All About
Reception
Welcome to Reception We are looking forward to welcoming you to St Peters Reception within our Junior School. Children in our Reception are looked after and taught by a dedicated team of highly-qualified Early Years staff, who nurture each child to feel comfortable, confident and a valued part of the St Peter’s family. Our curriculum across the Early Years Foundation Stage is based on curriculum guidance in 'Development Matters'. Whilst we adhere to the Early Years Statutory Framework, our curriculum is designed bespoke for our children and has plenty of scope and versatility within it so we can respond to the children's interests, needs, and current events. Children engage in a structured yet flexible schedule that includes specialist lessons such as PE, Music, Languages and Forest School designed to enrich their learning experience. Through a blend of play, exploration, activities and adult led sessions fostering creative and critical thinking, our young learners embark on a journey of discovery. We can’t wait to get to know you and your child and watch your child flourish and grow as they start their Reception journey.
Meet the Team Senior Leadership Team
Mr Hardy Head of St Peters Junior School
Mrs Alexander Deputy Head EYFS
Mr Savage Deputy Head Co-Curricular Reception Team Miss Kelsh – Teacher Mrs Podlejski – Teacher Miss Blakey – Teacher Mrs Walker – Teaching Assistant Mrs Walters – Teaching Assistant (Friday - Class Teacher) Mrs Edwards - Teaching Assistant Mrs Duncanson – Teaching Assistant Specialist teachers Mrs Slingsby – PE Mrs Poulter-Dunford – Spanish Mrs Hayden – Music Miss Burle - Music Administration Team Hannah Littledale – Senior Administrator Emma Lewis – Office Administrator Laura Duffy-Moss – Office Administrator
Mrs Salisbury Deputy Head Pastoral
Mr Duncan Deputy Head Academic
Working in Partnership with Parents At our setting, we believe that children achieve the best outcomes when parents and staff work together in a strong and positive partnership. Open and regular communication is key to supporting your child's learning, development, and wellbeing. Our staff team is available each day and we encourage you to speak with us whenever you have any questions, concerns, or information you would like to share. These informal conversations are a valuable way for us to work together and ensure we are meeting your child's individual needs. If you need to contact us outside of drop-off or collection times, you can email the school office and your message will be passed on to the appropriate member of staff. We use Tapestry as our online learning journal to share observations, photographs, and updates about your child's experiences in the setting. We highly value parental engagement with Tapestry and encourage you to comment on observations, celebrate your child's achievements, and upload your own photographs and experiences from home. Sharing these moments helps us build a fuller picture of your child's learning and interests, allowing us to make meaningful connections between home and school. Throughout the year, we also hold Parent Consultation Evenings, providing dedicated opportunities to discuss your child's progress, celebrate successes, and agree on next steps for learning and development. You can contact the school office by calling 01904 527416
The Keyperson System Your child's Keyperson plays a central role in their Reception experience and is dedicated to building a strong, caring and trusting relationship with both your child and your family.
The Keyperson's role is to: Help your child settle into Reception and feel safe, happy and secure Build a warm and meaningful relationship with your child through play, care routines and everyday interactions Get to know your child's interests, personality, strengths and developing needs Support your child's learning and development through observations and planning next steps Provide emotional support and reassurance during transitions and new experiences Be your main point of contact for sharing information about your child's day, development and wellbeing Work in partnership with you to ensure consistency between home and school
We know that strong relationships are at the heart of successful Early Years experiences, and we place great importance on helping every child feel known, valued and understood. In Reception, your child’s Keyperson is their class teacher.
What our day looks like Daily Routine Our daily routine provides a balance of consistency and flexibility, allowing children to feel secure while following their interests and learning through play. 07:45 – 08:15: Before School Care (Shepherd Hall – Pre-booking in not required) 8:20-11:40: Morning session includes things such as Phonics, circle times, plando-review, play and snack. 11:40 – 12:50: Lunch Time 12:50-3:20: Afternoon session includes things such as Maths, circle times, play, story and snack. 3:20 - 4:00: Class time Children will be in their classrooms with their class teacher. It will not be directed learning time Children can be collected at anytime during this session Children should be collected from classroom doors 4:00 – 5:00: Stay & Play Stay & Play will take place in one of the year group classrooms Children can be collected at any point during this time and should be collected from the room in which it is taking place (locations on SOCS) Children should be signed out by a parent/carer with a member of staff 5:00 - 6:00: After School Care Pupils will be registered for our After School Care at 5:15pm Pre-booking is required for this session, and bookings should be completed by 11:00am the day before via SOCS Children who have pre-booked will be provided with a sandwich, crudités and fruit Children who are not collected by 5:15pm and who have not pre-booked will be registered and supervised, but a snack is not guaranteed Collection from 5:15pm will be through the Queen Anne Doors Cost for this session is £5 and will be chargeable from 5:15pm
In Reception, although we stick to our daily routines, no two days are ever quite the same - and that's exactly how we like it! We follow the children's interests, curiosities and ideas, allowing our planning to be flexible and responsive to what excites and motivates them. This means that we can never be entirely sure where one day will lead us next. A simple question, discovery or conversation can spark an adventure in learning, and this is one of the many joys of Reception. While our days may look different depending on the children's interests, there are some parts of our weekly routine that remain consistent. The days in which specialist lessons are delivered stays the same each week. This includes PE, Music, Spanish and Forest School. Daily adult led Phonics and Maths sessions are delivered consistently and children then continue to develop their learning in these areas, whilst accessing the areas of provision. Once the children are settled into Reception, we will hold a Phonics and Maths information session, to give you some more detailed information on how we deliver these in Reception and how you can help at home. We have daily a delicious and healthy morning and afternoon snack each day. The snack menu can be found on your My School Portal account. By combining familiar daily routines with child-led learning opportunities, we create a nurturing environment where every day brings new possibilities for learning, growth and fun.
What we need to bring A named water bottle – this comes home each day to be refilled – please make your child’s water bottle identifiable to them through stickers or their name if they recognise this. A school book bag – Please bring this to school and take home daily. A school branded bag with spare clothes in – this can be their book bag, rucksack or drawstring bag, depending on which option you have chosen. Please ensure all clothes, hats and gloves are clearly labelled with your child’s name. Wellington boots – These will be kept in school for outdoor play and Forest School. Please also clearly name your child’s wellington boots.
We Cannot Wait to Welcome You!