Reception 2025 - 2026

Reception Class Teachers: Mrs Barker & Miss Boyes

Teaching Assistants: Mrs McNicholas, Mrs Hunt, Mrs Smith and Miss Howard

Welcome to Reception!

We have carefully planned a curriculum and chosen topics for your child’s Reception year that we are confident will spark curiosity and ignite a lifelong love of learning.

At our school, reading is at the heart of everything we do. In Reception, we aim to nurture a love of books in every child. Each day, we will share and enjoy stories and rhymes together as a class. We encourage and support children to read daily; both in school and at home.

We begin the year with the topic ‘Once Upon a Time’, focusing on traditional tales that your child may already know and love. Stories such as The Three Little Pigs and Goldilocks and the Three Bears will inspire learning across the curriculum. Your child might learn to share and collaborate while building a house of sticks, practise their cutting skills while designing a stronger chair for Goldilocks, or expand their vocabulary by using storybook language.

As the year progresses, our topics will be guided by the children’s own interests, allowing them to take ownership of their learning. Our open-ended topics include: I wonder what’s special, I wonder where people live, and I wonder what’s out of this world. These themes encourage children to ask questions, seek answers, and become resilient, inquisitive learners.

Important Information

• Please feel free to share any information with your child’s teacher. This could be a quick message at the door (no matter how small) or if you need a longer conversation, we will be happy to arrange a telephone appointment.

• You are the expert on your child, and we look forward to working in partnership to support them.

Communication and Learning Platform

• We use a secure online platform called School Spider to share important messages, photographs, and videos of your child’s learning.

• This ongoing communication helps build strong relationships and gives you valuable insight into your child’s development.

• You’ll also find helpful ideas and tips for supporting learning at home.

Phonics

• Phonics is a vital part of your child’s learning in Reception. Every Friday, you’ll receive a short message letting you know what your child has been learning in their phonics sessions.

• You can support your child’s phonics learning at home using free, engaging games on:

  • www.phonicsplay.co.uk

  • www.phonicsbloom.com

• We also recommend following Phonics Family on Facebook for more practical activities and ideas.

Reading at Home and School

• Your child will choose a library book every Thursday to take home and enjoy with you.

• We recommend becoming a member of Failsworth Library and exploring free eBooks at www.oxfordowl.co.uk.

• Once your child begins bringing home an individual reading book, please ensure it and their reading comments book are brought to school every day.

• We will listen to your child read at least once a week and update you with a comment. Please also use the comments book to let us know how reading is going at home.

• Every recorded read counts toward your child earning a 100 Reads award!

The Everywhere Bear

• Each class has an Everywhere Bear, which will be sent home with one child every Friday.

• The bear comes with a story to share and a diary.

• Please help your child document their adventures by adding photos, drawings, or notes to the diary.

• Return the bear, story, and diary by the following Wednesday so we can share your child’s adventures with the class before passing it on.

We hope your child has a wonderful time in Reception!

Thank you in advance for your support.