Welcome to Holly Class

What to expect when your child begins school…
Holly class is a mix of Reception and Y1 children. 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. For Year 1 children, they will be able to continue to build on their existing and developing knowledge of the EYFS Curriculum whilst also building on the foundations of the Year 1 National Curriculum.

What will my child do in Holly Class?

Holly class, especially for reception children, 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. 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 lunch boxes and 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 need to 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.

Mrs Camelford

Long-Term Plans

Autumn Term Knowledge Organisers (Year 1)