Welcome to Ash Class!

Ash Class – Reception

Ash Class is where our children begin their exciting school journey in Reception. We follow the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), which helps us give your child the very best start.

In our classroom, learning happens in lots of different ways. Children take part in adult-led activities, but they also learn through child-initiated play within our continuous provision, which we call Discovery Time. This gives children the chance to follow their own interests, make choices, and build independence, while also developing important skills such as problem-solving, creativity and fine motor control.

Alongside Discovery Time, we have focused sessions that cover all areas of learning, including Phonics, Drawing Club, Maths, RE, PE, Music, PSHRE and Understanding of the World. These sessions introduce new knowledge and skills in a fun and engaging way, helping children grow in confidence and curiosity.

Staff

Reception children are taught by Mrs Williams and Mrs Goatley. 

Other adults who work regularly in the classroom are Ms Stubbs, Miss Hartwell and Miss Fisher. 

If you have a message or query about your child, you are welcome to speak to the staff member at the door in the morning, Mrs Williams at the end of the school day (once she has seen the children out) or by contacting the school office to arrange a meeting or phone call.

Discovery Time in Ash Class 

What is Discovery Time?

Discovery time is when the children are able to access continuous provision. Continuous provision describes all of the different provision areas which are available for your children to use every day. Within each of these areas of provision there is a range of resources that children can use all of the time, throughout the whole year offering a breadth of learning possibilities.

This will enable children to learn skills, will challenge their thinking and help them to embed concepts. It also provides the context for a variety of learning conversations between children and adults with rich opportunities for modelling and extending speech and vocabulary. It is within this learning environment that the children will also develop key learning attributes. We stride to offer activities to enhance children’s engagement, independence, collaboration, self-confidence, resilience, curiosity and creativity.

In Ash class we have created clearly defined spaces. Creating provision areas in this way tends to lead to fewer distractions and also provides the context for children to collaborate, form relationships and communicate as well as promote mathematical thinking and meaningful writing opportunities.

What is Drawing Club?

Drawing Club

Drawing Club is the brainchild of Greg Bottrill, from Can I Go and Play Now?. It immerses children in a world full of imagination, stories, and creativity.

Each week, we use a special book, tale, or short animation as our “portal” into a magical story world. Through drawing, talk, and play, children develop their language, storytelling skills, and fine motor control. They also begin to explore early writing and even some maths concepts like shape, doubling and halving.

Children love Drawing Club because it feels like an adventure. They invent “magic words,” create secret symbols on their drawings, and bring stories to life through their imagination.

In short, Drawing Club helps us open up the magic of stories for children, enriching their vocabulary, building confidence in mark-making, and nurturing a lifelong love of storytelling.

Discovery Time Areas and Activities 

Reception Update – Our First Full Week

The Reception children have had a fantastic first full week at school!

We have started Phonics and Maths and also enjoyed our new Drawing Club, where we have been listening to The Colour Monster. This story has helped us recognise and talk about our different emotions and feelings, before creating our own versions of the story through drawing.

Our activities have all been based around The Colour Monster, and the children have had so much fun:

• Threading Colour Monsters
• Making collage Colour Monsters
• Creating messy noodle monsters
• Sorting colours into Colour Monster jars
• And lots more exciting challenges!

Outside, the children have loved riding bikes, building in the role play area with logs and tyres, exploring in the sand, and climbing. We also went on a Wellbeing Welly Walk, collecting natural items to make a display for the Newbury Show.

We are learning how to do good sitting, looking, and listening, and we’ve been sharing lots of songs and rhymes together. The children also enjoyed their first football session with our football coach!

It has been a busy, fun-filled week, and the children have made a brilliant start to their Reception journey.

Autumn 1 Reminders – 2025

Clothing

• Please make sure all coats, clothing and PE kit are clearly named.

• Both Reception and Year 1 children play and learn outdoors every day, whatever the weather. Please ensure your child has a named coat in school daily.

PE

• Days: Monday & Wednesday

• Please dress your child in clothes they can manage independently (e.g. taking them off, turning them the right way, and putting them back on).

Reading Books & Reading Records (Reception)

• Please note that Reception children will not receive a reading book until at least mid-term in Autumn 1.

• Reading books and records are given out on Mondays.

• Yellow reading records will be returned on Tuesdays, giving Mrs Williams & Mrs Goatley time to write in them.

• To support consolidation and fluency, children will bring home two reading books each week.

  • Shorter books may be read in one sitting, but as children progress, longer books may need to be read over two sessions.

Library Books

• Day: Friday

• Children visit the school library each week to independently choose a book to take home.

• These books are for you to enjoy reading to your child. Reading aloud is an important step in developing a love of reading, especially before children can read fluently themselves.

Drinks & Snacks

• All children are provided with a daily piece of fruit or vegetable.

• Fresh drinking water is always available.

• Reception children have access to cups, but all children are welcome to bring in a clear water bottle (no larger than 500ml) with a secure sip lid to prevent spills.

Useful Information

Learning Links

Below are some links and websites that the children might enjoy at home, click on the pictures to go to the linked page.  Please note that some of the links are Youtube sites so please supervise your child when they use the internet at home.