Reception Updates
Welcome to Reception
We are excited to be working with your child as they begin their learning journey with us.
At Courthill Infant School we deliver an exciting and enriching curriculum that inspires them to be lifelong learners. Our aim is to ensure that your child gets the best out of these early stages in their school life. On this page you will find general information about Reception but also ways you can help at home. At the bottom of the page you will find learning updates and topic webs explaining what your child will be doing every half term.
We understand that you may have questions regarding your child’s learning. If your question is not covered in the page below, please do not hesitate to speak to your child’s class teacher or email the office at office@courthill.coastalpartnership.co.uk.
During their time in Reception, every child will be given the opportunity to ‘Believe, Achieve and Shine’.
P.E day (Tuesday or Wednesday) and Fun Fit Friday (Friday)
On your child’s PE day they will need to come to school wearing their PE kit. Please see your P.E day below:
Dragonflies and Ladybirds - Tuesday
Bees and Butterflies - Wednesday
Every Friday your child will come to school wearing their own sports clothes. Throughout the day there are increased opportunities for children to be active, both within and outside the classroom. As a result of our learning ethos, children go on to thrive emotionally, academically and socially.
Typical Day in Reception - Autumn Term
|
8.35 – 8.45 |
Arrive at school and complete morning jobs |
|
8.45 – 8.55 |
Registration (language development around the date and weather) |
|
8.55 – 9.10 |
Phonics |
|
9.10 – 9.15 |
Movement Break (Yoga Bugs, Gonoodle or Stormbreak) |
|
9.15 – 9.30 |
English or Maths Input |
|
9.30 - 10.15 |
Curiosity Time (Teacher directed task for 15 minutes then child initiated learning- staff observing and working with individuals and/or small groups of children) |
|
10.15 - 10.30 |
English or Maths Input |
|
10.30 –11.15 |
Curiosity Time (Teacher directed task for 15 minutes then child initiated learning- staff observing and working with individuals and/or small groups of children) |
|
11.15 - 11.30 |
Nursery Rhyme focus or Storycise (movement through stories targeting gross and fine motor skills) - Getting ready for lunch (washing hands) |
|
11.30 - 12.30 |
Lunch |
|
12.30 - 12.45 |
Funky Fingers (fine motor focus) |
|
12.45 - 1.00 |
Drawing Club or Foundation Subject Topic input (e.g. R.E, PSHE, Courthill Values) |
|
1.00 - 2.00 |
Discovery Detectives - Directed Child Initiated focusing on vocabulary development, social skills and emotional understanding. |
|
2.10 - 2.30 |
Fruit and Milk circle time (listening and discussing our focus music of the week or Collective Worship) |
|
2.30 - 2.45 |
Playtime |
|
2.45 - 3.00 |
Snuggle Read - get ready for home time |
|
3.05 |
End of the day - home time |
Autumn 2 Topic Web - Let's Celebrate
Home Learning Grid
Must Reads
At Courthill, we have a selection of books named our ‘Must Reads’. These are books that have been carefully considered and chosen by teaching staff and they are the books that we ensure children are exposed to and enjoy during their time at Courthill. These high-quality texts have been selected to reflect the wonderfully diverse community we have at our school, as well as take the children on a varied reading journey.
Our list of ‘Must Reads’ have been split into each year group to ensure a progressive reading curriculum. Below you will see the books selected for Reception. By the end of Reception, all of the children will have heard and enjoyed these books in class, but they may wish to add them to their own collection at home. Re-reading and discussing favourite books is a highly valuable part of the reading experience and something that can also be enjoyed as a family. Happy reading!
How can I help my child at home?
Phonics
How to pronounce pure sounds - Oxford Owl
Learn how to pronounce all 44 phonics sounds, or phonemes, used in the English language with these helpful examples from Suzy Ditchburn and her daughter.
Phonics: How to blend sounds to read words | Oxford Owl
Suzy Ditchburn explains how letter sounds can be blended to read words, and gives tips on how to practise phonics with your child.
Maths Number Formation
Department for Education (Dfe) support for
parents
- What to expect from Early Years.pdf
- Early Years Foundation Stage profile 2023 handbook.pdf
- EYFS Early Learning Goals parent hand out.pdf
Reception Baseline Assessment
Reception Updates 2024 - 2025
Autumn 1 - Magical Me
This half term, the children have been thinking about routines, friendships and understanding their emotions. We have loved talking about our family photos in class, even learning about families in Kenya linking to our story ‘Handa’s Surprise’. We talked about food the children liked and disliked, and we went on to taste fruit from Handa’s basket (the mango was a particular favourite!).
The children also had a lovely surprise when their previous nursery key workers came into school to see how well the children had settled. It was delightful to see the children’s excitement and enthusiasm when they gave personalised tours of the Reception base, 
pointing out what they have been doing in their new school (please see the pictures below).
This week we have been learning about pets and have loved meeting lots of new animals in class. We have been very lucky to learn about dogs, cats, hamsters and guinea pigs! Some of you may have already met our new class pets (cuddly toys) who will be spending time in each child’s home - we cannot wait to find out what they get up to!
Nursery Stay and Play
On Thursday 10th October 2024 the Key workers from our local nurseries were invited to a ‘stay and play’ session at Courthill. We feel the children have settled in to school life beautifully and we wanted to celebrate that with the people who they began their childcare journey with. The children were very excited to show their old Key Workers where they hang their coats, play with their toys and enjoyed talking them through their new daily routines. It was wonderful to see the children confidently giving tours of the Reception base and showing a sense of pride of their surroundings.
