St Mark's Catholic Primary School

Starting Reception

Reception Class

We are delighted that you and your child are joining St Mark’s RC Primary school this coming September. On behalf of the Staff, Governors, children and parents, it gives us great pleasure to welcome you and your family to our school family and community.

We hope that the information on this page will answer many of the questions that you have about your child starting school with us in September and assure you that we will write to you in the coming weeks with further details about your child's induction.

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Reception welcome meeting.ppt

Transition

Once you have accepted your place at St Mark's, you will receive a letter from our Headteacher, Mrs Mc Kenna, explaining the procedures, meetings and welcome opportunities that will be available in the following few weeks. In normal circumstances, our Reception teacher, Mrs Gray would then be in touch with your child's pre-school setting to arrange a visit to meet your child. We would then invite you to a Parent's Welcome Meeting at the end of June and your child to an Open Morning at St Mark's in early July.

Given the present uncertainty, we are unable to anticipate what will be possible in June and July but be assured we will make every effort to communicate clearly all that you need to know and gather all the information we need to ensure a smooth transition for your child

The links below have some useful resources to support with transition.

Starting Primary SchoolThe BBC have put together some articles, videos and resources to support you and your child with starting primary school.
Planning for transition when schools are currently closedA useful article with some tips to support your child's transition from nursery or preschool to Reception

Early Years Foundation Stage

Being part of an early years class at big school is an exciting time in your child's life. These are months where little ones develop their independence, confidence and curiosity. They make new friends and learn important social skills and, of course, they begin the fascinating journey of becoming a reader, writer and mathematician.

At St Mark's we believe that learning through play is an important part of your child's early development. Our Nursery and Reception classrooms, together with our outside spaces, all have carefully planned and thought out areas for the children to explore freely, challenging them and encouraging them to be active learners. We love to follow the children's interests as we know that this will hook them in and capture their imaginations - anything from the sight of some sparkly stones in an attractive box to a pile of cloaks and wrist bands in order to take on superhuman powers!

In order to provide high quality learning experiences for your child, we aim to balance free play with carefully chosen adult led activities. These sessions provide all the opportunities they need to develop their skills and ensure that they achieve all the learning objectives of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). If you would like more detail about the curriculum for the EYFS, please go to the Curriculum tab on this website.