EYFS Parent Guide 2026-27

Early Years Foundation Stage Parents’ Guide 2026-2027

Contact Details UCS Hampstead Pre-Prep Headmistress: Dr Zoe Dunn 36 College Crescent Hampstead London NW3 5LF Tel: 020 7722 4433 Email: pre-prep@ucs.org.uk Website: www.ucs.org.uk Junior Branch Headmaster: Mr Lewis Hayward Holly Hill Hampstead London NW3 6QN Tel: 020 7435 3068 Email: juniorbranch@ucs.org.uk Website: www.usc.org.uk Senior School Headmaster: Mr Mark Beard Frognal Hampstead London NW3 6XH Tel: 020 7435 2215 Email: seniorschool@ucs.org.uk Website: www.ucs.org.uk

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Contents Introduction from the Headmistress

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What is the Early Years Foundation Stage?

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Policies and Procedures at UCS Pre-Prep

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Reception Information: Routines and Procedures

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Autumn Term Information

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INTRODUCTION AND WELCOME FROM THE HEADMISTRESS Firstly, I would like to extend a warm welcome to UCS Pre-Prep.

Starting school in Reception is very special and we aim to help you and your child navigate the transition to their new school and enjoy the community of UCS. We are proud of providing the children under our supervision with an excellent education and high standards of pastoral care. The staff who work here are our greatest resource; we aim to appoint well qualified and enthusiastic people who enjoy working towards providing the best possible educational experience for the children under their tutelage. This Early Years Parent Guide has been written as a supplementary guide to the curriculum and to procedures within the Reception classes, and I hope that you find it useful.

This guide should be read alongside the main Parent Handbook, which is an important and practical reference to all aspects of school life. The Handbook can be found on the school portal and hard copies are available on request.

Dr Zoe Dunn Headmistress

AIMS AND ETHOS OF UCS UCS was founded to promote principles of liberal scholarship. That remains our first and over-riding aim.

Intellectual curiosity, breadth of study and independence of mind combine to achieve academic excellence; they are not subordinate to it.

Selecting students with no regard to race or creed, UCS fosters in them a sense of community alongside a tolerance of and a respect for the individual. By offering the fullest range of opportunities for personal and for group endeavour, it teaches the value of commitment and the joy of achievement. It is a place of study, but also of self-discovery and self-expression; a school that places equal value on learning with others as on learning from others.

UCS places great emphasis upon tolerance of and respect for others. This is the key element of the school’s liberal ethos. Thus, liberalism at UCS requires the highest standards of inter-personal conduct and of sensitivity from both staff and pupils.

I hope that your association with UCS Prep-Prep is a long and happy one.

Welcome.

Best wishes,

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What is the Early Years’ Foundation Stage Welcome to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), which is how the Government and early years professionals describe the time in your child’s life between birth and age 5.

From when your child is born up until the age of 5, their early years experience should be happy, active, exciting, fun and secure; and support their development, care and learning needs.

Nurseries, pre-schools, reception classes and childminders registered to deliver the EYFS follow a legal document called the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework.

What is the EYFS Framework – why do we have one?

The EYFS Framework exists to support all professionals working in the EYFS to help your child, and was developed with a number of early years experts and parents.

It sets out: The legal welfare requirements that everyone registered to look after children must follow to keep your child safe and promote their welfare.

The 7 areas of learning and development which guide professionals’ engagement with your child’s play and activities as they learn new skills and knowledge.

Assessments that will tell you about your child’s progress through the EYFS. Expected levels that your child should reach at age 5, usually the end of the reception year these expectations are called the “Early Learning Goals (ELGs)” There is also guidance for the professionals supporting your child on planning the learning activities, and observing and assessing what and how your child is learning and developing.

How my child will be learning?

The EYFS Framework explains how and what your child will be learning to support their healthy development.

Your child will be learning skills, acquiring new knowledge and demonstrating their understanding through 7 areas of learning and development.

These prime areas are those most essential for your child’s healthy development and future learning:

As children grow, the prime areas will help them to develop skills in 4 specific areas.

