Children starting in Reception

Please find below some useful information.  

• Children starting in Reception are also referred to as EYFS – Early Years Foundation Stage. Your son / daughter will be in a class with Nursery and Reception aged children.  
• Uniform – please label everything clearly including your child’s coat.
• Welly Boots and a waterproof coat are needed for the outdoor area as we go outside in all weathers.  Please make sure they are named.
• P.E. Kit – please label dark shorts, white t-shirt and pumps/trainers.  No laces please unless your child can tie them independently.
• From September 2014, children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 children are entitled to a free school meal. 
• Packed lunches – if you would rather your child had a packed lunch then please ensure that their packed lunch box is clearly labelled. Children in Reception put their packed lunches on a trolley just outside their classroom. We are a healthy school and in line with our Food Policy this means that children are not allowed to bring sweets and / or chocolate in their lunch box. Drinks must be water or squash, nothing fizzy.
• Milk –  Children are entitled to free milk up to their 5th birthday, after which it must be ordered and paid for via Cool Milk please visit www.coolmilk.com for further information.
• Fresh fruit – is provided free of charge to all children up to Year 2 so there is no need to send your child to school with a mid-morning snack.
• Medical requirements – please let us know if your child has any medical requirements or food allergies.  We occasionally do simple cooking so it is helpful if we know if there are any particular foods we need to avoid.
• Homework – this will focus on reading skills initially and then in the Spring and Summer additional homework is set. Further information sessions will be held in September to explain how we teach children to read and write and how you can support your child. At this stage, please encourage a love of books by reading to your child daily.
• Water bottles – all children get a free water bottle in September for them to keep in school.
• Illness – if your child is ill and cannot attend school please ring the office as soon as possible and before 9am.  If your child has had sickness and diarrhoea they must have 48 hours clear from the last episode before they can return to school.
• Craft activities – boxes, yoghurt pots and cereal cartons are all gratefully received for our cut and stick activities.  Thank you.
• Information for Parents – please check this regularly.  We intend to keep you as well informed as possible regarding the day to day structure of the class and the topics we will be covering. Newsletters go out on a weekly basis, we also send out a curriculum letter at the beginning of each term to share the learning that we will be covering that term. All the information that you need is on the school website: www.dishforthairfieldprimaryschool.com
• Liaising with teaching staff – if you ever want to have a chat about your child regarding their progress, or any other aspect of their education, please don’t hesitate to speak to us.  There are always teaching staff in the at the beginning and end of the day for handover but if you require a longer conversation please book an appointment.
• Celebration Assembly – We hold a Celebration Assembly on Fridays. This is an opportunity for the whole school to join in celebrating the children’s work in school and their achievements. Further details of children's achievements will be on the weekly newsletter.
• It would be very helpful if you could encourage your child to prepare for school by encouraging them to:
  •  dress and undress themselves
  • take off, put on and hang up coats themselves
  • go to the toilet by themselves
  • blow their nose by themselves
  • use cutlery at mealtimes
  • tidy up what they have been using
  • share with others
  • be away from you!
• We will give your child lots of help if s/he finds any of these things difficult but we will be encouraging them to develop these skills as quickly as possible. Let us know if you have any worries about any of these things.
• If you would like to arrange to meet on an individual basis to discuss any issues about your child starting school, please contact the school office.