EYFS at Harwell Primary School

During their Reception year, children have a free-flow, child-led learning experience. They are able to explore their environment whilst learning a wide range of important skills and developing their knowledge. We endeavour to create a calm, authentic environment where
there is a wealth of ‘loose parts’ for children to explore and engage with. There are seven curriculum areas:

• Personal, Social and Emotional Development
• Communication and Language
• Physical Development
• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding of the World
• Expressive Arts and Design

Throughout the year we gather evidence of your child’s learning in these 7 areas and this will form part of their ‘Learning Journey’ on Tapestry. We also actively encourage parents to contribute to recording this learning. This enables school and home to work together to provide a full and rounded picture of your child’s progress.

In Reception Class we follow the ‘Planning in the Moment’ approach. This approach involves our staff using quality interactions to draw out the children’s knowledge and build on it there and then (in the moment). This means that the practitioner uses skills to observe what the child is doing and needs to do next, assesses the teachable moment from the child’s perspective and knows when to intervene and when to stand back and observe. Planning in the moment is all about capturing the moment of engagement and running with it to make sure the children progress.

Alongside their play, we have adult-led sessions. These include, focused daily phonics following the whole school Read Write Inc approach and daily maths teaching sessions. Wehave also embedded ‘Helicopter Stories’ as an integral part of our classroom. This is an approach to communication and language skills based on the children’s storytelling and story acting. The power of storytelling is used to develop key curriculum areas such as creativity, communication and language, personal, social and emotional skills.

We also have ‘Drawing club’ and ‘The Message Centre’. Both approaches develop magic, excitement, and curiosity alongside improving our mark-making, communication and imaginations. These both support the children to develop their early writing skills through magic and adventure!
Additionally, there are weekly RE and PSHE sessions using the schemes used throughout the school. During the Summer and early Autumn terms we also have a weekly swimming session in the school pool to develop water confidence.

Reception Class Medium Term Plans 2026-27

Reception Medium Term Plan Summer 2027 – to follow

Reception Medium Term Plan Spring 2027 – to follow

Reception Medium Term Plan Autumn 2026 – to follow

General Information

Milk details for Reception Class parents

Harwell School policy-for-Learning Journeys

Tapestry letter to parents