Reception

As children reach Reception they are at the top of our Early Years department, and we focus on supporting them through the transition to Pre-Prep (Key Stage 1). This includes a curriculum that will ensure that all children achieve the Early Years Learning Goals—the foundation for their future learning. We work hard as a team to ensure that the transition to Reception from home or nursery is made as easy and stress-free as possible for our children.

Reception is housed in the Stable Block; in this area we gradually introduce our children to a fully structured day before they move into the Salmon Building and into the care of form tutors in Forms 1 and 2. It is here our children begin to learn the core subjects of National Curriculum Key Stage 1, as well as ICT, Music, French, and PE from specialist teachers who are passionate about the subjects they teach.

The curriculum covers:

• Communication and language

• Physical development

• Personal social and emotional development

Under these broad headings pupils will be introduced to:

• Literacy

• Mathematics

• Understanding the world

• Expressive arts and design

These will be taught using a combination of approaches:

• Theme-based learning, which sets the learning in a context which engages the children’s interest and which encompasses all areas of the curriculum providing a clear link between different subjects—the beginnings of cross curricular education.

• Child initiated learning—an approach with which the children will be familiar, where they can access the curriculum through self-selected activities with the guidance of teachers and teaching assistants.

• Formal, teacher-led lessons, which introduce children to a more structured classroom approach in preparation for Pre-Prep (Key Stage 1).

• Read Write Inc. – a phonics-based programme which gives children the building blocks of literacy.

Whilst the majority of the curriculum will be led by a form teacher, creating a secure and consistent learning environment, children will also be introduced to specialist teachers for French, music, computing and PE.