Life in Reception
Welcome to Reception!
Our aim is to give your child the best start to their journey at Ursuline and beyond. We believe that every child deserves the best and our dedicated team are committed to providing high-quality early education and care for all children. Each child is unique and will come with their own experiences of the world. We celebrate that and provide the nurture and care they need to succeed. We understand that starting school is a big transition for our young children and they will each have their own unique experience of it; we see it all through their eyes.
Our busy and varied days offer something for all with a mix of learning strategies, including open-ended play, guided group work, 1:1 activities and some whole class discussion. This, together with a well-planned learning environment, both indoors and outdoors offer your child the best opportunity to learn and develop throughout the Foundation Stage. We take advantage of our proximity to Crosby beach.
We believe in the development of your child across all 7 areas of learning and to do that, we notice the things they can do and those that may need extra support. We will communicate with you as our partners in helping your child to develop throughout the year including their executive function. We believe that helping your child to develop their self-regulation skills and communicate effectively are important building blocks for future learning.
In the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), there are seven areas of learning and development that whilst unique, are also interlinked. Children's development in these areas, particularly in the three prime areas mentioned below, is crucial in having a positive influence on your child's educational journey at Ursuline.
The three prime areas of learning are:
- Communication and Language
- Personal Social and Emotional Development
- Physical Development
Your child's learning will also be supported in four specific areas of learning and development where they will also draw upon their skills within the three prime areas:
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Understanding the World
- Expressive Arts and Design
Our well-planned curriculum is led by key texts. Each quality text allows our children to explore and develop across all seven areas of learning and development, often sparking their interest with a 'wow' moment or enhancements to our continuous provision. We offer opportunities for our children to use their Characteristics of Effective Teaching and Learning:
- playing and exploring (where children develop a 'have a go' attitude to learning)
- active learning (where concentration, resilience and perseverance skills are practised)
- creating and thinking critically (where children develop their own ideas and strategies and make links)
Further information on our curriculum and the progression of development through the above 7 areas is attached below. We ensure that the curriculum is adapted to reflect the varying start points of the children and furthermore responds to any changes in the demographics of the cohort.
Ursuline is a welcoming school and our EYFS team are privileged to be at the very start of your child's Ursuline journey. Let the magic begin!