Welcome to Lemon and Lime class!

Term 1

Reception – Autumn Term 1
Big Question: How can we all get along?

Welcome to Reception! We are delighted to welcome your family to St Mary's and are looking forward to an exciting year of learning together.

Our first term is all about helping children settle into school, develop confidence and begin to build friendships. Through carefully planned play, stories and meaningful experiences, children will begin to understand what it means to belong to a community and how their words and actions can make a positive difference to others.

Our Global Curriculum theme this term is Peace and Conflict, alongside our school value of Love. Together we will explore how showing love through kindness, compassion, forgiveness and friendship helps us build a happy, peaceful community where everyone can flourish. We will learn to listen carefully to others, value different ideas, solve problems peacefully and understand that everyone deserves to feel safe, valued and included as we begin developing the qualities of a Brave Changemaker.

Literacy
Our classroom is a language-rich environment where stories are at the heart of learning. Children will be introduced to Drawing Club, Story Dough, Babble Jab and our much-loved Message Centre, where mark making becomes purposeful, meaningful and fun. Through high-quality stories, poems and rhymes, children will develop confidence in speaking, listening and communicating their ideas.

Maths
Children will begin their mathematical journey through NCETM Mastering Number, exploring numbers, patterns and early mathematical thinking through practical, hands-on experiences. We will use songs, games and investigations to help children develop confidence with number whilst fostering curiosity and problem-solving skills.

Understanding the World
As the seasons begin to change, we will enjoy autumn walks, exploring signs of autumn and observing the world around us. Children will investigate leaves, seeds and seasonal changes, helping them develop an appreciation of the natural world.

Our growing beds will provide opportunities to observe how gardens change throughout the seasons as we begin preparing them for the year ahead.

Real Life Learning
Later this term, children will begin taking part in our weekly community visits. Small groups will walk into our local shopping centre, building confidence as they learn to navigate their local area, recognise familiar landmarks and develop relationships with members of our community.

As part of these visits, children will call into our local flower shop to choose seasonal flowers for the classroom. They will observe how flowers change throughout the year before returning to school to prepare, arrange and care for them. Through these experiences, children learn responsibility, develop an appreciation of the natural world and help create a classroom that is calm, welcoming and beautiful—a place, not simply a space, where everyone feels they belong.

We will also celebrate Harvest, reflecting on love, kindness and generosity as we think about how we can care for others within our community.

Personal Development
Through our Jigsaw lessons, children will explore feelings, friendships and belonging as they settle into school life. Together we will create our class charter and establish the routines that help everyone feel safe, happy and ready to learn.

How You Can Help at Home
Reading together every day, talking about your child's experiences and encouraging independence with everyday tasks all make a huge difference. Autumn is also a wonderful opportunity to notice seasonal changes together—collect colourful leaves, look for conkers and enjoy talking about the changing world around you.

We are looking forward to a wonderful first term together as we begin our Reception adventure!