Oughton Primary & Nursery School
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Oughton Primary and Nursery School, Mattocke Road, Hitchin, Herts, SG5 2NZ
Telephone: 01462 450716

Email: [email protected] 

RECEPTION (PEAR)

Teacher:  Miss Hurley 
Welcome to our Reception page!

We understand that starting full time school is a big change but we work hard to ensure transition is as smooth as possible for everyone, including Parents and Carers!

There is lots to learn over the year in Reception and we have great fun whilst we doing so! Our planning incorporates the seven areas of learning, which are: Communication and Language, Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Physical Development, Literacy, Mathematics, Understanding of the World and Expressive Arts and Design.
Topics change half-termly, according to the children’s interests.

We introduce whole class and small group adult led activities early in the Autumn term. However, it is still very important that the children have time each morning and afternoon for self-initiated activities in which to play and practise new skills and to follow their own interests. This known as CHiL (Child Initiative Learning).

Throughout the year, we document the children’s learning through a range of ways including observations, photographs and pieces of work. These will be collated in to individual Learning Journals for every child.

Ways in which you can help your child at home:
  • Reading is one of the most valuable thing you can do at home. Read or share a book with your child as often as possible and talk about what has been  read.
  • Practise counting, where and whenever possible - you could count houses on the way to school, footsteps on the way to bed, shoes in the house, players on the team, objects in the shopping trolley, claps, nods... anything and everything you can think of! 

 Parent/Carer Information Handbook

We have put together an overview of the curriculum for your child this year and also some general information and reminders that we hope you will find useful.
Your browser does not support viewing this document. Click here to download the document.
This information can also be downloaded:
Reception Parent Handbook 2024-25
File Size: 250 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Spring Term updates

Spring 2

What a busy half term we have had so far.  Our new topic Roots, Shoots and Welly Boots is well underway and we have various fruits, vegetables and flowers growing. Later on in the year we will use these to cook for our parents and carers.
This half term we have been working with sports leaders from Knights Templar school, developing our gymnastic skills.
Our phonics sessions have got very tricky this term with the introduction of double consonants, compound words and even more tricky works!
On the 21st March, it was Red Nose Day and we helped raise money by paying a donation to wear non school uniform. As part of our Literacy sessions, we made an instruction sheet on how to make red nosed biscuits.
Over the next two weeks we will be finding out about Easter traditions and of course Mothering Sunday.

Well-Being Week

This week the children have been finding out about different emotions. We read a variety of books including The Colour Monsters, Shine and The Lion Within. The children took part in a dance workshop with Mrs Jennings-Dawes and a cardio drumming session with Mr Brown. We definitely have some budding Strictly Come Dancing contestants and pop band drummers!
Pear Class were challenged to create a display, for the main entrance corridor, for the emotion sad. We discussed what made us feel sad and how talking can help us feel better. As a class we thought about colours that might represent sadness and the used these to paint a portrait of ourselves whilst listening to In The Stars by Benson Boone.

We're Going on a dinosaur hunt!

Last week we read the text We're Going On A Dinosaur hunt. The children then went on their own hunt and found some fossils with Mrs Baverstock.

Lunar New Year

JAnuary Update

Our Dinosaur topic is now in full flow. The children have been finding out about what the dinosaurs ate, with Mrs Baverstock, and then sorted them into carnivores and herbivores during our Understanding of the World session.
In our Art session, we have painted our favourite dinosaur ready to be displayed in our gallery. Our sock puppets are also coming along nicely.
The children have been thinking about verbs to describe how the dinosaurs would have moved and then used these to write sentences about their favourite dinosaur.
On Friday 31st January, we will be finding out about the Lunar New Year. The children will take part in a variety of activities including dragon dancing, making twirly snakes and tasting some Chinese food. Look out for the photographs to see how much fun we have!

Daily teeth Cleaning

We are part of a national toothbrushing programme aimed at children in Reception classes. Each day after lunch the children brush their teeth to music by DJ Brush.

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Our First Two weeks

What an exciting two weeks we have had in Pear class, since returning from the Christmas break!
Our topic this half term is Dinosaurs and the children are proving themselves to be fantastic palaeontologists. We have looked at dinosaur skeletons and compared them to our own, sorted dinosaurs into herbivores and carnivores as well as finding out exciting facts about our favourites. 
This coming week, 20th January, we will be continuing finding out information using our non-fiction books, What Dinosaur Am I?, First Facts About Dinosaurs. We will also be reading dinosaur stories including Harry and the Bucketful of Dinosaurs, Tyrannosaurus Drip, The Dinosaur That Pooped a Pirate and Dear Dinosaur, and using these in our Literacy sessions.

