Reception
In Reception, we want every child to love learning, feel confident and have an excellent start to their school journey. Through play, exploration and hands-on experiences, children are encouraged to be curious, ask questions and discover the world around them.
We build strong foundations in reading, writing, maths and Religious Education, making learning exciting, meaningful and enjoyable. Alongside this, children develop their independence, confidence and social skills, as they learn to share, communicate, work together and make new friends.
Most importantly, we want every child to feel valued, happy and proud of who they are. We create a warm and welcoming environment where children feel safe to have a go, make mistakes, try something new and celebrate their successes. Our aim is for every child to leave Reception with a genuine love of learning, ready for the next stage of their school journey.
Meet the Team!
Reception Class Teacher
Miss E Smail
Teaching Assistants
Mrs L Goddard
Mrs C Kearns
Ms P Crane
Welcome to Our Classroom!
Our indoor classroom is a dynamic and engaging space that is adapted every few weeks to reflect our current topics. It is filled with hands-on areas, that support learning in maths, phonics, reading, writing, and social development.
Our Outdoor Classroom!
Our recently refurbished outdoor area plays a vital role in each child's daily learning experience. We regularly offer 'free flow' sessions, allowing children to choose whether they play and learn indoors or outdoors.
Outside Role-Plays:
Our outdoor role-play area is updated and adapted every half-term to coincide with our current topics. It supports children in developing social skills, encourages speech and language growth, and offers a variety of hands-on learning opportunities through play. Role-play also helps children build confidence, connect with their peers, and explore different aspects of learning in a fun and meaningful way.
Ice-Cream Parlour!
Gardening Centre
Smoothie and Salad Bar!
Religious Education Activities:
Religious Education makes up 20% of our curriculum and plays a central role in each child’s learning journey. From the earliest stages, children are introduced to prayers, hymns, and Bible stories, with their understanding growing throughout the year. RE lessons help pupils develop a wide range of skills, including reflection, empathy, and critical thinking.
Our Visit to the SFX Church:
Feeding the 5,000 - Making Bread
Learning about God's Creation
Welly World:
Welly World is a special outdoor area just for our Reception children. We visit it once a week and it is a highlight for children and staff. It offers space for truly creative play in a natural setting, helping children connect with the world around them whilst enjoying plenty of fresh air. Welly World brings out a different side of the children, encouraging curiosity, imagination, and a love of nature.
Our Class Trip to Queenswood:
We run two exciting trips each year, which the children always look forward to. At Christmas, we visit Madley Environmental Centre, where the children take part in festive outdoor activities, such as an elf hunt, helping animals by clearing litter, and of course, meeting Father Christmas! In the summer term, we head to Queenswood for the 'Surviving in the Wild' workshop, where the children enjoy hands-on, adventurous activities, such as toasting marshmallows on skinned twigs, building dens, and learning how to safely make a fire.
Some Special Visitors:
Over the course of the year, the children meet a range of special visitors linked to our 'People Who Help Us' topic. They have the opportunity to meet a police officer, a paramedic, a dental nurse, a local beekeeper, and the owners of a guide dog. During each visit, the children can ask questions, dress up, and share their own experiences of meeting or hearing about these key workers. These memorable and enriching experiences often become highlights of the year, which the children continue to talk about and refer back to in their learning.
Art Activities:
We have a dedicated art lesson each week, which our children always enjoy. Each session links to our current topic and includes activities that develop creativity and fine motor skills, such as cutting, sticking, and pencil control. The children take great pride in seeing their artwork displayed in the classroom. It is a lovely way to celebrate their effort and imagination.
Celebrating Different Cultures:
At St Francis Xavier School, we are proud to celebrate the rich mix of cultures, backgrounds and traditions that make our school community so special. During our Reception Culture Day, the children have the opportunity to share and celebrate what makes their own cultures unique.
The children come to school wearing something that represents their culture and they bring in a special or meaningful object from home to share with their friends. Through 'show and tell', they enjoy learning about one another’s traditions, families and experiences.
Throughout the day, the children take part in a range of creative and hands-on activities inspired by cultures from around the world. They use playdough to create traditional dishes, they explore and recreate using different materials and patterns, they design their own flags and make personalised passports, as they travel around the world through their learning.
Cookery Lessons:
Every child loves a cookery lesson! We place an emphasis on healthy eating and sampling foods from around the world. Through these sessions, children develop valuable skills in food preparation and gain confidence in tasting new foods.
Healthy Smoothies!
Rainbow Salads!
Diwali Sweets:
Honey Tasting:
The Chicks!
Each spring term, the children have the exciting opportunity to watch baby chicks hatch and grow. They love observing the chicks’ progress and enjoy learning about animals in an authentic and memorable way.
Reception Assembly!
Every year, our Reception children proudly perform their very first class assembly. This year, their assembly was based on the Sacred Heart of Jesus – a symbol of Jesus’ love, compassion and kindness for all.
Each child played an important part in the assembly. They confidently spoke their own lines, shared their beautiful artwork, took part in acting and joined together to sing hymns.
For many of the children, this was their first big performance in front of the whole school, and they did such a wonderful job! We were incredibly proud of their confidence, enthusiasm and teamwork. It was a very special moment for Reception and a delightful celebration of all they had achieved together.
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Resources for Home Learning:
Phonics:
Create a free account with Oxford Owl to access Read Write Inc. resources: Parent guide to Read Write Inc. Phonics - Oxford Owl
Please see below some useful links to further support your child's phonics learning at home:
- Understanding how phonics works for parents
- How Read Write Inc. phonics works - a parent/carer’s guide
- How to help your child learn the Read Write Inc. phonics sounds
- Read Write Inc. sound blending tutorial using phonics flashcards
Alphablocks:
Have fun learning letters and sounds with Alphablocks: Alphablocks - CBeebies - BBC
PhonicsPlay:
Another fun, interactive way for your children to learn their sounds: PhonicsPlay - Resources
Teach your Monster to Read:
A fun, game-based approach to practising sounds and blending: Teach Your Monster: Free Phonics, Reading and Mathematics Games
Maths
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Whiterose Maths Home Learning
Weekly practical activities linked to stories
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Home Learning NCTEM Maths
Video clips KS1 to help with counting in 2's,5's and 10's -
Fun interactive games for counting, ordering numbers, shapes, and more: Learn to Count with fun Counting Games for KS1 Children
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Short videos teaching number concepts in an engaging way: Numberblocks - CBeebies - BBC