Reception 2025 - 2026

EYFS (Foundation Stage 2) 2025 - 2026

WELCOME TO EYFS

A message from Miss Thwaite

EYFS will be taught by Miss Thwaite and supported by Mrs Williams, Mrs Christian and Mrs Taylor.

Welcome to St Mary of the Angels Foundation Stage 2 (EYFS). We are really looking forward to getting to know your lovely children and watch them grow during the year. In the EYFS children learn through a mixture of adult led and child-initiated activities. Play is vital for children's development and they will learn and develop skills and knowledge in our indoor and outdoor learning environments.

We are really excited about this year's curriculum and have lots of fun and engaging activities planned. Across the year we will enjoy learning about the Roman Catholic faith by learning prayers and reading bible stories and we will explore the meaning of our school mission statement - Love Jesus, Love Learning, Love Life.

During the Autumn term our first topic will be 'ourselves' where we will learn about our bodies and being healthy, explore the senses, learn about how we grow, and will think about our homes, families and pets. We will also begin to learn lots of lovely action rhymes and songs. Our second topic will be 'people who help us' and we will explore the important roles of people who help us in our community through visitors to the school and a range of activities. We will also take part in a Children in Need superhero fundraising day and fabulous weekly Diddi Drama sessions.

In the Spring term we will begin to learn about the seasons and our topics will be 'marvellous minibeasts' and 'how does your garden grow'. We will investigate, explore and compare and contrast a variety of minibeasts and will go on a minibeast hunt around our school. We will plant and nurture sunflower seeds, learn the names of some of the parts of plants and flowers and will create pictures using art and craft materials. 

In the summer term we will enjoy a visit to the Blue Planet Aquarium as part of our topic on 'under the sea'. We will learn about a variety of sea creatures and how we can help look after them and the oceans. We will create junk model boats and explore floating and sinking. During our topic on 'up in the air' we will learn about space, build model rockets and space ships and will create constellations.

You can find out more about our EYFS curriculum this year on our Curriculum Map which is attached below.

During Autumn Term, PE will be taught on a Wednesday. Please make sure that your child comes to school in their PE kit on this day.

Supporting your child with their learning in EYFS

Every Friday Google Classrooms will detail what we have been learning during the week and will contain activity ideas you can complete with your child. I will also send home additional games and activities. Phonics books containing the sounds taught each week will also be updated and sent home on a Friday. Later on in the autumn term children will bring home reading books. Please read every night for 5 to 10 minutes.

Our Forest School dates for this year will be:

Thursday 6th November 2025

Thursday 15th January 2026

Thursday 5th February 2026

Thursday 14th May 2026

Thursday 16th July 2026

It is important to ensure your child comes to school dressed appropriately on these dates. For more information about Forest School, click here https://www.stmaryoftheangels.co.uk/page/lotc/127872

We are really looking forward to working with your children this year and we thank you in advance for your support!