EYFS
Parents’
Information
Meeting
Key Senior Staff
Headteacher (EYFS/KS1)
Mrs Ward Deputy Headteacher
Mr Miller Assistant Headteacher (KS2)
Mrs Tudor Assistant Headteacher (SEND/Pastoral)
Family & Pastoral Care
Mrs Pearce
Operations Manager
Miss Simms Safeguarding Officer
Mrs
Assistant SENDCO
Welsh Attendance
Mr Bateman Manager
NURSERY STAFF
Buttercups
Mrs Shawcroft
Teaching Assistants
Mrs Andrew Mrs Rigby
Sunflowers
Mrs Mallett (Class Teacher & EYFS PhaseLeader)
Mrs Finney (Teaching Assistant)
RECEPTION STAFF
Bluebells
Mrs O’Grady/
Mrs Langley (Class Teachers)
Mrs Steele (Teaching Assistant)
Tulips
MissWilson
MissCornish (Teaching Assistant)
Churchtown School Values
Independence Being self-directed and self-determined — having the confidence to carry out tasks independently, take responsible actions, and be accountable for our choices, all while feeling safe and supported in our environment.
Connection Being part of a happy, loving community where positive
relationships are built through knowing, supporting, and respecting one another — where
we feel valued, learn how to mend friendships, and create meaningful connections by being respectful to all
Churchtown School Values
Growth Growth comes from facing challenges with resilience, knowing that it's okay to find things difficult — because with purpose, determination, and something to strive for, we learn, improve, and become stronger.
Acceptance Embracing who
we
are and valuing others for who
ar
e —
they
celebrating diversity
and creating a community where everyone feels they belong.
Churchtown School Values
Joy Grows through purposeful, active learning and a broad, balanced curriculum full of variety
— creating space for play, shared experiences, and the simple recognition that making time for fun brings energy, connection, and balance to life.
Nursery Curriculum
–
About Me & Let’s Celebrate Spring – Once Upon a Time & Come Outside Summer – Growing & People Who Help Us
PSED
In the Early Years, Personal Social and Emotional development is broken down into 3 areas:
• Self regulation
• Managing self
• Building relationships
We put a strong focus on this area of our curriculum throughout the whole year. It is important for children to learn to be part of the larger school community before any further learning can take place.
Personal, Social & Emotional Development:
Thechildren will be workingon all thesocial and emotionalskills requiredfor starting school: sitting still, listening,sharing,turn taking,making friends. Thiswill belinked to the assembly theme;Respect.
Physical Development:
A lot of time will be devoted to developing the children’s gross and especially fine motor skills. This means helping the children to develop accurate control of their hands and fingers to hold and use a pencil accurately. E.g. through playdough, drawing club, PE lessons and funky fingers activities. Children will also enjoy spending time in the new playground and garden.
Communication & Language:
Children will be introduced to their classmates and encouraged to speak in small groups to build their confidence whilst settling into school, always being encouraged to consider the needs of the listener. We will use opportunities like show and tell, and talk time to encourage children to get to know each other.
Expressive Arts: We will introduce a variety of different role play experiences in the classroom to spark the children’s imaginative play and encourage talk. We will be exploring colour mixing through painting and talking about texture.
Reception Autumn:
‘Me and My World ’
Literacy: The children will begin their phonics journey. We use the RWI programme and will start learning RWI set 1 sounds. We will begin to segment the sounds in simple words using Fred talk, and start to blend sounds together to saya word. Fred is a frog who helps us learn to blend. They will start to bring library books home to share with adults for the joy of reading.
Maths:
Building on previous experiences of number from home and nursery environments, we will introduce Maths with a variety of number and counting songs to establish routines. We will then continue by exploring the composition of numbers within 5, whilst developing their subitising and counting skills.
Understanding the World: We will explore the world around us and consider the onset of Autumn. Autumn walks around our outdoor environments will encourage the use of appropriate vocabulary. Through outdoor playthe children will experience the weather and learn how to choose the right clothing, independently.
