Lead staff:
Miss Laing - Reception Teacher
Mrs Cashman - Nursery Manager
Willow Class - Reception
Welcome to the Willow Class page. Here you can find out about all the exciting things we are learning and doing in Nursery and Reception.
This is where children join the Woodford Church of England Primary School family. We are lucky enough to have a large amount of classroom space and a wonderful outdoor area. Our indoor area has a range of areas including construction, role play, reading, writing and maths areas. There is a sand pit, water tray and messy area as well as teaching areas. Our outdoor area has a covered area, a writing and role play shed, a stage, a mud kitchen, a wet play space, a sandpit and garden space.
Our Learning
In Willow Class, we learn through a mix of group activities and free flow play, where children can explore the blue room, the green room, the wet area, and the outside area. We foster a love of learning by building on the children’s own interests and incorporating seasonal events.
Learning in Willow class is practical, explorative and fun and sometimes messy! We come together as a class on the carpet, we have time to talk, discuss, sing and we work in our books. All our practical learning is recorded through observations, that are sent home using Tapestry for everyone at home to see. There are regular share sessions where family can come and be part of the fun.
Our topics include:
Me and My Community: During this topic, children discuss their families, get to know their classmates, and learn about people who help us in our communities.
Once Upon a Time: The children explore stories, re-telling and acting out traditional tales, and discussing fictional characters and settings.
Starry Night: We explore the differences between night and day, nocturnal animals, people who work at night, bedtime routines, and the Moon and stars.
Throughout the year, other topics include Dangerous Dinosaurs, Sunshine and Sunflowers, and Big Wide World.
Phonics
We follow the Little Wandle phonics scheme, learning letter sounds and recognizing words. Children learn to ‘sound talk and blend’ words. Home learning sheets are sent home to reinforce learning.
Handwriting – Kinetic Letters
We use the Kinetic Letters handwriting scheme daily. Children focus on strengthening their bodies and developing fine motor skills. They learn about letter families through stories.
Other areas of learning
Personal, Social and Emotional Development: We focus on self-regulation, managing self, and building relationships, including following routines, understanding behavior expectations, developing independence, and hygiene habits.
Physical Development: We develop gross motor skills by moving in various ways and navigating obstacles, and fine motor skills through mark-making, coloring, and using a dominant hand.
Communication and Language: We work on listening, attention, and understanding by following instructions and speaking by answering questions and learning new words.
Literacy: We enjoy stories and rhymes, develop word reading skills, and begin to write independently.
Maths: We recognise numbers, subitise, and represent and compare numbers.
Understanding the World: We explore past and present, people, culture and communities, and the natural world, discussing similarities, differences, and changes.
Expressive Arts and Design: We create with materials and develop imaginative play.
Enrichment
The children take part in group/class times and free flow play. Group times include Phonics, Maths, Talk Time, Kinetic Letters, RE, PSHE and PE. PE is on Thursdays.
Meet the Teachers
Mrs Cashman, Miss Hammett, Mrs Coulson, Miss Laing and Mrs Rush are our class teachers
Extra Information
Currently, we enjoy a whole class snack time each morning where the children sit together and share some time while they have a small snack such as yoghurts, breadsticks, malt loaf etc. To enable us to continue doing this, we ask parents for a donation of £1 a week. This can either be paid weekly or termly.
Nursery and Reception Information