These are:

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These 7 areas are used to plan your child’s learning and activities. The professionals teaching and supporting your child will make sure that the activities are suited to your child’s unique needs. This is a little bit like a curriculum in primary and secondary schools, but it's suitable for very young children, and it's designed to be really flexible so that staff can follow your child's unique needs and interests.

Children in the EYFS learn by playing and exploring, being active, and through creative and critical thinking which takes place both indoors and outside.

Where can I go for further information?

You can also find more details about the Early Years Foundation Stage below:

Early Years Foundation Stage Framework Development Matters Foundation Years website Getting Children Ready for Reception Supporting a Smooth Transition into Reception

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As a parent, how can I help with my child’s learning?

Preparing for your child to start Reception is an exciting milestone centred on developing the essential life skills that form the foundation for their future learning. Rather than focusing on academic skills like reading or writing, school readiness is about fostering independence in daily tasks—such as dressing, eating, and toileting and building the social confidence to follow instructions and interact with others. These skills are vital because they allow children to navigate the school day successfully, from managing lunch to participating in classroom stories without missing out on key information. By establishing healthy routines at home and practicing these practical activities early, you are providing your child with the best possible start to their educational journey.

How can I find out how my child is getting on?

It is important that you feel comfortable about exchanging information and discussing things that will benefit your child. We welcome conversations with the class teacher and opportunities for you to share your experiences of your son’s development at home. You will receive regular information about your child’s development throughout the EYFS. In the first six weeks of Reception your son will complete a baseline assessment in school, which helps the EYFS team plan for your son’s progression and development. As parents, you will have an opportunity to meet with the class teacher to discuss how your son has settled into UCS. Children are continually observed across these areas and characteristics of learning and the key person plans purposeful play, involving child and adult led tasks and taking into account the individual needs, interests and stage of development of each child. Parents are kept regularly informed of pupil progress and can follow up this learning and development at home

EYFS Profile At the end of the EYFS – in the summer term of the Reception year in school – teachers complete an assessment which is known as the EYFS Profile. This assessment is based on observations over time and is a well-rounded picture of your child’s knowledge, understanding, abilities and progress measured against the Early Learning Goals. The teacher will assess whether your child is meeting expected levels of development or not yet reaching expected levels, emerging. The EYFSP is carried out in the final term of Reception and shared with Year One staff to help them plan for your child’s learning in the next Key Stage.

If there is cause for concern with a child’s progress the school will always contact the parents to discuss what measures will be put in place to support development. The school will report on your child’s progress, including information from the EYFS Profile, in the autumn and summer term and you can discuss your child’s progress throughout the year.

Children with English as an additional language may have opportunities to use their home language in school but their progress in Communication and Language and Literacy will be assessed in English. Staff will support pupils to celebrate their home language/s in school. We also welcome parents to share in this process.

Overview of Policies and Procedures All the policies for the school are hosted on the website or School Portal. All parents will be given a log in for School Portal and it is a constantly updated site with all school for your reference. Hard copies of policies are available on request from the office.

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We would like to inform you that the following school policy documents and information are available to view on the school website or School Portal: Academic performance in previous year (upon request and not available on the website) Administering Medicine Policy Admissions Policy Anti-bullying Policy Behaviour and Discipline Policy (including rewards and sanctions) Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy Complaints Procedure (including number of formal complaints in previous school year, upon request) Curriculum Policy Equal Opportunities Policy Exclusions Policy First Aid Policy Food and Nutrition Policy Health and Safety Policy Home School Agreement Homework Policy Procedures for activities off the school premises Previous Inspection Report Special Educational Needs and Disability Policy (including EAL education and welfare provision)

Please do consult the Parent Handbook for detailed information on all the school policies and procedures as this is just a selected overview for your reference.

Attendance and Absence i.Your child is expected to attend every day that school is in session. Holiday dates are published well in advance and should you wish your child to be absent for any reason you should write to the Headmistress with your intentions and reasons. Requests should only be made for significant or important family events.

