How children learn in Reception

Reception is not simply preparation for Year 1. It is the final year of the Early Years Foundation Stage and has its own distinctive approach to teaching and learning.

Children learn through a carefully planned combination of:

• explicit teaching

• purposeful play

• adult modelling

• guided practice

• practical experience

• high-quality conversation

• stories and books

• indoor and outdoor continuous provision

• opportunities to revisit and apply taught knowledge

• carefully planned support and challenge

Our adults know when to teach directly, when to join and extend children’s play, and when to step back so that children can think, solve problems and work independently.

Learning is carefully sequenced. Staff are clear about the knowledge, language and skills children need to develop throughout the year.

Our Reception curriculum

The Reception curriculum follows the Early Years Foundation Stage and develops learning across seven interconnected areas.

Prime areas

• Communication and Language

• Personal, Social and Emotional Development

• Physical Development

Specific areas

• Literacy

• Mathematics

• Understanding the World

• Expressive Arts and Design

The United Curriculum provides the wider curriculum spine for Nursery and Reception. It supports carefully sequenced development across the seven areas and helps children build the knowledge, vocabulary and experiences they need for their next steps.

The curriculum is adapted to reflect the children and community we serve while remaining broad and ambitious.

Our curriculum is not based only on activities or children’s existing interests. We introduce children to carefully selected stories, ideas, vocabulary, people, places and experiences which expand their knowledge of the world.

Communication and oracy

Communication and language run through the whole Reception curriculum.

Children need to understand and use spoken language confidently in order to learn successfully. Our adults model ambitious vocabulary, extend children’s sentences and create frequent opportunities for children to talk, listen and explain.

Children develop their communication through:

• conversations with adults and other children

• high-quality stories and non-fiction texts

• songs, rhymes and poems

• role play and storytelling

• partner and small-group discussion

• retelling and sequencing events

• explaining ideas and answering questions

• describing observations

• learning and using new vocabulary

Our Voice 21 approach helps children learn how to listen attentively, take turns, express their ideas and participate in purposeful discussion.

We recognise that children communicate in different ways. Visual prompts, gestures, signs, objects or alternative communication methods are used where these help a child understand and express themselves.

Every child has a voice at Waterloo.

Phonics and early reading

Children receive daily phonics and early reading teaching through Read Write Inc.

Read Write Inc. provides a clear and systematic approach through which children learn to:

• recognise and say sounds

• connect sounds with written letters

• blend sounds to read words

• segment words for spelling

• read fully decodable words and texts

• develop fluency and expression

• discuss and understand what they read

Children are grouped carefully according to their current phonics knowledge so that teaching can be closely matched to what they need next. Assessment is used to identify children who require additional practice or support.

Books are central to Reception life. Children hear and discuss a rich range of:

• picture books

• traditional tales

• stories from different cultures

• poems and nursery rhymes

• non-fiction texts

• carefully chosen texts linked to wider learning

Children take home books and reading materials matched to their developing phonics knowledge. Families receive guidance about how to support reading at home.

Our aim is for children to become accurate and increasingly fluent early readers who also love stories, language and books.

Writing and handwriting

Writing begins with children having something meaningful to communicate.

Children develop ideas through talk, stories, role play, drawing and shared experiences. Adults model how spoken ideas can be turned into written words and sentences.

Through Read Write Inc. and the wider Reception curriculum, children learn to:

• say a sentence before writing it

• hear sounds within words

• use known sounds to spell

• form letters accurately

• write words, labels, captions and sentences

• leave spaces between words

• use simple punctuation

• reread their writing

• develop confidence and stamina

Handwriting and letter formation are taught explicitly and practised regularly. Children also develop the physical strength and control needed for writing through fine-motor activities, construction, art, dough, threading and the careful use of tools.

Writing opportunities are built into continuous provision so that children can apply what they have learned for meaningful purposes.

Mathematics

Children receive daily mathematics teaching through Ark Maths Mastery.

