Autumn (1) term 2026
wc 12th October 2026
PLEASE BRING IN A BABY PHOTO
Dear parents and carers,
After half term in history the children will be learning about how things change over time. Please could all children in Reception bring in one baby photo to share with the class.
Please write your child's name on the back of the photograph. We would prefer a printed photo, but you can also email photos to your class teacher. Please can we have all photos by Monday 2nd November.
Many thanks,
The Reception team
wc 5th October 2026
CHANGE TO LUNCHTIME PLAY FOR RECEPTION CHILDREN.
Dear Parents and Carers,
We are excited to share some news about an upcoming change to lunchtime play for Reception children.
After October half term, Reception children will have the opportunity to take part in OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning), alongside continuing to access their familiar Reception outdoor area. OPAL gives children the chance to explore a wider range of spaces, resources and activities across the school, whilst developing their independence, creativity, confidence and relationships with other children.
As part of OPAL, Reception children will be able to:
- Explore the playground, including the climbing frame, trim trail and other playground equipment.
- Take part in fun, active games on the MUGA, developing physical skills and teamwork.
- Explore the woodland area, using the mud kitchen and creating bug hotels.
- Access indoor activities in the Junior Hall, including board games and other quiet activities.
To ensure this transition is positive, the Reception children have slowly been introduced to the different areas of OPAL. This has given the children time to become familiar with the different spaces, resources and routines before they access them more independently.
The children will have been taught;
- The different playground rules and expectations.
- How to use the equipment safely.
- What to do if they become hurt or need help.
- Where they can go if they need to use the toilet.
The children will also be introduced to our OPAL Play Leaders, who are members of staff supporting children during lunchtime play. They can be easily identified by their high-visibility jackets and are positioned across the different OPAL areas.
The children will be encouraged to approach them if they need help, support or guidance during play. To help staff and children identify Reception children easily, Reception children will wear bands whilst accessing the wider OPAL areas. Teachers across the school will be letting their classes know that Reception will be coming out at lunchtime for OPAL.
Once the children have finished their lunch, they will return to the Reception outdoor area as usual. We will then gather the children together and explain that they have the choice to remain in the Reception outdoor area or access OPAL. After October half term, children will be able to move freely between the Reception outdoor area and OPAL during lunchtime. As the children become more confident and comfortable exploring the wider school grounds, we will gradually reduce their use of the Reception outdoor area at lunchtime, encouraging them to make greater use of the wider OPAL provision.
We are really looking forward to seeing the children enjoy these new experiences. OPAL provides wonderful opportunities for children to learn through play, build friendships across the school and become increasingly independent in a safe and supportive environment. The children will be going outside in all weather conditions, where appropriate, so please ensure they have wellies, waterproof clothing and a spare set of clothes.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do contact Miss Wallace, the Reception Phase Leader.
Thank you for your continued support as we begin this exciting next step in our Reception children's school journey.
Kind regards,
The Reception Team
wc 28th September 2026
RECEPTION PHONICS PRESENTATION
Dear Parents,
We will be holding a Reception Phonics Presentation on Wednesday 14th October at 2.30pm in the Junior hall. We will be explaining how we teach phonics, how we assess phonics, and how you can help your child at home.
Many thanks,
The Reception team
wc 21st September 2026
IMPORTANT: PLEASE CHECK AND UPDATE YOUR ARBOR INFORMATION
Dear Reception carers and parents,
It is a statutory Government requirement that all schools run a termly census using information held on their Management Information System.
One of the fields we are required to report is your child’s first language. We can see that the majority of Reception parents have not yet completed this information.
Please could you log in to Arbor and complete your child’s first language information by Monday 28th September. We would be very grateful if you could do this by the deadline, as it will save the school having to contact families individually.
We would also like to remind parents to ensure that at least two emergency contacts, and ideally three, are recorded for your child on Arbor. A number of children currently have only one emergency contact listed.
Please update this information as soon as possible if you have not already done so. In an emergency, we need to be confident that we have alternative contacts available if we are unable to reach a parent or carer.
Thank you for your help in keeping your child’s information accurate and up to date.
To update your child's first language
- Logon to Arbor and click on the green "View Student Profile"
- Select the Language field under the Student Details section and select the relevant language, ticking the 1st language option.
If you have any problems logging onto Arbor, please do let the school office know.
Many thanks.
wc 14th September 2026
YEAR RECEPTION CURRICULUM PRESENTATION
Dear parents and carers,
Please use the below link for the websites Curriculum/Curriculum presentation page, to refer to the presentation covered at the curriculum meeting held on Wednesday 16th September 2026.
YEAR RECEPTION DONATIONS LETTER
Dear parents and carers,
Please refer to the donations letter.
wc 7th September 2026
YEAR RECEPTION CURRICULUM EVENING - TEAMS LINK
Dear parents and carers,
Below are the links to the curriculum evenings which were rescheduled to Wednesday 16th September between 4.00 - 4.30pm. There will be one meeting per year group, held in Ladybirds classroom or on Teams using the below link:
Microsoft Teams meeting
Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/396579817239508?p=xZBywXkiKlAcxOo4Cq
Meeting ID: 396 579 817 239 508
Passcode: E6CB3JG3
UPDATING ARBOR CONTACTS
Dear parents and carers,
The school must have two, ideally three, emergency contacts for all pupils. If you haven't already, please can you logon to Arbor and update your contact details immediately.
Many thanks.
STUD EARRINGS ONLY, NO HOOP EARRINGS
