Reception

Welcome to Reception

At Brambles Primary Academy, we are READY, RESPECTFUL and SAFE.

Welcome to Reception!

On this page you’ll find out all about the exciting things we’ll be getting up to in Reception, what learning looks like in Reception and the topics we will be learning about.

We will also give you lots of ideas and information in regards to what you can do at home to help support your child’s learning.

Reception Team

Important Information

The School Day

The gates will open from 8:30am. The class register will be taken at 8:45am and learning will begin immediately after this. It is vital that pupils are on time to school so that they do not miss any important learning.

Pupils should bring to school each day:

Their book bag
A water bottle
Suitable clothing for the weather to ensure they are comfortable during outdoor break times
A packed lunch (if required)

Please ensure all items are clearly named.

Pupils are to be collected from school at 3:15pm

P.E will take place on Wednesday

Please click here for details of PE kit and school uniform

Reception Timetable

Key Dates

Monday 1st June - Children return to school for Summer 2

1st–7th June - Child Safety Week

Tuesday 16th June - Reception Sports Day

Tuesday 7th July - Transition Day

Friday 10th July - Reception Assembly for Parents

Friday 17th July - Finish for Summer

What will we be learning in Reception?

Topic Overview – Summer 2

Beautiful Beaches

This half term our topic is Beautiful Beaches, where the children will explore the exciting world of the seaside, oceans and sea life through stories, play and hands-on learning.

We will begin by thinking about “What is the seaside?”, encouraging children to share their own knowledge and experiences. We will explore questions such as What do people do at the seaside? and discuss familiar activities like building sandcastles, paddling and enjoying ice cream. We will also learn about who helps keep us safe at the seaside, including lifeguards and other helpers.

As we continue, our focus will move on to the oceans, where we will discover which animals live in the sea and learn about a variety of sea creatures. The children will also begin to understand how we can look after the sea, linking to caring for our environment.

Throughout the term, we will take part in special events to enrich our learning:

Child Safety Week – focusing on road safety, sun awareness and keeping safe outdoors
World Ocean Day – exploring how we can help protect and care for our oceans

We will finish our topic with a fun-filled Beach Day at school (TBC), as well as Sports Day. Alongside this, we will support children with their transition to Year 1, helping them feel confident and prepared for their next steps in their journey at Brambles.

We are looking forward to a sunny, exciting and engaging half term of learning! ☀️🌊

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

Building on the confidence and independence developed throughout the year, children will continue to develop their self-awareness, relationships and understanding of how to stay safe. Through our Reception PolEd units on keeping safe and relationships, children will explore how to make safe choices, care for others and build positive friendships. Child Safety Week will support learning around road safety, sun awareness and keeping safe outdoors, including at the seaside. As part of our Beautiful Beaches topic, children will also learn about looking after our oceans, developing a sense of responsibility for the wider world. Alongside this, we will support children with their transition to Year 1, encouraging resilience, confidence and independence as they prepare for their next stage of learning.

Communication and Language

Through our Beautiful Beaches topic, children will develop their speaking and listening skills in line with the Early Learning Goals. They will be encouraged to listen attentively, respond to questions and engage in discussions about their own experiences of the seaside, oceans and sea creatures. Through stories, role play and group activities linked to themes such as pirates and seaside adventures, children will learn and use new vocabulary, including words related to the sea and safety. They will be supported to express their ideas clearly, describe events and answer questions in full sentences, while also learning to take turns in conversations and listen respectfully to others. This will help build confidence in communication and strengthen their ability to understand and use language in a range of contexts.

Physical Development

Building on the skills developed in Summer 1, children will continue to strengthen their gross and fine motor skills through our Beautiful Beaches topic. Outdoors, they will take part in activities such as balancing, climbing and moving in different ways, inspired by seaside play – for example, travelling like crabs, jumping waves, or completing obstacle courses as adventurous pirates. These activities support coordination, strength and overall body control in line with the Early Learning Goals. Fine motor development will be further enhanced through drawing seaside scenes, creating detailed sea creatures, and using tools to scoop, pour and mould sand and water. There will be a clear focus on developing correct pencil grip, control and letter formation, with regular opportunities to practise accurate handwriting, supporting children to write clearly and confidently as they prepare for Year 1.

Literacy

In Literacy, we will explore a range of fiction and non-fiction texts linked to our Beautiful Beaches topic, with a particular focus on Julia Donaldson as our author for the half term, enjoying her stories and rich storytelling language. In Phonics, we will continue following Little Wandle Summer 2, revisiting and applying previously taught sounds whilst increasing fluency in reading longer words and simple sentences. Children will practise both reading and writing with growing independence and confidence. We will apply our phonics skills through a variety of writing opportunities linked to our topic, including: labels for sea creatures; simple sentences about the seaside; character descriptions inspired by pirate stories; captions about ocean animals; and simple facts about how to look after the sea. Through shared reading, storytelling and opportunities for mark making and writing, children will continue to develop a love of books while building the key skills needed to support their transition into Year 1.