Ark Maths Mastery helps children develop secure number sense and a deep understanding of mathematical ideas. New learning is carefully sequenced so that children can build upon what they already know.

Children learn through:

• practical equipment

• carefully chosen images and representations

• mathematical stories and songs

• adult modelling

• guided practice

• games and problem-solving

• purposeful mathematical opportunities within continuous provision

Children are encouraged to:

• count accurately

• recognise and understand quantities

• compare numbers and amounts

• explore number composition

• notice relationships and patterns

• develop recall of important number facts

• investigate shape, space and measure

• explain what they notice

• try different ways to solve a problem

Adults model precise mathematical vocabulary and encourage children to talk about their thinking.

We value secure understanding rather than rushing children through content. Important concepts are revisited and practised in different ways.

Personal, social and emotional development

Children learn best when they feel safe, secure and understood.

Strong relationships and predictable routines help children develop confidence, regulate their emotions and understand what is expected.

Children are supported to:

• develop positive relationships

• recognise and talk about feelings

• ask for help

• take turns and cooperate

• resolve minor disagreements

• respond to boundaries

• persevere when something feels difficult

• develop independence

• understand the needs and feelings of others

• make safe and healthy choices

Our SHINE values—Strive, Honesty, Inclusion, Nurture and Excellence—are introduced and modelled throughout Reception.

Children also learn our three school rules:

• Be Safe

• Be Ready

• Be Respectful

Adults use consistent, supportive language and recognise that behaviour can communicate an unmet need. Children are taught the skills they need to participate successfully in school life.

Physical development

Physical development supports children’s health, confidence, independence and readiness for writing.

Children develop gross-motor skills through:

• running, climbing and balancing

• negotiating space

• throwing, catching and moving equipment

• dance and movement

• outdoor play

• structured physical activities

• large-scale construction

Fine-motor development is supported through:

• drawing, painting and mark-making

• dough and modelling materials

• threading and manipulating small objects

• construction

• cutting and using tools

• fastening clothing

• using cutlery

• handwriting practice

Children are also taught about personal care, healthy choices and looking after their bodies.

Reception PE day: [insert day].

Reception PE kit arrangements: [insert current arrangements].

Understanding the world

Children are naturally curious about the world around them.

Through the United Curriculum, stories, outdoor learning and first-hand experiences, children develop knowledge of:

• their family and community

• the past and how things change over time

• different places and environments

• the natural world

• plants and animals

• materials and physical processes

• weather and seasonal change

• people, cultures, faiths and celebrations

• similarities and differences

• technology in everyday life

Adults introduce carefully chosen vocabulary and encourage children to observe, compare, question and explain.

Children revisit important ideas so that their understanding becomes increasingly secure.

Expressive arts and design

Children are given regular opportunities to imagine, design, create and perform.

They explore:

• drawing and painting

• colour, texture and pattern

• modelling and sculpture

• construction

• music and singing

• rhythm and movement

• dance

• storytelling

• imaginative and role play

• performance

Adults teach children how to use tools and materials safely and introduce the knowledge and techniques they need to make increasingly purposeful choices.

Creativity is supported by giving children both clear teaching and the freedom to explore and develop their own ideas.

Our Reception environments are carefully organised so that children can practise, deepen and apply what they have been taught.

Continuous provision includes opportunities for:

• reading and storytelling

• writing and mark-making

• mathematical exploration

• imaginative and role play

• construction

• small-world play

• creative work

• scientific investigation

• sensory exploration

• physical development

• collaboration and problem-solving

The resources available are selected deliberately. Staff enhance areas in response to current curriculum learning and identified next steps.

Adults observe, question, model and teach within the provision. They help children connect new knowledge with what they already know.

Our Reception learning environments have been newly refurbished to provide calm, welcoming and high-quality spaces designed specifically for young children.

Resources are clearly organised and accessible so that children can make choices, manage equipment and develop independence.

