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
Summer Term 2026
"Summertime is always the best of what might be." - Charles Bowden
Welcome to Early Years and our class page!
We hope you find our class page useful. Here, you will find details about our topics for this term, along with other helpful information about Reception.
We love sharing what we learn in school each day via Facebook or Tapestry, so please visit our school Facebook page or check 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?
Summer 1 theme - Living and Growing
Summer 2 theme - Journeys and Transport
English
Some chosen texts include:
Supertato, Oliver’s Vegetables, Jack and the Beanstalk, The Tiny Seed, Jaspers Beanstalk, Seed to Sunflower, Yucky Worms, The Naughty Bus, The Tiger Child, Eyes that kiss in the corners, Proudest blue, Around the World, Mr Grumpy Outing, The Train Ride, Martha Maps it out Whatever next, Duck in Truck, We all went on a Safari, My Granny Went to the Market
...and many more!
Phonics - Little Wandle
Phase 4 will be covered this term - look out for Little Wandle Homelearning sheets.
Vowel graphemes: short vowels in CVCC CCVC words, short vowels in CCVCC CCCVC and CCCVCC.
Vowel graphemes: long vowel sounds in CVCC CCVC words, long vowel sounds CCVC CCCVC CCV and CCVCC words.
Maths
To 20 and beyond, How many now?, Manipulate, Compose and Decompose, Sharing and Grouping, Visualise, build and map, Making connections and Revision.
RE
Special places - Which places are special and why?
Special stories - Which stories are special and why?
Knowledge and Understanding of the world - The natural world
Plants
Learning about the Lifecycle of a bean plant.
Planting beans and seeds.
Learning the main parts of the plant and that food comes from plants – growing cress for sandwiches.
Growing sunflowers – learning that a plant needs soil, water and sunlight to grow.
Learn that seeds produce roots to allow water to the plant and shoots produce leaves to collect sunlight for the plant to make it grow.
Environment/Space
Learning how humans impact the environment eg pollution and what we can do to help. Respecting and caring for our world - conservation/protecting natural resources/reduce, re-use, recycle.
Recycling – learn what rubbish does to our seas, animals and local environments. Learning about David Attenborough as a inspirational scientist who helps us understand the natural world and how it works.
Investigating Forces - Learn that Forces can be used to make an object move - pushes and pulls
Investigating magnetism - learn that magnets attract certain materials and why– using language of attract and repel.
Investigating Floating and sinking – learn about the forces involved when pushing things under water.
Investigating Light – How do we make a shadow?
Knowledge and Understanding of the world - Past and present
Watch seeds grow into plants over time and talk about the changes that can be seen from when they were planted to when they are fully grown.
Talk about how Medomsley has changed over time.
Talk about memories of being outside/time spent outside when younger.
Talk about changes over time – transport and holidays in the past.
Learn about Space, the moon landing, and learning about Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong.
Knowledge and Understanding of the world - People, Cultures and Communities
Looking at simple maps and aerial views of the local area, commenting on simple features.
Visit a local shop and plan a route to the shop using photographs.
Add simple instructions to maps for children to find treasure in the Woodland. (Treasure maps.)
Stories from around the world.
Compare and contrast different places, life and weather.
Talk about different journeys and holidays, comparing places to our own environment.
Use a globe to locate places from the stories/ places children have visited on holiday.
Expressive Arts and Design
Andy Goldsworthy - Sculpture
Artist focus - Andy Goldsworthy, Michelle Reader
PE
Athletics
Outdoor Explorers - Forest School
PSHE
Jigsaw:
Relationships - Building positive, healthy relationships.
Changing Me - Coping positively with change
Computing
Taking photos with iPads
Music
Charanga: Big Bear Funk/Reflect, Rewind and Replay!
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 far entrance in the EYFS yard (Nursery door) 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 Friday. 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 will 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 practise 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
