Year R

Welcome to Year R!

Tadpoles are taught by:

Mrs Graham (Monday-Thursday)

Mrs Reilly (Friday)

Helped by our wonderful Learning Support Assistant, Miss Antonio

Contact us on: year_r@stjohnthebaptistprimary.co.uk or through the Tapestry app

Weekly Overview:

Monday
Tuesday	Library Session
Wednesday
Thursday	Reading book change day
Friday	PE – Wear PE kit to school Forrest Friday PM– Wear long sleeve tops and trousers

At St John’s, we aim to provide an inspiring and motivating learning experience where children are always thinking, talking, doing. We believe that active, first-hand experiences nurture resilience, ambition, and a lifelong love of learning. Our carefully organised environment offers both familiarity and independence, empowering children to become leaders of their own learning.

We recognise that the early years are crucial in laying the foundations for future success—building language, curiosity, and critical thinking alongside peers. Every child is unique, arriving with their own life experiences, and we celebrate and welcome this individuality.

Our curriculum is designed with these aims at its heart, creating a happy and productive learning journey for all children. From the warm welcome at the door, through calm routines, to our beautiful indoor and outdoor spaces, every detail is crafted to maximise opportunity and joy.

We follow a skills-based curriculum, teaching specific skills that children can practise and apply independently. Each day is carefully structured to balance short adult-led sessions with longer child-led explorations. We call these sessions Discovery Time – moments where children challenge themselves, follow their curiosity, and learn through play.

Our staff team actively engages with children during these times, extending learning and supporting developmental progress. As a result, our children consistently demonstrate high levels of well-being, engagement, and our school values of creativity, compassion, and courage.

The Early Years curriculum at St Johns is reflected by having well-rounded, happy and the Early Years curriculum at St John’s ensures that children transition into Year 1 as well-rounded, happy, and confident learners. Progress is measured through both formative and summative assessment, grounded in teachers’ deep knowledge of each child and their learning journey.

We want you and your child to enjoy an engaging and meaningful Early Years experience. To support this, we provide a wide range of resources, activities, videos, and guidance so you can be part of the journey. Please use the information and links on this page both with your child and as a guide to better understand our curriculum.

Early Years Curriculum

Characteristics of effective teaching and learning:

Part of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum is known as the ‘Characteristics of Effective Teaching and Learning’, which focusses on how children are learning to learn, rather than what they are learning.

These are divided into three areas:

Playing and Exploring
Active Learning
Creating and Thinking Critically

Areas of Learning

The EYFS is made up of seven closely linked areas of learning. There are three prime areas and four specific areas of learning. The three prime areas are crucial for igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning and for building their capacity to learn, form relationships and thrive. These three areas, the prime areas, are:

Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Communication and Language
Physical Development

Pupils need to be secure in all three of these areas before they are ready to absorb and learn skills such as reading and writing.

There are four specific areas through which the three prime areas are strengthened and applied. These are:

Literacy
Mathematics
Understanding of the World
Expressive Arts

None of these areas can be delivered in isolation from the others. They are equally important and depend on each other. All areas are delivered through a balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities. In each area there are Early Learning Goals (ELGs) that define the expectations for most pupils to reach by the end of the EYFS.

St John’s Aspirations:

Aspiration 1 - To show friendship, compassion and trust in our relationships and have strategies to regulate our emotions.
Aspiration 2 - To listen to others and respond appropriately and use the tools of restorative practice.
Aspiration 3 – To be a creative hands on learner in finding out about the world around us.
Aspiration 4 – To be a mathematical and computational thinker to solve problems.
Aspiration 5 – To read accurately for pleasure and information.
Aspiration 6 – To write a sentence that can be read by others.
Aspiration 7 – To create and make things from their imaginations.
Aspiration 8 – To develop our bodies so we can lead happy, active, healthy lives.

EYFS Curriculum Documents

Below are a number of school and nationally recognised documents that will help you as a parent understand more about the Early Years Foundation Stage and our curriculum.

Here are a few reminders about your child's day in school:

Registration

In Year R, our school doors open at 8.40am and the registers close at 8.50am. You can collect your little ones at 3.05pm from the same doors. You will be welcomed by Mrs Graham or Mrs Reilly.

Water and Snack

Your child needs to bring a water bottle to school each day (water only please). They will have free access throughout the whole day to drink. We also provide a fruit snack. Milk is available for free until they are five, then you can buy into the milk scheme.

Lunch

If your child is having a hot dinner with us, the lunch menu is on this website. We also have a copy on the door in the morning if you want to help your child choose each day.

Tapestry App

We will keep you up to date with our learning each week on our Tapestry app so that you can join in at home too.

Reading at Home

We send home a school reading book which will be levelled at your child's current reading ability. Children are expected to read at home at least four times a week. Our Reading Badge scheme rewards consistent reading, celebrating the vital role parents play. Each week of four reads earns a stamp; six stamps earn a coloured badge. Five coloured badges and a Star Reader badge can be collected each academic year. From January when they read their school reading book, please fill in our 'Snuggle Buddy Book Reading Ticket'. If your child gets the ticket, they can bring their snuggle buddy for a story at the end of half-term!

Recognition and Celebrations

Celebration Collective Worship happens on a Friday, certificates of recognition of our Christian Values of Compassion, Courage, and Creativity are given out. Children are also rewarded for consistently following our School rules of Ready, Respectful and Safe.

Useful websites for EYFS

Early years - England - BBC Bitesize

PhonicsPlay - Resources

Reading at Home - Oxford Owl for Home

Free eBook library – practise reading with phonics eBooks - Oxford Owl

English KS1 - reading, spelling and punctuation games plus stories

Math is Fun

Topmarks – Free Interactive Learning Games, Maths Worksheets & Teaching Resources