What is going on in Reception?
Over the course of the school year, we will be adding some useful information to this page. You can find all the information you need, below, regarding our current learning within school this term and it may also include some handy tips and tricks to help your child at home or may be some useful websites for learning, related to our topics in class. Our topics do also try to follow the children's interests, so what you may be reading here is what Miss Ingham planned to teach, but curiosity may get the better of us and lead us down a different road!
Literacy and Phonics
In Literacy this term, children will continue to develop their early phonics and writing skills. Now that they are able to segment and blend CVC and CVCC words, we will place a strong focus on writing.
Children will begin by writing initial sounds, before progressing to captions and simple sentences. They will be encouraged to apply their phonics knowledge confidently when writing and to begin forming sentences that can be read by others.
Our writing will be inspired by a range of high-quality texts, including The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Paddington, Jonty Gentoo, The Great Pet Sale, Jack and the Beanstalk and The Castle the King Built. Alongside this, children will continue learning new phonics sounds, beginning with vowel digraphs, and applying these sounds in both their reading and writing.
In Maths this term, we will focus on developing children’s understanding of number, counting and early calculation, alongside key mathematical concepts such as time and measurement.
Children will explore:
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Counting to 10 and understanding numbers 1–10
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Introducing and understanding zero
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Counting to 5 and subitising numbers 1–5
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Finding, representing and composing numbers 0–5
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Addition and subtraction within numbers 1–5
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Consolidating the composition of numbers 0–5
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Understanding and composing numbers 6, 7 and 8
We will also explore mass and capacity, helping children compare and describe quantities, as well as learning about time, including day and night and daily routines. Learning will be practical and hands-on, encouraging children to talk about their mathematical thinking.
RE
In RE this term, our first topic will be “Which stories are special and why?”. Children will explore a range of special stories, focusing on key Christian stories such as Joseph and his Coat of Many Colours and Jonah and the Whale. We will discuss why these stories are important to Christians and what messages they teach.
Children will also learn about stories from other religions, including stories found in the Qu’ran, helping them understand that stories can be special and meaningful to people of different faiths.
Alongside this learning, we will focus on our Christian Value of truthfulness this half term. Through stories, discussion and reflection, children will think about what it means to be truthful, why honesty is important, and how they can show truthfulness in their own lives.
Understanding the World
This term, our Understanding the World learning will focus on “All Creatures Great and Small”, where children will explore animals, habitats, seasons, celebrations and simple scientific concepts.
We will begin by learning about animals and the seasons, focusing on winter and spring. Children will learn that during winter, some animals hibernate in order to stay warm and safe when food is scarce. We will explore what hibernation is, which animals hibernate, and what happens when animals come out of hibernation in spring.
Children will then learn about animals that live in extreme environments, including the Arctic Circle. We will explore what the climate is like in the Arctic, learning that it is very cold with ice and snow, and discuss how animals survive there. Children will discover how animals have special adaptations, such as thick fur, blubber and camouflage, to help them stay warm and find food.
We will also explore the rainforest, learning that rainforests are found on or near the equator and have a very different climate to where we live. Children will learn about animals that live in the rainforest and compare this environment to our own, noticing differences in weather, plants, animals and daily life.
As part of our learning about animals, we will discuss why zoos are important. Children will learn how zoos help to care for animals, protect endangered species, support conservation, and help people learn more about animals from around the world.
We will also explore cultural celebrations, focusing on Chinese New Year 2026. Children will learn how people celebrate Chinese New Year, including traditions, food, decorations and parades. We will discuss why 2026 is the Year of the Horse and what the horse symbolises in Chinese culture.
Our scientific learning will include exploring simple scientific concepts, such as understanding that water freezes at 0 degrees Celsius. Children will take part in simple investigations and be encouraged to ask scientific questions, make predictions, observe changes and talk about what they notice.
Through hands-on activities, stories, discussion and exploration, children will develop curiosity about the world around them and begin to understand how animals, people and environments are connected.
PSED
In this unit, children will focus on managing themselves by learning how to take on challenges in a positive and confident way.
Children will develop an understanding of why we have rules and how rules help to keep us safe, happy and able to learn together. They will learn about the importance of persistence and perseverance, especially when tasks feel tricky or do not go right the first time.
Through stories, discussion and practical activities, children will learn how to communicate effectively with others, including listening, taking turns and expressing their feelings appropriately. They will also practise a range of ‘grounding’ and coping strategies to help them manage big feelings, calm themselves and stay focused.
Throughout the unit, children will be supported to develop resilience, confidence and independence, learning new skills that help them to keep trying, overcome challenges and feel proud of their achievements.