Welcome to our warm and friendly school.  At the Bay CE School, we want all children to believe in themselves, be inspired and develop interests in learning for life, and excel within a happy, creative and secure environment.

Our Reception class is taught by Mrs Taylor and is supported by Miss Hellyer, Miss Broome and Mrs Shirt.  

We believe that children learn most effectively when they are given choices about what they learn and how they learn.  To ensure children know more and remember more, we know that they must also fundamentally enjoy learning.  Therefore, there is a strong focus on ensuring that all children develop strong and effective characteristics of effective learning. In addition, a strong and secure base in the prime areas of learning;

• Personal, Social and Emotional Development
• Physical Development
• Communication and Language

Secure development in these areas are critical if children are to thrive in all other subject areas.  We ensure we spend significant time on securing high levels of confidence in these prime areas of learning. We know that, as teachers, we have a responsibility to equip all children with the necessary skills, knowledge and attitudes for the next stage in their learning.

What does EYFS practice look like in our school?

• We make language a priority, embedding spoken language, vocabulary development and listening comprehension into all aspects of the children’s work.
• We teach reading in a systematic and structured way, building up children’s phonic knowledge and skills explicitly.
• We provide regular story times where children can be taught to understand what they hear.
• We teach writing composition by building on children’s spoken language and their comprehension of stories.
• We teach spelling and handwriting discretely.
• We deepen children’s understanding of core mathematical concepts rather than moving them on too quickly to formal calculations and written methods.
• We secure children’s personal, social and emotional readiness to learn, including resilience, perseverance, concentration, the ability to listen, to take turns and to cooperate. We instil and embed the Zones of Regulation to help the children express and discuss how they are feeling.
• We develop strong relationships with our parents/carers and support them to encourage and celebrate their children’s learning and development and engagements through our newsletter and social media pages.

Intent

At the Bay CE School, we offer a culture of excellence in the EYFS provision.  We aim to plan, design and implement an EYFS curriculum that meets the needs of all pupils.  We ensure that they make progress in learning, from their individual starting point and we prioritise our  pupils’ personal, social and emotional development and  ensure effective safeguarding.

At the Bay CE School, we construct an EYFS curriculum that is ambitious and designed to give children, particularly the most disadvantaged, the knowledge, self-belief and cultural capital that they need to succeed in life.   British values and the whole school values are an integral part of our daily experiences in school.

The curriculum is coherently planned and sequenced.  It builds upon what children know and can do, follows individual children’s interests and it works towards cumulatively sufficient knowledge for each child’s knowledge and skills for their future learning.

There is a priority focus on ensuring that all children acquire a wide vocabulary, communicate effectively and, in Reception, secure a knowledge of phonics, which provides them with the foundations for future learning, especially in preparation for them to become confident and fluent readers.

The school’s approach to teaching early reading and synthetic phonics is systematic and ensures that all children learn to read words and simple sentences accurately by the end of the Reception year.

The school has the same academic ambitions for all children, for those with particular needs, such as those with SEND.  Their curriculum is designed to be ambitious and to meet their needs at their particular age or individual stage of development.

The whole staff team and all parents know what we intend the children to learn and it is our intention that all pupils continue to make progress from their baseline on entry.  We support parents/carers to understand the Early Learning Goals and ensure they know how to support their child effectively to achieve these goals.

Implementation

All staff are included in the curriculum implementation process and they demonstrate their understanding of this practice and work as a team in a consistent way.  This includes their approach to teaching (pedagogy) and to assessment and continuous daily observations.

Continuous provision allows opportunities  for all children to explore and consolidate their learning and provides the adults with the time to observe

Staff are knowledgeable about the areas of learning they teach.  They manage the EYFS curriculum and pedagogy in relation to the learning needs of the children.Intervention groups are in place that support speech and language, comprehension and vocabulary development.  Staff are expert in teaching systematic, synthetic phonics and we are all embedding the use of the new Little Wandle Letters and sounds programme.  All staff ensure that the children practise their reading from books that match their phonetic knowledge.

