Welcome to

Reception

Information for parents

Steyning Church of

England Primary School

Contents

1. Our Vision

2. Welcome letter from the Early Years Team

3. Getting Ready for School

4. Behaviour

5. Successful Learners

6. Our Curriculum

7. Our Timetable

8. Eating at School

9. Home support

10.E–safety

11. Medicine in School

1. Our Vision

We want Steyning C of E Primary School to become synonymous with educational excellence by building an Inclusive Christian community based on ‘Love’ where everyone feels valued, safe and supported. We will be empowered to change our own lives and the lives of those around us. We will be able to stand up and become responsible members of the community, making a difference. We will aim to live and learn through our four key pillars;

• A love of learning

• A love for oneself

• A love for each other

• A love for the world around us

Together, we will continually strive to remove the barriers to success, fear of failure and widen horizons for all. We will provide a culture of mutual respect and acceptance with children moving onto their next venture with the skills and values to set them on the path to achieve their dreams. We will build a collection of amazing memories where learning is fun, and education is valued. Our school will take pride in leading the children in Steyning C of E Primary School on their journey - both educationally and for life; enabling them to flourish and shape our community for the better. At Steyning C of E Primary School, we:

“Do everything in love; we do our best in all we do and all we say, with God’s help” (Based on 1 Corinthians 16:14)

The values underpinning the vision

SO, OUR CHILDREN ARE… Loving: Kind and caring, able to share and forgive Happy Have self-belief and feel valued, safe and secure at school Respectful Are polite, understanding of others and considerate of their feelings Curious Are inquisitive, creative and eager to learn Brave Are determined, perseverant and resilient, always striving to do their best Collaborative Are encouraging, work well with others and are community-minded

How it all knits together

2. Welcome letter Dear Parents,

Welcome to Steyning Church of England Primary School. We are really excited to be part of your

child's first experience of school and aim to build on their pre-school experiences in order to

give them the best possible foundations for their educational journey. At Steyning, we plan

exciting and engaging topics which are linked to the children’s interests. We observe them

during their child­initiated play and focus on what they can do and how we can support them to

move forward in their learning. We believe that communication between school and home is

key to help us get to know your child as quickly as possible.

We look forward to working with you.

The Early Years Team

The staff working in the Early Years team are:

Ms Lizzie Massbery Year Leader Hedgehogs Class

Miss Emma Piper Class Teacher Rabbits Class

To be confirmed Teaching Assistant Rabbits Class

Mrs Tracey Brooks

Mrs Kim Shaw

Teaching Assistant Hedgehogs Class

Teaching Assistant Hedgehogs Class

3. Getting Ready for School

Starting school is a milestone for both you and your child. You may be excited about your child

taking their first real steps to independence, or you may be apprehensive about how they will cope

on their own. Whatever your feelings about school, it is very important that your child’s

experience of starting here is a positive one.

There is a lot you can do to help your child, which will allow them to get the most out of school and

achieve the best possible start in life. Taking an active interest in supporting your child’s

development before, during and after school will make a big difference to what they will

accomplish.

In the months before your child starts school, you can support them by explaining what school is

about and talking to them about the types of activities they will be doing - focussing on the ones

they enjoy. We are asking you to carry out a shared task with your child to help with this. The task

is making a ‘This is Me’ scrapbook and is explained further in the ‘Tips for starting school’ handout

also in this pack. The following books and websites have a starting school theme and may be

useful:

• Starting School – A. Ahlberg (Puffin, 1990)

• Billy and the Big New School – C.& L. Anholt (Orchard Books, 2004)

• Going to School – A. Civardi (Usbourne, 2002)

• Harry and the Dinosaurs Go to School – I. Whybrow (Puffin, 2006)

• CBeebies Grown-ups: Time For School: Tips for preparing your child for Reception https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKqNxPB_r1w

• BBC website: How will I cope with my child’s first day at school? http://www.bbc.co.uk/guides/zwtbgk7

• NHS website: Your child's first day at school http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/Pages/starting-school.aspx

4. Behaviour

“Catch them being good!” Our behaviour policy is based on the phrase “catch them being good”. We are constantly looking

for ways to reward the children for the good choices they make about their behaviour, whether

that is through being put on the ‘rainbow’ or ‘Pot of Gold’ on our behaviour ladder, receiving a

sticker, being sent to another teacher for praise or simply being congratulated.