Work will not be set during periods of extended holiday leave. ii.If your child is absent through illness or another unexpected event please telephone the school and leave a message before 9.30am. When your child returns to school, a written explanation should be provided for the purposes of the school register. iii. If your child is occasionally away because he is unwell, you should not expect work to be sent home. If your child is absent for a prolonged period and you are concerned about the amount of work that he is missing, you should contact your child’s class teacher for their advice. iv.Your child is legally required to be in full time education from the term after his fifth birthday and all attendance is carefully monitored.

Access to Information Parents are entitled to have access to records about their child and many of these are shared with parents throughout the EYFS. Please do speak to the class teacher if you require more information.

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If you are concerned that the school is not meeting the EYFS requirements you are entitled to contact Ofsted or ISI. We hope you would discuss any concerns with the school in advance if this were the case.

Independent Schools Inspectorate Telephone 0300 123 4234 Email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk

Ofsted Telephone 020 7600 0100 Email info@isi.net

Website www.ofsted.gov.uk

Website www.isi.net

Beginning School The beginning of a school year, even for children familiar with the setting or other school environments, can be daunting and a period of settling in is natural, normal and to be expected. Those pupils transitioning into Reception will have a settling in period. On the first two days of term, the children attend either in the morning or afternoon, to allow for a smaller group atmosphere and familiarisation with the classroom and teaching staff.

We aim to be as sensitive as possible to the needs of our pupils; our best advice is that you are clear and consistent with your child once it is time to leave them, making the break as swift as possible, avoiding prolonged good-byes.

The difference in a child’s attention and performance and thus enjoyment of the day, is marked if they have not had a full night’s sleep or eaten a nutritious breakfast. We realise it can also be difficult to establish routines at the end of the long summer holiday and would suggest that you begin these several days before school commences. This really has a positive impact on starting the school year.

Behaviour We promote Our Caring Community where we all take responsibility for own actions and are kind. From a young age we encourage pupils to think about and reflect upon the consequences of these actions and to make positive decisions and choices.

Expectations and guidelines are clearly explained to all pupils and we ensure that children understand how they need to behave in order to guarantee their own safety and that of others.

We hope that we develop in our children an understanding of right and wrong rather than always asking them to follow a set of strict rules. Whilst we encourage pupils to question and enquire we insist that this is done in an appropriate way showing tolerance and respect for teachers and peers as part of a courteous community.

Positive praise is used to reinforce appropriate behaviour. Many different strategies are used, which are age appropriate, and matched to the individual needs of each child. The Golden Rules are introduced and we follow an emotional regulation system, to indicate when a child’s behaviour has not been acceptable and why.

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Staff are aware of the developmental needs of children in the Early Years and manage children’s behaviour in an appropriate way, often including parents, so that strategies are consistent. The School does not believe in nor use Corporal Punishment.

Collection Please ensure that the school knows in advance and in writing if someone different is to collect your child from school. We take our duty of care very seriously and will only allow a child to go home with a carer that has your prior consent.

Daily Routine School starts at 8:30am with registration at 8:40am and it ends at 3pm. The school is open at 8.00am each morning for early morning club and clubs. From 8:30am pupils can arrive with their parents. We encourage pupils to arrive at this time for the start of day activities. We ask that all pupils arrive with enough time to unpack their bags and settle themselves in good time before registration so they are physically and mentally ready to start the day. The children have a morning break and snack, which is provided by the school. They also have lunch and playtime in the afternoon. Timetables are shared in September.

Scooters We encourage you to travel sustainably to school and welcome boys that wish to scoot or cycle. We can store these at school but please note that any items left at school are at your own risk. Please also note that on Tuesdays and Fridays, when Reception boys are offsite and not collected at the Pre-Prep, scooters need to be left at school or taken home in the morning.

English as an Additional Language For those children whose home language is not English, some opportunities may be provided for them to develop and use their home language within the classrooms. We may ask parents to help us write out key numbers and some phrases so these can be displayed in the classroom to aid and support your child. Parents are encouraged to bring in books in the home language and to help staff with key words.

Illness and Infection If children fall ill during the school day and are unable to fully participate in the day’s programme parents will be contacted and asked to collect them. We would urge you to keep your child at home if they appear at all unwell. If children have been sick or had diarrhoea, we ask that they remain off school for a minimum of 48 hours so as not to spread an illness through the class or school. Children are encouraged to wash their hands regularly as part of healthy hygiene habits.

