Reception

Reception Uniform Guide

At our school, we take pride in our uniform. It helps our children feel part of our school family and encourages a sense of belonging, equality, and readiness to learn.

Below is a helpful guide to ensure your child is dressed correctly and comfortably each day.

Everyday Uniform

Please ensure your child wears the correct school uniform each day:

Purple school sweatshirt or cardigan	Emerald green polo shirt	Grey or black trousers, skirts, or pinafores	Black school shoes (No trainers, please)

Important: All uniform items must be clearly labelled with your child’s full name to help avoid mix-ups or lost clothing.

School Bag and Daily Essentials

Children should bring a school bag to school every day, containing:

• Their reading book
• Any letters, notes or important items sent home

By following our uniform expectations, you help support our values of care, respect, and community.

Thank you for working with us to ensure every child comes to school feeling confident, comfortable, and ready to learn.

If you have any questions or need support with uniform items, please don’t hesitate to speak to a member of staff.

Reception - End of Year Expectations

In Reception, we use the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Framework and the Development Matters guidance to plan a rich, engaging curriculum that supports every child to grow, thrive, and feel confident as they begin their learning journey.

End of Year Goals

By the end of Reception, children work towards achieving the Early Learning Goals (ELGs) across seven key areas:

• Communication and Language
• Physical Development
• Personal, Social and Emotional Development
• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding the World
• Expressive Arts and Design

These goals help us understand each child’s development and readiness for Year 1. They are not formal tests, but a celebration of what your child knows, can do and understands by the end of the Reception year.

Every child is unique, and progress may look different for each individual. Our focus is always on nurturing confidence, independence, and a love of learning.

How We Assess Learning

Assessment in Reception is gentle, ongoing and meaningful. We observe and support your child’s development in real-time through:

• Everyday observations during play and learning
• Notes and photographs captured in learning journeys
• Regular communication with parents, where we share celebrations and next steps
• Reference to Development Matters, which helps us understand and plan for individual progress

At the end of the year, we complete an EYFS profile for your child. This provides a clear, rounded picture of their development and is shared with you and their Year 1 teacher to support a smooth transition.

Working in Partnership

We deeply value your role in your child’s learning. Throughout the year, we work closely with you to ensure your child feels happy, secure, and inspired every day. Your insights, support and encouragement make all the difference—and we’re here to walk this journey together.

The key documents we use in our planning and assessment will be available here:

Using Seesaw in Reception

At our school, we believe that strong partnerships between school and home are key to a child’s success. That’s why we use Seesaw—a secure, user-friendly app that allows us to stay connected with parents and carers throughout the school year.

Seesaw helps us share the magic of learning that happens each day, while also opening a simple line of communication between families and staff.

What Seesaw is Great for:

• Celebrating your child’s achievements – whether in school or at home
• Sharing classroom learning – giving you a window into what your child is doing each week
• Open communication – allowing parents and staff to message and stay in touch easily
• Home learning – from time to time, we may share optional activities or resources for you to explore at home

We use Seesaw regularly to post updates, photos, videos, and messages to help you feel involved in your child’s school journey. You can also use the app to share special moments or learning from home with us.

If you ever have questions or need support using Seesaw, please don’t hesitate to speak to Miss Waters or Mrs Massaro—we’re always happy to help.

Together, we can celebrate your child’s growth, every step of the way.

The Joy of Reading

At our school, we believe that reading is one of the most important foundations for a child’s learning journey. It unlocks imagination, builds confidence, and opens the door to a world of language, understanding and joy. In Reception, we nurture a love of reading from day one—creating happy, confident readers through fun, structured and supportive teaching.

How We Teach Reading

We follow the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised phonics programme, a systematic and consistent approach that helps every child become a successful reader. Through daily phonics lessons, children learn to recognise letters and sounds, blend them into words, and begin to read with increasing fluency and understanding.

Reading Routine in School

• Guided Reading: Children take part in small group guided reading sessions three times a week using carefully matched decodable books.
• 1:1 Reading: Each child is listened to individually every day, giving them focused support and encouragement.
• Book Changing: Children take home reading books that are directly matched to their phonics level. These are changed every Monday and Thursday.
• Library Time: Every Friday, we visit the school library, where children can choose a storybook to take home and enjoy with their families.

How You Can Help at Home

Reading with your child at home is a powerful way to support their progress. Here’s how you can help:

• Read the phonics book sent home at least 3 times during the week to build confidence and fluency.
• Enjoy story time together—reading aloud, asking questions, and talking about what you’ve read.
• Use the reading diary to record your child’s reading and celebrate their progress.
• Encourage a love of books by making reading part of your daily routine—whether it’s bedtime stories, reading signs on the way to school, or visiting your local library.

Together, we can build strong foundations and a lifelong love of reading.