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Welcome to

Kidgate

Primary

Academy Reception Year 2020

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Welcome to Kidgate Primary Academy

Coming to school in the Reception Year (EYFS)

Dear Parent / Carer,

I am delighted that your child will soon be joining Kidgate Primary Academy.

Starting school is a significant milestone in a child’s life and we will make this

experience as memorable and enjoyable as we can. In these important weeks

approaching September and into the first weeks of your child’s school career,

we look forward to working closely with you and laying the foundations of a

valuable home-school partnership that will benefit your child throughout their

time at Kidgate.

I hope this brief guide will prove useful to you in the weeks to come but please

remember that we are always here to help. If there is anything at all that is

concerning you or your child please do not hesitate to contact us.

Yours sincerely,

Mr P Lidbury

Headteacher

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Induction

Every year we provide all children and families with a comprehensive package of induction and transition to our school, in order to help everyone feel ready for starting school in September. As we are sure you will understand this process will be very different this year but we can assure you we are doing and planning all we can, in line with government guidelines. As you will know, we are already in contact with pre-school settings who will be providing us with all of the information we normally receive from them. The only difference this year is that we are doing this remotely, rather than with visits from our team into the settings. As soon as we are able to provide you with more definite information about starting school at the beginning of the academic year, we will do so. We appreciate your patience and understanding in this matter

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Starting School Starting school is a big step for you and your child, but you can help to make it

a happy one by encouraging your child to look forward to it. The induction

programme is designed to help children overcome any fears about starting

school and ensure that they are confident and happy in Reception.

There are certain skills which can make starting school easier. If children can do

some of the following things it will help them to become independent learners

when they start school.

• Dress and undress themselves

• Fasten their own shoes

• Know how to ask to go to the toilet

• Go to the toilet and wash and dry their hands unaided

• Blow their own nose

• Play and share with other children the same age

• Carry out simple instructions and tasks

• Tidy away toys and clothes

• Understand when they are told “No” it means “No”

• Be independent

• Know where they live

• Know their first name and surname

• Recognise their own belongings coat, lunch box, bag etc

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School Organisation

School times The school day starts at 8:55am. Children can arrive in the Reception

classroom between 8:45am and 8:55am, once the small gate is opened. You

are welcome to walk in with your child. Please come into the classroom with

your child and encourage them to put away their own belongings. Once the

children are fully settled into the routine as well as at school in general, we will

work towards your child walking through the small gate on their own, and

coming into the classroom independently.

Once your child has organised their belongings, they will find their name and

‘splat’ it onto the self-registration board. They can then choose an ‘Early Bird’

activity until 8:55am when we close the doors and start our school day.

Break time is usually between 10:00am and 10:15am.

Lunchtime is from 11:40am until 12:40pm.

The school day finishes at 3:15pm and the Reception classroom doors open at

3:10pm. Please wait outside on the playground where we can see you. Your

child will then be released to the small gate where members of the team wait

to hand your child over to you. If someone other than yourself is collecting

your child please let a member of The Early Years Team or another member of

school staff know (write a message in the home/school contact book).

If your child is absent from school please telephone the school office before

9.00am. The phone has an answer machine. Press option 1 to leave your

message.

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Absence from school

• As a parent it is your responsibility to ensure that your child’s attendance

does not fall below 95%; in real terms this means that they cannot be

absent for any more than 9 ½ days over a school year. The school works

closely in liaison with an Education Welfare Officer. If there are any issues

preventing your child coming to school, please let us know so we can work

together to provide support.

• If your child is unwell we ask that you inform our admin team in the school

office as early as possible on the first day of absence stating the nature of

their illness and providing an indication of how long they are likely to be

away from school. We also ask that you contact us on every subsequent

day of absence to comply with safeguarding regulations. This absence will

constitute an authorised absence. If we do not hear from you we will

endeavour to contact you, again as a matter of safeguarding. If we are

unable to do so, the lack of communication will result in an ‘unauthorised

absence’ being recorded.

