Dear Parents and Carers,

Welcome to Reception class and to Stoke Climsland School. The first few days in school have been fantastic and the children have done so well. We are all really looking forward to the coming year. We hope that you have been made to feel welcome at Stoke and (if you are new to the school) that you will soon feel part of the ‘Stoke family’.

At the beginning of each half-term you are sent a letter giving you a brief rundown of the learning Reception class will cover and any additional information you will need. We hope you find it interesting and useful. We have had an exciting first couple of days at school, learning about where things are around the classroom and making friends. Our project for the first half of term is ‘Marvellous Me!’ Please see the attached project map for an idea of what we will be covering. This half-term we will be concentrating on settling into school, getting to know each other better and finding out about our likes, dislikes, similarities and differences.

Phonics

Over the next few weeks we will begin introducing the children to the first letters and sounds in our daily phonic lessons. We follow the ‘Read, Write Inc.’ scheme of work and will send home a sheet detailing each sound as we learn them, which you can also practise at home. We start with set 1 sounds. As the children progress with their phonic learning and become confident at the skills needed to recognise the letters and sounds, we will start to send decodable reading books home in the second half of the autumn term and the spring term. Children learn at different rates and it is important for children to feel confident and happy when starting their reading journey.

Maths

We follow the Power Maths scheme of work in reception and have had fun singing number songs and working with the different resources in the classroom. We also follow Mastering Number, a scheme of work by NCETM. At home you can also help your child with their number facts, but also with any ‘real life’ experiences. Cooking and playing games such as pretend shops are particularly valuable. Your child will benefit from counting up and back from 0-20. Try starting at different numbers. You could also practise 1 more or 1 less than numbers to 5. This half-term we will be focusing on:

● Numbers to 5

● Comparing groups within 5

Library books

In the next few weeks we will send home a book from the school library for you to enjoy at home. This is not a book that your child will be able to read, but we hope that they will enjoy sharing the story with you, discussing the pictures and events within the story. We will change this book on a weekly basis for you, on a Friday. So please leave it in your child’s book bag to be changed.

Reception Baseline Assessment (RBA)

This year your child will be participating in the reception baseline assessment (RBA) within the first six weeks of starting reception. The purpose of the assessment is to provide a starting point for a new

measure that will help parents understand how well schools support their pupils to progress between reception and year 6/the end of key stage 2. The RBA is a short, interactive and practical assessment of your child’s early literacy, language, communication and mathematics skills when they begin school, using materials that most children of your child’s age will be familiar with. It was statutory for all schools since September 2021. Please follow the link if you would like any further details. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1074327/2022_Information_for_parents_reception_baseline_assessment.pdf

Other information

We will be posting key learning moments on our Class Dojo page. You can also send me photos of what your child has been doing at home. We hope you enjoy seeing how your child is getting on at school. Key dates are shared on the calendar feature on Class Dojo and also the school newsletter. Please regularly check them to keep up-to-date with what is happening in school.

Your child will receive a piece of fruit and milk or water for snack each day at school. You can also send your child with a piece of bread and butter (or something like crackers or breadsticks) if you feel that your child would like something extra. Please send these items in packaging with their name on it and put them in their school book bags. Please do not send any high sugar food items. Thank you. Please find the school menu on the school website or Class Dojo.

Thank you for sending your child in with all of the items that your child needs. Your child has a separate drink of water or milk at snack and lunchtimes. During ‘exploring time’ they can also get a drink from their water bottles. Please can we ask that it is water only and for it to be in a named water bottle? The children will have PE on Wednesday afternoons (please can your child come dressed in their PE kit that day). Please ensure that waterproofs and wellies are in school at all times so that we can enjoy woodland and outdoor learning. You can also leave a spare set of clothes on your child’s peg. Please note that your child will need a separate coat to the one that they wear for our forest sessions, as they will get muddy at times and will need to change into a dry coat.

Nut Allergy

We have a child in our school with a severe nut allergy. Please do not send your child to school with any nuts or food containing nuts or ‘may contain’ nuts.

REMINDERS

Mrs Moore is in class all week, except for Thursdays (when I am in the office). Mrs Parker teaches on a Thursday and Mrs Yardley is in class all week.

✔ Book bags must be brought to school each day.

✔ Please name all clothing and items, including shoes.

✔ A named coat is needed every day please.

✔ We encourage children not to bring toys to school to avoid them going missing.

✔ Please could you let me know if someone different is picking up your child at the end of the school day? It is helpful if I can be introduced to them first.

✔ Please ensure that your child has a named pair of wellies and waterproofs in school each day.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any concerns or things you wish to discuss. This can be at the door, on Class Dojo or by email. Mrs Parker, Mrs Yardley and I look forward to working with you to make this year fun, educational and rewarding for your child.

Yours sincerely,

Mrs Rachael Moore rmoore@stoke-climsland.cornwall.sch.uk