Early Years
Our aim in Reception Year, Year R (YR), is to provide a happy, caring and safe environment that stimulates children’s natural curiosity and allows them to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding.
Topics change every half term depending on the children’s interests. Past topics have included; superheroes, our wonderful world and fairy tales. We follow the statutory Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and as a school, we follow the Read Write Inc. (RWI) phonics programme.
The EYFS has seven areas of learning:
- Communication and Language
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development
- Physical Development
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Understanding the World
- Expressive Arts and Design
We make sure our children have a range of experiences covering all areas of learning by providing a well-planned, balanced, adult-led and child-initiated curriculum.
We believe that every child should experience the world beyond the classroom as an essential part of learning and personal development. These are often the most memorable learning experiences which can be remembered for a lifetime; helping them make sense of and explore the world around them.
Please see our half-termly curriculum overviews to see what your child will be learning:
2024/2025
2023/2024
10 Top tips for starting school
10 Top tips for starting school
With over 2,000 children due to start school in Portsmouth every September, local teachers and pre-school staff have developed 10 top tips for starting school for parents and carers to help their children to develop key skills over the summer, ready for their Reception year in September.
- I can go to the toilet, wash my hands and blow my nose all on my own. I can eat my packed lunch by myself, even undoing the wrappers! And I can put on my own coat and do it up.
- I can run, jump, climb and move around confidently.
- I can confidently communicate and make my needs known to other people.
- I can join in with activities and sing rhymes and songs.
- I can listen and take turns in a conversation.
- I can share books and talk about the pictures and storylines.
- I can draw and make marks with pencils, crayons and pens and use scissors safely.
- I can concentrate on something that interests me and carry out an activity.
- I can take turns and share with other people.
- I am excited, curious and enthusiastic about learning in my new school!
More information for parents and carers about how to help their child with each skill can be found at www.portsmouth.gov.uk/startschooltips.
50 Things to Do Before You’re 5
This is an exciting initiative full of ideas and activities for you to explore with your child. The project offers a wide range of activities from outdoor discoveries in the woods, to exploring how sound changes in different places, to sharing stories and water play. There is also a handy app to download!
