Nursery

We have one nursery class for children aged 3 to 4, with up to 30 children on role.

Learning activities are planned using the EYFS curriculum, focusing mainly on the prime areas of communication and language, physical development and personal, social and emotional development.  Planning is based on the needs of the cohort.

The nursery team consists of a qualified teacher, two Level 3 practitioners and one Level 2 practitioner.  When the qualified teacher is in the class, the ratio of adults to children is 1:13.  When the qualified teacher is not in the class, a level 3 practitioner is in charge and the ratio of adults to children is 1:8.

From January 2025 nursery children will be taught phonics using Rocket Phonics and maths using White Rose maths.  This is to ensure consistent teaching inline with the rest of the school, and to ensure a smooth learning journey as children move into Reception.

Parents are invited to parents' evening appointments twice during the year and receive an end of year report.  More regular information about learning is through the online programme Tapestry.

Reception

During 2024-2025, there is a Reception class, a mixed Reception and Year 1 class and a Year 1 class.

When planning activities for Reception children, teachers in the Year 1 & Reception team refer to Early Learning Goals as well as the school’s schemes of work to ensure a broad and balanced curriculum is delivered across the seven areas of learning.

In phonics and reading the Reception children follow the Rocket Phonics programme. This programme teaches children sounds, word reading, letter formation, word writing and writing simple sentences. The Rocket phonics programme has colour coded books that children read with an adult at least once a week. Rocket Phonics colour coded books are sent home weekly along with a library book for parents to read with their child. These books are linked to the sounds that have been taught.

Reception children follow the NCETM Mastering Number programme in their daily Maths Bursts. In addition to this, we use White Rose Maths to teach simple geometry.

Children’s work is recorded in a class floor book and a Rocket Phonics workbook. In the Spring and Summer terms the children also record work in individual English & Maths books.

Parents are kept up to date through informal conversations about their child’s learning as well as formal parent meetings, and end of year report, and regular Tapestry online profile updates that include 1x maths, 1x phonics and 1x other.