• Please ensure that any medical or dental appointments are made outside of

school time. However, if this is not possible, please try to make a late

morning or late afternoon appointment so that your child is present at

registration. It is important to let us know in advance by providing a copy of

the appointment card and completing the appropriate form available from

the school office.

• If your child is taken ill at school we will use the information provided on

the contact form to notify you. It is vital that this information is kept up to

date so please ensure that we are informed of any changes to contact

details.

Parent Hub Parent Hub is our online communication system, the information that Parent

Hub uses is from Integris – our school central information system, it is your

responsibility to keep all of your contact details up to date with us. We are

primarily a paperless school, therefore it is vital that we are able to

communicate to your via Parent Hub.

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ParentPay

ParentPay is our online payment system. This system will also allow us to

accept payments via debit / credit card online or over the phone for items such

as trips, clubs and school events etc. If you do not have a debit or credit card

you can pay by cash using the Pay Point facility available at the Co-op in

Northgate, McColls in Eastgate, and McColls on Victoria Road, among other

places. Please ask at the school office for a Pay Point card or a barcoded letter

to enable you to pay via the Pay Point network. ParentPay is very easy to set

up and our friendly admin team will help you activate your account when you

attend your drop-in session in July. Please bring your e-mail and mobile phone

number with you to this session so we can set up your account. When your

account has been activated we as a school, are unable to edit this

information on your behalf.

Breakfast Club

Our breakfast club is open every day and it begins at 7.45am. Children are

provided with a range of cereals, toast, fruit and juices and a selection of quiet

activities provided up until the start of the day. Demand is high and places can

be limited so please make sure you book a place through ParentPay using the

‘Make Bookings’ tab. The charge for Breakfast Club is £2.00 per session.

Although the Breakfast club is available we don’t advise that Reception

children attend for at least the first week as they are already in a big transition.

Please be aware, children must be at Breakfast Club no later than 8:15am to

allow sufficient time for them to eat their breakfast.

Medicine, inhalers and allergies. As a general rule, no child should bring medicines or tablets to school.

Children returning to school after illness should clearly be fit to do so and free

from infection. Please err on the side of caution when making a decision about

your child returning to school. Children should be fit to participate in all school

activities including outdoor games and playtime. Injury, asthma, respiratory

complaints or circulation difficulties are of course exceptions. If in doubt please

get in touch: we are happy to advise.

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If your child has been prescribed a course of antibiotics but is well enough to

return to school before it has been completed you are welcome to come into

school to administer it. Staff are only permitted to administer prescribed

medicines in exceptional circumstances as it is often possible to adjust the

timings of the doses to fit them around school time. We ask that if the

medicine is only prescribed 3 times throughout the day, that the

administration of it is done out of school hours.

If your child requires regular use of or access to an inhaler, supervised access

will be given as requested. If your child is asthmatic please complete the

relevant form and provide an inhaler to be kept in school.

In order to comply with recently updated legislation we ask that parents

comply with the following request regarding any allergies:

• Information about the food allergen, including a confirmed written

diagnosis from your child’s doctor or allergist.

• Information about signs and symptoms of the child’s possible reactions to

known allergens.

• Information about the possible severity of reactions, including any history

of prior anaphylaxis (even though anaphylaxis can occur even in children

without a history of prior anaphylaxis).

• Treatment for responding to a food allergy reaction or emergency, including

whether an epinephrine auto-injector( epi-pen) should be used

• Contact information for parents and doctors, including alternate phone

numbers in case of an emergency.

This information will be required to create an Individual Health Care Plan if

appropriate.

If you have any queries or concerns regarding any of the above please arrange

an appointment to discuss the matter with us before your child starts school.

In this way we can hope to avoid potentially distressing situations.

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School meals

Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 children are currently provided with a free hot

lunch. Unfortunately meals cannot be provided unless they have been ordered

in advance: orders are placed through ParentPay using the ‘make bookings’

tab. It is possible to order meals weeks in advance but at the latest by midnight

on the Wednesday prior to the week they are required. If you would like any

further information regarding school meals our friendly administrative staff

will be pleased to help you. Please note if you do not book your child a meal

they will not be allocated one, therefore you will need to provide them with a

packed lunch.

