Thank you for taking time to visit our class page. I hope you find all of the information below useful.

Who is my child's class teacher?

Miss Raffe – Reception Teacher
Mrs Jones and Miss Wood – Reception LSAs

What time does school start and finish?

Classroom doors open at 8:45am and children are expected to be in class by 8:50am.  The gates will open for parents/carers at 8:40am.
School finishes at 3:15pm.  The gates will open for parents/carers at 3:10pm.

When is school closed for holidays?

Please visit the term dates (https://www.hindley.wigan.sch.uk/Term%20Dates.html) section of our school website.

What will my child be learning this year?

In Reception we follow the statutory framework for the early years foundation stage.  There are seven areas of learning and development.  All areas of learning and development are important and inter-connected.  Three areas are particularly important for building a foundation for igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, forming relationships and thriving. These are the prime areas: communication and language, physical development and personal, social and emotional development.  We also support children in four specific areas, through which the three prime areas are strengthened and applied. The specific areas are: literacy, mathematics, understanding the world and expressive arts and design.
Please have a look at our long term plan to see how our learning develops over the school year.

When does my child have PE?

PE will be on a Tuesday.
On these days, your child should come to school dressed in their PE kit and trainers. Please see the uniform page on our website (https://www.hindley.wigan.sch.uk/Uniform.html)
Swimming will be on a Monday.  Children will wear their uniform and bring their swimming kit in a suitable bag. 

What should my child bring to school each day?

A drink bottle (with water already in) with their name on. If sunny your child should come to school with sun cream already applied and a sun hat. 
Book bag with reading book, library book and reading record.
A coat as the children will have access to the Reception area throughout the day and our weather can be unpredictable. 
All stationery will be provided by school. Children do not need to bring any pens or pencils into school. Toys are not allowed to be brought into school from home. 

What homework will my child get?

Children will be expected to read at least 5 times a week.
Practise phonic skills using the resources/links that will be provided.
Practise letter formation.
You will receive information each week that will let you know what has been learnt in class that week and ways in which you can help your child at home ready for the upcoming week.

Why is reading so important?

The importance of reading for children cannot be underestimated. Reading for pleasure can benefit a child’s education, social and cognitive development, their wellbeing, and their mental health. Reading is the bedrock of all learning.
Our class author in Reception is Eric Carle. We will read a variety of his books throughout the year.
For more information about reading please visit our reading page on the school website (https://www.hindley.wigan.sch.uk/reading.html)

The expectation is that your child will read with you at least 5 times a week.  At the beginning of the Autumn Term, your child will bring home a library book to share with you.  This will help them learn to love reading and reading for pleasure.  Once your child is able to blend sounds together to read words independently they will bring home a reading book that is matched to their reading ability in phonics.  These books are called Book Bag Books and link with the books they read in class.  It is important that your child reads their reading book as well as enjoy the library book that they have chosen to bring home for you to read to them. 

If you have any questions about reading in Reception, please send Miss Raffe a message on Class Dojo.

How will I receive updates and messages from school?

Staff are always available at the end of the day to answer any quick questions or queries. Class Dojo is used as the main lines of communication throughout school, so please make sure that all parents/carers have a class dojo account set up and regularly check messages and updates. You can send direct messages to your child's class teacher via class dojo, but please be mindful that staff are teaching, so they will not always been able to message back immediately.

Useful links

Oxford Owl: https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/
Phonics Play: https://www.phonicsplay.co.uk/