Welcome to Acorn (Reception) class 2026-2027

Welcome to Acorn Class! We are so excited to begin our new 2026/27 academic year together! The children have made a fantastic start to Reception, getting to know their new friends, settling into routines and exploring their new learning environment. We are so proud of how confidently they are beginning to embrace new experiences and challenges. 

Over the coming weeks, we will be focusing on building strong relationships, developing independence and becoming familiar with all the routines and expectations of Reception. We will be learning through lots of play, exploration and hands-on experiences, while beginning to develop the skills we will use throughout the year. 

We've put some information below about what we will be learning and getting up to in Acorn Class this term.

What will we be learning in Reception this term?

Maths:

In Reception, we follow a maths mastery approach, giving children plenty of time and opportunities to develop, deepen and make connections in their mathematical understanding.

Children will explore mathematical ideas through both adult-led sessions and through purposeful play in our indoor and outdoor environments. Our staff members will support children's mathematical thinking during play by modelling mathematical language, posing problems and encouraging children to apply what they know in meaningful contexts.

We provide a range of opportunities for children to explore the same mathematical concepts in different ways and through a variety of representations. Children are encouraged to share their mathematical thinking in lots of different ways, including through talking, pointing, gesture, mark-making, using mathematical resources and demonstrating their understanding through practical activities.

Literacy:

In Literacy, we will focus on developing the children's phonics, reading, writing and communication skills. We will explore a wide range of high-quality books and stories, using these as a starting point for our learning across the curriculum.

We will encourage children to develop a love of books and become familiar with different characters, settings and story structures. We will also use Talk for Writing approaches, supporting children to listen to, join in with, retell, sequence and eventually write their own stories.

Key Texts:

Throughout the term, we will explore a selection of carefully chosen books in detail. Our key texts will provide inspiration for our learning and give children opportunities to develop their vocabulary, comprehension, imagination and understanding of the world around them.

Some of the texts we aim to explore this term include Find your happy, Best Bear Tracker and Rainbow Fish.

Phonics:

The children will take part in a daily phonics session, where they will learn new sounds and begin to apply these skills when reading and writing.

Phonics books will be sent home each Thursday and you will also receive a log in to our phonics bug account where there is more stories for your child to read. 

Further information about our approach to teaching phonics can be found at the bottom of this page. We have also included some of the resources discussed during our Phonics Information Evening (date tbc).

PE:

Our PE kit consists of:

• Maroon shorts
• A white school-logo T-shirt
• Black pumps

During colder weather, children may wear a plain, dark-coloured tracksuit, particularly as some PE sessions will take place outdoors.

On PE days, children should come to school wearing their PE kit.

Timetable:

• PE: Wednesdays and Thursdays
• Phonics: Daily
• Literacy: Daily
• Mathematics: Daily
• Topic and Understanding the World: Regular sessions throughout the week
• Outdoor learning and purposeful play: Daily opportunities

Useful information:

Our school day begins at 8.50am. The school door will be open from 8.45am until 8.55am.

The school day finishes at 3.15pm. Reception children will leave through their classroom door. 

Essentials:

Please ensure your child brings the following items to school, all clearly labelled with their name:

• A pair of wellies
• A waterproof suit, or waterproof jacket and trousers
• A named water bottle
• A book bag

We spend lots of time learning and playing outdoors throughout the year, so having suitable waterproof clothing in school is essential. We will be making the most of our outdoor environment in all seasons!

Parents as Partners:

From birth, children are constantly learning and developing, both at home and in their wider experiences. As parents and carers, you are your child's first and most enduring educators, and we believe that working closely together is an important part of supporting your child's learning and development.

We would love to hear about the experiences your child enjoys outside of school. This could be anything from a special day out, visiting family, taking part in a club, dancing in a show, baking a cake or learning to swim. These experiences can provide wonderful opportunities for children to develop their confidence, language and understanding of the world.

Please share these experiences with us whenever you can. We really value your contributions, as they help us to build on your child's interests and plan meaningful learning opportunities in school.

We will also continue to share photographs and examples of the children's learning throughout the year, helping us to work together and build strong home-school links.

We look forward to a wonderful year together!

We hope you find this information useful as we begin our Reception journey together. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to come and speak to us.

Thank you for your continued support.

Miss Bradford and Mrs Mallick
Acorn Class

Please find below the information that we shared at out Phonics Information Evening in September.