In the Early Years we encourage children to follow our School Golden Rules and try our best to notice when they do!

Golden Rules

Our Golden Rules We are gentle. We don’t hurt others.

We are kind and helpful, especially when others are sad or struggling.

We don’t hurt people’s feelings.

We listen to each other. We don’t ignore or interrupt.

We tell the truth, even when it’s hard. We don’t tell lies.

We look after our school inside and out. We don’t waste or damage things.

We are polite with our words and actions. We are not rude and don’t use bad

words.

We follow instructions from all adults in school. We don’t make bad choices.

We walk around school sensibly and quietly. We don’t run, shout or push.

Pride in our Uniform Wearing the correct uniform to school is important. Please support us in ensuring your child

comes to school wearing their uniform in a smart way. We also ask that they have the correct

PE kit in school for their PE lessons. All items of clothing should be clearly named and checked

throughout the year. Please refer to the website if you are unsure what our uniform policy

includes.

5. Successful learning and development Characteristics of effective learning

The characteristics of effective learning describe factors that play a central role in a child’s learning and in becoming an effective learner. They are vital elements of support for the transition process from the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) to Year 1. The characteristics of effective learning run through and underpin all seven areas of learning and development (explained next). They represent processes rather than outcomes.

Information about the child’s characteristics of effective learning gives Year 1 teachers vital background and context about their next stage of development and future learning needs.

Playing and exploring - engagement ‘Finding out and exploring’ is concerned with the child’s open-ended hands-on experiences, which result from innate curiosity. These experiences provide raw sensory material from which the child builds concepts, tests ideas and finds out.

‘Using what they know in their play’ describes how children use play to bring together their current understandings, combining, refining and exploring their ideas in imaginative ways. Representing experiences through imaginative play supports the development of narrative thought, the ability to see from other perspectives, and symbolic thinking.

‘Being willing to have a go’ refers to the child:

• finding an interest

• initiating activities

• seeking challenge

• having a ‘can do’ attitude

• being willing to take a risk in new experiences

• developing the view that failures are opportunities to learn

Active Learning – motivation ‘Being involved and concentrating’ describes the intensity of attention that arises from children engaged in following a line of interest in their activities.

‘Keeping on trying’ refers to:

• the importance of persistence even in the face of challenge or difficulties

• an element of purposeful control which supports resilience

‘Enjoying achieving what they set out to do’ builds on the intrinsic motivation that supports long-term success. It refers to the reward of meeting one’s own goals, rather than relying on the approval of others.

Creating and thinking critically

‘Having their own ideas’ covers the critical area of creativity – generating new ideas and approaches in all areas of endeavour. Being inventive allows children to find new problems as they seek challenge, and to explore ways of solving these.

‘Using what they already know to learn new things’ refers to the way children use narrative and scientific modes of thought to:

EYFSP Handbook 2020

‘Early Learning Goals’ (ELGs) are the end of year expectations in the EYFS: There are 17 ELGs and they are arranged into 7 key areas of learning and development:

Communication & Language

1

Listening and attention: children listen attentively in a range of situations. They listen to stories, accurately anticipating key events and respond to what they hear with relevant comments, questions or actions. They give their attention to what others say and respond appropriately, while engaged in another activity.

2

Understanding: children follow instructions involving several ideas or actions. They answer ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions about their experiences and in response to stories or events.

3

Speaking: children express themselves effectively, showing awareness of listeners’ needs. They use past, present and future forms accurately when talking about events that have happened or are to happen in the future. They develop their own narratives and explanations by connecting ideas or events.

• develop and link concepts

• find meaning in sequence, cause and effect

• find meaning in the intentions of others

‘Choosing ways to do things and finding new ways’ involves children in:

• approaching goal-directed activity in organised ways

• making choices and decisions about how to approach tasks

• planning and monitoring what to do and being able to change strategies

Physical Development

4

Moving and handling: children show good control and co­ordination in large and small movements. They move confidently in a range of ways, safely negotiating space. They handle equipment and tools effectively, including pencils for writing.

