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Early Years

‘Play, while central, is not the only way in which children develop and learn in the early years. Children

also have opportunities to learn through first-hand experiences of all sorts, alongside being shown how to do things, having conversations, and taking part in activities which are planned by adults to introduce or practice particular skills.’ - Birth to Five 2021

Welcome to Reception​

Welcome to Our School

A very warm welcome to St Thomas Primary School! We are absolutely delighted that your child will be joining the St Thomas family this September. Your child will be part of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), where we strive to create a nurturing, engaging, and inspiring environment to support every child’s learning journey. We have two Reception classes led by Mrs Littlewood (Early Years Lead) and Mrs Dalby, supported by a dedicated team of Early Years Teaching Assistants.

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Starting School – Important Information

We understand that starting school is a big step for both children and their families. To help you prepare, we’ve provided lots of helpful information below. You’ll also find practical hints and tips to support your child’s transition, making the experience as smooth and positive as possible for everyone involved.

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All About Reception
At St Thomas, we work tirelessly to create an innovative, fun, inspiring, and creative learning environment—both indoors and outdoors, that enables all children to learn, play, explore, have a go, make choices, develop critical thinking, and solve problems.

Each half term, we introduce a new exciting topic supported by a carefully chosen selection of fantastic stories and books designed to hook your child’s interest and deepen their learning. We truly value the importance of books and regularly re-read stories to help develop your child’s vocabulary and understanding.

Our topics are:

  • Me and My Community

with a companion project: Exploring Autumn

  • Once Upon a Time

with a companion project: Sparkle and Shine

  • Starry Night

with a companion project: Winter Wonderland

  • Dangerous Dinosaurs

with a companion project: Puddles and Rainbows

  • Sunshine & Sunflowers

with a companion project: Shadows and Reflections

  • Big Wide World

with a companion project: Splash!

Our Classroom Environment

At St Thomas, we take pride in creating a classroom environment that is both creative and fun, designed to engage and inspire young learners. Each half term, we follow carefully planned topics that spark curiosity and excitement in children.

Our approach balances child-initiated play with adult-led activities, ensuring that learning is both meaningful and enjoyable. Children are taught Phonics, Writing, and Maths every day, laying strong foundations for future learning.

We place a high value on reading and make it a key part of our daily routine—your child will be read to at least twice a day, enjoying a wide range of high-quality picture books that stimulate imagination and language development.

Children have the opportunity to explore both indoors and outdoors, with daily access to our outdoor classroom, where they can investigate and learn about the world around them in a hands-on and active way.

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Each half term, the children explore a new topic, and our classroom environment is carefully enhanced to reflect and support their learning. For example, during the Spring term, the children learn about ‘Dangerous Dinosaurs’. To bring this topic to life, we add exciting and stimulating resources to the classroom. A digging area is created where children can become paleontologists, searching for fossils and making exciting discoveries. The book corner is transformed with leaves, camouflaged materials, and a range of dinosaur-themed small world toys, encouraging imaginative play and a love of reading.

 

Your child will begin each school day in their own classroom, where the teacher delivers daily Maths, Phonics, and Writing lessons. After these sessions, children have the opportunity to move freely between both Reception classrooms and the outdoor learning space. Both the indoor and outdoor environments are carefully organised to provide access to a wide range of engaging learning areas. These include sand and water play, a Maths area, Art and Junk Modelling, a Home Corner, a Music Station, and much more. This setup encourages children to develop their independence and explore their interests through purposeful play.Throughout the day, our team of supportive adults actively engage with the children—listening, responding, and modelling rich language and vocabulary to enhance learning and support communication and confidence in every interaction.

 

Outdoor Learning

We are working hard to transform our outdoor learning space into a vibrant and inspiring environment. With plenty of room to explore, our outdoor area supports children’s development across all areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage. We believe the outdoor environment is a powerful tool for learning, offering unique opportunities for discovery, creativity, and growth. As an extension of our classroom, it provides a safe, stimulating, and natural space where children can play, investigate, and thrive.. 

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Parents as Partners
At St Thomas Primary School, we firmly believe that children achieve their very best when there is a strong partnership between home and school. That’s why we are committed to fostering open, honest, and supportive communication with all our families.

We operate an open-door policy and warmly welcome any questions, feedback, or opportunities to collaborate. Your involvement is both valued and vital to your child’s learning journey, and we are here to support you every step of the way.

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How Do We Involve Families?
We actively encourage family involvement in many aspects of school life. As part of your child’s transition and ongoing development, we invite you to:

  • Attend welcome meetings and parent workshops, including phonics and early reading sessions

  • Join us for stay-and-play events, where you can see your child learning in action

  • Participate in special events and celebrations

  • Engage with our regular communications via Seesaw and Class Dojo. These platforms help keep you updated and informed about your child’s progress and learning throughout the year.

These opportunities help build a strong connection between school and home and empower you to take an active role in your child’s early education.

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Mystery Reader

Each Friday, we invite parents or family members to come in and share their child’s favourite story from home with the class.

Please remember to keep it a surprise—it’s a truly special moment to see your child’s face light up when they realise their special person is here to read to everyone!

 

Home Learning

All staff regularly capture  and upload special milestones and achievements in your child’s learning and development. These observations may include written notes, photographs, or videos, and are uploaded to our secure online platform, Seesaw.

You will receive a personal login so you can view your child’s learning journey, leave comments, and stay connected with their progress. We also encourage you to upload your own photos and observations from home, helping us build a more complete picture of your child’s interests, experiences, and achievements.

In addition, homework activities will be shared via Seesaw, making it a key link between home and school.

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Teachers2Parents

We use a messaging service called Teachers2Parents to send important updates and communications to parents via text and email.

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Newsletters

Each half term, we post a newsletter on Class Dojo—both at the beginning and end of the term. These newsletters include important information about our learning topics, upcoming dates, and many exciting ideas for how you can support your child’s learning at home.

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