Rode Heath Primary SchoolReception 2026 - 2027
Mrs Adams
I have been working with young children for over 20 years and am passionate about giving them the best possible start to school life by learning through creative and meaningful contexts. As a Forest School teacher I love taking learning outside the classroom and introducing children to new skills, such as den building, tree climbing, campfire cookery and caring for our woodland environment.
Mrs Barnett
I have worked at Rode Heath School for many years now. I thoroughly enjoy being part of all of the exciting learning opportunities which Rode Heath has to offer. Outside of school, I love to go exploring outdoors with my two children.
Miss Street
I have worked as a TA at Rode Heath for the past 8 years, working in Key Stage 1, specialising in EYFS. I thoroughly enjoy working with the new starters, supporting them as they start on their new journey of school life. I believe all children should be treated as I would wish my own to be treated.
Welcome back! We hope you all had a restful and break. We have a busy half-term ahead and can't wait to aee you all.
Routines, Reminders & Messages
Parents' Evenings - Our first Parents' Evenings will take place on Wednesday 25th November and Wednesday 2nd December 2026. Further information, including how to book your appointment on Scopay will be sent out shortly.
EYFS Christmas Performances - Our Christmas Performances will take place on Wednesday 2nd and Thursday 3rd December 2026 at 2.15pm. A letter will be sent out w/c 2nd November with details on clothing requirements and ticket booking.
Book Bag and Reading Diary - Your child will be given a book bag and reading folder on their first day. The folder contains their reading diary and phonics reading books. Please look through the diary and complete the permissions pages as soon as possible (we can't put any lovely photos on our webpage until we have your consent).
Please record in the diary each time you read with your child. We will make a note of when we have read in school too. You can use the diary to pass notes to us but please remember that they are not checked daily. If your message is urgent or very important then please telephone or email the school office instead.
Phonics Reading Books - Your child will initially bring home one book per week, Our first books have no words to build confidence in talking and discussing what is happening in the pictures. Later on this half term we will send home two books, that match the sounds learned in phonics lessons. It is important for the children to re-read the books - at least 3 times at home - to help them become more fluent, begin to recognise words and to feel successful as a reader. We encourage the children to read once to sound out and blend the words, a second time to remember and begin to read a little more confidently and a third time to help their understanding of the book and be able to talk about it.
Please ensure all books and the reading diary are kept in your child's folder in their book bag and brought in to school every day, as we also read these books in class. Books are changed on Mondays - we have very limited supplies so please ensure they are in school and availiable to be passed on to the next child.
'Reading for Pleasure' books - Your child will choose a Reading for Pleasure book during their first week. These are books for you to share with your child at home. Your child is not expected to read these for themselves but they are wonderful as a bedtime story or snuggled up on the sofa to read together. These books are also changed on Mondays and again we have a limited supply, so would appreciate your support in ensuring they are returned on time to be available for another child.
P.E. - Our PE day is on THURSDAY this term. Children should come to school in their PE kits (House t-shirts, school or plain black/navy shorts or tracksuit) and velcro pumps or trainers - no laces please!
Home Learning is sent home on Fridays from Week 2. This will be a mixture of activities in Home Learning books, online or via Tapestry. Please ensure it is completed and,books are returned by the following Wednesday, when we collect them in.
Tapestry - we use this to share highlights of your child's learning, send messages and set some home learning tasks. If your child attended our Pre-School then your existing login details are still valid. If you are new to Rode Heath then you should have received an email with instructions on how to get started (check your junk folder if you don't receive an email). As always, please let us know if you have any problems.
School Spider - Please ensure that you have downloaded the School Spider App. We use this for communicating general school messages and information such as head bumps and changes to arrangements for clubs.
Ensuring that our children are happy, safe and secure in school is very important to us. We follow our Hearts and Minds curriculum to ensure children's personal, social and emotional development is central to our practice. More information about our Hearts and Minds curriculum and the weekly Hearts and Mind planning can be found using this link: Hearts and Minds.
To find year group expectations for Maths, please click here, scroll down and click on the overview.
For year group expectations for English, please click here, scroll down and click on the overview.
The expectations for Science and the Foundation subjects can be found by selecting the relevant heading from here.
Our Learning Journey: Monday 2nd November 2026
Home learning is in your green books this week. Information about our learning and supporting resources will be sent on Tapestry
Phonics
This week we will be learning 'u' and 'r'. We will also learn the new tricky word ‘to’
Tricky words are words that cannot always be sounded out using the phonics children have learned so far. Instead, children need to learn to recognise these words by sight and remember what they look like. We practise tricky words regularly in school through games, reading and writing activities. The more often children see these words, the more confidently and fluently they will be able to read and use them in their own writing.
When children begin phonics in Reception, they start by learning individual letter sounds. They will learn to:
- Recognise and say the sounds (phonemes) that the letters make in words.
- Identify the letters (graphemes) that represent these sounds.
- Form the letters correctly when writing.
- Listen for the sounds at the beginning, middle, and end of words.
- Begin blending sounds together to read simple words as they learn more letter sounds.
Through songs, games, stories, and practical activities, children build confidence in hearing and using these sounds, laying the foundations for reading and writing.
Pure Sounds - We teach the children to use 'pure' sounds (the sounds that letters make in words) Click on the pictures below to hear the 'pure' sounds for Phase 2 and Phase 3 phonics.
Phase 2 Graphemes - s a t p i n m d g o c k ck e u r
Phase 2 Tricky Words - I no go to
Literacy:
This week we will continue to focus on writing our names, the letters we have learned in Phonics and short words containing letters we know. We will be holding our pencils effectively and forming the letters correctly. We will also be using our skills to write 'Wanted' Posters for Guy Fawkes.
Letter Formation - We work very hard on developing a good pencil grip and forming our letters correctly in Reception. This is important because it reduces strain on the hand muscles and prepares children for joining letters and writing at greater length in Years 1 and 2. The pictures below show the correct formation for each letter and the rhymes we use to support the children to recall them.
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Maths:
This week we will explore circles and triangles, learning to identify and name these shapes in our environment. We will investigate their properties, compare how they are the same and different, and use them to create pictures and patterns through practical activities and shape hunts.
Personal, Social & Emotional Development:
This week we will learn about the importance of having a calm space and how it can help us when we are feeling overwhelmed, upset or need some quiet time. Through discussions, stories and calming activities, we will explore strategies that help us feel relaxed and ready to learn.
Understanding the World
This week we will learn about Bonfire Night and discover why fireworks are used on November 5th. Through stories, discussions and activities, we will explore this celebration and think about how people mark special events in different ways. In Computing we will explore a range of unplugged technology and talk about how it is used in our everyday lives, developing our confidence and curiosity about technology.
Physical Development:
We will be developing our balancing skills this week by learning how to stay stable both when standing still and when moving. Through fun games and challenges, we will practise controlling our bodies, improving our coordination and moving with confidence and safety.
Expressive Arts & Design:
This week we will complete our Diwali lanterns and create fire pictures using colour mixing techniques. We will experiment with different colours and materials to create bright, colourful artwork inspired by celebrations and fireworks. In Music we will practise the songs for our Christmas performance, learning the words, actions and melodies. We will develop our confidence in singing together and performing as part of a group.
Engineering:
Don't forget to visit our Think Like an Engineer website regularly to see what we're all busy doing:
https://thinklikeanengineerproject.com
Our door is always open, please contact us for help at any time.
At busy times, please telephone to leave a message or email and we will respond as soon as we can.
If you are worried about how to keep your child safe online, please follow the following link:.
https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/articles/keeping-your-under-five-safe-online
