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Early Years

WELCOME TO WREN CLASS

AIM HIGH, ACHIEVE MORE

  • Teachers: Mrs Collins and Mrs Grainger
  • Teaching Assistants: Mrs Stevens, Mrs Freedman and Ms Oyedele

In Reception class we are entering the world of ‘Big School’!  We are aiming to settle into the new routines of school life, develop new friendships and become independent learners.  Our learning in Early Years is done through ‘Playing & Exploring’ and ‘Active Learning’.  It is always fun, interactive and is planned with specific learning intentions in-mind.  Our topics for the year are Ourselves, Celebrations, Food & Growing, Animals and Fairy tales.  By the end of the year our intention is that children have gained the skills of reading, writing and using numbers, so that they can flourish and achieve their full potential as they progress through the school.  An overview of our Early Years curriculum at Tatsfield can be found on the link below:

A PowerPoint below about what the EYFS is all about and our 'Welcome Curriculum Meeting' presentation  for your information. This will help with getting your child started in the first few weeks of their time at Tatsfield Primary school and also what to expect throughout the year.

We do encourage Home Learning in Reception Class and this is communicated via Tapestry, email or through your child's Home Learning folder.

Phonics and Early Reading 

At Tatsfield Primary School we use a comprehensive phonics teaching programme called 'Bug Club Phonics'. Children in Reception Class have daily phonics sessions.  Please find below some useful tools and resources to support your child develop their early reading skills at home. 

Our class termly topics include:

Early Years Foundation Stage Framework 

The EYFS curriculum is split into Prime and Specific areas.  The prime areas are important because they lay the foundations for children’s success in all other areas of learning and of life.  The specific areas provide the range of experiences and opportunities for children to broaden their knowledge and skills:

The Prime Areas of learning are:

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

The Specific Areas of learning are:

  • Literacy;
  • Mathematics;
  • Understanding the World;
  • Expressive Arts and Design.

At the end of the Reception year, pupils are benchmarked against the Early Learning Goals for each area.  Attainment is described as either: emerging (working below the expected level) or expected (working at the expected level) and these are reported to parents in the end-of-year written report.  This is a change from previous years as, under the new Early Years Foundation framework, exceeding (working above the expected level) has been removed.

Click the links below to find out more information about the EYFS:

Early Learning Goals

Within the Early Years Foundation Stage, children learn through a range of play based opportunities as well as adult led and independently selected activities.

At Tatsfield Primary School, our children experience a range of exciting activities, both indoor and outdoor, that promote the characteristics of effective learning such as independence, self-confidence, determination and communication as well as the ability to think critically and share their thoughts and ideas. These characteristics describe how a child learns and are interconnected with the EYFS Prime and Specific areas of learning.

Our children receive daily whole class teaching sessions along with daily whole class phonics sessions and hand-writing and mental mathematics. The children also work in smaller focus groups to provide both challenge and support where needed. We plan half termly topics that we feel will inspire the children's curiosity, understanding and development. Daily child-initiated activities, indoor and outdoor, combine the children’s likes and interests with the current topic and cover all seven main areas of learning.