8:30am           Reception’s door opens and learning begins.

All children are expected to arrive in class by 8.45am at the latest. At this point the classroom doors will close, the registers will be taken and the main school gates will be locked.

3:15pm           School day ends for Reception

Please be aware that in Reception these times will vary when the children first start school. Please come and see us if you are unsure.

Children attend a total of 32.5 hours a week in school.

At Hillbourne Primary School we are nurturing, inclusive and aspirational. We provide opportunities for children to become effective, inquisitive, independent learners who can apply their wider thinking across all areas of the curriculum.

At the heart of everything we do is our core school value, ‘Every Child, Every Opportunity’. Embedded within our curriculum and daily school life are also the 3Bs – Be Safe, Be Ready, Be Respectful along with the Fundamental British Values which we feel are crucial to forming successful learners.

We place a strong emphasis upon children’s personal, social and emotional wellbeing to ensure all our learners feel safe, can relate to others and are ready to learn. We strive for all children to feel a sense of belonging and to develop an understanding of people, families and communities beyond their own and work in close partnership with parents and carers. We recognise children’s various starting points and prior learning and create a holistic curriculum that ensures every child has the best start in life, allowing them to fulfil their potential and achieve future success. We tailor learning opportunities to be relevant, motivational and engaging for children, inspiring them with awe and wonder.

We create opportunities for children to develop language and communication skills, alongside the specific teaching of vocabulary.  We foster children’s self-esteem and belief in their abilities and capabilities; and our growth mindset approach develops positive attitudes towards learning, enabling them to be resilient, motivated and successful.

We ensure that children experience the seven areas of the Early Years Curriculum through a balance of whole class, group teaching and play based learning. Learning is carefully planned and delivered through reflective and responsive practice that considers the children’s interests and needs, engaging themes and challenging continuous provision activities. Experiences are arranged to provide a progression of knowledge and skills, with ambitious expectations set for all children and laying the foundations for a successful academic career. By the end of the Reception year our intent is to also ensure that all children make at least good progress from their starting points and are equipped with the skills and knowledge to have a smooth transition into Year 1.

What does my child need to bring?

We ask that children bring their bookbag, coat, water bottle and lunch box (if they aren’t having hot school dinners – which are free for children aged 4-7) into school every day. We also ask that children leave a puddle suit, wellies and their P.E on their peg all year (we will send this home each half term to be washed).

Please do not send your child with additional backpacks.  They do not need them and we don’t have room to store them in school.

What is the school uniform for Reception?

Grey trousers, shorts, skirt or pinafore (blue checked dress in summer)
White polo shirt
Navy blue jumper or cardigan with logo

This is to be worn every day.

When is P.E?

Monday afternoon we have our explicit P.E lesson, however in Reception a key part of our curriculum is Gross and Fine Motor skills and therefore they will be exposed to physical development opportunities throughout the day. We will start the year by changing the children in school – starting with shoes and socks only and progressing into full kit as the term goes on. When we feel the children are sufficient enough at changing independently we will review our routine.

My child doesn’t know anyone else, will they be ok?

We are aware that starting school can be daunting if you don’t know anyone else but please do not worry.  We have children join us from a large number preschool/Nursery settings, so many children join us not knowing anyone else.  At Hillbourne we ensure that all staff are aware of children who have joined us on their own, so that we can give them a little bit of extra support when settling in and making new friends.

Do I need to provide my child with a snack?

The school is currently supplied with a range of fruit and vegetable snacks every day.  We start the year by having Fruit Circle where we focus on personal, social and emotional skills, then in Autumn 2 children will be able to access this snack at any point throughout the day through our Snack Cafe. If your child is under 5 they are also entitled to free milk.  You will need to register with Cool Milk and order milk for your child.  This will then be delivered directly to school.  Milk is only free for under 5’s however if you want your child to continue to have milk once they have had their 5th Birthday then you can pay for them to have milk again through Cool Milk directly:    https://www.coolmilk.com/

Any other questions please do not hesitate to ask the class teacher or email the office. Thank you.