Early Years September 2022
Information for Parents
Welcome to our induction website for our new Reception and Nursery classes.
Our amazing Early Years Team have been busy preparing this Early Years information site for all our new parents. Please take a moment to scroll through the page, have a look at the example activities, read the resources, and watch our videos as these will help you and your child prepare for life at Lea Forest in September 2022.
If you have any questions or concerns please email contactus@leaforestacademy.org and a member of the team will get in touch with you.
The Early Years Team
Important Dates
Transition Information
Transition Information for Reception Parents
Reception Presentation.pdfTransition Information for Nursery Parents
Nursery Presentation.pdfStarting School Resources
Starting REC ideas for parents .pdfWelcome Messages from our Early Years Team
Our Staff
Reception Staff
Mrs Gonzales
EYFS Lead & RCG Class Teacher
Mrs Hicklin
RMH
Class Teacher
Mrs Hartwell
RFH
Class Teacher
Miss Freeman
TA (RCG)
Miss Clarke
TA (RMH)
Mrs Byrne
TA (RFH)
Nursery Staff
Mr Haw
Class Teacher
Mrs Hopkins
TA (NPH)
Mrs Peachy
TA (NPH)
Virtual Tour
We'd love to show you a quick glimpse of your classrooms and our remarkable Early Years department.
Click play to take a tour of our school.
Time For A Story
We love sharing stories at Lea Forest sit back and watch our staff share some of their favourites. You can find more on our YouTube Channel LeaForest:TV
Before you start
Here are some of our top tips of things you can be doing at home to prepare to your child for starting school.
Fun activities to add to your routine
Try sharing familiar books at bedtime. Pause when reading so that your child can join in. Talk about the sounds at the beginning of words and words that start with the same sound (like words beginning with P).
Encourage your child to recall what has happened in the story. For example, ‘Why is bear feeling sad?’ Ask them to guess what might happen – ‘What should they do next?’ – or how the story might end – ‘Do you think they’re going to find the treasure? Where could it be?’
Other ideas
Try role-playing games together such as shopping. Set items out on the sofa, give your child a bag and some pretend money. Then switch roles and let them be the shopkeeper.
Play teddy bears’ picnic. Put soft toys in a circle and give your child a few cups and spoons. Give your child a chance to tell you what to do like, ‘Stir teddy’s tea.’ You could chat to them as you are doing actions, for example, ‘let’s cut the cake in half’.
Start conversations by using open questions with lots of possible answers, for example, ‘What are you going to play with today?’
Plan a treasure hunt game, where your child has to listen to your instructions to find a clue or an object. For example, ‘Try looking behind the sofa’. Help your child look for a specific number of objects and count them together – such as 3 cups, 2 pink socks, 5 pens.
Help your child make a puppet show about their favourite story using objects around the house.
Play sorting games together. Collect a range of different household objects and practise sorting them into different groups, perhaps by size or colour. Once you have finished, count all the objects in each group.
Play a make-believe journey game with your child. Make a car out of a cardboard box that you decorate together, or just grab some cushions, pile in a few teddy bear passengers, and let your child drive you off on an adventure.
Click the Hungry Little Minds button for more ideas of fun things you can do at home!
Practice some of our favourite nursery rhymes at home over the holidays with your child.
Use this road to school tracker to help build your school routine at home . See if your child can complete the items on the road independently and help them practise to build up their confidence.
School Readiness Tracker Early Years.pdfParent App - ClassDojo
We use ClassDojo as our Parent Messaging app in schools and parents can use this app for free. You can download the app using the links below. Your child's class teacher will send out invites and logon codes so you can see our school story and communicate with us in September.
More help or advice
We are always available to answer your concerns or questions if you want to email us before your child starts please us contactus@leaforestacademy.org and a member of the Early Years Team will be in touch.
Don’t be afraid to ask other local agencies for help as well. Speak to your health visitor, children's centre staff, practice nurse or GP. And you can ask your child's childminder or nursery as they can help you find ways to support your child's development and school readiness.
A helpful guide to how your child is learning and developing in the first 5 years can be found on the Foundation Years website. The guide is titled 'What to expect, when? Guidance to your child’s learning and development in the early years foundation stage'.
Talking point has an interactive 'ages and stages' questionnaire to help you with your child's communication and language skills.
Search for school readiness on the Nursery World website.
Updated June 2022