Whitehall Reception Classes
Parent’s Meeting
Dear Parents/Carers,
Welcome to the Reception Classes!
The children will soon be starting school and may find it is a
different environment.
The staff have worked incredibly hard to ensure we have a
safe and enjoyable learning environment for when the
children start.
Safety Measures
• As well as staggered starts and finishes there are other changes to
the school day, which have been put in place to ensure the safety of
our school community.
• Each year group has staggered playtimes and dinner times, with
separate zones for each year group.
• Corridors have markings to ensure everybody walks on the left when
moving around school.
• We have hand sanitisers at entry points to school.
• Children will be shown how to wash their hands correctly and
encouraged to avoid touching their faces.
• The catch it, bin it, kill it system will be taught.
• Children with packed lunches must bring these into the classroom –
they will not be stored in the dining room.
Meet Our Staff Team
Mrs Sharma (Gareja)
Dragonflies Class Teacher &
Foundation Stage Phase Leader
Miss Patel
Butterflies Class Teacher Mrs Mistry
Ladybirds Class Teacher
Mrs Mussa
Dragonflies L3 Teaching
Assistant
Mrs Neilan
Butterflies L3 Teaching
Assistant
Mrs Mahomed
Ladybirds L3 Teaching
Assistant
Meet Our Staff Team
Mrs Cook
HLTA
Mrs Lambat
Teaching Assistant
Miss Furlong
Teaching Assistant
Start Day *Please ensure that you arrive promptly at these times to help maintain the
safety of children, staff and parents. Other year groups will be arriving at
different times.
*Please follow the one-way system, which is clearly marked with arrows. You
will enter alongside the car park and exit using either the gate onto
Harringworth Road or the playground gate to Whitehall Road.
*If you have children in a different year group, please take them to the
Reception playground (near the mobiles), where a member of staff will
supervise them until it is their time to line up with their class.
• The School Term starts on Tuesday 1st September 2020 –
parents have been notified of individual start dates
• Most of the children will start full-time straight away
• School starts at 8.30am
• School finishes at 2.40pm
Attendance and Punctuality
• It is important for you to be on time to bring your child to school and pick them up at the end of the day. Children can become upset if they feel upset if they have missed the first part of the day with the others and equally they can be upset if they are the last ones left at the end of the day.
• If your child is absent for any reason please ring the School Office and leave a message explain the reason for the absence. If you do not notify us then you will receive a phone call from the School Office asking why your child is not at school.
• Please do not book holidays during term time! It will be difficult for your child to catch up with the learning if they miss time in school.
Milk and Fruit• Milk and fruit is given at snack time in the morning.
Please encourage your child to eat whole fruit. Allow them to peel their own satsumas and bananas.
• Milk is given up to their 5th birthday.
• Children all need to bring a bottle of water with them everyday – a sports cap bottle is better so the children can’t spill the water. Please label the bottle with their name.They need an additional bottle for their packed lunch.
• The children are encouraged to drink water throughout the day.
Lunch Time Options• Hot School meals –School meals are free for all
reception children. To begin with we are offering a
vegetarian hot meal only.
• Packed Lunches – You may provide a healthy
packed lunch from home. The children need to bring this
into the classroom with them. Please do not send in
items that contain nuts.
• You may chooses different options on different days.
• Independence – please make sure that your child is
able to feed themselves. We will help them to cut their if
needed.
• Dinner ladies – each class will have their own dinner
lady.
Routines and Independence
• Dinner Time – encourage them to try
different food.
• Toileting – make sure they can wipe their
bottoms by themselves
• Putting coats on
• Changing clothes for PE
• Recognising and writing their names
• Good Manners - saying please & thank youIt is really important for your child’s confidence if they can do
things for themselves. Practice over the summer holidays. Allow
them time, don’t rush them.
The Curriculum
• The Foundation Stage Curriculum is
taught through structured play based
activities.
• The activities that are set up for the
children have a learning objective around
them.
• We will inform you of what we are learning
each week so that you can reinforce the
learning at home.
The 7 Areas of Learning
• The 3 Prime areas
• Personal, Social and Emotional Development
• Physical Development
• Communication and Language
4 Specific Areas
• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding of the World
• Expressive Arts and Design
Assessment• Baseline Assessments – these are carried
out in the first few weeks of when your child starts.
• Learning Journey Folders – these are individual folders containing
assessments and achievements of the children throughout the year.
• Observations – teachers assess daily learning through
observations of independent learning. These are recorded on a secure
App on school iPads. Photos are taken of the child and added to their Learning
Journey. This is a folder of their learning which parents can look through and also add
to.
