Mrs Evans - Cherry Class
Reception Teacher/ EYFS Lead/ Assistant Headteacher
Mrs Penny - Apple Class
Reception Teacher
Mrs Raikes
TA
Mrs Whetter
TA
Mrs Cotton
TA
Miss Willis
TA
Miss Egerton
TA
Mrs Hasthorpe
TA
Mrs Charalambous
Lunchtime Supervisor
Mrs Bruce
Lunchtime Supervisor
We are so excited to get to know our new Reception children in Autumn term, and are looking forward to seeing what’s inside their All About Me boxes! The children will get to share their All About Me boxes with their new friends and the Reception staff, and get to explore their new learning environment. The Reception team support children to play cooperatively with others, gain confidence to make new friends, and to utilise the classroom areas. We begin to discuss feelings through our focus text, 'The Colour Monster'.
Communication and Language
Communication and Language is a huge focus area for our new Reception starters: the sharing of All About Me boxes enables children to begin to enhance their early communication skills, and practise their listening skills whilst their friends share their own boxes. We will begin our WellComm and We Thinkers programmes which support social interaction and communication, speech, and language. We introduce basic Makaton signs which supports all children with language development, and helps to create an inclusive, welcoming environment for all children.
Physical Development
During our Autumn term, the children’s PE sessions cover a range of activities which support their physical development, including gross and fine motor skills. The children will take part in PE sessions where they will learn to jump safely, walk, and run using varying directions and speeds. Our Physical Development curriculum at Sandy Hill Academy is supported by our Healthy Movers programme, alongside yoga sessions. The children will develop their fine motor skills through a range of activities and daily letter formation practise.
Literacy
Getting children’s early Literacy off to a flying start is our aim for the Autumn term. The children will begin daily phonics sessions, where they will be taught their first phonemes and graphemes, and have the opportunity to practise their new learnt skills. Our provision will include ‘funky finger’ activities to support the development of children’s fine motor skills. The children will practise their name writing daily and be supported to begin correct letter formation. We LOVE books and stories in Reception, and share our favourites daily!
Mathematics
Our Mathematics curriculum will begin with our Mastering Number programme, where children are supported to develop secure understanding of early number, including counting and subitising (recognising small amounts without counting). Mathematical opportunities are in every area of the learning environment, with loose parts for children to sort and count, shapes to discuss and describe, and fun puzzles to complete!
Expressive Arts and Design
The children complete their first Reception self portrait in Autumn term, where we begin looking at colours and learning about colour mixing. Our focus text ‘Leaf Man’ is a stimulus for leaf art and creations such as leaf rubbings. The children will be supported to use scissors safely and effectively, including using a safe grip and making purposeful snips and cuts in paper. We love singing in Reception and will begin our Makaton Sing & Sign sessions!
Understanding the World
Our Understanding the World curriculum will support children to notice seasonal changes around us and in our local environment. We enjoy going on welly walks in the Autumn term, to collect lots of Autumnal treasures we can add to enhance our transient art area of the classroom. We notice different sounds in the outdoor environment, and notice any changes in the leaves on the trees. Through our ‘Who Are We?’ topic, we learn about different occupations through discussions with our friends about their parents and carers’ jobs, and people they have met in the community, such as dentists and nurses. We are very lucky to have the local fire brigade visit us too!