Alternatively you may provide your child with a packed lunch to be eaten in the

dining hall. We ask that you choose healthy options and do not include

chocolate, sweets and crisps. Please ensure that your child’s lunch box is

clearly labelled – as choice of lunch box is often dictated by fashion it can be

difficult to distinguish between them! Please include a drink, still, not fizzy. In

the interest of Health and Safety we ask that children do not bring cans or glass

bottles.

The Home-School Association generously provide each pupil with a water

bottle which should be brought to school each day (filled with water only).

Children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 are encouraged to take advantage of

the offer of a healthy snack in the form of a piece of fruit during the day.

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Pupil Premium

While school meals are offered free to all children in Reception, Year 1 and

Year 2, it is still very important that school is made aware of any pupil whose

family circumstances meet the eligibility criteria for free school meals to be

provided. This is because every pupil entitled in this way attracts additional

funding into school. As you can appreciate, this can make a significant impact

upon the resources available to support your child’s progress. Please ensure

that the paragraph in your child’s ‘Registration Form’ is fully completed in

order for us to be able to check your child’s eligibility for this additional

funding.

Holidays There is no entitlement for parents to take children out of school for family

holidays during term time. Under certain very exceptional circumstances leave

can be granted at the discretion of the school. Before booking any holiday you

should discuss your intentions with us. If holidays are taken without

authorisation, penalty notices may be issued by the Education Welfare Service.

School uniform Our branded school uniform is available from Cojo’s/Boyes, but plain

sweatshirts and polo shirts, from other suppliers, can be used as an alternative:

• Navy sweatshirt or navy jumper / cardigan

• Navy fleece for indoor / outdoor use

• White polo shirt / shirt / blouse

• Navy, grey or black trousers

• Navy or grey shorts, skirt or pinafore

• Blue and white ‘uniform’ dresses / shirts

• Flat sensible supportive shoes – plain black / blue

• Summer sandals must be sensible, supportive and suitable for school wear

and tear

• Tights - blue/black/grey

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PE / Games kit (Please note that there is no need to provide PE Kit in the first

few weeks: we will inform you when it is needed).

Indoor

• Plain white t-shirt – no heavy logo / fashion or football tops

• Plain navy/black shorts – no heavy logo / fashion or striped shorts

• Plimsolls for indoor PE

Outdoor

• Trainers

• Track suit / jogging top and bottom for outdoor PE – as plain as possible –no

logo heavy / fashion or football styles

Please do take the time to name all items of clothing, including shoes:

although every effort is taken to ensure children keep track of their

belongings, it is very difficult to reunite unnamed items with their owners!

Sun protection

During the summer months it is advisable to add a sun hat to your child’s

uniform. A liberal application of long lasting sun lotion in the morning is also

advisable. Staff are not permitted to apply sun cream but if you feel that your

child could take responsibility for re-applying their own sun cream you may

provide one in a clearly named tube or bottle.

Hairstyles

An appropriate hairstyle is expected to be worn by all pupils. One which is

neat, tidy and not out of the ordinary. Any hair accessories worn in hair should

be discreet. Dyed or two tone hair colours, shaved patterns, Mohicans or

highly gelled styles are not permitted. Wherever possible, longer styles should

be tied back to help prevent the spread of head lice.

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Jewellery Reception Year children have access to outdoor physical activity throughout

the day and for safety reasons earrings of any kind are not permitted to be

worn at school, this includes piercings that are covered.

School Library Our library is stocked with a vast range of books. We use an electronic library

system, which will enable pupils to log books out, using their unique library

reference number and take them home. Please see the permission form in the

welcome pack for you to indicate whether or not you are happy for your child

to bring library books home with them.

