Reception at Middleforth C of E Primary School

Welcome to our Reception Class at Middleforth C of E Primary School.

My name is Miss Stritch, Reception Class Teacher and EYFS Lead. I am supported by our wonderful team, Mrs Makepeace and Miss Monk.Together, we create a nurturing, child-centred environment where every child feels valued, supported and inspired to learn.

We recognise that every child begins school with their own unique experiences, interests and strengths. Through strong relationships, high expectations and a deep understanding of child development, we ensure every child is given the very best start to their school journey.

Our Learning Environment

We are incredibly proud of our calm, caring and purposeful learning environment. We want every child to feel safe, happy and confident from the moment they join our Reception class.

Our classroom is carefully designed to promote independence, curiosity and a love of learning. Children learn through a balance of child-initiated play and carefully planned adult-led teaching, enabling them to develop knowledge, skills and understanding across all areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

Both our indoor and outdoor environments are thoughtfully organised to encourage exploration, problem-solving, creativity and communication. High-quality resources and carefully planned enhancements promote sustained engagement and provide opportunities for children to revisit, practise and deepen their learning.

One of the most special aspects of our provision is our extensive outdoor learning environment. Children enjoy free-flow access throughout the day, whatever the weather, allowing them to move seamlessly between indoor and outdoor learning experiences. This supports physical development, wellbeing, independence, resilience and a deep sense of curiosity about the world around them.

Through skilled adult interactions and carefully considered provision, children are encouraged to become confident learners who are willing to take risks, persevere through challenges and think critically.

Our Curriculum

At Middleforth, we deliver an ambitious and carefully sequenced curriculum that builds progressively from our Nursery provision and prepares children for a successful transition into Year 1.

Our curriculum has been designed around what we want our children to know, remember and be able to do. Learning is carefully planned to develop knowledge and skills across all areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage whilst fostering a love of learning and developing the Characteristics of Effective Learning:

• Playing and Exploring
• Active Learning
• Creating and Thinking Critically

Communication and language are at the heart of everything we do. Through high-quality interactions, story-rich learning experiences and carefully planned opportunities for talk, we support children to develop a rich vocabulary and become confident communicators.

We provide meaningful first-hand experiences that inspire curiosity and help children make connections in their learning, ensuring they are well prepared for future success both academically and socially.

Knowing Every Child

At Middleforth, every child is known, valued and celebrated as an individual.
Each child is allocated a Key Worker who develops a strong relationship with them and their family. Our children belong to one of three Key Worker groups:

The Rowan Rangers, led by Miss Stritch and Mr H (Mondays)

The Pine Pioneers, led by Mrs Makepeace.

The Oak Explorers, led by Miss Monk.

This helps to ensure that every child is exceptionally well known by at least one adult whilst still benefiting from the support and care of the whole Reception team.

Through these secure relationships, we develop a deep understanding of each child's strengths, interests, achievements and individual needs. Key Workers are responsible for closely monitoring children's development, celebrating successes and identifying the next steps needed to help every child thrive both academically and personally.

We carefully monitor children's progress through regular observations, ongoing assessment and half-termly reviews using our bespoke progression document. This has been developed using:

• Lancashire EYFS Progression Documents
• Development Matters
• Birth to 5 Matters

By breaking learning into small, progressive steps, staff are able to identify achievements, recognise emerging needs and plan precise next steps to ensure every child makes excellent progress from their individual starting points.

Our Key Worker system also helps us build strong partnerships with families, ensuring information is shared effectively between home and school. This enables us to provide personalised support, celebrate milestones together and ensure every child feels safe, valued and ready to learn.

Our inclusive approach ensures that all children receive the support, challenge and encouragement they need to flourish and reach their full potential.

Working in Partnership with Families

We believe that strong partnerships between home and school are fundamental to children's success.

We work closely with families to ensure parents and carers are fully involved in their child's learning journey. Through regular communication, celebrations of learning and shared experiences, we develop positive relationships that support children's development both at home and at school.

We use Class Dojo as our main communication platform, enabling us to share learning experiences, important information and celebrate children's achievements with families throughout the year.

We value the important role parents play as their child's first educators and recognise that by working together we can provide the very best outcomes for every child.