Our Reception

Welcome

Whether this is your child's first experience of a setting, you are moving up from our Nursery or are transferring from another nursery, childminder or playgroup, our experienced staff welcome you to the Reception year group of Hook Norton School. Here at Hook Norton School, we provide high quality Early Years Education and care for children aged 4-5 years in the Reception Year. We have large classrooms, a wonderful outside space, and our experienced and caring staff will welcome you and your child into our school. It is a warm and nurturing place for your child to continue their education.  The children join the main school to participate in some events and celebrations and see the wonderful performances by the older children. The Reception children have their own class entrance, a purpose built classroom, accessible bathroom and an outdoor area.

Our school day

Children are supported in learning the structure of the day and the routines which will help them to grow in confidence and independence. On arrival they hang up their coats and organise their belongings, sit for Registration on the carpet and then enjoy an environment with a wide range of resources both inside and out. High quality interactions between staff and children optimise learning and development which is recorded and shared with parents through Learning Journeys and the opportunity for termly meetings. Children are encouraged to care for their environment and support each other in tidying away.

Curriculum

Inside and outside there are planned adult and child led activities that support the children to learn through play and develop in all seven areas of the EYFS.

  • Personal, social and emotional development (PSED)
  • Communication and language.
  • Physical development.
  • Literacy.
  • Maths.
  • Understanding the world.
  • Expressive arts and design.

A water tray, malleable and creative activities, large and small bricks, construction, maths and mark making areas, musical instruments, small world imaginative play, role play area and an extensive selection of books are all available daily. We follow the Read Write Inc phonics scheme. Children will work in small groups daily to learn to read and write. Further information about our phonics program can be found here Parents and Carers - Ruth Miskin Literacy Children are taught maths daily using the White Rose Maths scheme of learning. Further information about our school curriculum can be found here. 

School meals

Lunches are eaten in the main school hall under the guidance of our Lunchtime Supervisors. All children in Reception and KS1 are entitled to Free School Meals. These must be pre-booked using our Scopay app. The menu rotates on a 3 weekly basis and is updated each term. Alternatively, you may provide your child with a healthy packed lunch. Please note that we are a nut free school. Please click here for more details about school lunches. 

Essential information

  • Your child should arrive at school between 8:40am and 8:50am. If your child will be absent, please contact the school office prior to 8:45am. Children should be collected at 3:10pm.
  • Your child should have a complete change of clothes including shoes and socks in school at all times. These should be named and in a drawstring bag.
  • After the Christmas holidays, children should have a PE kit consisting of dark shorts and a plain white t-shirt. This should stay in school.
  • Your child will need a named water bottle each day.
  • Book bags should be bought into school each day. These should be slimline.

Communication

We use Tapestry, a secure online Learning Journal, to record photos, observations and comments in line with the EYFS curriculum to build up a record of your child’s experiences during their time with us. Each child will also have a focus week in the Autumn Term where we will update you with your child’s progress and how they’re settling into Reception. Parent consultations take place in the Autumn and Spring terms and you will receive a written report on your child’s progress in the Summer.

Forest School

Forest School is a unique way of building independence and self-esteem in young children. They originated in Scandinavia in the 1950’s and focused on teaching children about the natural world. From here the idea was brought to Bridgewater College, Somerset, in 1995 and has spread throughout the UK since. Hook Norton has been involved with Oxfordshire Forest Schools for many years and we use the outdoor environment to support children’s learning across the whole curriculum. We use learning and teaching strategies which foster and develop self-esteem. We find that the combination of freedom and responsibility have been particularly beneficial to children who, for whatever reason, struggle within a conventional classroom environment, or who exhibit challenging behaviour. The experience is fun, and the learning which occurs is observed and recorded in a similar way to the learning which occurs in school. With adult supervision the children can experience types of activities that are not always possible in school and are often considered dangerous such as climbing trees, lighting fires, toasting marshmallows and using tools. The Reception children attend Forest School fortnightly and visit a marked-out area of woodland near Swalcliffe which has been set aside for our school. We travel by minibus and the session includes time for a drink and snack (please send in one packet of your child’s favourite biscuits with their name on thank you) before returning to school. We attend Forest School sessions throughout the year to ensure that the children experience all weathers and seasons and develop a deeper understanding about the natural world along the way. The correct clothing is essential so please ensure your child is appropriately dressed. We are unable to run sessions without the help of parents. Please sign up on the rota on the Forest board. Many employers now give staff some free days for volunteer work so please check with your employer if you can use them to support our project.

How can I help?

Volunteers are most welcome in our classroom. If you would like to listen to children read or assist with other activities, please let a member of staff know.

Moving on

The Reception and Year One team work closely together to ensure that your child enjoys a smooth transition into Year One where they will continue to develop a lifelong love of learning. We offer a stimulating, supporting and happy learning environment provided by experienced, caring staff, and we look forward to welcoming your family to be a part of our wonderful village school.