Staff read to children in a way that excites and engages them, introducing new ideas, concepts and vocabulary.

Staff are knowledgeable about the teaching of early mathematics.  They ensure that children have sufficient practice to be confident in using and understanding numbers.  The mathematics curriculum that we follow; White Rose, provides a strong basis for more complex learning later on.

The curriculum and care practices promote and support children’s emotional- security and development.  We have a nurture group for those that need this support and leaders and staff are particularly attentive to the youngest children’s needs.

Staff give clear messages to children about why it is important to eat, drink, rest and exercise.  We have visits from the School Nurse and the importance of oral health and hygiene information is introduced to children and their parents. 

We implement the use of our own school values from the children’s first days in school.  They are love, courage, truth, respect and friendship.

We teach all children to take managed risks and challenges as they play and learn, we support them to be active and develop physically and to make good healthy choices in their food options at lunchtime.

Teaching and Learning Support staff meet after school every week to discuss individual children, enhancing the environment, continuous provision and next steps planning.

Formative assessment, which they then  use every day to help them guide the next steps in children’s learning

Summative assessment used for the final EYFSP at the end of the reception year.

Staff provide information for parents about their children’s progress, in line with the requirements of the EYFS.  They provide information to parents about supporting their child’s learning at home, including detail about the school’s method of teaching reading and how to help their child learn to read.  We prepare an individual learning journey for each child in a book format and invite parents to contribute to this from their child’s first day!

Impact

All children develop detailed knowledge and skills across the prime and specific areas of learning in an age appropriate way.

Children develop their vocabulary and use it across the EYFS curriculum.  By the end of Reception, children use their knowledge of phonics to read accurately and with increasing speed and fluency.

We prepare children for the next stage of education.  They have acquired the knowledge and skills to benefit from what school has to offer when it is time to move on.  By the end of Reception, children achieve well, particularly those with lower starting points.

By the end of Reception, we try to ensure that all children have the personal, physical and social skills that they need to succeed in the next stage of their education.

Children enjoy, listen attentively and respond with comprehension to familiar stories, rhymes and songs that are appropriate to their age and stage of development.  Children develop their vocabulary and understanding of language.

Children demonstrate their positive attitudes to earning through high levels of curiosity, concentration and enjoyment.

Curriculum Information

Click here to see the class timetable for Reception.

Click here to view the Autumn Term letter to parents. 

Click here for Reception long term overview

Development Matters Birth to 5: Development Matters Document

Reception Information

Click here to view the booklet given out at our Reception Open Days. 

Click here to view the Reception Information Powerpoint 

 Policy 

Click here to visit our Policies Page to view our Early Years Foundation Stage Policy

How can you support your child at home?

Developing Reading Skills

Research shows that early reading experiences, opportunities to build vocabularies, and literacy rich environments are the most effective way to support the development of pre-reading and cognitive skills.  (Make Way for Books 2020)

• Read aloud to your child daily
• Surround them with a variety of books and stories
• Take them to the local library
• Encourage your child to join in with stories, rhymes and poems
• Make up your own stories, songs and rhymes
• Encourage children to explore books independently, looking at the pictures and talking about them too!

Developing your child’s Fine and Gross Motor Skills

Developing your child’s gross motor skills and large muscle development plays a vital part in your child learning to write.  A child needs strength in their arms, shoulders and wrists before they can begin to be able to hold a pencil and make marks.  Mark making is one of the first stages of a child learning to write and is the main focus for us when your child first starts Reception at The Bay.  We encourage the children to make small and large marks with different types of media such as with pens, paintbrushes, giant chalks, paint and mud.  Maybe you could try this at home too!

News 2022-23 Academic Year 

Reception Phonics - December 2023

We are so proud of the amazing progress Reception children have made since joining us in September. Click here to see them sharing the phonemes they have learnt so far.

