Welcome to Heathland School

Reception 2020

Welcome to our school

We are very much looking forward to welcoming your son/daughter

to our school in September. We pride ourselves in excellent

communication with our families, so please do not hesitate to contact

us with any questions or queries you may have. Our students make

rapid progress in an environment of love and care. Our school is a

strong family where expectations are high, values are positive,

forgiveness is abundant and children are treasured. We believe that

anyone can learn anything and the growth mind-set underpins

everything we do. We love our school and we look forward to

working closely with each and every one of you to find friendship, fun

and success as we build a bright future together.

Ms Lucy Caswell

Executive Headteacher

Ms Fiona Hopkins

Associate Headteacher

Our Vision

At Heathland School we focus on a set of shared values which help

us to work with one another co-operatively and with respect. We

learn the importance of friendship and unity and how to approach life

with positivity and hope. These values make our school community

happy and harmonious, a fun place, where children feel secure. Our

values are important to all pupils, staff and parents.

The whole staff team and all pupils are involved in promoting values

and recognising their positive effects around school. The values

have been selected by pupils and staff as values which are

important within the school community and which will be important

throughout life.

Introductions

.

Miss Selwa

Elderberry ClassMrs Kesavan

Sparkleberry Class

Our Reception Class Teachers 2020/21

Mrs Ali

Honeyberry Class

EYFS Phase Leader

Transition

We would normally have invited you into school for a meeting in July,

but as you will understand this will not be possible this year. We

want to make your child’s transition to our school as smooth as

possible, so we will be getting in touch with your child’s previous

early years setting if they have been attending one. We hope to ask

you to come into school for a play and stay session at the beginning

of September where we can meet your little ones and complete our

transition questionnaire. We will continue to keep you updated via

emails, so please look out for further communication regarding visits,

uniform and start times on our website www.heathlandschool.net

As a lot of our communication is by email, please ensure we have

an up to date email address. We will in due course send you an

invitation to our SIMS parent APP so you can check the details we

have on our database are correct.

Welcome Pack

What is in the welcome pack?

o Frequently asked questions – on our website and emailed to you.

o Uniform details – on our website and emailed to you.

o Proposed term dates - on our website and emailed to you.

Photographs of the teachers – on our website.

o Pupil Premium Flyer – emailed to you.

o This is Me booklet – you will be given this in September when you

are invited to come into school for a play and stay session.

Information from our welcome pack is now available on our school

website. You will find it at www.heathlandschool.net in the ‘New to

Heathland School?’ section. Please contact the office if you would

like to collect a hard copy from school and we will let you know

when it is possible to do so.

If you are new to Heathland you will have received an admission

form. Please update any new contact information. Please remember

if you ever move house or change telephone numbers it is extremely

important to let the school office know straight away.

First day of sickness - This form is extremely important as we need to

be able to speak to someone if your child is sick or if there is an

emergency. Please remember to phone the school on your child’s

first day of sickness.

Holidays - Please do not take your child out of school for holidays.

The absence will not be authorised and you may run the risk of your

child being taken off school roll.

Emergency Forms

Parking

Parking on site is for staff and visitors only. Please also be

considerate to all of our neighbours by not parking across

driveways when in a hurry!

E.Y.F.S covers Nursery and Reception

The curriculum emphasises learning based on play and

experiences.

Activities are planned around the children interests and needs

as they develop skills and become independent learners

What is the E.Y.F.S?

The EYFS

There are 7 areas of learning.

All areas of learning and development are interconnected.

Three areas are particularly important and crucial for igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning and building their capacity to learn, form relationships and thrive.

These are the prime areas.

The Three Prime Areas

Communication and Language

Physical development

Personal, social and emotional development.

The Specific Areas

Literacy

Mathematics

Understanding the world

Expressive arts and design

Learning inside the classroom

Outdoor learning in Reception

Adult focussed learning

Adult focussed learning takes

place inside and outside of the

classroom. It involves learning

with the teacher as a whole class,

small group or individually.

Normal Daily Timetable

Normal School Hours: 8:45 – 3:00

8:45 - Welcome and soft start

9:00 - Register/days of the week/weather

9:10 - Literacy/Numeracy/Topic Introduction – Whole class

9:30 - Learning time – indoor and outdoor focus activities alongside

child initiated play.

10:15 - Tidy up – Fruit/language groups and story

10:45 - Learning time – indoor and outdoor focus activities alongside

child initiated play.

11:20 - Lunchtime

12:15 - Register and lunch news

1:00 - Phonics – Whole class

1:25 - Learning time – activities inside and outside focus activities

2:30 - End of the day routine: Story/songs.

3:00 - Children go home

How will my child be assessed?

Your son or daughter will be assessed across 17 areas of learning.

This is achieved through differing observations, photographs and

communication with the children and parents too.

You can help us by:

• Keeping us informed of your child’s interests

• Telling us about learning at home

• Provide your child with a waterproof coat. We like to go outside whatever the weather!

• Please name all clothing: jumpers, tops, trousers, skirts, dresses, coats, hats, gloves and scarves.

• Help your child to learn how to dress themselves, if they cannot already do so.

• Make sure your child arrives at school on time.

• Bring in Wellington boots for outdoor learning.

• Read everyday with your child.

• Encourage your child to have a go at ‘Home learning’.

• Bring a named water bottle to school everyday.

• Ensure that your child does not wear jewellery to school on P.E days.

• Give your child lots of opportunities to mark make at home using pencils, pens and paints

• Talk to your child, prepare them for coming to school.

• Look at the photographs of the teachers and encourage your child to learn their names.

• Prepare them by ensuring that they can go to the toilet and wash their hands independently.

How can I help?

We have a breakfast and an after school club which are available

to all children. Details and registration forms are available from the

school website.

Extended schools provision

Curriculum Enrichment

We have lots of other exciting and fun things which happen in school

throughout the school year such as book weeks, clubs, activity days,

football tournaments, school trips, class assemblies and values and

achievement assemblies.

Sometimes we ask for payment contribution for trips etc. We are now

a cashless school so please make as many payments through our

online payment service called ParentPay. The activation letters will

be given out at the beginning of the Autumn term.

Starting primary school is an important step which can be both

exciting and a little bit scary for you and your child. As parents and

carers, preparing for this change and making sure that your child has

a good start at school can feel difficult, but there are many ways in

which we can help our children and ourselves feel ready.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/collections/starting-primary-school/1

We look forward to meeting you very soon!