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Reception

Reception Class 2026-27

Welcome to Reception

Helpful Reminders: 

Staffing 

Reception is taught by Mrs Dhariwal. Mrs Foster teaches in the Reception on Thursday mornings. The class is supported by Mrs Bhatti and Miss Gilbert. 

Belongings

Please send your child to Reception each day with a named water bottle, lunch box (if they are having a packed lunch) and a small bag containing a change of clothes, which they can leave on their peg. It would be useful to have a spare pair of named wellington boots which can be left at school. During the colder months, please ensure your child has a warm coat with them every day. 

Please ensure they bring their book bag with their red reading diary and reading book into school everyday.  

Food and drink

Children are provided with a piece of fresh fruit each morning, so there is no need to send in a snack. A carton of milk is also provided in the afternoon. Please let me know of any allergies/ intolerances if you have not done so already.

For those children staying for lunch, you have the option of sending in a lunch box or ordering a school meal.  Please can you tell the children what they will be having! This avoids the unknown and helps them with the whole lunchtime experience.  

Please can you ensure that lunch boxes are nut free and any small items which may cause a choking risk, such as grapes, or cocktail sausages, are cut in half lengthwise. Juice or squash is fine in lunch boxes, but we do ask for water only to be in the bottle the children access throughout the day.

P.E

We have an outdoor learning session on Monday mornings and a PE session on Thursday mornings. On both days, children are asked to come into school wearing their PE Kit  with long hair tied back and earrings removed.

Library 

We will visit the library every Monday.  Please ensure your child had their book in their bag on that day so that they are able to swap it for a new book of choice each week.  

Tapestry

We use Tapestry, which is an online learning journey of your child’s progress. We will record any ‘Wow’ moments in school and ask you to add anything exciting you have been doing at home; whether it is a trip to the park, family day out or other special occasion. We give the children an opportunity to share these

Our Autumn Term 2 topic is : Light and Dark

The EYFS curriculum is broken down into seven areas of learning:

Communication and Language (CL)

Curriculum Focus: Develop vocabulary related to light, dark, winter, and celebrations. Engage with stories and discussions about seasonal changes and celebrations.

In School Activities:

  • - Story time: 'Can’t You Sleep, Little Bear?', 'The Christmas Story', 'The Snowman'.
  • - Explore torches and shadows — describe what happens.
  • - Discuss how animals behave in winter (hibernate, migrate).
  • - Retell the Christmas story using puppets and props.

Home/Parent Ideas:

  • - Go for an evening walk and talk about lights seen outside (stars, street lamps).
  • - Read bedtime stories with a torch under the covers.
  • - Sing festive rhymes such as 'Twinkle Twinkle' and 'Jingle Bells'.
Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED)

Curriculum Focus: Develop awareness of others’ traditions and celebrations. Discuss feelings around winter and celebrations, and practise sharing and teamwork.

In School Activities:

  • - Circle time: 'How do you feel when it gets dark?'.
  • - Role play: Christmas shop or winter café.
  • - Turn-taking and cooperative games during festive play.

Home/Parent Ideas:

  • - Encourage children to help decorate or wrap gifts and talk about sharing.
  • - Look at family celebration photos and discuss happy memories.
Physical Development (PD)

Curriculum Focus: Improve fine and gross motor control through festive crafts and winter movement. Practise dressing for colder weather.

In School Activities:

  • - Thread beads to make ‘sparkler sticks’ or decorations.
  • - Winter movement: pretend to be snowflakes, penguins, or reindeer.
  • - Practise fastening coats, zips, and gloves.

Home/Parent Ideas:

  • - Go for a winter walk and practise balancing safely.
  • - Encourage children to dress independently.
  • - Make homemade play dough ‘snowballs’.
Literacy

Curriculum Focus: Engage with stories, poems, and songs about light, dark, and winter. Build early reading and writing skills through meaningful contexts.

In School Activities:

  • - Shared writing: 'What can we see in the dark?'.
  • - Create a class book: 'Our Winter Walk'.
  • - Write Christmas cards or wish lists.

Home/Parent Ideas:

  • - Read favourite Christmas stories nightly.
  • - Write a letter or card to Santa or family.
  • - Spot letters and words on Christmas packaging.

Mathematics

Curriculum Focus: Develop counting, comparing, and pattern-making through seasonal contexts.

In School Activities:

  • - Count snowflakes, stars, or decorations.
  • - Build symmetrical snowflakes with loose parts.
  • - Sort light/dark objects and describe size or shape.

Home/Parent Ideas:

  • - Count baubles while decorating the tree.
  • - Make repeating patterns with wrapping paper or blocks.
  • - Compare scarf or ribbon lengths.

Understanding the World (UW)

Curriculum Focus: Explore seasonal changes, light and shadow, and different cultural celebrations.

In School Activities:

  • - Shadow play experiments using torches.
  • - Melting ice investigations — what helps it melt faster?
  • - Explore winter celebrations (Christmas, Hanukkah, Diwali).

Home/Parent Ideas:

  • - Notice changes in daylight ('It’s dark earlier now!').
  • - Freeze small toys in ice and test ways to melt them.
  • - Talk about family celebrations and similarities/differences.

Expressive Arts and Design (EAD)

Curriculum Focus: Explore colour, texture, music, and imagination through festive and winter-themed activities.

In School Activities:

  • - Make stained-glass window art with tissue paper and cellophane.
  • - Create winter animal collages or snowflakes.
  • - Perform winter songs or nativity plays.

Home/Parent Ideas:

  • - Make star or snowflake decorations together.
  • - Use torches to make shadow puppets on the wall.
  • - Dance to Christmas music — move like snowflakes or reindeer.

Our Light and Dark topic offers many exciting opportunities for exploration, creativity and discovery. We look forward to sharing the children’s learning journey with you and appreciate your continued support at home as we dive into this wonderful theme together.

Contact information

For general things e.g. lost jumper, wearing trainers because shoes are too small, etc. please contact the class teacher using the messaging function on Tapestry.  

For more significant concerns or worries, please email secretary@nshprimary.co.uk

with FAO Mrs Dhariwal in the subject.

Any changes to school pick- up should go through the school office.

EYFS Topic Map and Progression of skills 2026

Maths Pathways to learning:

Literacy Pathways to learning:

       Reception Pathway Look Up Autumn 2 2026 .pdf

General links: 

  • Oxford Owl Packed with free eBooks and activities to help you support your child's reading and maths at home.