5

Health and self­care: children know the importance for good health of physical exercise, and a healthy diet, and talk about ways to keep healthy and safe. They manage their own basic hygiene and personal needs successfully, including dressing and going to the toilet independently.

Personal, Social and Emotional

Development

6

Self­confidence and self­awareness: children are confident to try new activities and say why they like some activities more than others. They are confident to speak in a familiar group, will talk about their ideas, and will choose the resources they need for their chosen activities. They say when they do or don’t need help.

7

Managing feelings and behaviour: children talk about how they and others show feelings, talk about their own and others’ behaviour, and its consequences, and know that some behaviour is unacceptable. They work as part of a group or class and understand and follow the rules. They adjust their behaviour to different situations and take changes of routine in their stride.

8

Making relationships: children play co­operatively, taking turns with others. They take account of one another’s ideas about how to organise their activity. They show sensitivity to others’ needs and feelings, and form positive relationships with adults and other children.

Literacy

9

Reading: children read and understand simple sentences. They use phonic

knowledge to decode regular words and read them aloud accurately. They also

read some common irregular words. They demonstrate understanding when

talking with others about what they have read.

10

Writing: children use their phonic knowledge to write words in ways which match

their spoken sounds. They also write some irregular common words. They write

simple sentences which can be read by themselves and others. Some words are

spelt correctly and others are phonetically plausible

Reading is one of the most important skills children learn during their time in primary school. We

would ask that you find time to regularly read with your child - at least 3 times a week.

These special times can involve a number of different activities:

● They can read aloud to you

● You read to them (this is really important as you model good reading and can expose

them to some books they might find more difficult to read on their own)

● Talk about what you have read, make predictions about what you might think is going

to happen next and discuss the characters thoughts and feelings within the story

In Early Years, we begin teaching Phonics, which we call ‘Fred Time’, early in the school year. We

follow a phonic scheme called ‘Read Write Inc’ (RWI). This is a synthetic teaching program that

focuses on learning the pure sounds of letters. There will be Literacy and Phonics Workshops

offered during the first two terms where we will go through RWI in more detail and give some

ideas for how to support your child with their phonics, reading and writing at home.

Children will learn a letter sound (phoneme) with a picture phrase to help them write the sound,

using these to blend and segment words from the beginning.

As new sounds are taught, the children will bring home a copy of the letter sounds taught in

order to practise at home.

This is the school letter formation of lower case letters:

Red Words In Early Years, we also learn words we can’t read by sounding them out. These are known as

‘tricky words’ or ‘Red Words’, and examples include the, I, go, no, put.

Children learn to read these as whole words and words are sent home on ‘Word House’ sheets

from the second term (after Christmas) to practise as the children progress through the Read

Write Inc scheme.

Read Write Inc pictures for the letters:

Mathematics

11

Numbers: children count reliably with numbers from 1 to 20, place them in order and say which

number is one more or one less than a given number. Using quantities and objects, they add and

subtract two single digit numbers and count on or back to find the answer. They solve problems,

including doubling, halving and sharing.

12

Shape, space and measures: children use everyday language to talk about size, weight,

capacity, position, distance, time and money to compare quantities and objects and to solve

problems. They recognise, create and describe patterns. They explore 12 characteristics of

everyday objects and shapes and use mathematical language to describe them.

Vocabulary Maths Vocabulary for Early Years

We will also offer a Maths Workshop during the first two terms, where we explain about how number and shape, space and measure are taught in school. We will also give you some ideas for how you can continue to support this learning at home.

Number and place value

Multiplication and division

Measure

numbers count order more less add

take away equals how many are left? altogether

double

half

share

fair

equal

size weight heavy and light length and height, tall short, long, longer capacity, full empty time, seconds, minutes, hours, days, o’clock

Geometry (position and direction)

Geometry (properties of shape)

Fractions Money

every day positional language, e.g. behind, next to

pattern shape solid flat edges corners

half Names of all coins and £5 note total amount pence

Understanding the World

1

People and communities: children talk about past and present events in their own lives and in

the lives of family members. They know that other children don’t always enjoy the same things

and are sensitive to this. They know about similarities and differences between themselves and

others, and among families, communities and traditions.

