Welcome to Oasis Academy Shirley Park Reception!
Leaders have an ambitious vision for the school. Their energy and commitment are focused on ensuring that all pupils achieve the highest possible outcomes.Ofsted 2019
Welcome Information for Children
Welcome to Reception!
We are so excited for you to join our school!
Coming to School
Gates open at 8:35 am, and we cannot wait to see you each morning. There will be a friendly face on the gate that you can say hello to as you enter the building. Each classroom has its own special door so that you can come straight in from outside. Lots of children walk or ride their scooter to school. How will you be travelling to school?
Your Classroom
There is a role play area.
There is a construction area.
This is an art area.
This is a writing area.
Starting school can be very exciting, but you may have a few questions. Look through the answers below!
- What will happen if I get a hungry or need a drink?
- What will happen if I need the toilet?
- Will I make friends?
- What will happen at lunchtime?
- What will I wear to school?
- What will I wear when I am playing outside?
What will happen if I get a hungry or need a drink?
What will happen if I need the toilet?
Will I make friends?
What will happen at lunchtime?
What will I wear to school?
At Oasis, we are very proud of our school uniform, and we know you will be too!
Here's more information about our school uniform.
What will I wear when I am playing outside?
We cannot wait for you to join us in September!
Useful Information for Parents
- What is the daily schedule for the academy?
- What will my child do during the day?
- Outdoor Learning
- An iPad for every student
- Developing a Lifelong Love of Books and Stories
- Record of Achievement Files
- Parent Responsibilities
- Helping Your Child Prepare for Reception
What is the daily schedule for the academy?
A Typical Day
Time |
Activity |
8:35 am - 8:55 am |
Welcome to Class /Free flow/ Early Morning Writing |
8:55 am - 9:05 am |
Register/ Daily Calendar |
9:05 am - 9:15 am |
Phonics |
9:15 am - 10:15 am |
Focus activities/Free Flow/Garden |
10:15 am - 10:30 am |
Numeracy Session |
10:30 am - 11:30 am |
Focus activities/Free flow/Garden |
11:30 am - 11:45 am |
Literacy Story Focus |
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm |
Lunch Time |
1:00 pm - 1:15 pm |
Specific Area of learning Focus |
1:15 pm - 2:30 pm |
Free flow/Garden |
2:30 pm - 2:45 pm |
Story/ Plenary/ Celebrations |
2:45 pm - 3:10 pm |
End of the Day |
Every day we have whole class teaching sessions as above and time in which children are free to choose which areas to use. In this ‘free flow’ time, adults will run focus activities that children will access at some point throughout the day. Children are encouraged to explore all areas, share equipment, and play with other children. They are encouraged to be active independent learners. Children develop skills and self-confidence to be able to make their own choices.
Children are also encouraged to become responsible for themselves and will help tidy up at the end of the session.
What will my child do during the day?
Activities are planned against ‘The Early Years Foundation Stage Guidance’. We plan work around weekly themes and topics, incorporating the children’s interest. There are seven areas of learning, which are:
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development
- Communication and Language
- Physical development
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Understanding the World
- Expressive Arts and Design
The daily planning for each area means that the children have constant opportunities to explore, discover, experiment and talk. We design our planning to foster excitement and interest in all the children. If they become interested in a particular topic, we are happy to facilitate their learning experience.
In addition, children have access to many different activities each day including some of the following:
- Creative activities – paint, collage, drawing and model making
- Malleable activities – playdough and clay
- Sand – different toys and containers to explore using wet or dry sand
- Imaginative play using play people, puppets, stuffed toys and dolls
- Construction play -wooden blocks, magnets, Duplo mobile
- Drawing and writing – language development and different writing opportunities.
- Role-play area- baby clinic, restaurant, bus and garage
- Home corner – dressing up and role-play opportunities.
- Maths activities – puzzles, matching games, numbers, shapes and games.
- Outdoor play – an extension of the indoor classroom – development of physical co-ordination, imaginative play, language and social skills turn taking
- Book Corner – free access to books and stories.
- IPad – range of programmes and games.
Outdoor Learning
All children are given the opportunity to play outside throughout most of the day whatever the weather. These experiences provide positive opportunities for active learning, promoting skills of enquiry, problem solving, communication, co-operation, creativity, and evaluation. Children can get wet, muddy, and messy when they play outside. Please provide waterproof protective clothing for them to wear, including wellington boots. You are welcome to leave these things in school in a clearly labelled bag.
We teach children how to minimise how messy they get, and they do get better at this as they get older, but it is a vital part of their learning and development - so please understand if your child comes home a little bit messy.
Please make sure your child comes in a waterproof coat with a hood when it is cold and wet. Please also bring a sun hat and sunscreen for your child in warmer weather.
Children gain so much from playing and exploring outdoors. Children must be allowed to experience the world around them fully if they are to make useful meaning of it.