October 2023

Harvest sing-a-long 

Click here to view the fabulous Harvest sing-a-long video. 

He led an inspirational assembly for all pupils. He explained that he is autistic and has learning difficulties, which puts him in the S14 category. He said lots of disabilities are hidden and he is trying to raise awareness for disabilities you cannot always see.

After the assembly, all 400 pupils from Reception through to Year 6 took part in a fun and energetic circuit session. Click here to view a video of the day. 

'Learn Together Workshop.'

We were delighted that so many of the new Reception parents attended the 'Learn Togther' workshop and we received some great feedback. 

 Scarecrows

In preparation for our Harvest Celebration the parents, carers and children in Reception were set a Home Learning Challenge to design and make a scarecrow! 

September 2023

 Reception children are doing really well with their first sounds. Mrs Taylor is playing 'What is in the box?' to help children learn the phonemes S, A and T. Click here to watch the video. 

PE Lessons

Reception children enjoyed their PE lesson in the sunshine this morning, learning how to balance beanbags in some tricky poses. Click here to watch the video. 

Maths 

Reception have been learning about the number 1 today. They enjoyed recognising the number 1, finding 1 item and singing number songs. Click here to watch a video. 

Settling In

They have waved goodbye to Mums, Dads or Carers with a smile and have come into school ready to learn. They have enjoyed painting, singing, dancing and being creative. We have enjoyed learning our first numbers and sounds. Here's to another great week ahead.

News - 2022-23 Academic Year

March 2023

Reception Trip to Butterfly World

Wow! The children and parents who have attended the Lets Get Writing sessions have done so well and they are now holding their pencil with more confidence and starting and finishing their letters in the correct place, far more consistently. All children have really gained confidence from these sessions and are really showing an interest in writing during continuous provision now! Thank you so much for the parental support and involvement.

Year 10 students came in and shared a story with the children.  They came with their chosen books and the children really enjoyed and listened well.  Our story book focus of the week is The Gruffalo and the children enjoyed listening to the story and then made finger puppets to help re-tell the story.  They had to make their own finger puppet of The Gruffalo. In maths we are comparing numbers to 10 this week and saying which groups of objects have more or fewer than any given number and we are learning how to use a number line.   We had our first balance bikeability session this afternoon and this was very exciting for the children.  To end our day Mrs White brought in her Bearded Dragon she was extremely well behaved and the children listened and learned all about her!

February 2023

Thank you to Mr Helyer who kindly made a bug hotel for the Reception classes. The children have really enjoyed welcoming bugs into our garden.  The children also enjoyed learning about plants, seeds and flowers and they have been introduced to new vocabulary to describe these.  Our focus book for the week was The Three Little Pigs and everyone enjoyed the role-play, painting and creative opportunities when making our own houses. 

January 2023

Children in Reception have been exploring the story of Red Riding Hood this week. Outdoors we have been making pie in the Mud Kitchen like they made in the story. We have also built Granny's house and acted out the story. 

Reception have been learning about the number 6 today. We read Six Dinner Sid and have been using our gross motor skills to build six houses for Sid to live in.

Click here to read more about our new pirate ship!

December 2022

November 2022

This afternoon we had the School Nurses visit us and talk about the importance of hand washing. The children listened so well and then produced their own posters that we have displayed in our toilet area that reminds everyone to wash their hands and remove all germs by singing 'Happy Birthday' twice!

The children in Reception have been very busy this week.  Our story focus has been The Room on the Broom following on from last week.  This week we have been reading and practising CVC words.  We have been learning all about Circles and Triangles in maths and learning the properties of these and other 2d shapes.  We have also been looking at subitising 5 in Number Sense.   In PHSE we have been discussing being special, looking at ourselves and thinking about how we know we are special.  Next week we will be reading the story We're Going on a Bear Hunt and learning positional language in maths. 

Books at Bedtime