Mathematics

In Maths, children will continue to develop confident number sense and a deeper understanding of key concepts in line with the Early Learning Goals. Our learning will link closely to our Beautiful Beaches topic, providing meaningful, hands-on opportunities to explore maths in real contexts. Children will explore number, counting and composition, for example counting shells, comparing groups of sea creatures and solving simple practical problems. They will also develop their understanding of measurement, including capacity through water play (full, empty, more, less) and comparing size and weight using seaside objects. Opportunities for pattern and spatial reasoning will be woven through activities such as creating repeating patterns with shells and describing positions and movement during pirate-themed games. Children will be encouraged to use and apply mathematical language such as more, fewer, equal, full, empty, heavier, lighter, first, next, last, supporting them to explain their thinking and build strong foundations for Year 1.

Understanding the World

In Understanding the World, children will explore the natural and human features of seaside environments through our Beautiful Beaches topic. They will begin by sharing their own experiences of visiting the seaside, recognising similarities and differences between places. As we learn about oceans and sea creatures, children will develop an understanding of the wider world, including habitats and how animals live and survive in the sea. We will also explore how to care for our environment, particularly through discussions around keeping beaches clean and protecting marine life, linking to World Ocean Day. Through practical activities, stories and discussion, children will build their understanding of the world around them, including people who help us, such as lifeguards, and the importance of staying safe at the seaside.

Expressive Arts and Design

In Expressive Arts and Design, children will explore their creativity through a range of activities linked to our Beautiful Beaches topic. They will experiment with different materials, colours and textures to create seaside artwork, such as beach collages, ocean paintings and models of sea creatures. Through role play, children will develop their imagination by engaging in pirate adventures and seaside scenarios, using props and storytelling to bring their ideas to life. Music and movement will also play a key role, with children responding to rhythms and creating their own movements inspired by the sea, such as waves and sea animals. These experiences will support the Early Learning Goals by enabling children to explore, create and communicate their ideas, thoughts and feelings in a variety of ways.

Phonics

Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised is our phonics programme used in school. Right from the start of Reception, children will have a daily phonics lesson which follows the progression for Little Wandle Letters and Sounds and this continues in Year One and Year Two to ensure children become fluent readers.

This half term, the children will continue to follow the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised phonics programme. We will build on the learning from Spring1 by revisiting and applying previously taught digraphs. Children will practise reading and writing words and simple sentences with increasing fluency and confidence.

During our daily phonics sessions, children will have lots of opportunities to apply their learning through reading and writing activities, games, and small-group practice. We will also continue to focus on developing confident letter formation and using phonics to support early reading and writing in all areas of the curriculum.

Phonics Overview:

Previous Overviews:

Spring 1 - Phase 3 Sounds

Autumn 2 - Phase 2 Sounds

Autumn 1 - Phase 2 Sounds

Support for Parents:

Literacy Core Texts for Summer 2

Author of the Half Term - Julia Donaldson

Julia Donaldson is a much‑loved children’s author, well known for her engaging, rhyming stories and memorable characters. Her books are full of rhythm, repetition and humour, making them ideal for supporting young children’s language development and enjoyment of reading.

During this half term, we will share a selection of her popular stories, including The Snail and the Whale, which links beautifully to our Beautiful Beaches topic as it explores ocean journeys, sea creatures and caring for our world. We will also enjoy other familiar stories such as Tiddler, which introduces imaginative underwater tales, helping children to think about life beneath the sea.

Julia Donaldson’s stories will inspire storytelling, role play, art and discussion, encouraging children to join in with repeated phrases, build confidence in speaking and develop a love of books. Her engaging texts will support our learning about the seaside and oceans, while fostering creativity and imagination.

Links to try at home

Little Wandle Letters and Sounds

Reading - E-Library

Phonics Games

Nursery Rhymes

Go Noodle

Maths Games

Go Noodle

Communication

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Photos from Brambles Primary Academy's post We would like to wish all of our children and families celebrating in the holidays, a very Happy Eid 🌙✨
Earlier this week, some of our children had the wonderful opportunity to visit Orchard Primary Academy. They shared their own experiences of Eid, answered lots of thoughtful questions about how it is celebrated, and took part in some lovely creative Eid arts and crafts activities.
Our children absolutely loved the visit and were fantastic ambassadors for our school. It was great to see them so confidently sharing their knowledge and traditions. The children at Orchard Primary also learned so much about Eid, making it a really special and meaningful experience for everyone involved.
Eid Mubarak to all who are celebrating! 💛 8 Likes

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Photos from Brambles Primary Academy's post We would like to say a huge thank you to our amazing PTA for their incredibly generous donation towards our new playground equipment.
The children have absolutely loved exploring the new additions, and it has already made such a positive difference to their playtimes. It’s been wonderful to see them more active, creative and engaged during outdoor play, using the equipment in so many different ways.
Your continued support truly makes a difference to our school community, and we are so grateful for everything you do to enrich the children’s experiences.
Thank you again! 💛 3 Likes

Brambles Primary Academy

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