Chestnut class
reception
Miss richards
2025 - 2026
Welcome to our classroom!
Our exploring zones
Our sleep zone!
Our focus zone
Click on the link below to see an introduction to Chestnut Class for parents and carers:
Welcome to Chestnut Class
Autumn Term 2025
Welcome to Early Years and our class page! Hopefully you will find our class page useful. On our class page we have details of our topics for this term as well as other useful information about Reception. We love to share what we learn in school every day via Facebook or Tapestry, so please head over to our school Facebook or check out Tapestry to see what we have been up to. Here's to a great term!
Miss Richards
What will we be learning about this term?
English
Some chosen texts include:
The colour monster goes to school, The great big book of families, Owl Babies, The Rainbow Fish, Traditional Tales, The Christmas Story, The Jolly Christmas Postman, Stickman
...and many more!
Phonics - Little Wandle
Phase 2 will be covered this term - look out on ClassDojo for information on a Little Wandle Parents' meeting!
Maths
Match, Sort and Compare, Talk about measure and patterns, It's me 1, 2, 3, Circles and Triangles, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and Shapes with 4 sides.
RE
The Big Story
Creation - Why is the word God so important to Christians?
Incarnation - Why do Christians perform Nativity plays at Christmas?
Knowledge and Understanding of the world - The natural world
Exploring the world around us using our five senses.
Investigating our bodies, the skeleton, our senses, keeping healthy, growing and changing.
Materials and their properties – change in states.
Explore darkness - Investigating sources of light – what gives us light?
Knowledge and Understanding of the world - Past and present
Making sense of their own life story and family’s history – talking about photos and memories, re-telling family stories.
Talking about the similarities they notice between different families and communities.
Guy Fawkes and the story of the Gunpowder Plot.
Contrast and compare old and new toys – talk about grandparents’ childhood.
Christmas in the past.
Knowledge and Understanding of the world - People, Cultures and Communities
Learning about their environment (home, school, park…)
Contrasting their homes with homes in their wider family and communities.
Talking about the differences between people, reflecting our cultural diversity, discussing positively skin colours and hair types.
Talking about different occupations and people who help us e.g. firefighters, medics.
Exploring and celebrating cultural and community events and experiences including festivals Diwali, Harvest, Bonfire Night and Hanukah and Christmas.
Expressive Arts and Design
Mark making - Drawing
PE
Yoga
Outdoor Explorers - Forest School
PSHE
Jigsaw: Being Me in My World - 'Who am I and how do I fit?'/Celebrating Difference -
Respect for similarity and difference. Anti-bullying and being unique.
Computing
Using devices around me (such as iPads)
Taking photos
Music
Charanga: Me!/My Stories.
Key Information
Our arrival time each morning is between 8.45 - 9.00am and we leave at 3.15. Reception children can be dropped off at the tunnel entrance and picked up at the reception gate.
Bringing things in from home
The children should bring in a water bottle and are welcome to bring in a healthy snack (we do provide fruit). They need wellies that will stay in school. They do not need any other equipment.
PE/Forest school Days
Our PE day is a Tuesday and our Forest school day is a Thursday. On Tuesday, the children should come into school wearing their PE kit (it can be their purple shorts or black joggers/leggings). They do not need to bring in their normal school uniform to get changed into, they will just stay in their PE kit all day. For Forest school days, they should wear their normal PE t shirt, black track suit bottoms/leggings and purple school jumper or purple hoodie.
Homework
Reading
Supporting your child with reading:- Although your child will be taught to read at school, you can have a huge impact on their reading journey by continuing their practice at home.
There are two types of reading book that your child may bring home:
- A reading practice book - My book. This will be at the correct phonic stage for your child and will be sent home after Autumn half term. They will have already read this with an adult in school so will be familiar with it. This will be sent home on a Friday and needs to be returned the following Friday to change.
- A sharing book - Our book. Your child will not be able to read this on their own. This book is for you both to read and enjoy together.
Spelling/Phonics
Your child will learn and practise spellings within their phonics sessions. Work will be sent home weekly to help your child to practice the phonetical skills they have learned in class that week.
Useful Websites
Visit these websites for some games to practise your English skills.
Phonics games for EYFSEYFS phonics games on BBC Bitesize
Mr Mc Phonics- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTcZnvuTeovlznioLRo0GOA
Visit these websites for some games to practise your Maths skills.
EYFS maths games on BBC Bitesize
This is a useful website to practise a range of different subject areas.
BBC Bitesize Understanding the World