An iPad for every student
Horizons Project
Oasis Horizons is a scheme that was introduced into every Oasis academy throughout the academic year 2020-2021, where each current and future pupil, and their teachers and support staff, are provided with an iPad to give them access to enhanced online learning. Students and teachers use the device together in lessons to bring subjects to life and participate in shared learning. Students will even be able to continue this at home!
The iPads have been invaluable in both home learning and helping us to further lessons in class. Independent research work has really improved as a result of using them and we can expand our lessons to incorporate so much more because all children have access to them. Oasis Academy Shirley Park Primary Teacher
Developing a Lifelong Love of Books and Stories
We aim to develop a lifelong love of books and stories. We teach children to take care of books and ask that you support this at home. We encourage parents to read with their child every day. We can all support the development of early reading skills by talking about the story, looking at the print direction and making simple predictions about what might happen next.
When your child is ready to move on to the reading scheme, they will have a reading diary and a book that comes from the school-reading scheme. Please fill in the reading diary daily so the teacher knows how your child is reading at home. Book bags are available from Hewitts to ensures that our books are safely transported to and from school.
Record of Achievement Files
Parent Responsibilities
We are always happy to speak to you about your child’s development and aim to keep you well informed about your child’s progression at school.
In addition, we ask parents to support the children with their homework, which we give out at the beginning of each term. The homework is different short activities that build on the children’s learning and encourages them to learn or practice skills which enhances what we do at school. In addition, we send out a weekly newsletter which informs you about what we will be teaching in the week ahead and provides ideas about what you can do to prepare your child for the new topics.
Responsibilities
Attendance: We monitor attendance and absence carefully. It is a legal requirement to do so and we liaise with our Education Welfare Officer over long-term absence. Excellent attendance (99% or above) helps your child to make progress, make friends and settle into our routines.
If your child is ill, please telephone on the first day to tell us. Persistent and unexplained absence may result in prosecution.
Punctuality: We expect that your child arrives punctually and is collected promptly at the end of the session. Telephone us if you are delayed, so that we can reassure your child that he/she will be collected soon. Again, we have strict systems requiring that we report lateness.
Collection of Children: Please ensure a responsible person brings your child to school and collects your child at the end of the day. Please inform us if someone other than the normal parent or carer is to collect the child. It is helpful to provide them with a password.
Please telephone the school if there are difficulties in collecting your child from school.
Attendance Officer Primary Phase: 020 8656 0222 ext 78373
Toileting and Clothing: We expect the children to be toilet trained before starting school. Please provide a full set of clothes in case your child does have an accident. It is helpful if children wear clothes and shoes that they can manage themselves. We are very proud of our uniform. You can order uniform from Hewitts.
Jewellery is not permitted, for health and safety reasons. The only exception is a pair of stud earrings.
Please label your child’s clothes clearly, so lost items are returned quickly.
PE Kit: Please do not purchase a full PE kit for September. Instead, we ask that from September that you provide plimsolls, and then from October half term a full PE kit consisting of black shorts/joggers and a white t-shirt.
Milk: All children under 5 years old are entitled to free school milk free of charge, but parents must formally apply for the milk in order for it to be provided at school. Please let Reception staff know if your child has any allergies (i.e. to dairy products). We have drinking water available in all classrooms as well as a selection of fruit that is provided daily. We promote healthy eating at all times so please do not send any drinks, sweets, crisps or chewing gum to school with your child.
Birthdays: When children celebrate their birthdays at school sometimes parents like to provide cake or a packet of sweets for children to take home. We are happy to give these out at school. However, you must bring the cake in cut and wrapped in individual portions. We do not cut or wrap at school!
Parental behaviour: All adults on the school site should conduct themselves in a calm and polite manner. There is no excuse for any rudeness while on the school site. Please refer to the parent code of conduct included in your pack.
Mobile phones: Unless you are watching a school event, such as an assembly or Sports Day and are using your phone to take photographs, then all mobile phones should be turned off while on school premises.
Helping Your Child Prepare for Reception
We hope that most of your questions have been answered on this page but if there are any other queries please contact us with any question however small it may seem. Although we have experience of introducing children to a new environment, we never forget that this may be your first time. To help with this transition we suggest some things that may help:
- Sharing the pictures in this with your child so they can become more familiar with the pictures of school and adults. Also, explain what will happen during the day. Talk through each part of the daily routine.
- Talk about the enjoyable activities he or she will be able to do at school. If s/he enjoys doing something at home, reinforce the message that they will be able to do that at school “you’ll enjoy building a tower,” or “they’ll be lots of new friends to play with.”
- Make links between things you do at home and school, “we’re having a snack now – you’ll have a snack at school too.”
- Practise social skills, for example, responding using short sentences, turn taking games, following directions and making choices.
- Singing number rhymes and learning how to hold a crayon, paintbrush, pencil.
- Teach simple chores that will be useful at school such as tidying away things to where they belong, hanging an apron up and carrying objects safely.
Be positive about your child’s experience. If you feel anxious, your fears could pass to your child