Early Years

Welcome to Puffin Class! 

We at Hawkedale recognise how important and special the first year of school is to our children.  Our aim in reception is for all of our children to become happy independent learners and we achieve this by building the following skills…

 

Happiness is…

to build relationships through being kind, respectful and co-operative,

to feel safe in their learning environment and with the people around them,

to know there is always someone to help you,

and to smile everyday!

 

Independence is…
to be confident to try new things,

to be a good listener and communicator,

to show resilience because some things take practise

and to have self-belief that YOU CAN DO IT!

 

Learning is…

to be challenged with new knowledge and skills,

to accept it is ok to make mistakes because that is how we will learn

and to gain a love for experiencing new learning adventures.

 

We start the year by ensuring the children are comfortable with their new environment, within the classroom and the wider school so they can move around confidently.  We focus on building friendships and positive relationships with peers and staff members through communication so that we can enjoy a year together full of fun exploration and learning.

At Hawkedale, we recognise the importance of providing a variety of learning experiences for the children.  They will learn through teacher led activities, which may be whole class, small group or individual learning.  There will be teacher-initiated activities, which are planned and provided by the adult but the children carry out independently.  Finally there is child led experiences that children control in terms of resources, time and outcome.  The children have access to the inside and outside classroom all day and in all weathers too. 

Children in Reception Class follow the Foundation Stage Curriculum as set out by Government guidelines. 

The curriculum is divided into seven key areas which cover all aspects of the child’s development: Personal Social Emotional development, Communication and Language, Literacy, Mathematics, Understanding of the World and Expressive Arts and Design