Greswold have an intake of three Reception classes each with up to thirty children each year. Each class is taught by their own teacher with a full time equivalent teaching assistant.

Our Reception classrooms are organised with the Early Years curriculum in mind, with carpeted areas for whole class teaching, areas for creative and imaginative development and teaching areas for focused teaching or 1:1 work. There is a strong focus on learning through play. Children are encouraged to engage with their peers, choose and use resources independently and have their own ideas. Each classroom is equipped with an interactive whiteboard for whole class teaching or group work.

Each classroom opens onto our Foundation Key Stage outdoor area which provides many opportunities for play and learning. Here the children can enjoy many gross-motor activities including riding on bikes, scooters and cars or playing with bats and balls. They can learn by playing in sand or water and learn how to garden in their allotment. They can also enjoy role play, painting, model making and construction.

Our Reception staff value the importance of play in children’s development in the early years. The timetable is planned for each day taking into account the seven areas of learning:

• Personal, Social and Emotional Development (Making relationships, Self-confidence and self-awareness, Managing feelings and behaviour)
• Communication and Language (Listening and attention, Understanding, Speaking)
• Physical Development (Moving and handling, Health and self-care)
• Literacy (Reading, Writing)
• Mathematics (Numbers, Shape, space and measure)
• Understanding the World (People and communities, The world, Technology)
• Expressive Arts and Design (Exploring & using media and materials, Being imaginative)

Our Reception teachers use a topic-based approach to learning, with a two-year rolling programme of topics being shared across our Foundation Key Stage. The areas of learning outlined above are linked to topics such as transport or colours. You can read more about the curriculum here.

At Greswold we aim to foster a love of reading and so the development of reading skills is a priority. A key focus of our teaching is the development of phonic skills. Our main scheme for teaching phonics is Supersonic Phonic Friends which is supplemented by a reading books from a range of schemes. We use a wide range of teaching methods and resources to deliver our lessons including games, videos and interactive whiteboard activities. Reading books are sent home on a regular basis for you to enjoy with your child.

Our partnership with parents

To support parents, we offer a meeting prior to your child starting in September so we can guide you through class routines. Early in the Autumn term, a second meeting is held to introduce some of the curriculum in more details. There are two formal parent-teacher consultations at key points through the year and an informal opportunity for discussion at the end of the Summer term. Staff are on hand at the end of most days to discuss queries you may have. Each Monday, parents are invited into an assembly to celebrate achievements and birthdays. Four children from each class are awarded a certificate in this assembly and parents are notified of this via the weekly newsletter.

Special events

Throughout the year there are a number of special events for the children to enjoy. The children take part in a harvest festival and also put on a production at Christmas. Parents are invited to enjoy both of these events to watch their child shine. In the Spring term there is a special Mother’s Day assembly while during the Summer term there is also the traditional sports day. Reception enjoy two off-site educational visits during the academic year – which are also opportunities for parents to help. As part of Greswold more widely, our Reception classes also join in celebrating some national events such as Comic Relief or World Book Day. We also have special topic days from time to time when the children have the opportunity to dress up.

Assessment and feedback

The children’s progress throughout Reception is regularly monitored via ongoing observations. We currently use Tapestry to collate assessment information and also use this to feed this information back to parents.

Transition to Key Stage 1

In the Summer term, children have the opportunity to spend a day with their Year 1 teacher in their new classroom. Here they learn more about what they will be doing when they arrive in Year 1.

Times for the school day

School begins - 8:50 am

Lunchtime - 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm

End of lessons - 3:20 pm

Child care outside these hours is provided by our own provision, Greswold Greyhounds Childcare. For more details, visit their section of the website.

Lunchtime

As part of the government’s Universal Infant Free School Meals programme, all children in Reception are provided a meal at lunchtime without a charge to parents. The meals are provided by Solihull Catering Services. More details are available here.

Useful skills

To ensure that your child has the basic skills to make them independent and to thrive at school, here are some of the things that will aid your child’s development:

• Go to the toilet and wash hands afterwards.

• Eat lunch without help, using a knife and fork, where appropriate.

• Put on a coat and gloves.

• Get changed into their PE kit and back into their uniform.

Visiting Greswold

If you are interested in choosing Greswold as your child’s school, we have an open day during the Autumn term when you can view our school and facilities. Visiting Greswold may be possible on other dates by prior arrangement with the School Office. If your child takes up a place at Greswold, you will be informed of the dates of subsequent meetings.