Welcome to the new school year 2025 / 2026 and welcome to the Reception children in Holly Class!  

Please find some useful information below regarding timetables and learning in Holly class.

Miss Lowe - Holly Class teacher
Mrs Pointen - TA (Mon, Tue, Thur, Fri)
Miss Rounce - TA (Wed)

What to expect when your child begins school…
For Reception children, it is the year that your child becomes ‘school-ready’; developing their independence, confidence, resilience and interests. It’s an exciting time for the children, and it marks the start of their journey at school. 

What will my child do in Holly Class?

Holly class is all about play! Your child will take ownership of their own learning through exploring, investigating, watching, listening, talking, discussing, making and communicating. A day in Holly class can be VERY busy, so your child may be really tired at the end of the day. Play is children’s work and can be very messy at times. Your child will be learning both inside the classroom with paint, play dough, chalk etc., but also outside with building blocks, water, mud, leaves and sand, so you can expect some mucky clothes at the end of the day! Year 1 children will also be accessing play-based learning, but will also take part in daily lessons and activities covering content from Year 1 of the National Curriculum.

Lunchtimes

The children have lunch in the school hall where they are supervised by mid-day supervisors. There are hot and cold options for lunches and the school office can provide you with the current menu. A lunch slip will be sent home every Friday for you to choose your child's lunch and dessert for the following week. Changes can be made in the morning if necessary. After lunch, children go out to play on the field for playtime.

Belongings

The children will have a peg in the cloakroom outside the classroom to hang their belongings on, a space in class for water bottles, and a tray in class where they will keep their school book bag. Bookbags are essential as this is where we will put any letters for home, and they will have your child’s reading books in too. We ask that all children have a pair of wellies that will stay in school so they can go out onto the field at playtime all year round and access our sand and water areas. We also kindly ask that no toys be brought into school. They can’t then be lost or broken and upsets are generally avoided. We may ask your child to bring in something specific to do with our topic or learning at certain times but will always inform you of this.

How can I help my child in Reception?

Reading - Read to your child and encourage them to read to you. Talk to your child about the pictures or make predictions about what will happen next. Encourage your child to recognise and read print when you are out shopping, on the bus or at the park.

Phonics - Support your child with the individual letters and letter sounds they have learnt. Sing songs and nursery rhymes, or play I-spy using the sound the letter makes, rather than its name.

Numbers - Encourage your child to recognise numbers recognition by singing number rhymes and songs or by recognising and reading numbers when you are in the car, out shopping etc.

Independence - Encourage your child to dress themselves (especially jumpers, coats, zips, shoes and wellies), and to use a knife and fork independently.

If you have any questions at all, do not hesitate to speak to me or one of the Holly Class team.

Miss Lowe