"Faithfully following in the footsteps of Jesus, we serve, love and learn together, inspiring each other to excellence."

Hello and Welcome to RS!

We are so excited to welcome both old and new faces to our St. Patrick's family and we are looking forward to getting to know you and your children. We have lots of exciting activities planned for the year ahead, and you will not believe how your child grows and progresses throughout their first year at school. Our Early Years Curriculum is based on learning through exploration and play. We access a variety of different activities in Reception to support us with our learning.  

A typical day in Reception:

Our school day begins with Early Doors at 8.45am. Children are welcome to arrive anytime between 8.45am and 9am. 

After registration and prayers, we are ready to start our Phonics lesson. We start by singing the alphabet song and each day we learn a new letter or sound. Then we practise our reading and writing skills at our tables. After our whole class learning, we have snack time before we go out to play. We have a healthy snack each day except on Fridays when we have a treat. 

After playtime, we take part in Maths activities, which can involve counting, singing, shape games, ICT, water play, sand play and measuring. We like to learn through fun, practical games and activities. Lunchtime begins at 11.30 am. Most of us have hot dinners and some children bring in a packed lunch.

After lunch and playtime, we go back into class for our afternoon session. Each day we focus on different areas of the Early Years Curriculum. Our activities can be linked to our Religious Education topic, Show and Tell, Music, Knowledge & Understanding of the World or Personal, Social and Emotional Development (Circle Time Games). Our outdoor area is set up so that children can access activities both inside and out. We have a piece of fruit each afternoon as part of the free fruit scheme Healthy Schools Government initiative.

Each day we take part in Celebration of the Word and we enjoy learning about Jesus through our Religious Education topics. We say prayers each morning, before and after lunch and before home time.

Before we go home, we like to finish our day with a story and sing songs.

General Information:

To find out more about our learning in school, please visit our Curriculum Pages.

Class Email:

rs@stpatricks.sefton.school. Please feel free to email should you have any questions or you wish to share some news about your child.

News:

Don't forget to read the weekly Reception newsletters and fortnightly whole school newsletters for regular school updates.

Medical Conditions:

If your child has a medical condition that staff need to know about, please inform school as soon as possible. If your child requires an inhaler, or any other medicine, please make sure it is brought into school via the school office so that the administration forms can be filled in.

P.E.:

Please check the class windows for details of our PE days for this half term. Children should continue to come into school wearing their P.E. clothes with a school jumper or cardigan and appropriate footwear.

Reading:

Here at St. Patrick's, reading is at the heart of our curriculum. Reading can be a special time for you and your child. Research has shown that reading for as little as 5 or 10 minutes each day can help support your child's educational development. We operate a Lending Library in school and your child with bring home a Library book each week. This is a story book for you to read to them and enjoy talking about your thoughts and ideas together. We begin our Phonics Scheme in the Autumn term and your child will also bring home a book each week for them to read to you to practise their phonics knowledge.  Reading books will be sent home each Monday. Please send your children’s Reading Record book into school each day.  

Jumpers, Cardigans and Water Bottles:

Please remember to clearly label all jumpers and cardigans and ensure your child brings a water bottle to school each day.

Snack:

If you wish for your child to be part of our school snack scheme, the cost is £6 a half-term, £12 for a term or £36 for the year. Children receive a fruit snack in the morning break and in the afternoon, we provide a variety of healthy snacks throughout the week and a treat on Friday.

If you have chosen not to participate in the snack scheme and wish to provide a snack instead, please ensure that it is a healthy food choice, such as fruit, crackers or a cereal bar. 

Parental Involvement

 The Early Years curriculum is based on learning through play and exploration, There are a number of ways you can help your child to learn and make progress:

* Good attendance

* Home reading

* Point out numbers and letters in the environment

* Count at every opportunity

* Encourage your child to talk about the world around them.

Curriculum:

Please see our Long and Medium Term Overviews below as well as the curriculum pages on the website for further information on what we are learning about in school.