UNIFORM
Nursery and Reception children to wear the following:
Navy blue jogging bottoms/leggings (shorts in summer)
Navy blue sweatshirt, Yellow polo t-shirt
Black or dark coloured trainers (velcro)
Please put your child’s name in all of their uniform!
PE AND OUTDOOR LEARNING
Each week the children have a PE session taught by our specialist PE teachers.
Children will have regular access to the new playground and Early Years Garden. Throughout the year there will also be opportunities for the children to access the school field, including our Forest School sessions.
Reception
We use Read Write Inc Phonics, to support with the development of reading and writing at Churchtown.
Children will have adaily Phonics lesson, with a member of staff. Within this session, children will learn new sounds, before attempting to a variety of real and alien words containing the focus sounds!
Each week you will receivea set of links via Seesawto some short videos which will help support your child to practise the sounds your child has learnt in class.
READING
Your child will already have received a Library book to share with you at home. Please ensure this is in your child's book bag each Monday morning ready for them to choose a new one.
During Autumn 2, most children will be sent home with RWI book linked to their phonics group. In Reception, the requirement of all children is to read at least three times per week at home.
Each child will be issued with a reading record for parents to record their child’s reading each week. This will be checked in school regularly. In Reception, children will read 1:1 with a member of staff each week. This is in addition to their five Phonics lessons, in which they also have the opportunity to read aloud in front of adults.
HOMEWORK
In addition to weekly reading, homework is set at the start of each half-term, where children are given a selection of activities to complete. There will be around 9 activities available on the ‘menu’ with children expected to complete one per week during the half term. Homework will then all be collected in at the end of the half term and celebrated in class by the children and their peers.
You will find the homework overview on the ‘Reception’ page of the school website. Nursery do not receive homework.
A Typical Day in Reception
Daily phonics lesson – in reception these are streamed by ability. In nursery this will be taught in key groups.
Learning happens both inside and outside through our carefully balanced curriculum.
Each class will have a weekly music lesson with Mrs Hibbert.
The children will have a daily snack – in reception usually fruit and milk.
On Monday, Tuesday and Friday the children will have an assembly.
Lunchtime – 11:30
At Churchtown, we use the app SeeSaw to offer a window into the classroom. Staff in school use SeeSaw to journal the children’s learningand parents have the opportunity to access their child’s individual portfolio. We aim to provide a window into your child's day and provide opportunities to speak with your child about their friendshipsand learning.
Your child will have already been transferred into their new class, so you will already be able to view their learningjourney so far! Please remember the Code of Conduct which you signed when allowingaccess to SeeSaw last academic year regarding the use of these images. If you wish to see this again, please ask at the school office.
SEND (SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND DISABILITIES)
If you have any concerns about your child’s progress or well-being, the first point of call will always be to talk to the class teacher. From this point, it may be that further provision is required, which the class teacherwill organise and implement.
After this period of time, if there are still concerns, the SEND team (Mrs Tudor and Mrs Sutton) are always thereto support and offer guidance for the children.
Key Assessments
Reception Baseline Assessment – September
The RBA is a short, interactive and practical assessment of your child’s early literacy, communication, language and mathematics skills when they begin school, using materials that most children of your child’s age will be familiar with.
Half-termly assessments in phonics/reading (Read Write Inc)
Early Years Foundation Stage Profile
The EYFS profile is completed by a child’s teacher in the final term of the year a child turns five, this is usually reception year. You must assess each child’s level of development against the 17 early learning goals set out in the EYFS. You must indicate whether children are meeting expected levels of development, or if they are not yet reaching expected levels and are assessed as ‘emerging’. The purpose of this is to support a successful transition to year 1.
KEY REMINDERS
• Parent's evening 22.10.25
• School snacks (nut aware)
• Free school dinners from Reception to Year 3.
• Water bottles
• Medication – school office
• Playground: bikes / scooters/ new playground equipment
• Dogs
• Morning messages: handle with care
• Entrance and Exit Doors
• Contact Class Teachers via the School Office if you require any additional meetings.
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