Foundation Stage
Check out the Foundation Stage policy here.
Welcome to Foundation Stage
Our Class Teacher is Miss Honey and the teaching assistants are Mrs Edwards (am) and Mr Willbery.
A-Z of Useful information
Appropriate clothing
In Reception class we have an open door policy, this means that the children can choose whether they want to play inside or outside. This applies in all weather conditions and means that during the colder months your child will need a warm coat, gloves, scarf, hat and possibly wellies. Please could I remind you that all of your child’s clothing needs to be named. Your child also needs to bring a spare change of clothes that can stay on their peg.
Baking
We regularly like to bake in Reception and may ask you for either a monetary contribution towards our baking or a kind donation of food that we can use. This term we will be making our own soup and will send out a letter in due course to let you know .
Be Ready
Check out our Be Ready guidance which outlines the skills and responsibilities expected from our pupils as they enter each new class group.
Class newsletters
I send out a weekly class newsletter, every Friday. It informs you of our learning that week, keeps you up to date on future events and key dates. Parents have found this particularly helpful in the past. In order to save paper I will not be sending home a paper copy of the newsletter but it will be sent home via parent mail.
End of the day
School finishes at 3pm and we ask you to wait outside the classroom door until one of us comes to open it. Please be aware that although the children will be getting ready to come home we are encouraging them to be independent and would kindly ask that you do not distract them at the window. In order to ensure that each child goes home safely we ask the children to wait on the carpet until we call their name when we have seen the adult responsible for collecting them. It is important that we have seen you before your child leaves, so please be patient whilst the children get used to this routine. If your child is being collected by someone other than you please could you let us know, you can do this by filling out the home-time arrangements form on the parent notice board.
Family photos
Please could each child bring in a photo of them with their family. These will go on display in the classroom and help us all to get to know each other. Photos will then go in the children’s learning journeys.
Focus children of the week
Please see the attached letter about focus children. The week before your child is a focus child we would like you to send in 10-12 special photos. These can be pictures of events, trips and people that are important to them. These will then be stuck in their special book. The week after your child is a focus child we will invite you in for an informal parent meeting.
Friday afternoons
I have my PPA (planning, preparation and assessment) time every Friday afternoon and I will be out of the class. Mr Willbery will be teaching the class during that time.
Growth Mindset
At Garsington, all pupils, staff and parents are encouraged to have a growth mindset. Check out ideas and guidance on how you can achieve this via the Growth Mindset page.
Learning journey
Each child will have their own learning journey folder, in which their work will be kept. This will then form a record of their achievements and will be sent home with them at the end of the school year. The folder will be kept in the classroom; you are very welcome to look at your child’s learning journey at any time, although they will be out during parent meetings, when we will encourage you to contribute to them by making written comments to stick in.
Topic Webs 2023/24
More detail is provided in Miss Honey's weekly emails.
A-Z of Useful information
Lunch Menu
FS pupils get free hot dinners at school everyday.
Monday morning news
Every Monday we will be sharing our weekend news with the rest of the class. During the first few weeks of the year it might be useful if you spend some time discussing with your child what they might like to share. In the past parents have also found it beneficial to send their child in with a photo or object that relates to their child’s weekend news, this can help the children when sharing their news with their peers.
Mornings
Please wait by our door to be let in. Please note that school gates will not be open until 8.30am. We will then open the door to our classroom at 8.40am. Can I remind you the Foundation Stage outdoor area is not to be used before and after school.
Parent helpers
We really appreciate having parent helpers in class and once the children have settled into school we would love to have parents come in to help us. It is fantastic to have parents come in and help with reading, gardening artwork and playing games with the children. This can be on a regular basis or whenever suits you, if you would like to come and help please let me know. Children also really benefit from learning about the jobs people do and the hobbies they have, so if you notice that we are learning about an area that you work in or are passionate about, please let me know if you would be willing to come and talk to the class about it. In recent years we have had parents come in to talk about their jobs (Doctors, Firefighters, Vets, Builders, Nurses, Mechanics etc) and to demonstrate playing an instrument, as well as help with gardening.
Mystery readers
We encourage parents and relatives to come in read a story to the class as a mystery reader. More information will be sent out once your child has started and settled in.
P.E kit
Please send your child to school in their PE kit every Friday.
Star of the week
Once the children are in school full time we will have a star of the week each Friday. This will be a child who has really shone that week. They will be given a certificate and will take home our class teddy, ‘Little Ted’ for the weekend and then record what they have done with Little Ted and share this with the class the following week.
Reading
Please don't worry about reading initially. Starting school is a huge step for all children and we focus primarily on ensuring a smooth and calm 'settling in' period so that your child is happy and ready to learn. To do this effectively will be assessing and observing all children in Term 1 in order to establish their best next steps. After initial Baseline Assessments we will begin Phonics at the end of September and then phonics homework will begin to come home. You will be invited to a parent workshop at this time and this will enable you to gain a better understanding of how to support your child with reading and phonics at home.
Those children that are ready for home reading books will also begin to get reading books to read with or to you at home. We share plenty of reading books and stories during the school day with a love of stories at the heart of all our learning .If your child is not yet ready for reading books, that is fine! Our aim is to foster a love of reading and of books, so we take the lead from your child and introduce reading books when they are ready and able to cope with the challenge. The timeframe varies enormously in Reception and is no indication of how well your child will read in the future.
Term plan
Each term you will receive a copy of our plan. This is a brief outline and is subject to change depending upon the children’s particular interests. The plan for this term is with this letter.
Timetable
See below
Topic Webs
Our topic webs (please see above) are a brief overview and Miss Honey's weekly email updates to parents contain much more information about what the children are learning.
Water bottles
Please could children have a named water bottle in school, these can be kept in the trays provided by the window.
Timetable
