We have compiled some typical questions we get asked and have answered them in as much detail as we can. 

• When will I find out about my child's Reception class and teacher?

Your child is very lucky and will have two experienced teachers working with them and a Teaching Assistant.

 Mrs H Elliff will work with the children on Monday and Tuesday. 

 Mrs N Rhodes will work with the children on Wednesday Thursday and Friday. 

Mrs Aldred, our Teaching Assistant, will be in Reception 5 days a week and is a very caring, nurturing member of staff who children feel they can talk to.

We are all very passionate about making sure the environment is set up appropriately for the children and ensure planning is done based on children’s interests. 

• How can I be a part of my child's education as much as possible? School is so important!

Indeed it is! From a teacher's point of view we would love it if every parent did the following:

• Provide a calm morning routine so children are not late or hungry
• Make sure your child knows who is picking them up on that particular day
• Read to your child every evening. Never stop! (well, maybe in their teens if you have to!)
• Listen to your child read for about 10 mins every day and then keep a note of what you've read in your child's Reading Record
• Show interest in their "sounds of the week"
• Count on and back from 20 when you're in the car, in the bath, walking home, eating peas...
• Keep updated with Tapestry / Parent Hub (school messaging service) / the web page for information
• Talk to them as much as you can. If they can't say it, they won't read, write or explain it for themselves

• Is the reception year all about painting and playing?

This year is called the Foundation Stage and with your support will set your child up for the rest of their school life. We will teach them how to: 

• behave at school
• learn at school
• speak to others at school
• become independent learners and thinkers at school
• read, write, count, add up, take away, learn number facts and understand what numbers means
• hold a pencil with pincer grip
• segment words to spell them
• use scissors
• manage their toilet needs independently
• walk through school calmly 
• ask for help
• ask for a playmate
• climb, catch a ball, throw a ball, make gymnastic shapes and travel and roll
• use gardening equipment
• create an obstacle course
• use a fireman's pole
• use our playground equipment
• ask questions, answer questions
• show curiosity about the world we live in
• talk in front of the whole class
• listen when someone else is talking
• share
• talk when they feel worried/hurt/cross/shy/misunderstood/over-excited...
• be resilient when things/people don't go their way
• be determined to be a better reader/writer/mathematician/friend
• look after school property
• look after themselves
• draw more creatively
• colour in
• complete a puzzle and a board game
• win gallantly but considerately and how to lose with courage... 

And yes, we play because small children who are 4-5 years old need to learn through the play that they chose for themselves. 

• Where do I drop off and collect my child each day?

We will be using the top green gate for dropping off and collecting children. Parents will drop children off through the gate in the morning at 8.45am and a teacher will then take the children downstairs to our classroom. When you pick up at the end of the school day, please enter through the green gate and walk onto the playground, ready to meet your child. The gate opens at 3.25pm. 

• What time does school start and finish?

School starts at 8.45am and finishes at 3.30pm. 

• Can I drop my child off earlier than 8.45am?

    Breakfast club is available. Ask in the Office for details of costs and times.

• What does my child need to bring to school every day?

Named water bottle (water only, no juice/squash)

Named book bag and Reading Record.

Named coat (always), jumper or cardigan

• What happens if they have a toilet accident?

It is a good idea to send your child in with a spare change of clothes in their book bag. Wet accidents will be dealt with as soon as we know about it and we will discreetly hand you the wet clothes at the end of the day. If it is another type of accident we may need to contact you for safeguarding reasons. 

We then ask you to wash and return the spare clothes as soon as possible as we have a limited supply of spare pants/trousers/socks etc. 

• What PE kit will my child need?

PE is on a Monday and a Friday. Children come to school wearing their PE kit. The kit consists of:

• white t-shirt
• navy blue joggers/shorts
• navy blue hoody/sweatshirt
• trainers

• How will I tell you who is picking up my child?

1. There will always be a member of staff at the green gate in the morning, please tell them.

2. Write a note and train your child to hand it to their teacher/TA as they come in. (Maybe they could practise by handing notes to an adult when visiting family/friends.)

• What do I do if I am not going to be able to pick my child up at exactly 3.30pm each day?

You will need to find an alternative person or arrange for your child to attend our After School Club provision (you can ask at the office about this).

If it is a one-off (i.e. stuck in unexpected traffic), you must phone the office so that we know who else is picking up or to ask us to keep your child for 10 minutes. Obviously this cannot be a regular occurrence.

• Should I be teaching my child to write their name or read?

No. Recognising their (full) name would be a great start and they should have had quite a lot of hearing sounds at pre-school which is vital to picking up reading more quickly but we will be teaching them to write their name. Just read to them LOTS and engage them in the book. Do lots of counting. But basically, talk, talk, talk (and practise dressing and undressing and using the toilet!)

• What do I (and you) do if my child is crying when I drop them off?

We're used to it! Most children will cry at dropping off time at some point in the year as tiredness gets to them or they realise they have to keep coming to this school thing every day!  

We will ask you to try to release yourself from them asap and we will help you with this by trying to distract your child with stickers etc. We promise you they will be ok within minutes. We do understand how upsetting this can be for all concerned (we deal with it confidently and compassionately but we are not 'hardened' to it and cannot see a time when we will ever be).

• How many jumpers should I buy?

That's a hard one! 2?

Pop by and see the ridiculous lost property we have to know that if you don't keep on top of the naming of uniform bits, you may not get it back. Every time you wash something, check the name is still clearly visible. 

There will, inevitably, be times when another child goes home with the wrong jumper/shoes/hat ... you name it! But as soon as we/the parent knows because it is named, we generally get everything back.

• Will my child come home really dirty after a day at school?

We will use paints, chalk, water, have a mud kitchen, be using the gardening area and the outside areas can be muddy/dusty so be prepared.  Fortunately, we don't expect a pristine uniform after that first morning so don't put that pressure on yourself! Just know that they are having fun whilst learning.

• Why is my child so tired? They are used to full time nursery!

Getting used to new routines and people (big and little ones) is tiring. Also school is different to pre-school/nursery - we do not have the same numbers of adults or the same free flow. 

• When will I hear about how my child is doing?

This is a big difference between nursery/school- we are unable to get round all of you to give you the kind of 1:1 daily report you may be used to. Take it as 'no news is good news' at the moment!  If you would like to have a more personal chat, we are around at pick up time most days before our teacher meetings.