Reception (Nidd & Swale)

Dear Parents and Carers,

We wanted to take a moment to say how proud we are of our new Reception children. They have come into school full of enthusiasm, showing growing independence and such a positive attitude to their new routines. It has been a joy to see them settle so well.

We would also like to thank you for all the support you have given your child to make this important transition into school such a positive experience. Your encouragement at home really shines through in the way they are approaching their new learning journey. 

Reception Phonics Begins Next Week!

We’re excited to share that next week, Team Nidd and Team Swale will start their Little Wandle phonics sessions—an important milestone on your child’s reading journey. These engaging and structured lessons introduce key letter sounds and blending skills to help your little ones begin reading with confidence.

To support your child’s learning at home, you’re invited to explore the For Parents section on the Little Wandle website. This area is packed with helpful videos and downloadable guides. Here, you’ll find clear explanations of how sounds are taught, letter formation support, and more—designed to make you feel confident when helping your child learn to read at home

How to Access the Resources

1. Go to the Little Wandle “For Parents” page.
   You’ll discover videos that show how phonics lessons are delivered, plus downloadable guides—for example, guides to Reception sounds for each term.

2. Use the helpful downloads.
   These include:

   • Termly guides to how sounds are taught (Reception Autumn 1, Autumn 2, Spring 1, etc.)

   • Videos like “How we teach blending” and “How we teach tricky words” 

These resources are a brilliant way to stay connected with your child’s phonics learning and feel confident in practicing with them at home.

Over the coming weeks, we’ll also share more about when reading books will start coming home—and how you can use what you find in the “For Parents” area to support your child’s reading journey further. 

Below is an overview of the graphemes (letters) and phonemes (sounds) we will be learning.

A copy of our home learning will also be uploaded to your child’s Tapestry account each week so that you can continue to support their progress at home.

Have a lovely weekend!
Team Reception