Reception (4-5 years)

This week, the children enjoyed an autumn walk around the school grounds, where they explored the changing season and looked carefully for signs of autumn. They spotted colourful leaves, berries and other seasonal changes, collecting a variety of leaves to bring back to the classroom for further learning.

We shared the story Leaf Man and were inspired by the beautiful leaf creations in the book. Using the leaves we had collected on our walk, the children used their imagination to create their own leaf figures, talking about their ideas and designs as they worked.

Back in class, the children also used the leaves in a range of creative activities. They experimented with leaf printing, created leaf rubbings and used the shapes and colours of the leaves as inspiration for leaf threading activities. These experiences helped to develop their creativity, fine motor skills and observation skills.

As part of our learning about autumn, we discovered that apples and blackberries are ripe and ready to eat during this season. The children enjoyed exploring the fruit and talking about where it comes from before helping to make a delicious apple and blackberry crumble. It was a wonderful opportunity to learn more about seasonal produce and enjoy some autumn cooking together.

Reception have enjoyed learning about people who help us in our community. We have explored the important roles of doctors, nurses, police officers, firefighters, teachers and other community helpers, discussing how they help to keep us safe, healthy and happy.

The children have taken part in a range of activities including role play, creative tasks, discussions and stories, which have helped to develop their understanding of these important jobs.

We have also talked about ways that we can help others through kindness, teamwork and caring for those around us.

The children developed their gross motor skills, strengthening their shoulder and arm muscles training to be firefighters and police officers by pulling tyres and putting out fires with the long handled brushes and water.

The children enjoyed taking on the role of vets, caring for pet rabbits and using construction materials to build rabbit cages and runs, developing their creativity, problem-solving and teamwork skills.

Junk modelling materials were used to design and create their own emergency vehicles and they worked together to create a map of their community, developing their creativity, fine motor skills and understanding of how emergency services help people.

This week in Reception, we have been exploring our emotions through the story The Colour Monster. The children enjoyed talking about different feelings and learning how emotions can be represented by colours. We shared our own experiences of feeling happy, sad, calm, worried and excited, and discussed ways to recognise and manage these emotions. Through stories, discussions and creative activities, the children developed their understanding of feelings while building their confidence to express themselves and listen to others.

We were also very excited to start Drawing Club this week! The children used their growing phonic knowledge to draw, label and write about their ideas, showing fantastic enthusiasm and creativity. They worked hard to listen for sounds in words, use the phonemes they have learned and begin to apply their early writing skills independently. We have been so impressed with their confidence and enthusiasm as they take their first steps on their writing journey.

As part of our Who Am I? topic, the children loved sharing their baby photographs with the class. They enjoyed looking for clues to guess who was who and talking about how they have changed since they were babies. The children discussed things they can do now that they could not do when they were younger, helping them to understand how they have grown and developed over time.

Reception children had a fantastic time at their first Forest School session. They enjoyed exploring the outdoor environment, working together to build dens and using their imagination to create special woodland spaces. The children also loved challenging themselves on the rope bridge, developing their confidence, balance and coordination. It was wonderful to see everyone exploring, problem-solving and supporting one another as they embraced new adventures in nature.

We have had a fantastic start to our Reception journey! The children have been settling into school routines beautifully and are becoming more confident and independent each day. It has been wonderful to see new friendships beginning to form as the children play, learn and explore together.

The children have enjoyed exploring all of the exciting activities in our classroom, showing great curiosity and enthusiasm as they investigate different areas of learning. Outdoors, they have loved taking part in a range of activities that encourage exploration, teamwork and physical development.

Throughout our first weeks, we have been focusing on developing our Personal, Social and Emotional Development skills. The children have been learning how to share, take turns, express their feelings and work cooperatively with others. We have also been encouraging strong communication and language skills by supporting the children to listen carefully, speak confidently, ask questions and engage in conversations with their peers and adults.

We are incredibly proud of how well the children have settled into Reception and look forward to seeing them continue to grow in confidence, build friendships and embrace new learning experiences throughout the year.