FAQ
 

Will my child play outside? Will my child get messy?

Yes, outdoor learning is very important in Early Years and the outdoor area is open everyday. We ask you to bring a spare pair of clothing, to be left on your child's peg, encase children get wet, muddy or messy! 

Will my child get messy?

We believe that some of the best learning happens through hands on exploration. As children investigate, create, build and discover they may naturally get muddy, messy or wet! We carefully try to supervise all activities and try to encourage children to wear aprons but sometimes getting messy/ wet/ muddy cannot be helped- it shows that they have had a good day and been fully engaged in meaningful and active learning. We kindly ask that staff are not criticised for allowing these experiences to happen.
 

What if my child is upset?

One of the main reasons children may cry is when dropping them off at school is the anticipation of leaving their parent/ carer. Our experienced staff want to work with you to ensure your child is happy and settled in their new environment.  Please listen to the advice given by the reception team in terms of settling in your child. We will contact you if your child is unsettled. We are also happy to call to tell you that your child is ok aswell!  

What if my child didn't eat anything at lunch?

Our senior meal supervisor will either let their teacher know or will call you if there is a concern. In Reception we have a free flowing snack table too so we will encourage them to eat something there! 

Do children get homework?
Children take home reading books which they are encouraged to read every night. They are also encouraged to take home a bedtime story where you can enjoy some quiet family time talking about the story to support their communication & language. 
We also send home phonic sheets too which your child may want to complete.

We also post our weekly learning on our class webpage which has ideas of what to do at home to support your child. We also send our half termly newsletters which shows what we have been learning and what activities you can try at home.

Should I label all items of my child's clothing?
Yes please do! Especially jumpers, book bags and water bottles. In reception we are encouraging children to become independent and part of this journey is taking responsibility for their own belongings e.g. If they take off their jumpers to put it straight in their book bag However, jumpers and other items may be misplaced during a busy day of learning and play. We will try our best to find your child's jumper/ other misplaced items however, we may not be able to find them straight away. We kindly ask that you do not direct frustration towards members of staff, who work hard to help children care for their own belongings. 

What to do if my child is unwell? 
We encourage you to bring your child to school if they are well enough to take part in the school day and just have mild symptoms of a cold such as runny nose, slight cough, sneezing. We will call you if we have concerns about your child becoming unwell/ not well enough to remain in school and will ask you to collect them if necessary. 
If you decide to keep your child at home as they are too unwell to come into school please call the office from 8am to let them know. 

What to do if someone else is collecting my child?
Children will be dismissed at the end of the day to people who you have given permission to collect. We ask that anyone who regular collects your child is down on the contact info. 
We understand plans may change so we ask that you let the teacher know in the morning, if someone else will be collecting your child in the afternoon or you can ring to let the school office know, who will them come and tell the reception team, this ensures that the end of the day runs smoothly. 
If an older sibling is collecting your child they need to be at least 15 years old / in Year 10. 

Can my child bring toys from home?
We encourage children to leave their toys at home to ensure that they don't get lost or broken. If they decide to bring in a toy from home, we will ask the child to keep it in their bookbag. However, if we choose a minion of the day we may say to that child they can bring something in to show & tell. Or if there is something that a child shares with us that is relevant to our learning we may also ask them to bring it in. 

How can I contact the reception team?
On our moon class webpage we have a class email where you can get in contact with us that way, or you can call the school office and one of the team will call you back. 

What assessments happen in Reception?
Baseline: At the start of Reception children will complete a statutory reception baseline assessment. It is a short, practical activity completed 1:1 with a familiar adult- there is no pass or fail outcome on this. 

Early Learning Goals: Throughout the reception year, we observe your child's learning and staff will make a judgment against all 17 areas. 
Children will have their own learning journey where they can independently add their own work in there and teachers may also add observations too. Your child will take this home with them at the end of the year. 
See below for more information regarding reception baseline and early learning goals.