1. Welcome to the Foundation Stage Unit

2. Our Team! F2 staff Miss Machin F2 Teaching Assistant Miss Weatherson F2 Teacher Miss Priestley F2 Teaching Assistant Miss Dobb F2 Teacher Mrs Doherty FS Coordinator F2 Teacher

3. Other staff your child may work with… Miss Heighton FS Playworker Mrs Keeton Reading and Bear Words

4. Reading Each child has been given their own reading book to read at home and school. Your child will change their reading book once a week. Each child will be listened to read once a week at school and every day at home. Each time your child is listened to read it will be recorded in their red reading diary.

5. Speech and Language Listening and attention, understanding, speech sounds and talk, social skills What we do Promote talk through play Talk time Communication friendly spaces Speech and language groups and one to one sessions Singing Narrative therapy – who, what, where, when Makaton signs and symbols Referrals We assess children’s speech and language development and if they are ‘at risk of delay’ we refer them to a Speech and Language Therapist. – We require parental permission to do so. If you are concerned about your child’s speech and language, please speak to your child’s key worker. Mrs Waldron Speech and Language Teaching Assistant

6. Our Topics Autumn 1 – Me Me Me Dress up day: Favourite Pet! Autumn 2 – Icicles! Dress up day: Pyjama party! Spring 1 – Think Big! Dress up day: Prince and Princess’ (Disney character) Spring 2 – All things Bright and Beautiful Dress up day: Spring character Summer 1 – Tiny Science! Dress up day: Teddy Bears Picnic Summer 2 – Sunshine! Dress up day: Beach party!

7. Play! sand water mud colouring sticking painting cutting small world teddies numbers physical construction dens

8. Transition Through out the year your child will experience many opportunities to help them adapt to changes from Nursery to Reception and then Reception to Year 1. Autumn Term: Children will experience a curriculum very similar to that in Nursery. From the autumn term all F2 children will attend a Key Stage One assembly each Wednesday and then go out to play with the children in Key Stage One for morning break. F2 children will experience sessions separated from the F1 children for two hours a day for Literacy and Mathematics guided work. Spring/Summer Term: Children will experience less chosen play and more controlled play. Children will carry out more independent and group tasks with their Key Worker for Reading, Writing and Mathematics. Children will experience more days where they have separated sessions from the F1 children. Summer Term: Children will begin their transition to Year 1 by having weekly visits to their new classroom and teacher.

9. Our Daily Routine Lining up/Register Literacy/Mathematics Choosing (10 mins -guided group work) Phonics Choosing Group Time (topic, circle time, PSED, music, narrative, handwriting) Dinner time Lining up/Register Literacy/Mathematics Choosing (10 mins guided group work) Group Time (topic, circle time, PSED, music, narrative, handwriting) Choosing Story/ Song Home time PE –Monday Handwriting – Tuesday and Friday Celebrations – Friday

10. Pip Phonics Pip Phonics is a programme designed to help your children learn to read and write. It teaches them the sounds that letters make; through actions, songs and pictures. Children will work through phases during their time in Foundation Stage and Key Stage One.

11. Bear Words and Spellings Bear words is a school initiative designed to help your children learn to read sight words. These are to be learnt at home and the children will then be tested at school once a week. Each time your child completes a bear they will be given a new set of words to learn. This will continue through to Key Stage 1. Children are given spellings to learn to write each week These are to be learnt at home and the children will then be tested at school once a week.

12. Help your child at home Homework Your child will receive one piece of homework a week on a Friday. This will be related to what your child has been learning or will be learning the following week to help consolidate learning. We ask that you try and find the time to sit with your child and help them with their homework as it is an important part of their learning. We would ask that you return your child’s homework books to school by the following Wednesday (at the latest). Foundation Stage Newsletter Your child will receive ‘What a Busy Week’ newsletter each Friday in their homework book. Please spend some time looking at the pictures and discuss with your child what they have learnt that week in school. You will also have an insight into what your child will be learning the following week if you wish to spend time researching this with your child. Talk for Writing Tip Every Thursday your child will take a ‘Talk for Writing tip’ home. This will be related to their Literacy writing for Friday, so doing this at home will help with your child’s learning at school.

13. Physical Development Your child will have PE once a week throughout the school year. This on a Monday every week. Please can you ensure if your child takes their PE kit home to be washed that is returned to school for the following weeks PE lesson. (We do recommend that your child keeps their kit at school all half term.) We encourage children to dress themselves independently where they can, however children have an understanding that if they require help they can ask for help. Your child has been provided with a labelled kit. It is your child's responsibility to look after this kit and if items are lost or outgrown then parents are expected to purchase school kit.

14. Traffic Light Good to be Green! We use the whole school traffic light system to promote and encourage positive behaviour. Golden Star! – Fantastic work! Green – good and kind behaviour. Amber – acts as a warning to encourage listening and enforce the importance of good behaviour. Red – used as a consequence for physical and verbal negative behaviour On a Friday we have Golden Time to celebrate children’s good behaviour. If your child has been on red that week, they will miss Golden Time. One child per group will be awarded their group’s Mascot Bag for extra special work that week.

15. Focus Weeks Focus Weeks give parents the opportunity to see their child’s work and progress in school as well as observing their child in the unit.. Each child will have a Focus Week once a term. Focus weeks are important as they allow you time with your child’s key worker, giving you the opportunity to ask any questions or raise concerns that you haven’t had the opportunity to before. As in F1 you will be given a Next steps report on your child explaining their progress in the areas of learning and a brief description of the work they have been doing over the course of their Focus Week. Each child will be given a Next Step Target to learn at school and at home and once achieved, this will be celebrated. At the end of the School year you will be given a print out of your child’s Learning Journey and the photos that have been collated over the year.

16. Food and drink at school Snack Every child receives free fruit daily. If you would like your child to receive milk at school you are required to register with cool milk. Children under 5 receive free milk. When your child turns 5 you will be required to pay for milk unless your child is eligible for free school meals. Your child can bring water/ dilute to school if they do not like milk. Water is available throughout the day for them. School Dinners All children are now entitled to a free school meal until the age of 7.

17. Extended Services Breakfast Club 8.00am – 9.00am 50p Out of School Club 3.30pm – 6.00pm £5 snack included

18. Dates for the diary Christmas Performance: Afternoon performance – Monday 12 th December Morning performance – Thursday 15 th December School Trip: Autumn 1: Emergency Services Museum – Thursday 13 th October Autumn 2: Library Visit (Christmas theme) Spring 1: Panto trip – Aladdin - Spring 2: White Post Farm to visit school Summer 1: Vicker Waters Summer 2: Sundown Adventure Park! Foundation Stage Christmas Party – Monday 19 th December Christmas Dinner – Friday 16 th December

19. Any Questions?

20. Now there is an opportunity for you to speak with your child's class teacher and TA