Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play, children learn how to learn.
                                                            - Fred Donaldson

Welcome to Reception at Whitchurch Primary!

At Whitchurch Primary, we are committed to providing children with the best possible start to school life; providing them with opportunities to follow their interests to ensure future success. Our aim is to feed your child’s curiosity and to inspire them to aim for the stars. Our Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum and environment is designed and created to nurture and inspire our children so that they feel safe, secure and happy in their learning and encouraged to develop their natural sense of wonder.

 We strive to ensure our children are happy, enthusiastic learners with aspirations to excel in whatever they choose to do. We aim to foster a love of learning by providing children with a safe, stimulating learning environment that build on each individual's needs and interests. We believe learning should be fun, engaging and suitably challenging.

We work hard to ensure that children make the very best start and continue to build on the knowledge and skills they've already developed. Our Early Years Curriculum is taught through a ‘hands on’ practical approach, embracing and encouraging the children’s interests. The children learn through purposeful play, using a range of resources that ignite their curiosity and enthusiasm for learning.

Click here to view our Long Term Curriculum Plan

The Early Years Foundation Stage outlines the learning and development stages of children from birth to five years. Our provision reflects the four overarching principles of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. These are:

 • every child is a unique child, who is constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured

• children learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships.

• children learn and develop well in enabling environments with teaching and support from adults, who respond to their individual interests and needs and help them to build their learning over time. Children benefit from a strong partnership between practitioners and parents and/or carers.

• importance of learning and development. Children develop and learn at different rates.

At Whitchurch Primary we provide a secure, safe and happy environment in which we strive to ensure all children thrive and reach their full potential. Our classroom is a safe environment in which children feel confident to try new things, to explore, to question and to make and learn from their mistakes.

We have very high expectations of both our staff and our children and believe that all children can achieve amazing things. It is very important to us that our children receive the most positive and inspirational start to their school life and become lifelong learners. The strong foundations in learning provided in Reception are then built upon as they move throughout our school.

Wider Curriculum

At Whitchurch Primary, children are given opportunities to be inspired and develop their curiosity about the world. In the Early Years, alongside the learning that takes place within the classroom, children are provided with a huge variety of experiences to motivate them as a learner. 

As part of our 'Broad Curriculum, Brought Alive', children are given the opportunity to take part in forest school sessions, cooking sessions, and visits to the local gymnastics centre. We also provide exciting experiences such as; scientist visits, author visits, visits from the farm and zoo, and our fantastic 'Week of adventure', where the children have previously taken part in activities such as rock climbing, yoga, street dance and tobogganing.