2024-2025
For further curriculum information, please see also the EYFS page on the website.
A warm welcome to our Nursery & Reception class page!
Early Years Team
Miss Nicholls - Teacher
Miss Smith
Mrs. Moulsdale
Your child's happiness is very important to us. If you have any concerns, please call in and speak to one of the staff - the door is always open.
Reception's PE day is on a Monday. Children should come into school wearing their PE kit on a Monday rather than their school uniform.
We recommend that children bring a labelled water bottle with them to school. We also recommend that children in Reception bring spare clothes in their bag.
Weekly Timetable
(You can click the download link below the document to download a copy.)
Our Early Years Vision
We will:
· Promote a love of learning
· Encourage your child’s confidence, resilience, responsibility and respect
· Help children understand about the diverse society in which we live
· Provide opportunities for intellectual, physical, communication, social and emotional development
· Meet the needs of your child
· Provide formal and informal learning experiences both in and out of doors
· Foster your child’s well-being
At Willow Tree we pride ourselves in our partnership with parents. Parents have daily face to face contact with their child's Key Person and staff are always available to meet and greet in the morning and again at the end of the session. We hold regular parents 'Stay and Play' sessions and parent workshops. We provide parents with a weekly blog to show them what their child has been up to in school each day. Parents are emailed copies of their child's learning journey observations each half term to share with family and friends.
We promote healthy eating by offering a well balanced self-serve snack area including; fruit, savoury snacks, milk and water.
Help to get your child off to a flying start
In order to get your child off to a flying start, there are a number of ways that you can help them before they start school.
Independence
Developing your child's independence will allow them to function throughout the day without feeling frustrated or overwhelmed.
Encourage your child to be more independent by practising:
- Putting on and fastening a coat
- Putting on/taking off shoes and wellies
- Toileting - the full works!
- Hand washing
- Using cutlery
- Carrying lunch
Personal Skills
During the day, your child will be interacting with lots of adults and children. They will need to:
- Share resources
- Take turns
- Wait patiently
- Listen to others
Physical Development
Providing plenty of opportunities for physical activity will develop their gross motor skills. Visiting local parks, having a walk to feed the ducks, using large playground equipment or visiting soft-play areas are brilliant ways of building confidence as well as skill.
Communication and Language
Develop your child's language skill by chatting to them as often as possible. When you are out and about, talk about what you can see, hear, smell, feel and taste.
Develop a love of Reading
By far, the best way to develop your child's vocabulary is by sharing books together. Look at the pictures together and discuss what is happening. Point to the words on the page as you read them and encourage your child to repeat words and join in with familiar phrases. Please watch the two short videos below for more information about the importance of reading with your child.
"The more you read, the more you'll know! The more you learn, the more places you'll go!" (Dr Seuss)
Book Recommendations for Nursery and Reception
We work hard to develop a love of reading at Willow Tree, with reading at the heart of our curriculum. We use books to ignite curiosity and gain understanding of the world. At Willow Tree, we take every opportunity to read to the children. We are delighted to share some fantastic book recommendations for Nursery and Reception children. Please follow the links below.
'The Reader Teacher' - Visit this site to view 100 'must reads' for NURSERY
https://www.thereaderteacher.com/nursery
'The Reader Teacher' - Visit this site to view 100 'must reads' for RECEPTION
Best Books for Reception | Ages 4-5 | The Reader Teacher
Pre-Handwriting Skills
During their time in Nursery and Reception, pupils engage in a range of adult and pupil led activities to develop their gross and fine motor skills in preparation for holding mark making tools and writing. Opportunities for pupils to strengthen their core, co-ordination, stability and upper body strength are planned through regular short movement sessions as well as through play in our learning environment.
When developmentally appropriate pupils in the early years begin learning the correct letter formation patterns by ‘air-writing’ and using large movements to draw with chalk or paint to support them in embedding correct starting points and directional flow.
Please encourage your child to use the correct letter formation when completing homework activities or any other writing activities at home (for example writing greetings cards).
Mathematical Development
Develop your child's awareness of numbers by singing counting songs or rhymes. Ask them to show you numbers using their fingers. When you are out and about, look for numbers in the environment, for example on doors, car registration plates or road signs. Follow the link below for some songs to sing together :-)
10 Counting Songs to Teach Your Kids - Empowered Parents
Topics covered in the Autumn Term:
Our work this term is based on the theme of Friendship and Animals.
In English we will be developing our speaking and listening skills.
We will start learning the letter sounds in our journey to develop our love of reading.
In Maths we will learn about numbers up to 5 and amounts which equal each numeral.
In PSED we will focus on 'being me in my world.' We will find out about our choices and feelings and will start to develop our independence.
In RE we will discover the Special People in our immediate lives but also in the world beyond.
In Science we will find out how we have grown and changed and we will explore the Natural World - with a focus on the Autumn season.
In Geography we will find out about the location of places around school.
In History we will compare school life in the past to that of ours now.
In Art and DT we will explore how we can mark make using different mediums.
In Music we will make music both in and out of doors.
Nursery & Reception Yearly Overviews