Book bags Children enjoy bringing ‘sharing books’ home in the first few weeks. We

encourage children to value and care for the books they borrow and to this

end we provide them with a ‘Kidgate Primary Academy’ book bag (free of

charge) on starting school. We kindly ask that water bottles are not kept in

your child’s book bag, this guards against any leakage that may cause damage

to books.

Parking As a Healthy School we encourage parents and children to walk to school

whenever possible. The number and movement of cars around school at drop-

off and pick-up times can give rise to potentially dangerous situations during

these busy periods. We must ask for your co-operation in making these times

as safe as possible for all children. To this end parking and drop off along

Cinder Lane and Kidgate is strictly forbidden. If you are unable to walk to

school it is possible to apply for a permit which allows parking in the Kidgate

car park between 8.45am and 9.05am and 3.05pm and 3.25pm: However, you

will appreciate that the car park can become very congested at these times

and keeping the movement of vehicles to a minimum along both Cinder Lane

and Kidgate would serve to promote our children’s safety in this respect.

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The Curriculum

The curriculum is what we learn when we are at school. In Reception, we

follow the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum. This curriculum is for

children from birth to five. The children will already have been working on this

curriculum in their pre-school setting.

The Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum is divided up into seven areas.

1. Personal, Social and Emotional Development

2. Physical Development

3. Communication and Language

4. Literacy

5. Mathematics

6. Understanding the World

7. Expressive Arts and Design

This curriculum is underpinned with children experiencing a range of play-

based activities. Young children are constantly encountering new experiences

and seeking to understand them, developing their confidence and building on

what they already know. Children learn best through practical activities

reinforcing and extending their skills.

In Reception, children will be given the opportunity to select their own play

based activities. The adults support and extend the children during these

activities making a note of what they can do and what they need to do next.

We then use this information to plan the next activities. Your child will

experience a mixture of adult-led and self-initiated play activities during the

day. The adults also spend time observing the children and take photographs

and make notes of what they are doing. We put these into the children’s

individual learning Journeys and use this to complete our assessments of the

children. At Kidgate Primary Academy we use ‘Tapestry’ which is an on-line

Learning Journey. Tapestry not only allows you to view your child’s learning

journey but also add to it yourself. Please complete the relevant forms in your

pack.

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Outdoor Play

We have a fantastic outdoor area in which the children can also learn through

play. We encourage the children to use the outdoor area as much as possible

and in all weathers. It is important that the children are correctly dressed to

enable them to make full use of the outdoor area.

It is therefore useful if the children have in school each day;

• A pair of wellington boots with their name on

• A coat – if possible waterproof

• A sun hat (in the summer months)

• Hat, scarf and gloves (in the winter months)

• A school jumper, fleece or cardigan - All to be clearly named

Supporting Learning at Home

Parents have a key role to play in a child’s development. The key way in which

you can support your child in their learning is by giving them some of your

time.

Time to talk

Time to listen

Time to do things together

The following are some ideas of things you can do at home with your child,

many of which you are probably already doing.

Sharing Books

This is probably the most important way you can support your child in their

early years. No child is too young to share a book and children often love a

story at bedtime.

• Let your child have books everywhere and show them that the whole family

use and enjoy books.

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• You could join the local library and choose books together.

• Start by looking at the pictures, encouraging your child to predict the story

or tell their own using the pictures.

• Let them handle books, turn the pages, look at the cover.

• Point to words as you read them showing you child that text is read from

left to right.

• Read favourite books or stories again and again, encouraging your child to

join in and retell the story.

• Look at simple alphabet books and point out the letters in their name.

• Look out for words wherever you go, on signs, labels, in shops and at home.

• Once children have their own reading book, listen to them read as often as

possible and complete the reading diary booklet.

Talking

Young children communicate first with a few words and actions. As they

develop they begin to have real conversations. They enjoy experimenting with

words and discovering new ones.

• Show them how to take turns in a conversation and how to wait for

someone to finish speaking.

• Encourage them to listen when someone else is talking.

• Teach them how to use words like “please”, “thank you” and “can I?”

• Talk about what you see when you are out together.

• Play “I spy “.

