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Reception

Reception Environment

Learning Links

Maths

https://numbots.com/

https://www.ncetm.org.uk/classroom-resources/ey-numberblocks-at-home/

Phonics/Reading

https://www.littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk/resources/for-parents/

  • Mar 182025

    PE Parent Activity

    On Tuesday 18th March we completed a PE parent activity. Miss Burrough worked alongside Coach Jack from Mini Athletics to complete different physical activities with the children and their grown-ups. They had so much fun being active, using their gross motor skills alongside their listening skills when following instructions.

    They played a variety of games, including an aeroplane game, running down a runway and collecting coloured cones. Jumps were added to the runway for the children to run, slow down with control and jump over the cones before regaining their running speed again. They also worked as a team to run and jump over hurdles to build a bridge from one cone to another to ensure they could walk across it safely and not get eaten by any hungry sharks!

    The children and parents enjoyed a variety of races to conclude the session, including a running race, a jumping race, and a walking backwards race. They all had so much fun completing a PE lesson with their grown-ups.

  • Mar 182025

    Safari Stu’s Animal Party

    On Tuesday 18th March we had Safari Stu’s Animal Party come and visit us! In school, the children had been learning all about worms, caterpillars, and many other mini beasts and animals. Stu bought in many of his wonderful animals to show them. They were able to listen to some factual information about the animals he had as well as hold or stroke them!

    They each got to hold and stroke a Madagascan Hissing Cockroach, a Lesser Tenrec, a Tortoise, a Royal Python, a Kenyan Sand Boa, a Stick Insect, a Chuckwalla Lizard, a Chameleon, and an Albino Skunk! They learnt that the Lesser Tenrec had 7000 spikes and if one falls out, another grows in its place! They now know that the Stick Insects have wings but use them to make sound to attract other stick insects rather than fly with them. The Chuckwalla Lizard likes to use its tail to whip other animals away when it feels threatened. The Chameleon changes colour based on its mood, and it was colourful and bright when we held it, meaning it was happy. Lastly, the Albino Skunk called Arnold was a runt of its pack, which meant Stu needed to look after him from the age of 4 days old. Arnold is now 3 years old! Stu told us that Arnold has never sprayed before, but if he was to spray, our school hall would smell fowl for 6 whole weeks!

    They are going to be animal experts in Reception!

  • Mar 112025

    Church Visit

    On Tuesday 11th March we visited St Etheldreda’s Church. We walked to and from the church and during the walk we looked at the different buildings and how they looked different due to being built many years ago. We used good communication and language skills when explaining the similarities and differences from past houses to newly built houses today.

    When we arrived at the church, Reverend Indira spoke to us about some of the different features you find in a church. For example, we sat on the pews when we were listening, we saw many crosses around the church, we found the font that is located at the front of the church by the doors, and also the church organ. We enjoyed having a good look around the church and the church grounds, exploring the different grave stones and looking at the years on them. Before leaving and heading back to school, we got into groups of three and took it in turns to work together to pull the rope to make the church bell chime. We needed to use our gross motor strength when pulling down hard on the rope.

  • Feb 132025

    Forest School Parent Activity

    On Thursday 13th February 2025 Reception had another fun forest school parent activity. The children were very excited to show their grown-ups around the Dell area which is located next to the school grounds. They carried out a check list, spotting different trees and signs of spring before using some litter pickers to collect any rubbish we found on the floor.

    Everyone had a great time exploring the large woodland area, using gross motor skills to climb up the slopes and walk down them carefully.

  • Feb 112025

    Visit by PSCO Thomas Martin

    On Tuesday 11th February Reception had a special visit from Hatfield’s new PCSO called Thomas Martin. Thomas come to introduce himself to the children to make them aware of who he was and that they might see him around Hatfield outside of school. The children were very enthusiastic with their questioning and were eager to learn lots about his job role.

    As part of his job role as a PCSO he helps people who may need it when he is out walking and patrolling our local area. He has a notebook and pen he carries around in his vest pocket, he uses this to make any notes he may need. We thanked Thomas for coming to introduce himself to us and we will look out for him if we are out and about in Hatfield with our grown-ups!

  • Jan 312025

    Chinese New Year

    On Friday 31st January, Reception had a special visit from a parent called Jenny.  We have been learning about Chinese New Year and the story that explains how the year of the animals came to be. We discussed as a class and explored the zodiac wheel which led us to finding 2025 is the year of the snake.