Infectious Diseases If your child has an infectious illness we would ask that even if they appear well, they are not sent to school during the period when they may be contagious. Please notify us of any such illnesses in order that we may alert other parents whose children may also appear unwell.

School First Aider: Debbi Mayne debbi.mayne@ucs.org.uk

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Medicine and Medical Information We ask every parent to complete a comprehensive and confidential medical form for their child, which is held on file in the school office. This enables us to deal with your child should an emergency arise and to be as vigilant as possible with regard to any special circumstances. If we require further advice as to how to meet your child’s needs we may consult our school nurse/doctor.

Administration of Medicines Parents have to sign an Administering Medicines policy in the Early Years. All medicines must be handed to the School First Aider or into the School Office. In order for staff to administer a medicine that has been prescribed by a doctor, dentist, nurse or pharmacist, for a child at school, there needs to be written permission from the parents, with accurate and appropriate instructions, as well as the doctor’s/pharmacist’s notes on the bottle/packet of named medication for that child. A written record of when and who gave the medicine will be kept.

It is the school’s policy not to administer medicines with paracetamol to children during the school day but parents/carers can come into school to administer these medicines as required. Medicines containing aspirin will only be given if prescribed by a doctor. Please consult the Administering Medicines policy for further details.

Medicine (both prescription and non-prescription) must only be administered to a child where written permission for that particular medicine has been obtained from the child’s parent and/or carer. Oral information from the pupil/parent will not be acted upon. If you bring medicine to school and require it at home please remember to collect it at the end of the school day.

Parents as Partners Parents are invited into the classroom every morning from 8:30am-8:40am and throughout the year to class assemblies, productions and numerous class viewings of PE and music lessons, as well as open classrooms. Parents are also encouraged to come to school to share their knowledge, culture or passions across the year. We encourage parents to share their child’s home achievements within school which we call WOW moments. Please feel free to email the class teacher photos and pieces of news or upload these to Padlet.

Procedure in the Event of a Missing Child while at school (on-site): 1. The teacher in charge delegates a member of staff to search indoor and outdoor areas within the school and any secure areas in case a child is hiding. In the event the child is found the parent should be advised of the incident and a review invoked.

2. The member of staff who has noticed the missing child will calmly inform the nearest member of the SMT and the Headmistress should be called to the location.

3. Staff will count and name check all the pupils present against the register while the group are assembled in one place carrying out a safe activity. If appropriate, children will be asked if they have seen the missing child.

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4.At the same time all other available staff will conduct a thorough search of the premises and notify the SMT member and Headmistress if the child is found immediately.

5.A thorough check of all exits to be made to make sure all gates/doors are locked/bolted and there are no other ways a pupil could have left the school. If something is discovered this needs to be drawn to the attention of SMT member immediately.

6.Staff will begin a search of the outside area immediately.

7.The safety and care of other pupils is paramount so the security of the school and the number of staff remaining to supervise the other pupils in the school must be adequately maintained while the search continues.

8.If the child has not been found after 10 minutes from the initial report of them as missing the Headmistress /SMT/DSL on site will contact the police.

9.The Headmistress/ SMT/ DSL will notify parents.

10.The Headmistress will ensure appropriate reassurance and comfort is provided to children, parents and staff.

11.Once the police arrive, formal responsibility for the search passes to them and the Headmistress will ensure staff co-operate fully with any investigation. Staff communicate a description of what the child was wearing and any distinguishing features an any special medical/learning needs would be disclosed to police.

12.The Headmistress will alert Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) and the school's Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO).

13.The Headmistress would inform the Foundation Headmaster and Chairman of Governors. The school's insurers would be informed.

14.As soon as practicable after the incident, if the child was injured, the Headmistress would make a report under RIDDOR to the Health & Safety Executive (HSE). During the course of the investigation into the missing child, the school, in consultation with the LADO, will decide what information should be given to other parents, staff and pupils and how press enquiries are to be dealt with.

15.The Headmistress will write a report which will be used by the SMT as part of the incident review to look for improvements to avoid any further occurrences of the incident.