2

The world: children know about similarities and differences in relation to places, objects,

materials and living things. They talk about the features of their own immediate environment

and how environments might vary from one another. They make observations of animals and

plants and explain why some things occur and talk about changes.

3 Technology: children recognise that a range of technology is used in places such as homes

and schools. They select and use technology for particular purposes.

Expressive Arts and Design

1

Exploring and using media and materials: children sing songs, make music and dance, and

experiment with ways of changing them. They safely use and explore a variety of materials,

tools and techniques, experimenting with colour, design, texture, form and function.

2

Being imaginative: children use what they have learnt about media and materials in original

ways, thinking about uses and purposes. They represent their own ideas, thoughts and

feelings through design and technology, art, music, dance, role­play and stories.

6. Our Curriculum Our EYFS curriculum is play-based and planned around a topic theme, which begins with a question for exploration. The day is arranged with several short periods of ‘carpet time’ where we give teaching inputs in the different areas of learning and development. These are interspersed with extended periods of time for children to explore independent and carefully planned play experiences in environments thoughtfully enabled to achieve this.

The children have free access throughout the day to our amazing and recently redeveloped and installed outdoor area. Throughout the day we work with children on carefully planned adult-led activities, designed to focus on their next steps for development.

The table below gives an example of some of our recently taught topics – these are subject to change according to the children’s needs and interests.

Term Theme(s) Details

Autumn 1 Do you want to be friends?

We settle into school and become familiar with our new learning environment and teachers. We talk about ourselves, what is special to us, our families and different feelings. We read stories linked to how to deal with feelings and friendships.

Autumn 2 What happens when I go to sleep?

We learn all about night time, thinking about stars and animals that come out at night. We learn about bedtime stories and make our own characters. We also learn about the Nativity story and put on our own Christmas performance. We explore the traditions and celebrations of Christmas.

Spring 1 Will you read me a story?

We welcome the children to the magical world of Traditional Tales! Was the Big Bad Wolf really so bad? How many bowls of porridge did Goldilocks eat? Who has purple prickles on their back? We find out more about our favourite stories and discover some new ones.

Spring 2 Are carrots orange?

It’s time to learn all about food marvellous food! We find out all about what we like to eat and try new foods. We plant our own vegetables and investigate beans growing. It’s time to find out more about eating well and being healthy.

Summer 1 Why do ladybirds have spots?

Incy Wincy Spider climbed up the water spout! Why do ladybirds have spots? Why do spiders spin webs? It’s time to find out more about mini beasts and their habitats. We hunt for mini beasts in our environment, studying what their homes are like and make some fabulous mini beast creations.

Summer 2 Do cows drink milk?

Old Macdonald had a farm, e-i-e-i-o! Do cows drink milk? What are baby pigs called? What pet would you like to have? It’s time to find out more about pets, life on the farm and the animals that live there.

During the year, we hope to take the children on a variety of trips and welcome visitors into school to enhance their learning experiences. These could include:

• Walks to the local church • A walk to Steyning library • A visit to the local shops • A farm/wildlife based trip • A visit from West Sussex Fire and

Rescue • A visit from an owl specialist • Visits from different children’s

authors and illustrators These are subject to change as the planning evolves throughout the year.

7. Our Timetable Our school day starts at 8.50am and finishes at 3.15pm. If you are collecting your child from school at any time other than the end of the day, please

• give prior notice, if at all possible

• report to the school office at the main entrance to collect your child and office staff will sign him/her out

If you are asking someone other than the usual people to collect your child from school then do inform the office. As a school we keep the timetable quite flexible in Early Years to enable us to better meet the needs of the children. However, there are a few sessions which are fixed each week. Please ensure your child has the correct equipment each day. This includes:

● Yellow Reading Record books and book bag every day. ● A named water bottle for access at any point during the day.

● No earrings on PE/Games days.

The children will need to bring in their PE kits at the beginning of each half term. The PE kits will stay in school and will be brought home for washing/checking/renaming at the end of each half term.

