Ferney Lee Primary School

Welcome to Reception Class

Mrs McKay - Class Teacher

Miss Donna - Teaching Assistant

Miss Louisa (Support Assistant)

Welcome to Ferney Lee Reception!

What are we learning in Spring 2?

 Leaders have designed the curriculum for early years to prepare children for learning in Year 1. The development of speaking and listening is a priority. Adults use specific vocabulary in their conversations with children to help them learn new words. Teachers plan the indoor and outdoor learning areas to provide stimulating learning. As a result, children flourish.

(Ofsted, February 2023)

At Ferney Lee, we use Development Matters (Revised, 2021) to ensure that children get the best possible start to their education. Development Matters allows us to create a curriculum that meets the statutory requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework whilst also reflecting the needs of our wonderfully diverse cohort. High-quality interactions and attachment-informed practices underpin everything we do. This approach places the Prime Areas of Personal, Social and Emotional Development and Communication and Language at the heart of a curriculum that enables our children to "flourish" (Ofsted, 2023). Our indoor and outdoor area, along with Forest School and PE, support their Physical Development. Our curriculum ensures that all children develop the foundational knowledge, skills and understanding that they need to develop as kind, curious and independent learners in Reception and, when the time comes, to make a successful and happy transition into Year 1.

Our curriculum begins with the children's start points. It takes into account the needs of our Todmorden community, interests and skills the children have shown at home, in our Nursery and other settings. It is informed by the learning the children will encounter as they move through KS1 and beyond. As the children begin to feel settled in September, we find out more about what they enjoy and plan for their individual next steps. Our curriculum develops similarly throughout the year, responding to the knowledge, skills and experiences we want the children to gain, whilst also reflecting individual and class interests, strengths, weaknesses and many inspirations. To find out how our curriculum met the needs of our 2022-23 cohort, please scroll down to the bottom of this page to see a selection of photographs from last year's learning.

Key to our learning is a well-planned environment that strikes a balance between familiarity and challenge. You may hear your child talk about "being in provision". These are the learning opportunities that our indoor and outdoor classroom provides when the children are choosing freely. Continuous provision allows the children to build on what they already know when an adult is not necessarily in support. We also adapt and enhance provision in response to the children's interests and skills, whilst remaining mindful of sensory and cognitive overload.

Daily routines really help us to settle into our learning. We especially love chatting in our keyworker groups at morning snack. We also brush our teeth in the same groups every day, using this as an additional opportunity to deepen our maths understanding. Movement breaks help us to focus and develop our strength - they're also really fun for both children and adults in class! 

Teacher-led sessions form a part of our day, with phonics, maths and writing taught in short sessions daily. We teach phonics using Read, Write Inc. and maths using NCETM's Mastering Number and White Rose Maths for space, shape and measure. 

We all reflect continually on how we are learning, so that we develop the Characteristics of Effective Learning  we need as we start our school journey together. We find it helpful to think about the Characteristics of Effective Learning as the Thrill, Will and Skill we need to make the very most of every day. 

****Read Write Inc Phonics****

Please click here for a video showing you how to say the sounds. Please ask if you have any questions.

Welcome to our Reception library! Below is a selection of the books - fiction and non-fiction - that we will read, explore and enjoy together in Reception this year.