Procedures in the event of a child going missing (off-site): 1.The class teacher must ensure safety of remaining pupils. Staff will count and name check all the pupils present against the register while the group are assembled in one place. At least two members of staff must stay with the assembled children.

2.The teacher in charge delegates at least one member of staff to search indoor and outdoor areas within the vicinity immediately informing them if the child is found.

3.If the child is not found within 5 minutes of being lost, the class teacher must contact the police by phoning 999.

4.The member of staff in charge will immediately inform the Headmistress of the incident and that the police have been called.

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5. The Headmistress will contact the parents and explain what has happened, and what steps have been set in motion.

6. Once the police arrive, formal responsibility for the search passes to them, and all staff must cooperate fully with any investigation. Staff communicate a description of what the child was wearing and any distinguishing features or any special medical/learning needs. The teacher in charge will ensure appropriate reassurance and comfort is provided to children, parents and staff.

7. The DSL would inform the LSCB and the school's LADO. 8. The Headmistress would inform the Foundation Heads and Chairman of Governors. The school's insurers would be informed.

9. As soon as practicable after the incident, if the child was injured, the Headmistress would make a report under RIDDOR to the HSE. During the course of the investigation, the school, in consultation with the LADO, will decide what information should be given to other parents, staff and other pupils and how press enquiries are to be dealt with.

10. The Headmistress will write a report for review and to learn from the incident.

Safeguarding The School holds both a moral and legal responsibility for the protection of its pupils from physical, sexual or emotional abuse and neglect. All staff receive regular Child Protection training and the Designated Safeguarding Leads are trained every two years: The Designated Safeguarding Lead is: Zoe Dunn The Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead with responsibility for EYFS is: Nik Watt.

The Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead is: Sophie Ryan.

Mobile Phones and other electronic devices with imaging and sharing capabilities Personal mobile phones, personal cameras or personal electronic devices with imagining and sharing capabilities are not used in the Early Years classes. Staff use school iPads or camera to photograph and chart each child’s progress. The School also has a school mobile phone for offsite and trips. For further information please consult the Early Years Photography, Videos and Images Procedure (on My School Portal) and the Safeguarding Policy on the school’s website. Hard copies are available from the School Office. The School adheres to the following guidance: Keeping Children Safe in Education, Working together to safeguard children What to do if you are worried a Child is Being Abuse: Advice for Practitioners

Intimate Care There may be times when a child, mainly in the EYFS, requires support for more intimate needs. This can include supporting them with dressing/undressing; providing comfort or support for a distressed pupil; and cleaning a child who has soiled himself, has vomited or feels unwell. If a child is in need of assistance, two members of staff will be present and a written record will be kept of any child who has had intimate care assistance.

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The school will balance privacy with safeguarding when supporting any toileting. Parents in the Early Years will be asked to give permission upon joining the school. Parents will always be informed if their child needed any support of this nature. Whenever pupils are changing clothes for swimming there will always be two adults present. Please see Intimate Care policy.

SEND/Learning Support Some children will need support at different times in their school careers. The school will always contact the parents if their child could benefit from additional or enhanced learning support. We seek to identify children experiencing difficulties or those whom might be identified as More Able and Talented and bring this to the attention of all members of staff and the child’s parents.

The exact help and support will be discussed with parents in advance of the help being given. This is in addition to the support that class teachers prepare for all children. If class teachers think your child could benefit from support they will talk to the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Co-ordinator (SENDco) and depending on the need, put together a programme of work. Sophie Ryan is the SENDco for the Pre-Prep and the Junior Branch: Sophie.Ryan@ucs.org.uk

The SENDco works with parents and may consult with other agencies, such as occupation therapists, educational psychologists and play therapists. We will work with parents and ensure that effective progress is made. If we feel your child needs more significant assistance to meet year level expectations, or they have a specific diagnosis, we may discuss with you about creating a Learning Support Plan.

