides the children with the opportunity to take risks in a controlled environment.
Lunch