Welcome to Richmond Hill Reception Class

Early Years Vision and Intent

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework covers all children and their development from birth up to 5 years old. In Reception we have well resourced provision areas which are supported by highly qualified and experienced staff. We offer free flow outside play meaning our children get all the benefits the outdoors has to offer at all times of the day, come rain or shine!
With the Early Years framework as guidance we offer a broad, balanced and exciting curriculum based around the prime and specific areas of learning. This, combined with adult and child led activities which are planned with child interests and our curriculum drivers in mind, allows your children to develop as independent learners.

Early Years Foundation Stage Profile

There are seven areas of learning and development and these are a fundamental part of all the planning and teaching that occurs.
 
They are split into Prime and Specific Areas:
Children should mostly develop the 3 prime areas first.
These are:

• Communication and language
• Physical development
• Personal, social and emotional development

These prime areas are those most essential for your child’s healthy development and future learning.
 
As children grow, the prime areas will help them to develop skills in 4 specific areas.
These are:

• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding the world 
• Expressive arts and design

 
Alongside these areas we try to help the children develop skills that will enable them to become successful learners as they continue their time in the school.
These skills are called the Characteristics of Effective Learning:

Characteristics of Effective Learning
Playing and exploring - engagement 

Finding out and exploring

Playing with what they know

Being willing to ‘have a go’

Active learning - motivation

Being involved and concentrating

Keeping trying

Enjoying achieving what they set out to do

Creating and thinking critically - thinking

Having their own ideas

Making links

Choosing ways to do things
 

Meet the Reception Team

Class Teacher:                     Mrs Barton / Miss Wilson

Teaching Assistants:          Mrs Kyffin and Miss Hardon

We work very closely within our Early Years team so you also may see:

Miss O'Neil, Miss Wilkinson, Mrs Little

What is a Key Worker?

Children thrive from a base of loving and secure relationships. This is normally provided by a child’s parents but it can also be provided by a key person. A key person is a named member of staff with responsibilities for a small group of children who helps those children in the group feel safe and cared for. The role is an important one and an approach set out in the EYFS which is working successfully in settings and in Reception classes. It involves the key person in responding sensitively to children’s feelings and behaviours and meeting emotional needs by giving reassurance, such as when they are new to a setting or class, and supporting the child’s well-being. The key person supports physical needs too, helping with issues like nappy changing, toileting and dressing. That person is a familiar figure who is accessible and available as a point of contact for parents and one who builds relationships with the child and parents or carers.
Records of development and care are created and shared by the key person, parents and the child. Small groups foster close bonds between the child and the key person in a way that large groups cannot easily do. These groups allow the key person to better ‘tune into’ children’s play and their conversations to really get to know the children in the group well. Children feel settled and happy and are more confident to explore and as a result become more capable learners.

Tapestry Learning Journals

Continuing on from Nursery 2's and through to the end of the Reception Year your child will have an online learning journal. For this we use a provider called Tapestry see https://tapestry.info/ for more information.

Tapestry allows us to capture some of the most precious moments from your child's day which otherwise we may not have been able to share with you. It allows us to record and track your child's learning and assess this against the Early Years Outcomes which then allows us to plan for further progression.

We also find Tapestry is an excellent way for you to be able to share some of the learning that your child has been doing at home and encourage parents to access it and upload information as often as possible.

Parents are a child's first and most important educators and when we work together the possibilities are endless.