UCS PRE-PREP’S LEARNING CHARACTERS

Ms Sophie Ryan SENDco for Pre_Prep and the Junior Branch Sophie.Ryan@ucs.org.uk

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Reception Classes 2026-2027 Welcome to Reception where we are sure it will be a very exciting year for us all and one that will see your child take huge steps in every area of their learning. Your child’s class teacher/key person can be contacted regarding your child directly in person or via email. The key person’s role is to help ensure that every child’s care is tailored to meet their individual needs, to help the child become familiar with the setting, offer a settled relationship for the child and build a relationship with their parents and carers. They should help families engage with more specialist support if appropriate.

Ms Nik Watt Woodpecker Reception Teacher Head of EYFS, Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead nik.watt@ucs.org.uk

Ms Stevi Stratton Robin Reception Teacher and Outdoor Learning and Sustainability Co-ordinator stevi.stratton@ucs.org.uk

Teaching Assistants

Mrs Jo Free Teaching Assistants (Mon-Tue)

Ms Elaine Makatin Teaching Assistants (Mon-Fri)

Ms Louise Higgins Teaching Assistants (Wed-Fri)

Throughout the week, your child will be taught by all members of the Reception team.

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Staffing Throughout the week, your child will be taught by all of the specialist subject teachers.

Mrs Rebecca Shan Head of PE and Science

Mrs Sam Naftalin Head of Art and STEAM

Mrs Sophie Ryan SENDCo & Assistant Head, Wellbeing and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead

Ms Sara Serrenho Dance Teachers

Dr Dunn is the named Deputy who manages the EYFS in the absence of the Head of the EYFS

Ms Sian Pateman Head of Music

Ms Rhea Whittaker PE and Dance teacher

Ms Nik Watt Deputy Head Head of EYFS Designated Safeguarding Lead for EYFS

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Supervision During the school day your son will be taught by his key person/ or specialist teacher alongside a teaching assistant.

For snack time (1:8 ratio) lunch time and playtime (1:16 ratio) pupils are within sight and hearing of staff.

For offsite education (including trips and when travelling to the Senior School) there is a ratio of 1:8.

Start of the day The door opens at 8:00am. During this time, children may enter school unaccompanied. They will be supervised by a member of staff. If you would like to accompany your child into the classroom, you can do so from 8:30am.

The children will have free time in the classroom until 8:40am, when the register is taken and teaching activities begin. Please ensure your child is in school and settled before this time. Parents are always welcome in the classroom to help settle children, but we do ask that you please depart by 8:40am to enable the school day to progress efficiently. Accompanying your child gives you opportunities to share in your child’s learning and to see what work is displayed in the classroom. Some parents decide to come every day, whilst other parents might come in once or twice. We welcome you and look forward to sharing in the fun and exciting learning that takes place.

Collection Children are collected at 3:00pm. Woodpeckers from the main door and Robins from the playground gate. Please be patient as we learn all your faces. We will take a photograph of the person/people responsible for collecting your child or you will be asked to provide a photo if someone new is collecting.

On Friday, children will be collected from UCS Active at 3:00pm.

Once Swimming commences, on Tuesdays the children will be collected from UCS Active, Frognal at 3:00pm.

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Clothing Please label all items of clothing that your child brings to school with their full name. Please sew a large hanging loop on to their school coat to enable your child to hang it with ease. We cannot emphasise how much this can help to avoid lost clothing and it really does encourage your child to be independent.

Autumn & Spring uniform

Summer uniform

Food and Drink We promote healthy eating throughout the school and pupils are given a healthy snack each day.

Children bring in a water bottle daily which staff encourage them to drink and support them to refill.

Pupils have access to fresh water throughout the day and are encouraged and supported to drink regularly. Water bottles are accessible to pupils throughout the day and are clearly named. Parents are responsible for bringing them into school daily and ensuring they are appropriately cleaned.

All children bring a packed lunch to school every day. We ask you to provide a sensible, healthy lunch (fruit, vegetables and sandwiches and no crisps, chocolate or sweets are allowed) but understand that each child has different likes, dislikes and nutritional requirements. Several, small portions of a variety of foods seem to interest children most and we recommend a bento style lunch box as these have the right portion amounts for this age group. If utensils are needed these should be sent in the lunch box.

We are unable to heat lunches for pupils.