• Independent Learning – children need to demonstrate their learning
independently with limited support.
• Guided Activities – this is where the teachers TEACH
the children new skills and support the children.
• Super Stars – these are sent to parents to complete noting
down any new learning at home. These are added to the Learning Journey Folder.
Key person
• This is a statutory requirement in the Early Years
Foundation Stage.
• Your child will be allocated a ‘Key Person’ for the year. It
will be either the Teacher or the Teaching Assistant. This
person will ensure that assessments and the well being
of your child is fulfilled.
• Please note that ALL the staff members work with
ALL the children and it does not mean that they will
only be with your child. Parents are welcome to
speak to ANY members of staff in their class about
their child’s learning.
Literacy & MathsThere will be Literacy & Maths workshops for
parents in the Autumn term. We will show you how you can
support
your child at home.
We will decide how these are delivered nearer the time.
Reading books will be sent out when the children have
settled and we have assessed them.
Your child will need to bring their books bags to school
everyday. Please purchase one of the red school bags.
DO NOT buy rucksacks to use as book bags as they are
not big enough to fit large books.
Helping at home• Reading – please read a variety of books to your
child EVERDAY. Talk about the pictures, ask them
Questions about the story.
• Flashcards – we will send ‘sight
words’ home every week for your child to learn. Once
they can read them we will add more.
• Sounds – During the first half term we will focus on listening to sounds and oral
blending and segmenting. After half term we begin to introduce letters and sound with
the children.
• Talking – talking and having a conversation is SO important. Parents are
teaching them the rules of speaking and listening. Children will learn to express
themselves confidently.
• Counting & recognising numbers – use everyday activities to
introduce mathematical language and understanding.
PE• Children will need to come into school wearing their PE
kit from home.
• PE will be mainly outdoors.
• Black jogging bottoms/Leggings
• White T-shirt
• Trainers (black with velcro fastening)
• Children will wear kit all day.
• NO JEWELLERY – EARINGS MUST BE TAKEN OUT. If your child wears religious items that cannot be removed they will need to be taped down with Micro-pore tape or wear a wrist sweat band to cover it.
• Please ensure that all clothes are labelled with the child’s name.
Outdoor Learning
• We will be taking the children out in all weather.
• The children will need waterproof coats with hoods
• PLEASE LABEL EVERYTHING!
Being outdoors has a positive impact
on children’s sense of well-being and
helps all aspects of children’s
development. It offers opportunities for
doing things in different ways and on
different scales than when indoors.
Golden Rules and Code of ConductThese are the rules that the children will learn.
• Positive Behaviour – we praise positive behaviour using verbal praise, stars, stickers, house points, certificates and prizes.
• Community Assemblies – during the summer term we attend assemblies with Key Stage 1 where children are awarded certificates for achievement, effort and community.
• House Points – the children will be allocated a team – Oak, Sycamore, Chestnut and Birch.
• Class Rewards – children will earn stamps for achievement and effort. These build up to them winning prizes for the Golden Bag!
Sanctions and Warnings
• We have a traffic light system. ALL children start on GREEN.
• If children choose not to follow the rules then there are
consequences.
• The first time they will get a verbal warning.
• If they continue, then they will move from Green to AMBER and
have time out to think for a few minutes in the classroom.
If they still continue with the behaviour then they move to RED! This
is when they will have to have time out in another classroom OR go
and see a member of the Senior Management Team!
• Every day is a new day! Sanctions usually do not carry on to
the next day.
Events & Trips
• Religious festivals – we will be celebrating the major
festivals in school. However for health and safety reasons we will
not be accepting any food from home to share.
• Trips – Although trips form a valuable part of the learning journey in
school, we are unable to begin any visits, or have visitors to school until
further notice.
• Christmas Performance – we normally perform the Nativity
for parents. However, this will need to be confirmed this year.
• Fundraising events – we hold a variety of
Charity events throughout the year.
Nut Free School
• We have children in school with severe nut allergies.
• Please ensure any food you bring into school (packed
lunches) is NUT FREE.
• Chocolate spread in packed lunches must be NUT FREE
• Birthday treats – Please do not send any birthday treats
into school until further notice.
We have birthday books that the
children can buy for the class.
Communication
• Entry to the School Office is by appointment
only. Please telephone before hand.
• You may email the school office for general
enquries – [email protected]
• You may use the year group email address to
contact teachers directly and they will respond to
you in due course -
Follow our school Twitter account for updates
across the whole school and our school website.
Whitehallprisch
www.whitehallprimary.co.uk
Thank YouWe hope that this information has been useful.