St Bega’s
Welcome
We are delighted to welcome you and your child to St. Bega’s Reception.
The happiness and wellbeing of our children is our top priority. We hope that you and your child will have an enjoyable and successful time with us.
Our Reception staff create a happy and caring environment where every child can reach their full potential through well-planned, meaningful, and stimulating play experiences. We aim to inspire curiosity and a love of learning that will last throughout your child’s school life and beyond.
We encourage you to be involved in your child’s learning and to work in partnership with us, ensuring your child thrives and achieves their very best during their time at our school. We look forward to working closely with you.
If you would like any further information about life at St. Bega’s Reception, please do not hesitate to contact either myself or the school office to arrange an appointment.
‘Love one another as I have loved you’
Our Team
• Head Teacher Mrs Duffield
• Deputy Head Teacher & SENCO Mrs Leonard
• Early Years Teacher & EYFS Lead Mrs Robertson
• EYFS Teaching Assistant Miss Cowan
• EYFS Teaching Assistant Mrs Skinner
• EYFS Teaching Assistant Mrs Swift
• School Business Manager Mrs Kay
Our Uniform
20 Norfolk Place Berwick Hills Middlesbrough TS3 7PA Uniform can be bought from Lollipops, online and telephone orders can be delivered to our school. All items of uniform, coats and sports kit should be labelled with each child’s name.
Our Uniform
• White shirt (not polo shirt)
• Grey trousers, skirt or pinafore
• Royal blue sweatshirt or cardigan
• School tie
• Black shoes (not trainers)
• Plain socks/tights
• No jewellery(watches are acceptable)
• No nail varnish
• Long hair is to be tied back in a sensible bow/bobble
• Blue school book bag
Our PE Uniform
• Indoor/outdoor PE kit of plain black shorts/cycling shorts, plain black leggings or tracksuit bottoms
• Plain black hoodie/tracksuit jacket (this does not need to have our school logo on it but it must be plain)
• Plain, white t-shirt
• Plain black, plimsolls or trainers
• Drawstring bag Lollipops
Important Information
• Children are welcomed into school from 8.40am for a prompt start at 8.50am. The school day ends at 3.20pm.
• All children must be collected by a parent or known adult (children will not be permitted to leave without consent.)
• If you are going to be late or somebody new is collecting your child you must inform the class teacher or school office as soon as possible and provide a unique password.
• Absence - If your child is absent Please inform school via telephone by 9am every day, with a reason for absences.
• No holidays in term time please – fines may be issued.
Out of School Provision
We understand the importance of flexible childcare options for busy families, which is why we offer convenient Breakfast Club and After School Club sessions. These clubs provide a safe, welcoming environment where children can enjoy activities, socialise with friends, and start or end their day positively.
Breakfast Club Breakfast Club is from 7.45am to 8.50am. This costs £2.50 per child, per session.
After School Club
After School Club is from 3.20pm to 5.30pm. This costs £5.50 per child, per session.
All sessions must be booked and paid for in advance using the MCAS online payment system.
Learning and Development
Our Curriculum is designed and planned from the Early Years Development Matters and the Statutory framework documents.
The Early Years curriculum is made up of seven areas of learning:
Prime Areas
✔ Communication and Language
✔ Physical Development
✔ Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Specific Areas
✔ Literacy
✔ Mathematics
✔ Understanding the World
✔ Expressive Arts and Design
A high quality early years education is about learning to be independent, confident, strong and curious. It’s about developing children’s natural joy and wonder at the world they live in. It’s about having a positive attitude, forming positive relationships and believing in yourself. Young children learn by doing things for themselves, by exploring and investigating, watching and listening, talking and discussing, creating and communicating.
Snacks & Food
• Fresh fruit is available every day.
• Milk is available daily.
• Children should bring a named water bottle from home each day.
• All children are entitled to a free school meal at lunchtime until the end of Year 2.
• Menus follow a 3-week cycle, available to view on our website.
• Lunches include popular, freshly prepared meal choices.
If you prefer, your child may bring a packed lunch from home (please no sweets or fizzy drinks).
Attendance
Attendance
At St. Bega’s reception we believe good attendance is essential for children to feel settled and for them to be able to take full advantage of the learning and development opportunities available. At a young age continuity and consistency are important contributors to a child’s wellbeing and progress.
Family Holidays in Term Time
Good habit forming starts early and therefore we promote good attendance. This will support them through their school journey. Holidays in term time will not be authorised unless the exceptional circumstances criteria are met.
How Will My Child Learn?
Children will learn through a mixture of direct teaching and engaging in continuous provision.
Continuous provision describes all of the different provision areas which are available for your children to use every day. Within each of these areas of provision there will be a core range of resources that children can use all of the time, throughout the whole year. In addition to core resources teachers will enhance each area to make it enticing and relevant to the children and their learning.
Examples of continuous provision areas: Reading, Writing, Maths, Construction, Small World, Role Play, Sand, Water, Malleable (egsensory, dough), Workshop, Art and Investigation station.
Opportunities to learn outdoors on a daily basis ‘Young children thrive and their minds and bodies develop best when they have access to stimulating outdoor environments for learning through play and for real experiences’
During continuous provision (indoor and outdoors) adults will interact with the children to enhance learning opportunities.
‘Play underpins the Early Years Foundation Stage. It also underpins learning and all aspects of children’s development.’
Parent Partnership
Parents are a child’s first educators, and your support is vital in helping them settle and succeed. Simple activities like regular reading and home learning tasks make a big difference.
We value any information you share and believe that by working together, we can achieve the best outcomes for your child.
Each term, we’ll provide an overview of what your child will be learning and how you can support at home. This will be shared through our Seesaw app and available on our school website.
We also share weekly photographs of your child’s learning via Seesaw, so you can stay connected and celebrate their progress.
Parents will receive an invitation to join our parent app in September.
During the year we intend to invite you to special school events:
• Teacher consultations
• Coffee mornings
• School Mass
• Parents workshops (phonics/reading etc)
• Stay and play sessions
• Annual events (nativity/sports day etc)
Keeping Children Safe and Healthy
Your child’s wellbeing is our priority. Please follow these guidelines:
• Unwell Children: Keep your child at home if they are ill.
• Infectious Illnesses: Inform the school immediately if you suspect a contagious illness.
• Sickness & Diarrhoea: Children must stay home for 48 hours after the last episode.
• Medication: Contact the school office if your child needs prescribed medication during the day.
• Allergies & Medical Needs: Notify us of any allergies or ongoing medical requirements. A Healthcare Plan may be needed for serious conditions.
First Aid: Minor bumps and cuts are treated with care. For serious accidents, we will contact you immediately. All Early Years staff hold paediatric first aid qualifications. If your child has a heavy bump to the head, you will be informed by phone or at the end of the day.
Admissions
If you require any further information, please contact our school on 01429 267768 or by emailing admin@stbegas.bhcet.org.uk.
To find out how to apply to St. Bega’s, please visit out school page by clicking here.