• Ask questions and encourage your child to do the same.

• Join in with your child’s play and talk to them about it. For example, ask

“what are you doing?”

• Play with them using lots of language, e.g. “You be the shop keeper and I’ll

come into the shop to buy some fruit”.

• Sing songs and share nursery rhymes.

• Talk about television programmes and books.

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Listening

Listening is an important skill and being able to listen will be very helpful to

your child when they start school.

• Play listening games. For example, when outdoors close your eyes and see

what different things you can hear.

• Talk about different sounds and point them out.

• Make different animal sounds.

• Play memory games like snap or matching cards with the same pictures.

• Talk about loud and quiet sounds.

• Read rhyming or repetitive stories and encourage children to join in.

• Listen to your child and show them how to listen by asking them about

what they have done at school that day.

• In school we talk about how good listening means sitting still and quiet,

looking at the person who is talking, making eye contact and smiling and

remember to wait until they have finished talking before we talk or ask

them a question.

Following Instructions and Taking Turns

When starting school children can find these skills difficult. However they will

help them to make friends and understand the classroom routines.

• Play simple board games like snakes and ladders or similar with more than

one player.

• Play “Simon Says”.

• Sing action songs like “Heads, shoulders, knees and toes”.

• Make up treasure hunts with clues and treasure.

• Encourage your child to play with siblings, friends or relatives.

• When eating talk about sharing out food fairly.

• When in a queue explain how it works and that we are taking turns.

• Encourage your child to listen to and follow as well as give their own

instructions.

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Writing

Mark making is the first step towards writing. Children will begin by making

random marks on paper. As they develop control and coordination they will

begin to draw and their marks will be more recognisable. Children also often

do squiggles and zig-zags for pretend writing.

• Use chubby crayons or chalks to make marks on big pieces of paper.

• Use paint, play dough and pens to create models and pictures.

• Draw lines, circles, loops and patterns.

• Show them how to hold their pencil correctly by gripping it lightly between

the thumb and fore finger and resting it on the middle finger.

• Encourage them to trace over your writing – e.g. their name.

• Use brushes and water outside to make marks on patios or fences.

• Use old rolls of wallpaper to make long / big pictures.

• Use magnetic letters.

• When talking about letters use their sounds not names and write in lower

case unless it is the initial letter of their name.

• Keep encouraging their mark making and squiggles.

• Remember that writing is a skill which develops only when a child is ready.

If your child is not interested it means they are not ready to write so please

don’t panic!

Mathematics

Maths becomes much more understandable to young children if it is real. For

example if five children are allowed to play in the sand and there are four

children already playing there is space for one more. Most children understand

this easier than the calculation 5 – 4 = 1.

• Talk about how many are needed, e.g. knives and forks when setting the table or socks when getting dressed.

• Talk about numbers in books and stories.

• Point out numbers when you are out together e.g. on buses or houses.

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• Count together e.g. how many people are in the queue.

• Let them help with cooking, weighing and measuring ingredients.

• Sort and count the items bought in the supermarket.

• Learn and sing some counting songs.

• Do jigsaws and talk about shapes.

• Play board games or similar with dice.

In school we do lots of investigating and problem solving in our maths. It is not

until the end of their Reception year that we expect children to record their

work.

Play

Play is the key to young children’s learning development and confidence. It is

what they do naturally to understand and make sense of the world around

them.

• Dress up and play make believe games.

• Paint and draw with a variety of materials.

• Build and make things with bricks or Lego.

• Make models from junk materials like empty boxes.

• Thread dried macaroni on to wool or cut up drinking straws.

• Use tongs to pick up large and then smaller objects.

• Play with dolls, action figures or soft toys.

• Make dens with sheets and blankets over tables or outside in the garden.

• Children love to imitate adults and they can help you with everyday tasks.

Play can be absolutely anything at all. Get involved in your child’s games and

pick up on their interests. It is always interesting to hear about the games they

play and what they are interested in at home.

We look forward to welcoming you and your child as they

take their next step on their learning journey!