Letter to Parents

Dear Parents,

In the Red Room we cover The Foundation Stage Curriculum. This is divided into six areas so that your child’s learning is inclusive and balanced. The areas of learning are:

    * Personal, Social & Emotional Development
    * Communication, Language & Literacy
    * Problem Solving, Reasoning & Numeracy
    * Knowledge & Understanding of the World
    * Physical Development
    * Creative Development

Each half term we link the curriculum to a new and exciting topic. The topics we will be covering this academic year are:

    * Autumn 1st half – Our Bodies
    * Autumn 2nd half – Out and About
    * Spring 1st half - Space
    * Spring 2nd half – Light and Dark
    * Summer 1st half – Traditional Tales
    * Summer 2nd half – Plants and Insects

A Typical Day in the Red Room

The Red Room now has its own front door next to the main entrance which we will open between 8.30am and 8.45am when we welcome your child into school.  Every morning there are lots of fun and exciting activities for the children to choose from. In the Red Room we aim to support the empowerment of your child to become independent and successful in their learning.

Your child will be assigned a Link Teacher. First thing every morning, your child will share their reading book with a teacher. Reading books will be changed regularly, as appropriate to your child's progression. Please use the home/school diary to inform us when your child has completed a reading book at home with you.

Literacy and numeracy lessons take place every morning.  Following whole class introductions on the carpet, the children work in small groups with a teacher to further their understanding of the lessons focus, through practical and written activities. Please see the curriculum summary to find out about our aims and objectives for the year.

Our timetable in the Red Room is structured and fun filled. When you receive our weekly timetable please discuss it with your child so that they are aware of the routine ahead. This will make for a much smoother transition.

P.E. will be on Monday at Golden Lane and Thursday in the garden; please ensure that your child has suitable footwear, comfortable clothing and no jewellery on.

Please provide a piece of fresh fruit/vegetable and water for morning break. Children have 40 minutes to eat their lunch, followed by playtime in the garden. The whole school operates a healthy lunchbox policy and asks that lunches do not contain chocolate, crisps or heavily processed food.

Our very busy day ends at 3.10pm. We exit from our own door. In addition to reading in the evening the children have literacy and numeracy homework. We would ask that homework books remain in your child's red homework folder. Please mark, sign and date the work as you go.  As a guide, we suggest completing two A4 sides a night.  Homework nights are as follows;

Monday - Numeracy & Reading (Spellings start in the third term)
Tuesday - Literacy & Reading
Wednesday – Reading
Thursday - Numeracy & Reading
Friday - Numeracy, Literacy & Reading

Fortnightly your child will be able to choose and borrow a school library book for sharing at home, please ensure this stays in their homework folders.

Our red Home/School Diaries are a form of communication. They are checked daily in class should you need to share things with us. Furthermore, please check them regularly to see if there are any messages from school. Of course, we are always available at the start and end of the school day should you wish to ask any questions.

Thank you for your support.

The Red Team

Saloni, Shella, Laura D and Sophie