In Reception, children will explore stories, poems, and rhymes to develop early reading skills and a love of books. Our first focus story is Peace at Last, which will be enjoyed during shared story times in the reading corner and class library. Children will retell favourite stories, join in with repeated phrases, and talk about key events and characters.

For early writing, we will use the Pathways programme, giving children opportunities to practise mark-making, forming letters, and sequencing stories.

Alongside this, children will start the Letters and Sounds phonics framework, learning to recognise and say initial sounds, hear and blend sounds to read simple words, and build the foundation for confident reading. Through these activities, children develop confidence in expressing their ideas and enjoy discovering the magic of reading and writing.

Development Matters: 

• Develop phonological awareness

• Begin to form recognisable letters

• Read individual letters and blend sounds to read words

Key Vocabulary: sound, letter, phoneme, grapheme, word, blend, read, write, name, story

In Reception, children will explore number, shape, space, and measures through fun, practical activities using the White Rose Maths approach. They will make collections of objects, count, compare quantities, and begin to notice patterns. Singing counting songs and joining in with number rhymes will help them remember number sequences and develop an understanding of more and fewer. Everyday play provides opportunities to compare sizes, shapes, and amounts, helping children see maths in the world around them. These activities make learning maths enjoyable, hands-on, and meaningful.

Development Matters: 

• Develop counting skills and recognise numerals. 

• Link numerals and amounts.

• Compare quantities using language: more than, fewer than. 

Key Vocabulary:  match, sort, number, one, two, three, four, five, count

Children will learn about themselves, their families, and the world around them. They will talk about who they live with, bedtime routines, and explore the contrast between day and night. Simple activities such as listening walks, drawing their families, and talking about their homes will help children develop a sense of identity and belonging.

Children will also focus on the human body, learning the names of different body parts and exploring the five senses. Through indoor and outdoor play, they will use their senses to investigate, explore sand and water, observe plants and animals, and handle natural materials. Linked to stories and our themes, children will ask questions, notice patterns, and make simple connections about how things work. These experiences support curiosity, problem-solving, and self-awareness, helping children understand themselves and the world around them.

Development Matters: 

• Talk about members of their immediate family

• Name and describe people who are familiar to them 

• Explore the natural world around them

Key Vocabulary: family, home, bedroom, day, night, sleep, routine, noise, quiet, bear, senses

Children will enjoy lots of creative opportunities through painting, music, movement, and storytelling. They will have fun making sound effects for our focus story Peace At Last, building scenes with loose parts, and using simple props to act out parts of the story. Children will also use junk modelling to design cosy beds for Mr Bear or draw parts of the story to express their ideas and feelings.

In art sessions, children will explore drawing as a way to be creative and expressive. They will experiment with different tools and materials to create marks, patterns, and textures, building control, coordination, and confidence. These activities encourage imagination and help children capture movement, sound, and emotion in their work. By exploring lines, shapes, and colours, children develop the foundations for creative expression and enjoy sharing their ideas with others.

Development Matters: 

• Explore and engage in music making and dance. 

• Create collaboratively, sharing ideas and materials. 

• Develop storylines in pretend play.

Key Vocabulary: paint, draw, sound, music, instrument, act, role-play, bear, bedtime, create

There will be lots of opportunities for movement through outdoor play to help children build coordination and spatial awareness. In class, they’ll strengthen their fine motor skills using tweezers, threading, cutting, and early writing activities such as name tracing and forming letters from the Phase 2 set.

PE: In PE, children will pretend to be Mr Bear moving through different rooms, crawling under tables (under the bed), tiptoeing over a “creaky floor” (balance beam), jumping over “pillows” (soft play blocks). They will engage in various physical activities to enhance gross motor skills, coordination, and balance and explore movement in relation to space, speed, and control.

Development Matters: 

• Revise and refine the fundamental movement skills. 

• Develop their small motor skills for using tools. 

• Use core strength to support posture.

Key Vocabulary: move, balance, run, jump, stretch, hold, grip, squeeze, pencil, scissors

In Reception, we use Jigsaw, our new PSHE programme, to help children settle happily into school life and feel part of our class community. Our first theme, Being Me in My World, focuses on helping children understand their place in the group, follow simple rules, and recognise and manage their feelings.

Through play, circle time, and everyday activities, children will practise taking turns, sharing, and being aware of the needs of others. They will explore how it feels to belong, notice similarities and differences between themselves and others, and think about ways to help friends feel welcome. These experiences build confidence, empathy, and a strong sense of community, helping children feel happy, safe, and valued in their classroom.

Development Matters: 

Build constructive and respectful relationships. 

Express their feelings and consider the feelings of others.

Show resilience and perseverance in the face of challenge

Key Vocabulary: me, feelings, family, friendship, belonging, routine, respect, choices, consequences, important, proud, special

In Reception, children will take part in many talk-based activities to help them grow in confidence when speaking and listening. Daily storytimes, small group discussions, and role-play linked to our focus story Peace At Last will help them learn new words, practise speaking in full sentences, and share their ideas with others. Children will also develop listening skills through playing phonics games, paying attention to sounds and learning to respond to simple questions. These activities support clear communication, understanding, and the ability to express thoughts and feelings.

Development Matters: 

• Understand how to listen carefully and why listening is important

• Engage in storytimes  

• Learn new vocabulary

Key Vocabulary: listen, sound, quiet, noisy, night, bear, sleep, morning, talk, whisper

In this block, children are introduced to Old-School Hip Hop through the song Hey You! by Joanna Mangona. They explore pulse, rhythm, and pitch while developing listening and appraisal skills. Singing and rapping build confidence and expression, supported by tuned and untuned percussion. Improvisation and composition activities encourage creativity and teamwork. The block also introduces the cultural roots of Hip Hop, culminating in a fun class performance that celebrates rhythm, style, and collaboration.

In Dance, children will move like Mr Bear in different scenarios (sleepy, restless, tiptoeing). They will engage in ‘freeze frames’ where they strike a pose showing a moment from the story, then “unfreeze” into movement. By listening to the sounds from the story, children will move in ways that match the sound’s feeling or tempo.

All students will take part in a weekly swimming lesson designed to build both confidence and enjoyment in the water. Our programme follows a structured level system that ensures steady progression, tailored to each child’s ability. Children also learn important water safety and personal survival skills. We aim for every child to leave Junior School as a competent, confident swimmer with the skills to participate safely in a range of aquatic environments. 

We warmly encourage families to continue learning at home through simple, playful activities that link with what we are doing in Reception:

• Literacy & Phonics – Read our focus story Peace at Last together. Encourage your child to retell the story in their own words and talk about the characters and events. Practise early writing using the Pathways approach: simple mark-making, forming letters, or writing their name. Explore sounds together using the Letters and Sounds phonics framework, such as noticing initial sounds in everyday words.
  
  

• Mathematics – Count objects around the home, compare quantities, explore patterns, and talk about size, shape, and position.
  
  

• Understanding the World & Expressive Arts – Draw or paint pictures of your family, explore nature on walks, or talk about what you see and hear. Encourage imaginative play and creative expression with crafts or music.
  
  

• Physical Development – Support your child’s coordination and strength through climbing, balancing, running, hopping, skipping, and practising fine motor skills such as threading, drawing, or using scissors safely.
  
  

• Communication, Language & PSHE – Talk about feelings, take turns in conversations, use polite words like please and thank you, and discuss experiences and events from home and school.
  
  

We would love for you to add a short note, photo, or video of your child enjoying any of these activities to their Tapestry Learning Journey. This helps us celebrate their learning both at home and at school.