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
Spring Term 2026
"The promise of spring's arrival is enough to get anyone through the bitter winter." – Jen Selinsky
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?
English
Some chosen texts include:
Lost and Found, The Bear, The Emperor’s Egg, Polar Bear, Polar Bear what do you hear?, The Hungry Caterpillar, We’re going on a Bear Hunt, The Tiger who came to tea, What the Ladybird Heard, The Snail and the Whale, Tiddler
...and many more!
Phonics - Little Wandle
Phase 3 will be covered this term - look out for Little Wanle Homelearning sheets. Phase 3 cards are available from stores such as Amazon.
Maths
Alive in 5!, Mass and Capacity, Growing 6, 7, 8!, Length, Height and Time, Building 9 and 10 and Explore 3-D shape.
RE
Being Special - Where do we belong? Talking about my ideas about how I am special.
Salvation - Why do Christians put a cross in an Easter garden?
Knowledge and Understanding of the world - The natural world
Polar Climates -
Observe natural processes of freezing and melting in outdoors.
Looking at changing states of matter – cold temperatures/freezing water to ice.
Learn about animal adaptations – how arctic animals stay warm.
Animals -
Learn all about farm animals - what they need to grow and maintain health.
Learning the life Cycle of the hen.
Learning all about wild animals/zoo animals.
Learning about animal habitats.
Lifecycle of the butterfly – ordering, explaining change over time and stages, using vocab of chrysalis.
Hatching butterflies form caterpillars – observing changes over time and recording our observations.
Knowledge and Understanding of the world - Past and present
Remembering key events in own lives e.g. birthdays, Christmas
World explorers from the past – Ernest Shackelton.
Understanding the past through stories and learn that dinosaurs lived a long time ago.
Talking about differences and similarities between the world now and millions of years ago.
Exploring fossils and learning about Mary Anning and her role in learning about dinosaurs.
Knowledge and Understanding of the world - People, Cultures and Communities
Create own simple maps of familiar areas adding on simple features.
Recognising environments that are different to ours e.g. Arctic/Antarctic.
Continue to explore cultural differences through festivals – Chinese New Year, Easter
Knowing that there are different countries in the world and talk about families around the world/holidays and visits.
Expressive Arts and Design
Colour Creations - Painting
Artist focus - Wassily Kandinsky
PE
Yoga
Outdoor Explorers - Forest School
PSHE
Jigsaw: DG (Dreams and Goals) - Aspirations, how to achieve goals and understanding the emotions that go with this/HM (Healthy Me) - Being and keeping safe and healthy
Computing
Using computers to make art
Simple programming
Music
Charanga: Everyone!/Our World
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 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