Large portions of uneaten food are sent home with your child so that you are able to monitor your child’s likes/dislikes and their appetite. We do our best to encourage children to ‘try’ everything that you have sent but do not insist that all food is eaten. Children are reminded to eat their sandwich/savory portion first before moving on to their fruit or supplementary items and are asked not to share lunches.

There is always a member of staff present with Paediatric First Aid when the pupils are eating. The staff member on duty is responsible for checking that the food being provided/eaten meets all the requirements for each child.

Choking Prevention Age-appropriate food textures and sizes are carefully provided for each child at snack time, taking into account not only chronological age, but also individual developmental readiness and familiarity with different food types.

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Lunch boxes are monitored and checked and any small fruits or vegetables that are not cut appropriately are sent home with a reminder note reminding that they must be cut lengthways and then halved again (quarters). This includes: grapes, olives, raspberries, strawberries and cherry tomatoes etc.

Continuous, attentive supervision is maintained during all eating times, with staff positioned to observe all children clearly and respond immediately to any signs of difficulty. All staff receive thorough training in choking response procedures, including recognition of choking signs and appropriate emergency interventions, with regular practice sessions to maintain competency. Seating arrangements are deliberately planned to ensure clear visibility of all children and enabling rapid response to any emergency situation.

Foood allergies, intolernces, preferences Upon entry to the school, parents need to provide us with the following information about your son: special dietary requirements, preferences, food allergies, intolerances and special health requirements.

The School has regard for the Early Years Foundation Stage Nutrition Guidance, May 2025, and follows these guidelines for pupils in Reception unless there are documented reasons for alternative approaches.

In Reception all staff members are required to sit facing pupils whilst eating, ensuring continuous visual supervision and the ability to respond immediately to any situation that may arise, particularly choking incidents. Staff rotas are carefully arranged to ensure staff with paediatric first aid training are on site at all times the pupils are eating. All Early Years staff hold a Food Hygiene qualifications.

Our mealtimes are deliberately designed to be relaxed, calm occasions, encouraging shared conversation and social interaction, creating positive associations with food and eating that will benefit children throughout their lives. At snack and lunch time, there is a designated member of staff responsible for checking that the food being provided meets all requirements for each child. Our comprehensive daily monitoring ensures that each child's special dietary requirements are met with accuracy, consistency, and careful attention to individual needs.

UCS Pre-Prep has an allergy aware policy and we aim to be nut-free. Any food we provide in school will not contain nuts, although you should be aware that the manufacturers of ingredients and foodstuffs that we use cannot guarantee that all their products are free from traces of nuts. We ask you not to send nut products in your child’s lunch.

Please notify us of any special food allergies that your child may have and keep us updated if this changes.

Any food items prepared for pupils in school will take consideration of the 14 food allergens covered by the requirements (EU Food Information for Consumers Regulation, enforced in the UK by the Food Information Regulations 2014,) The foods are: celery, cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, lupin, milk, molluscs, mustard, nuts, peanuts, sesame seeds, soya and Sulphur Dioxide. Information may be provided in a written format (e.g. listed on menus or standard recipes), or available for staff to explain verbally to parents and children. Staff have attended Allergy Awareness training.

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Celebrations We encourage parents to share religious, cultural or family celebrations in school. If you wish to celebrate your son’s birthday through bringing in treats/small gifts for their class, these will be shared at the end of the day.

These can be non-edible such as bubbles, pencils or stickers. If this is edible, please follow the allergen aware policy and if anything is homemade ensure the ingredients are listed. Please note these will be sent home so carers can decide if/when they are consumed.

Absence If your child is unwell and unable to cope with the normal demands and routines of the day please do not send them to school. A day spent at home resting is far more beneficial and will ensure a speedy recovery. Please notify the school office as soon as possible and no later than 9:30am, leaving a message or via email, so that the class teacher can be informed. If your child is away for a religious festival or special circumstances, please put your request for absence in writing, via email to the Headmistress. If there is a change to pick up arrangements (e.g. if your child will be going home with a friend), please inform your class teacher or the school office in writing via email.