8. Eating at School The children in Early Years have access to a free fruit or vegetable snack every day. They may also bring an additional fruit or vegetable-based snack in a named pot or container for a snack at our classroom-based snack bar as an addition to the school snack. They will also need a named, filled water bottle each day. There are facilities for these to be refilled at school, and we will help the children to refill their bottles if they need to do this.

At lunchtime, the children can either bring a packed lunch in a named lunch box or similar container to school or have a hot meal provided by Chartwells. For children in Early Years, Year 1 and 2, these meals are free. If your child has a specific dietary need, please inform Chartwells via their website: https://westsussex.mealselector.co.uk/

Children in Early Years eat lunch and have lunchtime play between 11.30 am and 12.30 pm.

9. Partnership with parents

We warmly welcome parents/grandparents to help with reading or to share a particular talent or skill once the children are settled. If you would like to get involved with our growing Reading Army or can offer any other support, please chat to your child’s class teacher who can give you some further information. Our door is always open! Children enter through the green school gates in the morning. At this time the class teachers are briefly available to receive verbal messages from parents. To have a longer more private chat, parents can book an appointment via the school office. Messages can also be left by calling the office or sending an email. 01903 813420 office@steyningprimary.w-sussex.sch.uk As the year progresses, our expectations of parents with regard to home learning will include the following:

• Talk about their school day – our Weekly Information Sheet emailed to parents and carers every Friday can help when beginning these conversations.

• Count out loud, count objects and recognise numerals when you are out and about (particularly to 20).

• Recognise any achievements, acts of kindness or other ‘Wow’ moments from your child and write a ‘Parent Share’ slip that will be added to your child’s Learning Journey Book. Paper copies of ‘Parent Share’ houses will be distributed at the beginning of term. These observations can also be added to your child’s online journal ‘2Build a Profile’ – more information on this will be given just after the children start school.

• Share stories and books every day - school book corner books can be changed as often as your child would like.

• Listen to your child read at least 3 times per week. We will change the children’s school reading scheme books on Mondays and Fridays every week.

• Practise the letter sounds and begin to use them to build words. Begin by practising this orally, encouraging your child to say the whole word as you give the sounds: e.g. “Can you put that on the ‘p’ / ‘e’ / ‘g’?

• Practise sight reading words by practising ‘Word Houses’ when these are sent home weekly from the beginning of the Spring Term onwards.

10. E-Safety The future of our children will depend on their understanding and use of the internet. We at Steyning CofE Primary are committed to helping children stay safe on line. Whilst it is vital that our children gain an understanding of the internet, we strongly believe that they must be taught to use it with caution. Online Safety, a guide for parents: The internet is a really powerful communication and teaching and learning tool. If it is used correctly, it is safe, however if it is not use correctly, it can be harmful and dangerous. Hints and Tips for Parents:

• Technology continues to change at an astonishing rate - try and keep up to date with developments so that you know the risks that your children may face.

• Good online safety applies to all devices including tablets, online gaming, smartphones and e-readers.

• Set up internet security so that your children cannot access websites with inappropriate or adult content.

• Cyber bullying should be treated the same way as other forms of bullying. Always inform school of any concerns you may have.

• Always encourage your child to talk to you about anything they feel uncomfortable about

that they see on the internet.

• Check out our policies with regard to computing – Digital Safeguarding Policy, E-learning Policy and E Safety Guidelines for Parents and Children.

Things to consider and discuss with your child:

• Where is the best place to use your ‘computer’?

• Keep passwords safe – don’t write them down or tell them to anyone.

• How do you report cyberbullying?

• Is it ever sensible to meet with a friend you have met online?

• How do you know the person you are talking to online is who you think they are?

11. Medicine in school Antibiotics - we are only allowed to give antibiotics in school with your written permission. Asthmatic inhalers – Children with asthma may keep their named Ventolin inhalers safely in the school medical room and self-administer the correct dose when required. We do ask parents to register the correct dose with the Welfare Officer and this is reviewed annually. A form is available from the Welfare Officer. Epipens – Two in-date epipens are to be provided by the parents and are kept in a named box in the medical room and a classroom cupboard. All staff are epipen trained. Illness/Accidents - If your child receives a bump to the head, we will text you to let you know they are being monitored. In the event of the child being unwell and needing to go home, we will telephone you.