Reception
Welcome to Year R
I would like to take this opportunity to highlight some of the exciting activities, areas of learning and discovery opportunities that our 4- to 5-year-old children will enjoy in their first year at school.
In Reception, the children have access to an exciting outside area and inviting classrooms, with all areas carefully planned and set up to offer a rich and stimulating environment; one that embraces all aspects of the EYFS curriculum. Our extensive grounds allow the children to freely explore and develop their imaginative, creative and physical skills. We have recently upgraded our outside area and are very pleased to be able to offer the children many opportunities to explore the EYFS curriculum, such as the climbing wall, sand and water play, large scale constructions as well as being able to explore the world around them through the bug hotel and resources linked to this. We also have resources available for children to develop their role play skills and most importantly to bring their learning to life. The children’s creative and imaginative skills are encouraged to flow throughout class directed and independent play time.
The Literacy curriculum in Reception is covered through a variety of traditional tales, non- fiction text and stories from other cultures. With role play areas available throughout the setting, children enjoy applying new stories and imaginative features to their play and also adding their own twists to stories they know and love. We place a strong emphasis on the importance of the early development of reading and writing, with dedicated times for both of these skills throughout each day. Each child will come home each week with a new reading for pleasure book and freely chosen library book. Our creative curriculum covers all aspect of the EYFS areas of learning and we are particularly proud to offer dedicated PE lessons, as well weekly French lessons for all children in early years.
One of the highlights of the year is our Christmas Production where the children thoroughly enjoy displaying their newfound confidence on stage. Each child also has the opportunity to perform in a class assembly where each class showcases what they have learnt in their first year at school. We invite parents to us on performance days to celebrate so many successes and talents that emerge even from such a young age.
We also enhance the curriculum, with as many visitors we can bring in and end the year by going on a school trip to ‘The Look Out Centre’. We feel these opportunities really bring their learning to life and enable children to apply what they have learned.
We value the importance of building strong relationships with our parents, keeping the child at the heart. Parents are welcome to help in school as parent readers, surprise storytellers, support with arts and crafts projects and on school trips. Parents are also welcome to attend workshops and coffee mornings as well as enjoying watching their child perform on a number of occasions.
Thank you for visiting our page and we hope you enjoy seeing what an exciting time we have in Reception.
Mrs Thorne
Assistant Head Teacher & EYFS Lead
Curriculum Map
Your child will study a wide variety of topics as part of their curriculum studies at Highfield South Farnham School. Please see below details of the curriculum content that your child will study in Year R. Whilst both classes follow the same curriculum, there will be individualised delivery based on the needs of the class.