Pear Class Autumn 2024

Autumn 2024   Welcome to our first update of 2024.
This term has been an action packed introduction to our life in full time education!
The Reception children started the term  by finding out what makes them fabulous - from healthy eating and looking after our bodies to the wonderful families and community around them. During our Creative sessions, our budding artists painted self portraits whilst in our Knowledge and Understanding of the World sessions they became scientists finding out about their skeletons and the effects that having a healthy lifestyle has. As historians, we looked back at our lives so far and how we have changed. One child noticed that we are not the only things that grow and change which is lead us to look at the changes in our outside environment. We finished the half term by celebrating our learning by holding a Marvellous Me WOW Day and sharing some of our learning with our grown ups. 
Through our next topic - Celebrations Around The World, we found out celebrations happening around us, such as Diwali, Remembrance Sunday, Hanukkah and Christmas. Our Christmas production, Counting For Christmas, which we performed along with the Nursery children was a great way to finish our topic and our first term.
 Alongside these topics, we have our daily Phonics and Maths sessions.
In Phonics we have been working hard learning all their sounds and how to form the graphemes correctly. This new knowledge is now helping us to read and write. 
As mathematicians, we have have been learning about our numbers to ten, 2D shapes and patterns this term and have amazed Miss Hurley with our achievements.
Look out for our regular Spring Term updates after the Christmas holidays.

Pear Class 2023/2024

​Our topic during the Spring Term was Roots, Shoots and Welly Boots. During this topic the children found out what plants need to grow, why we grow certain plants and how to grow their own food. The children had great fun planting their seeds and watching them grow. During our Maths sessions we measured the plants to see how much they had grown.
At the end of our topic, we celebrated our growing achievements by having a WOW day, where we used the vegetables to create our own dishes to share with our grown-ups. These dishes included cheese and cress sandwiches, vegetable crisps, pea and mint dip and chocolate and beetroot muffins. Once our grown ups had tasted our cooking, we then made vegetable pizzas to take home, using dough we had made from scratch.
Check out the excitement brewing in Reception! Recently, our little designers and technologists dove into the world of hands-on learning. From peeling to chopping and stirring, they embraced every moment with joy and enthusiasm. It's incredible how much fun can be had while honing essential skills. Stay tuned to see the delightful creations that emerged from their exploration!

This half term our topic, in Pear Class, is Roots, Shoots and Welly Boots. We started the topic by looking for signs of Spring around the school grounds. The children were very excited to see the daffodil bulbs that we had planted last term have not only started to grow but some are even in flower!  We are also growing our own fruits and vegetables to cook with.
 During Spring 1, after a very exciting assembly led by a visiting scientist, the children took part in several experiments in the classroom including making their own slime and finding out about the affect soap has on germs!

The children enjoyed finding out about Shrove Tuesday before taking part in pancake races. We finished our learning by making our own pancakes, choosing the toppings and then eating them.
Reception has been buzzing with excitement during the first half of Spring, immersing themselves in a whirlwind of thrilling activities that ignite curiosity and spark creativity. Our little explorers have been mud pie experimenting, venturing into the mysterious realms of wet and dry mud to uncover the ultimate recipe for the most sensational mud pies.

But the adventure doesn't stop there! Following the muddy escapade, the young minds dive into a tranquil session of quiet reading, where imaginations run wild, and the magic of stories unfolds. Hold on tight as the journey takes a cultural turn, with the mastery of chopsticks becoming a quest during Chinese New Year food exploration—eye/hand coordination reaches new heights in a delicious, hands-on celebration.

Buckle up for an artistic explosion as the children embark on the enchanting endeavour of creating 3D models. The classroom transforms into a vibrant studio, with creativity flowing freely, and young artists moulding their visions into tangible forms.

The energy spikes as PE session kicks in, with catching skills taking centre stage. It's not just physical activity; it's a dynamic experience where teamwork, coordination, and a dash of friendly competition elevate the session to new heights.

The classroom then becomes a stage as role-playing breathes life into the People Who Help Us topic. From doctors to firefighters, the children step into the shoes of community heroes, creating a dynamic, immersive experience that fosters empathy and understanding.

Reception's first half of Spring isn't just a sequence of activities; it's a thrilling journey filled with discovery, creativity, and hands-on experiences that make learning an unforgettable adventure
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LETTERS

Reception Curriculum Letter Summer Term 2022
File Size: 533 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Reception Curriculum Letter Spring Term 2022
File Size: 468 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Reception Curriculum Letter Autumn Term 2021
File Size: 360 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File


HOMEWORK

For further information about supporting your child with their homework, please see the Home Learning section of the Parents Area. Information about the Phonics programme used at Oughton can also be found here.
Homework Help

GALLERY

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Our Classroom
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The Creative Area
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Our collage of the Queen
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Outdoor Play
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Autumn Pictures
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Creative Area
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ICT work
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The Mud Kitchen
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Our Reading Area
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The ICT Area
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Covered Outdoor Play

Lunar New Year 

​Pear Class celebrated the Lunar New Year with much excitement in January, wearing red to school as this is a lucky colour during this celebration. They found out that many countries in Asia celebrate the Lunar New Year including China and learnt to say Happy New Year in Chinese. They had a busy day, making lanterns and lucky rabbit hats in recognition of the Year of The Rabbit. They had a try at writing some Chinese letters, made up their own Dragon dance and finished the day by eating in their own Chinese restaurant. The children were also delighted to receive a fortune cookie and the traditional tangerine from one of Pear class who was celebrating the New Year at home with her family.
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CURRICULUM

The Curriculum Overview Plan for Reception shows a breakdown of areas of learning - please see the Curriculum section within this website.