Clubs There are a variety of before and after school clubs such as tae kwon do, playball, football, construction club and chess (chess is only in the Summer Term) as well as the daily Early Morning Club (drop in) from 8am-8:30am. All club information is on the School Portal.

Excursions The Reception Class will be going on a variety of excursions during the year, linked to the topics studied in Understanding the World. Visits such as Waitrose for an educational visit linked to foods around the world; went on a local walk and went minibeast hunting and pond dipping at Camley Street Nature Reserve. Please check the Calendar on My School Portal.

Home-School Communication As partners in your child’s education we value your insight into their lives and learning. We will, at various points during the year, ask for information from you about your child’s views, interests, likes and dislikes. This is an invaluable help to us in supporting your child’s learning and development the best we can. We ask that parents support the school with writing and reading and this is through numerous ways including revising Jolly Phonic Sounds, word boxes and sharing reading books across the week, letter formation practice and dictation activities. This should not be onerous and teachers will support parents with any tasks set.

Ways to help support your child at home: You can help by encouraging your child to use the toilet independently, wash their hands, put on and fasten their coats.

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Playing games that encourage sharing and turn taking will help your child to build their social skills.

Letting children join in with everyday activities - washing up, cooking, shopping, helping in the garden etc – support personal/social skills.

Enjoying, sharing and reading books in any form is encouraged (stories, information books, newspapers, magazines, comics etc).

Developing your child to join in and talk about stories and their ideas and thoughts. Answering and asking questions: What if…? Why do you think…? How did you…?

Pointing out numbers all around on doors and buses and comparing things which are heavy and light or long and short, weighing and cooking Counting, adding and subtracting anything and everything - socks, cars, shopping, cutlery, fingers and toes! Talk about the shapes you can see in the environment. Singing counting songs and rhymes and enjoying conversations together.

All this rich communication and play supports their interests about the world around them. Play is crucial for your child and we recommend play dates with friends throughout the Reception year and beyond!

Weekly Newsletter Each Friday you will receive an email which summarises the key learning from the week. It is also a useful reminder about events and things coming up.

Curriculum Overview These are hosted on the School Portal each half term outlining what is happening throughout the different curriculum areas in Reception. Any other information will be emailed or hosted on School Portal.

Occasionally we will use the children’s bookbags for correspondence.

The Finchley Every half term you will receive a newsletter, The Finchley, which highlights and celebrates key events across the term.

Reporting and Parent-Teacher Meetings A report of your child’s progress will be sent out in the autumn and summer terms. There are also two formal parent meetings in the autumn and spring but you can request a meeting at any time. Your son’s class teacher may also request to meet with you to discuss progress or your son’s wellbeing.

You can arrange meetings or communicate with the class teachers via their direct email: Woodpeckers – Ms Nik Watt Robins – Ms Stevi Stratton

nik.watt@ucs.org.uk stevi.stratton@ucs.org.uk .

Please note that the teachers are often in class and will therefore only reply to emails when they are available and not teaching your son. If your enquiry is of a more urgent or timely manner, please do not hesitate to contact the School Office: pre-prep@ucs.org.uk 0207 722 4433 21

Arrangements for the Beginning of the AutumnTerm September 2026: To ease the transition into their new school, each class group is divided in half for the first two days of the school term. Children come to school on Tuesday 1st and Wednesday 2nd September, in either the morning (Group 1) or afternoon (Group 2). The first eight children in the class list are Group 1 and the second eight children are Group 2.

Clubs will commence on Monday 7th September 2026.

Autumn Uniform

Please label all items of clothing that your child brings to school with their full name.

If you ever need to ask or confirm anything, please do not hesitate to contact us:

Woodpeckers – Ms Nik Watt nik.watt@ucs.org.uk

Robins – Ms Stevi Stratton stevi.stratton@ucs.org.uk Headmistress - Dr Zoe Dunn zoe.dunn@ucs.org.uk School Office: Kate, Debbi, Grace pre-prep@ucs.org.uk or 0207 7224433 School First Aider – Debbi Mayne debbi.mayne@ucs.org.uk Clubs Administrator – Kate Chang kate.chang@ucs.org.uk 22