Tuesday, July 15, 2025
Ecclesall Primary School

Reception

Welcome to Reception.

Ecclesall Primary School has a Charter for Quality Provision in the Early Years. 

Ecclesall Primary School Early Years, Area’s of Excellence, include:

  • Supporting children’s independent writing through effective, embedded practice and provision that is based on positive communication and ambitious vocabulary.
  • Relational pedagogy -encouraging a whole school community approach to supporting children’s learning.

At Ecclesall Primary School we provide an exciting, broad and balanced Foundation Stage curriculum. We ensure we give every child the best possible start to their education and enable our children to develop skills for lifelong learning.  A secure and welcoming environment enables each child to flourish as confident individuals. Our curriculum is carefully planned to engage high levels of interest and develop curiosity, knowledge and a love for learning. Experiences are fun, irresistible and challenging. The 7 areas of learning are delivered through carefully planned teaching and learning opportunities and purposeful play. There is a balance between adult led and child initiated activities.  We ensure learning is fun and engaging and the curriculum is linked to the children’s interests through themes such as ‘Myself and other animals’ or ‘Once upon a time….’ All children are encouraged to explore and learn, be active, think critically and creatively and develop their own ideas in both indoor and outdoor provision. We provide a warm and nurturing environment where we support positive relationships and encourage all children to be caring, resilient, capable, confident and independent. Welcome to Polars, Pandas and Koalas!

Four guiding principles shape our early years practice.

  1.  Every child is a unique child, who is constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured.
  2.  Children learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships.
  3.  Children learn and develop well in enabling environments with teaching and support from adults, who respond to their individual interests and needs and help them to build their  learning over time. Children benefit from a strong partnership between practitioners and parents and/or carers.
  4.  The importance of learning and development. Children develop and learn at different rates.

Learning and development is categorised into three prime areas of learning.

  • Communication and language.
  • Physical development.
  • Personal, social and emotional development.

Additionally there are four specific areas of learning:

  • Literacy.
  • Mathematics.
  • Understanding the world.
  • Expressive arts and design.

The Characteristics of Effective Learning focus on the child’s attitudes and dispositions towards their learning.

Playing and exploring – engagement

  • Finding out and exploring
  • Playing with what they know
  • Being willing to ‘have a go’

Active learning – motivation

  • Being involved and concentrating
  • Keeping trying
  • Enjoying achieving what they set out to do

Creating and thinking critically – thinking

  • Having their own ideas
  • Making links
  • Choosing ways to do things

New Reception Parents 2025/26

2024-25

Reading

Weekly Notice

Curriculum Jigsaw and Knowledge Organiser

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