Reception - Mrs Bewick

Welcome to Reception.

What do the children need each day?

Water bottle
Blue reading bag
Reading book and Blue Reading Record Book
A jacket, sun hat, sun cream and sunglasses
A spare set of clothes

Our PE session will be on a Tuesday. Your child can come to school in their PE kit. Children can wear black trainers on this day but will need to bring a pair of plimsoles to school to wear for PE in the hall. These can be kept on your child's peg until the end of each half term.

Reading

Blue books will be checked daily. We ask that children are reading at home, a minimum of 3 times a week. Please write a comment and sign the blue books each time the children have read. Books will then be changed after each 3rd read.

Summer 1

Spring 2

This half term, our Reception children have been learning all about life on the farm, exploring animals, their habitats, and how food is produced. A highlight of the term was their exciting visit to Hall Hill Farm, where they had the opportunity to meet a variety of farm animals up close, feed them, and learn about how they are cared for. This hands-on experience enriched their understanding, brought their learning to life, and supported their communication, curiosity, and confidence through real-world exploration. Back in the classroom, the children have thoroughly enjoyed applying what they have learnt by taking on a range of farm roles during their provision learning time, from caring for animals to acting as farmers, helping to deepen their understanding through imaginative play.

Reception have made a fabulous start to the second half of Spring term. They have been busy developing their green fingers in the garden area, carefully weeding and looking after the daffodils which are currently growing. While working together to tidy the beds, the children sparked an exciting investigation, turning their gardening session into a mini bug hunt! They searched under leaves, peered into the soil, and explored the different habitats they could find. Using the bug viewers, they observed the insects closely, noticing tiny details like patterns, legs, wings and how the bugs moved. The children were keen to share their discoveries with one another. It was wonderful to see them learning through hands-on exploration while caring for our outdoor environment.

Spring 1

The children have been working incredibly hard in their maths lesson, exploring different ways to make 5. Using practical resources, fingers, drawings and number sentences, they investigated how numbers can be combined in a variety of ways. This hands-on approach helps to deepen their understanding of number bonds and build strong foundations for future maths learning. We are so proud of their enthusiasm and growing confidence with numbers!

Reception had a fantastic time creating and completing their own obstacle course in the woodland area of the Reception yard. They worked together to plan, build and test different challenges, developing their teamwork and communication skills along the way. Climbing, balancing and jumping supported their physical development, coordination and confidence, while problem-solving and turn-taking helped to strengthen their resilience and independence. Outdoor learning like this provides meaningful, hands-on experiences that support all areas of their development in a fun and engaging way.

Rain certainly didn’t stop our Reception children from learning today! Using their wonderful imaginations, they discovered so many different uses for a simple puddle, from jumping and splashing to exploring reflections, measuring depth and creating storytelling adventures. These spontaneous moments provided rich learning opportunities, encouraging curiosity, language development, problem-solving and scientific thinking. It was fantastic to see how outdoor play, even in the rain, sparked creativity and turned a puddle into a world of exploration and discovery.

Autumn 2

Our Reception children had a spook-tacular time at their Halloween Disco! The children arrived looking very smart in their scary costumes. There was plenty of dancing to fun music, spending money at the tuckshop, and sharing lots of smiles and laughter with their friends. It was a wonderful afternoon full of excitement, and everyone had a frightfully fun time!

We are so proud of our Reception children for achieving their Bronze Reading Award! The children have worked incredibly hard to practise their sounds, blend words, and build their confidence in reading. It has been wonderful to see their enthusiasm and determination as they develop their early reading skills. Well done to all of our fantastic readers – keep up the amazing work!

We had a wonderful time playing in the snow, building snowmen and exploring the frosty outdoors together. The snowy weather created exciting opportunities for hands-on learning, encouraging teamwork, communication and problem-solving as they worked together to roll, stack and decorate their snowmen. Outdoor play in the snow also supports physical development, helping to build strength, coordination and resilience. Most importantly, it was a magical experience filled with laughter and joy, creating special memories that the children will treasure.

In December, we had a fantastic time visiting Durham Gala Theatre to watch the pantomime production of ‘A Christmas Eve’. The children were captivated by the colourful props, lively songs and lots of laugh-out-loud moments. Theatre visits like this help to spark imagination, develop listening skills and build confidence as children respond to live performances. It was a truly magical experience and a wonderful festive memory for everyone involved.

Autumn 1

The children have settled well into their new class and have made a great start to their learning, both indoors and outdoors!

We started off the year with a birthday party for our class bear, ‘Bingo Bear’. The children had a fabulous time investigating the number 4 and understanding that ‘Bingo Bear’ would turn 5 on his birthday!