There are lots of things you can work on at home to help your child's transition into Reception. These include:

• Making sure that your child can put their coat, shoes and jumper on and take them off without the help of an adult.
• Helping your children to recognise their name so that they can find their peg and other belongings independently.
• Singing the alphabet sing and knowing some of the letters of the alphabet.
• Being able to count up to 10 (saying the numbers out loud and in the correct order).
• Encouraging them to ask for things that they need in preparation for doing this in the classroom.
• Using the toilet independently (this includes wiping independently and washing hands). Don't worry if your child is not ready to do this, but please let us know if you need support before your child starts school.

There are 30 children in each of our Reception classes, and they are cared for by a teacher and a teaching assistant.

Our classrooms provide a safe, vibrant and nurturing environment where your children will spend their days playing with their friends and exploring the world around them. They will also have access to our outdoor classroom throughout the day so if your little one enjoys the great outdoors, this will always be an option for them.

Mrs Burford is one of our Assistant Heads, and she is responsible for safeguarding and pastoral support in school. Here is a message from her:
 

Learning through play runs through the heart of our early years curriculum at LCA. We passionately believe that our little ones learn best when they are exposed to high quality play experiences, intertwined with support from their teacher to grasp the foundations needed for the next stage of their learning journey.

We want to build confidence, resilience and independence in our pupils and we do this by building strong relationships with them so that we can support them at whatever stage they are at.

Please follow the link below to a video about learning in the foundation stage classroom. We have lots to show you!
 

The school year is divided into themes so that learning can follow a particular theme, however we are also keen to follow the interests of our children in order to make play and learning meaningful and fun.

Here are the topics covered during the Reception year:

• Autumn Term: All About Me!
• Spring 1: Animal Magic
• Spring 2: Once Upon a Time
• Summer 1: Let's Grow!
• Summer 2: Are we nearly there yet?

From the very early days of Reception we will start to teach your child how to read. This will include rehearsing skills from nursery such as rhyming, hearing initial sounds in words and playing games with alliteration.

We follow the Little Wandle programme for phonics teaching, which a research-based approach. Children are taught the phonemes (sounds) created by each letter or groups of letters. They are then taught to blend these together to read words. You can rea more about this on the EYFS page in the Curriculum section of this website.

Phonics is taught every day and children also have access to phonics activities throughout their play.

By the time they leave us at the end of Reception, children can read simple sentences and will be accessing many books independently.

A day at LCA...

The beginning of the school day

The school day starts at 8:55am when the big school gates will be by opened by Mrs Malam and other teachers from the senior leadership team. We will always say hello and give you a wave so look out for us! You can then walk around to your classroom door to meet your teacher.

Inside the school building

When you go through your classroom door you will be in the cloakroom and this is where we keep all the hats, coats, scarves, bags, cardigans and wellies. You will have you own peg with your name on so that you can keep everything safe. This is also where you will find the toilets if you need to go. Don’t forget to tell your teacher first!

In your classroom

When you go into your classroom there will be lots of children and lots of exciting things to do! If you have been to nursery before it will feel a lot like this. There might be some water play, a sandpit or some Lego. The best thing is that it’s always a surprise as there are different things to play with every day. You will be able to choose what you want to play with; it’s completely up to you!

The outdoor classroom

We are very lucky to have a big space outside to play in all day long. There is always lots to do outside; you could dance on the stage, ride on a bike, make a mud pie or build using the crates and logs! It’s always helpful to have a pair of wellies in school, but we have lots of waterproof clothes for you to wear. That means we can go out in all weathers!

What will happen at lunchtime?

Lunchtime starts at 12 noon. You will eat your lunch in the school hall with your class. There will be a midday supervisor who will look after you at lunchtime so that your teacher and teaching assistant can eat their own lunch.

You will probably have a hot dinner that is made at school by our chef, Dan. But you might decide to bring a packed lunch instead.

Once you have eaten your lunch you will clear your own plate and cutlery away, and then you can go and play on the big playground with all the other children.

At the end of the day

At the end of the day there will be lots of things that you need to get ready before you go home. You will need to get your:

• Coat (and any other clothing items you need to take home)
• Water bottle
• Book bag

When your grown up arrives they will come to your classroom door and your teacher will let you go.