Welcome to the Summer term in Reception!

Reception Class Teacher - Miss Walters and Learning Support Officer - Mrs Strachan

Reception Class Teacher - Miss Hughes and Learning Support Officer - Mrs Steptoe

The whole-school overarching theme for the Summer Term is ‘Making Connections’. This theme widens pupils' experiences of learning about themselves and how history and events connect humankind worldwide. 

Our year group unit title this term is Stories from Around the World.  Reception's unit of work will enable pupils to explore familiar and unfamiliar traditional tales from around the world. Building on the work children learnt in nursery, pupils will explore and clarify what stories are classed as traditional stories. We will explore stories from different cultures and countries to broaden our horizons and gain new perspectives. We will then explore how other cultures live and compare and contrast to our own culture. We will explore artwork, music and dancing from other countries. 

This term we will continue to follow our new Literacy curriculum which is a book-based approach utilising high-quality texts to foster a love of stories. The stories we will be focusing on are 'Little Red', 'The Magic Paintbrush' and 'Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain'. 

This term the children will continue to develop their literacy skills through a variety of methods, including class based and small group activities, children will show they can listen and respond appropriately and effectively with growing attention and concentration. 

We will be reading lots of traditional tales and examining the familiar features. These features will include: plot, characters, setting, moral of the story and how stories have changed over time. We will be able to retell familiar stories using actions and story maps. We will be building up to writing our own simple story at the end of term, ensuring we have a beginning, middle and end. 

Children will be supported in writing simple words and simple sentences. Children will continue to develop their reading skills through phonic sessions and their individual reading books.  We are encouraging the children to form their letters correctly and their handwriting is steadily improving. 

Children will continue using incidental Welsh through our daily activities and Helpwr Heddiw sessions.  Children will be encouraged to respond and ask questions through the medium of Welsh. 

This term the children will be covering a range of mathematical concepts, some of which will be building on their experiences from previous terms. 

Children will be counting to 50, and matching amounts to numerals. Children will explore different ways to make the same number, e.g. 4 + 4 = 8, 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 = 8. We will provide the children with various objects to explore making different sets. We will continue to use tens frames and use our eyes to subitise. 

Children will be using their addition and subtraction skills to add and take away from a given number. They will be able to identify which numbers are larger and which are smaller, using the vocabulary of fewer, smaller, larger, greater, etc.

Children will be exploring weight and capacity, using relevant vocabulary and be able to order 3 objects by weight. 

We will begin counting in 2s and 10s and provide practical situations to practise these skills. 

We will read ‘Handa’s Surprise’ and taste various exotic fruits. We will be challenged to complete observational drawings of fruit. We will begin to explore Handa’s culture, listen to African music, and look at African patterns in clothing. We will use junk modelling to make our own mini African drums.

Children will continue to take part in thrive and well-being sessions. 

Reception's PE day is Thursday.

Please ensure children come to school with a clearly labelled water bottle. 

Please ensure all clothing is clearly labelled, including sun hats. 

We do have some children in school with a nut allergy, we aim to be a nut free school so please do not send in sandwiches or snacks that contain peanut products. 

Don't forget to download our School App via the Play or App stores - The School App will provide you with up to date information about activities and events at Oldcastle Primary School.  Please look out for our weekly newsletter issued via The School App and available on our website on a Friday afternoon.  The newsletter contains all forthcoming diary dates for the school.