Reception Elm Class 2026 - 2027

Support Staff: Mrs Bell, Mrs Corkish & Mrs Crawford

Mrs Burns (Maternity Leave)		Mrs Batey  (Class teacher)	Miss Burns (Class teacher)	Mrs Bell	Mrs Crawford	Mrs Corkish

Support Staff: Mrs Bell, Mrs Corkish & Mrs Crawford

Curriculum Information for Autumn 1

Talk 4 Writing

This half term, Reception are stepping into a world of imagination, curiosity and crumb‑filled mystery as we begin our Talk for Writing journey with the much‑loved tale of The Gingerbread Man.

Throughout Autumn 1, the children will become story explorers, learning to retell the tale using actions, rhythm and repetition. They’ll meet all the characters he tries to outrun, build their vocabulary, and begin creating their very own sentences inspired by the story.

We will also be:

• learning the story through play, drama and role‑play

• exploring characters, settings and simple story structure

• joining in with repeated phrases

• developing early writing skills

• designing and making our own Gingerbread characters

• inventing new adventures for them to enjoy

It’s going to be a magical start to the year, full of creativity, language, and lots of laughter. Who knows… maybe our Gingerbread visitor will pop up again soon.

Reception are ready. The chase begins!

Maths -

In Autumn 1, our Reception children begin building strong early mathematical foundations using the NCETM Number and Pattern Programme of Study. This half term is all about exploring numbers deeply, developing confidence, and learning through hands‑on experiences.

What We Learn in Autumn 1

During the first half term, children focus on:

• Counting with accuracy Learning to say number names in order, count objects carefully, and understand that the last number they say tells them “how many”.

• Subitising (seeing numbers without counting) Children begin recognising small quantities instantly, such as 1, 2 or 3 objects, which supports later calculation skills.

• Comparing amounts Using everyday objects and play activities to explore more, fewer, the same, and to talk confidently about what they notice.

• Understanding the composition of numbers Exploring how numbers are made (e.g., 3 can be 2 and 1, or 3 and 0), using practical resources, games and stories.

• Developing mathematical language Using words like more, less, equal, altogether, add, take away, match, sort, and group through play and conversation.

• Sorting and pattern Children sort objects by colour, size or shape, and begin creating and continuing simple patterns.

How We Learn

Maths in Reception is active, playful and practical. Children learn through:

• small‑group teaching

• maths-rich continuous provision

• real-life contexts (snack time, tidying, outdoor play)

• stories, songs and rhymes

• hands-on resources such as counters, cubes, natural materials and Numicon

Our aim is to help children develop a deep understanding of early number, confidence in talking about maths, and a love of exploring and problem‑solving.

Topics - 

During Autumn, our topics will include:

• All about me
• Autumn 
• Pets

Important Information:

PE - Reception will have their PE sessions on Thursday

PE Uniform: 

• Team colour t-shirt
• Plain black shorts
• Black pumps for indoor PE
• Trainers for outdoor PE
• Tracksuits, sweatshirts and leggings can be worn for outdoor PE in colder weather 
• Ear rings must be removed and long hair must be tied back

Reading Book Changes

Expectations

In the Autumn term, we will be introducing 'Reading for Pleasure' books for Reception children. It is expected that all children will share a  book, with their adults, at least five times each week. It can be their home reader, a magazine, library book, or any other book that your child would enjoy reading. 

All home reading should be recorded in home-school diaries, this can be as simple as individual date and signature and the book that has been read as well as comment about how your child has read.

As a school, we aim for ‘Strive for Five’. Using our Dojo reward system to celebrate this achievement. As a result, parents will receive a notification of this via the Dojo app as well as children receiving a stamp in their Reading Record indicating their total number of reads each week. 

Each child has a designated day when they will talk about the book they have been reading, and any 'Strive for Five' dojos they have earned will be awarded on the Friday of that week. 

Donaldson- Monday

Seuss- Tuesday

Dahl- Wednesday

Rowling- Thursday

In school, we use children’s Reading Records to keep a record of what the children are reading rather than a dialogue between parents and school. We love to see parent comments about how they have got on if you have listened to them reading aloud or have asked them some questions about what they have read. We look forward to catching up with parents about children's reading progress in our parent’s evenings. 

ClassDojo

Should parents need to contact the EYFS team please send a direct message through ClassDojo. All communication from school will be shared in this way. 

Other useful websites for learning at home

• Dough Disco
• Phonics
• Letter Formation