Reception M & W 2025 - 2026
Miss Millington
Reception Teacher
Miss Woodcock
Reception Newsletter
RW- Miss Woodcock, Miss Ward,
RM – Mrs Millington-Stubbs, Mrs Landell and Miss Davies
We also have Mrs Begum and Miss Ali who support some of our pupils day to day in school.
Welcome to Summer 1!
This half term our topic is Animals
We hope you all had a lovely Easter break and we are looking forward to starting a new chapter with our learning!
This half term our main topic is Animals. During this topic the children will consider similarities and differences between humans and animals. Building on Nursery knowledge they will secure their understanding of the difference between ‘Domestic and Wild’ animals and how to group them. As part of our investigation children will begin to understand that some animals are endangered and reinforce the importance of caring for all living things and our world. This will lead into their knowledge of ‘extinct’ animals - dinosaurs and what this means. They will excavate their own fossils and learn the different dinosaur names along with the people that have helped us learn all about dinosaurs - palaeontologists.
These learning experiences will be supported by our two main literacy texts “Penguins, National Geographic Kids’ an information text and the story “T-Veg by Smriti Prasadam- Halls. ” During our non-fiction 'Penguins' book the children will learn all about the contrasting environment that a penguin lives in. We will also use the text to learn lots of different facts about penguins and then write our own penguin fact files! We will become Palaeontologists and learn all about Dinosaurs when we read our next story “T-Veg.” and learn the difference between herbivores and carnivores. Children will also be continuing to notice changes in their immediate environment now that the weather's getting warmer. We will start to see the seeds that we planted last half term start to grow and be able to see some flowering plants.
In mathematics the children will be building their knowledge on numbers beyond 5 looking at the composition of 7 investigating part/part/whole relations. They will confidently count beyond 20 and subitise increasingly complex arrangements. They will also consolidate their knowledge of 3D shapes naming and talking about their properties and beagle to tell simple times on a clock.
In Phonics this haf term the children are learning; 
A few quick reminders...
In response to our parent survey, we introduced our weekly 'In the loop' newsletter which tells you each week what the children have been learning about and shares upcoming dates and things to remember. This is sent out via Tapestry so please do ensure you access it. If you have any problems let your child's class teacher know.
Each week each class awards 2 pupils the 'Star of the week' certificate and 'characteristics of effective learning' certificate. Children who receive the star of the week certificate are mentioned on the school’s weekly newsletter. The certificates will be given out to the pupils in the closest celebration assembly which is held in the studio on the date specified in the weekly newsletter so keep an eye for this term’s dates! If your child has been awarded a certificate you are welcome to come to the celebration assembly to see them receive it.
Please remember that the final assembly is open to all parents to come and celebrate the children's work and achievements over the half term this will normally fall on the last day of term!
Homework: We would just like to remind you about homework. We appreciate that life is busy but helping your child at home is vital for their learning. Each Friday within their book bag your child will come home with a book for enjoyment, this is for you to read with them and their collin’s E-book will be updated online, this is matched to their phonics ability and is for them to read with you. Please aim to hear them read at least 3 x per week and make a comment in their reading record about their reading. In their homework folders they will be sent home weekly homework that reinforces their learning that week. Book bags should be in school every day, but homework folders only need to be returned on a Wednesday.
Attendance and Punctuality – if your child is not in school on time or off school altogether, they miss out on so much learning – please make sure your child is in school, on time, every day.
Drop off and pick up- Please enter by the Myrtle Street entrance and walk your child up onto the EYFS playground where you will see a teacher stood ready to welcome them into the classroom. Children are to be brought in from 8.40am and collected at 3.10pm.
Outdoor play- please make sure your child has suitable clothing, waterproof coat, wellies, sunhat, gloves, etc. We go outside every day, rain or shine.
P.E- will be run by city in the community on a Wednesday afternoon. Children do not need to come to school in an P.E kit however please make sure they have suitable footwear on that day.
Rainbow Challenge - In Reception a key priority is for us to support children to become independent, confident and resilient learners. We consciously spend the first weeks building positive relationships and creating a fun and safe space that the children both enjoy and feel comfortable in. Continuing on from nursery they will be encouraged to display independence and take ownership over their learning through the use of the ‘Rainbow Challenge’. For those pupils and parents who are new to school the ‘Rainbow challenge’ is used by the children during their ‘continuous provision time or extended learning’ which occurs after adult input lessons. The classroom is broken up into areas such as construction, roleplay or reading and each represents a different colour of the rainbow. Children are encouraged to explore their whole environment throughout the week and in doing so gain a coloured lollipop stick for each area they have engaged with. If they complete the Rainbow they are rewarded with a sticker at the end of the week. Please note alongside these planned activities children are also called to work specifically with the adults for adult focussed learning.
Please remember to put names in all clothes, shoes, bags, lunch boxes, etc.
Useful websites
The school website:
https://www.ashburymeadow.co.uk/class/reception-m-b
Collins E book access: Home - Collins Hub
Online Learning Journal:
Phonics support for parents: For parents | Letters and Sounds
Early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework - GOV.UK
Development Matters - Non-statutory curriculum guidance for the early years foundation stage
Oral health:
https://www.dentalhealthcareeoe.nhs.uk/services/oral-health-improvement/early-years
One final message...
Here in Early years at Ashbury meadow primary school we put every effort into building strong relationships with our pupils so that school is a place they not only enjoy, and feel safe but THRIVE and communication and Language forms the foundation of this, please take a few minutes to watch this TED talk which encompasses our ethos
How Every Child can Thrive by Five by Molly Wright
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aISXCw0Pi94
Thank you for all your support!
Reception Team