    Jenny planned lots of fun activities for us to take part in, such as using chopsticks, exploring different animal masks, crafting lanterns, and writing in Chinese! Jenny taught us how to say hello (Nǐ Hǎo 你好)and thank you (Xiè Xiè 谢谢) in Chinese too!

    We had so much fun learning these new skills and enjoyed taking home our special goodie bags! We thanked Jenny for this fun filled workshop she prepared for us!

  • Jan 132025

    Fruit Kebabs

    On Monday 13th January 2025 Reception carried out a design and technology activity by prepping and creating fruit kebabs. Our focus text was Handa’s Surprise and we had been exploring the different fruits from the story and where they come from around the World.

    We used fine motor skills when controlling and using our knives safely when cutting up the different fruit for our kebabs. We used apples, bananas, oranges, pears, strawberries, grapes, and pineapple. They were delicious!

  • Dec 052024

    Parent Forest School Activity

    At the end of Autumn term parents and carers joined the class for a creative activity using card with dried seed heads, petals, evergreen leaves and wood slices to create their own calendar for 2025 and campfire with smores.

    Here are some photos of the session.

  • Nov 252024

    The Gingerbread Man

    On Monday 25th November 2024, Reception carried out a design and technology activity by prepping and baking some gingerbread men, linking to our literacy focus text ‘The Gingerbread Man’. We used our expressive language skills to retell the story, remembering the order of the characters and events that took place.

    We used fine motor skills to carefully measure out the ingredients using spoons and the weighing scales. We decoded the instructions together before taking it in turns to weigh out the ingredients. We had to identify where the numerals on the digital scales were to know when we had enough of each ingredient. This helped with our numeral recognition.

    We then used straws to make patterns and designs on our gingerbread men before they were baked. We then took them home to enjoy with our grown-ups and siblings at home!

  • Nov 142024

    A visit from the Hedgehog lady

    We had a special visit from a local Hedgehog lady, called Pat. Our focus text in literacy is ‘The Prickly Hedgehog’ and we have become hedgehog experts completing lots of research about them. We discussed different ways of finding information out, such as online and in books.  As a class we produced some questions to ask Pat.

    We have learnt new vocabulary such as nocturnal and hibernate. We know that hedgehogs like to eat crunchy beetles and earth worms. They hibernate in winter months because it is cold and beetles and earth worms stop coming out, therefore they would have no food. Overall, we really enjoyed this visit and it inspired some of the children to want to become vets and hedgehog experts.

  • Nov 062024

    Making Stir Fry

    On Wednesday 6th November 2024 Reception carried out a design and technology activity by prepping and cooking a stir fry in relation to Diwali celebrations, the festival of light. We discussed the different ways Diwali can be celebrated and what the festival is all about, reading the story of Rama and Sita.

    We developed fine motor skills when controlling our knives and peelers when prepping the vegetables for the stir fry. The children each got a turn to use the knives to cut the mushrooms, peppers and carrots. We then enjoyed tasting our stir fry and had the choice of adding some soy sauce!

  • Oct 222024

    Real Superheroes

    On Tuesday 22nd October Reception had a special visit from a paramedic.  Our focus text in literacy is ‘Real Superheroes’ and we have been discussing the different people who help us such as paramedics, teachers, postal workers, and supermarket workers.  We know that these are some of the occupations that have impacted our lives in some way.

    As a class we wrote some questions for the paramedic and had a virtual tour of inside an ambulance.  We got to see and hold some of the equipment that the paramedic uses on a daily basis.  He explained how he worked with other services such as the police and fire crew, that we linked back to our focus text.  His work is based in London which fascinated the children in asking how fast his ambulance could go in such a busy place.  Overall, we really enjoyed this visit and it inspired some of the children to want to become paramedics when they are older.

  • Mar 272024

    Reception Forest School Parent Activity

    At the end of term parents and carers joined the class in two creative activities using recycled or sustainable natural products.

    One was using recycled card with dried seed heads, petals, ferns and silver birch twigs to create their own picture or bookmark.

    The second activity was using recently harvested willow withies from the willow tunnel on the field to create a wreath or crown, decorated with ribbon or wool.

  • Mar 202024

    Planting

    As part of our Reception learning we explore and learn about how seeds grow.  This year we have planted a flower bed in our garden area and we are learning how to care for our seeds and the signs to look for when they are growing.  We have also planted potatoes, beetroot, spinach, peas, parsley and coriander.  Also, we have planted popcorn kernels for the school guinea

    pigs – I wonder what will happen to them?