text: R/1 | St Marie's Catholic Primary School
  Mrs K. Ainsworth – Class Teacher
  Mrs S. Cavanagh – Teaching Assistant
  Welcome to Year R/1 class page where you can find out all the information you need to support your child's learning. Below is some information about the things your child will be taught this year.
  Reception is the first year of a child's schooling and is critical to their future development. The purpose of the reception year is to ignite children's interest in and excitement for learning through offering a play based curriculum. Children learn through engaging in a mixture of self-initiated and adult led experiences. This important stage helps to prepare children for the more formal learning they will encounter in Key Stage 1 and beyond. In addition, essential social skills and learning attitudes are acquired as children interact with their peers.
  A high quality early years education is about much more than colours and shapes, numbers and letters. It's about learning to be independent, confident, strong and curious.
  It's about developing children's natural joy and wonder at the world they live in.
  It's about having a positive attitude, forming positive relationships and believing in yourself. If children can learn to "have a go", learn from mistakes and try again, they will succeed in their future learning. Young children learn by doing things for themselves, by exploring and investigating, watching and listening, talking and discussing, creating and communicating – in other words – playing. Play is children's work and playing hard is very tiring! Your children may be really exhausted and perhaps a bit grumpy when they come home – please make allowances. You'll want to know what your child has been doing during the day.
  Year 1 is also an important year for your child. This is the Year that children move from their early learning goals towards accessing the national curriculum and children are expected to make great leaps in their reading, writing and phonic ability. Year 1 is also the time that your child enters 'big school' and there is an expectation from their teachers to show positive behaviour at all times and to begin to see the importance of learning.
  Below is key information about the daily routine of our class.
  It is important that your child has good attendance with the government requirements being 98%. It is also important that your child arrives on time as this minimises disruption in the classroom. Please make sure that your child arrives to school on time (8.55am). Lessons begin the minute your child sets foot into the classroom.
  Please ensure your child has the correct uniform and has their name in everything including their coat and P.E Kit. Their school uniform is a reflection on the class, especially when we are out of school or when we have visitors into the classroom. For P.E children should have a white T-Shirt, black or navy shorts and black pumps. We have P.E on Tuesdays so please make sure your child has a kit. The children can leave them in school and take them home at half term.
  Reading is a major focus in your child's education and we aim to listen to your child read regularly in school. Reading with your child at home is also important; it is a lovely way to spend quality time with them. The children can also read with older siblings. Reading books are changed every Tuesday and Friday, therefore your child will bring a different reading book home on these days (if reading form has been signed and returned to school). Please read with your child for a short period each night encouraging them to sound out unfamiliar words and read with fluency and expression. Please make a comment in your child's reading record and return this with the reading book on the days stated. If the reading record is not signed the book will not be changed. There is a £3 charge for any lost or damaged reading books.
  Your child will receive homework on a weekly basis and it is expected to be completed and handed in the following week. The children's homework will mainly link to the Math's or Literacy that they have been learning about that week; however on occasion's topic based homework will be given.
  Children are encouraged to bring water to drink in the classroom. Your child can bring a bottle of water into the classroom each day, these can then be refilled throughout the day at the water dispenses.