Clearly defined areas support communication, reading, writing, mathematics, imaginative play, creativity, construction and investigation.

The environment is an important part of our teaching. It helps children understand routines, engage deeply and apply learning in meaningful contexts.

Outstanding outdoor learning

Our outstanding outdoor learning areas are an extension of our Reception classrooms.

Outdoor learning gives children opportunities to:

• run, climb, balance and develop coordination

• build and create on a larger scale

• observe plants, animals, weather and seasonal change

• explore natural materials

• investigate water, movement and change

• solve practical problems

• work cooperatively

• develop confidence and resilience

• take carefully managed risks

• revisit classroom learning in a different context

Adults use the outdoor environment purposefully, introducing language, modelling skills and helping children observe, question and investigate.

Outdoor learning contributes to all seven areas of the Early Years curriculum.

First-hand experiences help children build knowledge, language and confidence.

Across the year, Reception children experience a range of visits, visitors, performances, celebrations and practical learning opportunities connected to the curriculum.

These include a visit to Imagine That! in Liverpool, where children can explore scientific ideas through practical, playful experiences involving observation, prediction, materials, movement and change.

All Reception children, including children with additional needs or those accessing specialist support, are included in visits and wider experiences wherever parents wish them to participate. Any necessary adjustments are planned carefully.

Further information can be found on our Environments and Experiences page.

Every child belongs at Waterloo.

We recognise that children develop at different rates and may communicate, interact, regulate or learn in different ways. Staff adapt teaching, routines, communication and the environment so that children can participate successfully.

Support may include:

• visual routines and prompts

• alternative communication approaches

• sensory or regulation support

• additional modelling and guided practice

• learning broken into smaller steps

• repetition and overlearning

• targeted individual or small-group teaching

• adapted resources or equipment

• support with personal care

• advice from Waterloo’s Inclusion Team or external professionals

Where appropriate, support may involve Sefton Early Years SEND services, health professionals or Portage.

Children accessing specialist support remain part of the wider Waterloo community. Purposeful links with specialist provision and other classes are planned according to individual needs and interests.

Adaptation provides the right route into learning; it does not mean reduced ambition.

Assessment in Reception helps staff understand what children know, what they can do and what they need to learn next.

Assessment takes place through:

• direct teaching

• conversations

• children’s play and exploration

• practical activities

• phonics and mathematics checks

• children’s reading and writing

• observations of children’s independence and relationships

• information shared by families and previous settings

Staff use this information to adapt teaching and provision promptly. Assessment is intended to improve what happens next for the child, rather than generate unnecessary paperwork.

At the end of Reception, children are assessed against the Early Learning Goals through the statutory Early Years Foundation Stage Profile. This provides families and Year 1 teachers with a summary of each child’s development at the end of Early Years.

Preparing for Year 1

Reception provides strong preparation for Year 1 while retaining the distinctive teaching approaches of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

Throughout the year, children develop:

• secure daily routines

• independence and responsibility

• confidence in communicating

• early reading fluency

• increasingly accurate writing

• strong number sense

• concentration and perseverance

• positive relationships

• curiosity about the wider world

Reception and Year 1 staff work together to ensure that transition is carefully planned.

Information shared includes:

• children’s current curriculum knowledge

• phonics and reading progress

• mathematical understanding

• successful teaching approaches

• communication strategies

• additional needs and reasonable adjustments

• regulation or sensory support

• important information from families

Transition is a process rather than a single event. Our aim is to maintain continuity while helping children feel positive about their next stage.

Parents and carers know their children best.

We work closely with families to share information about children’s learning, progress, wellbeing and achievements. Families are encouraged to tell us about children’s experiences and successes at home, as well as anything that may affect their wellbeing or learning.

Across the year, we provide guidance about supporting:

• communication and language

• phonics and reading

• early writing

• mathematics

• independence and self-care

• personal, social and emotional development

Reception communication platform: Class Dojo

Further information is available on our Working with Families page.