Margaret Wix Primary School
Firetips (Nursery and Reception)
Welcome to EYFS
Our class is called Firetips.
Reception class are taught by Miss S (Monday-Wednesday) and Mrs Ralph (Wednesday-Friday).
Our early years practitioners are Miss Surridge and Miss Jones. Reception are supported by Miss Mateus (Monday-Friday), Mrs Cousins (Monday & Tuesday) and Miss Rossiter (Wednesday-Friday).
PE Days
Firetips will have PE on a Monday and a Thursday. Children will need to wear their PE kit to school on this day and will remain in them all day. As the weather changes, please ensure your child has the correct PE kit so they can participate successfully.
Library Slot
Your child will get an opportunity to visit the school library on a Monday afternoon if your child is in Reception or on a Wednesday morning if they are in Nursery. Here they will have the chance to borrow a book that they are interested in: a book they will read for pleasure. If they wish to take a book home, this will need to be returned on a Monday/Wednesday morning ready to change.
Give Me Ten
Children are expected to read for at least ten minutes every day and this should be recorded in their reading record by a parent/carer. Children should bring their reading record to school every day. We hope to see lots of children becoming Reading Champions this year and celebrating them in our Friday celebration assemblies.
Important dates
Thursday 15th January 2026- EYFS share a story morning
Wednesday 21st January 2026- Reception class trip to St Albans Library
Friday 13th February 2026- Break up for half term
Monday 16th February 2026- Friday 20th February 2025- Half term
Monday 23rd February 2026- Return to school
Thursday 5th March- World book day
Wednesday 18th March 2026- Expressive Art & Design share & learn (all of EYFS)
Friday 27th April 2026- Break up for the Easter break at 1:30pm
Autumn 2
What a great term! The children have not only grown a few inches taller, they have grown in self-belief and a little more in all that they do. Below you will find information on all that your child has explored in the seven areas of EYFS.
Personal, social and emotional
We have spent the term continuing to embed our learning powers and understanding how we show each and everyone of them. We have spent time learning to wait our turn and sympathise with others needs. In our 'feel good Friday' sessions, we have explored kindness in depth; what makes a kind friend, what kindness is and how we would stand up for ourselves.
Communication & Language
We have spent the past half term ensuring our words are heard and that we are listening carefully to instructions. All this, along with our Nativity performance, have rehearsed and put our oracy targets into action.
In reception, we began exploring phase 3 sounds and have now addressed and learnt the following sounds: 'j, v w, x, y, z, zz, qu, ch, sh, th and ng.' Use the suggestions on Tapestry and the little wandle website for ideas on how to consolidate and recap any sounds your child is unsure of.
In nursery, we have began exploring thew following phase 2 sounds 's, a, t, p, i, n.' We also have been a part of rhyme time every Friday, where we identify a particular rhyme through sounds, pictures and props before singing the rhyme of the week.
Suggested websites to support this area:
Phonics play
ICT games
Physical development
In P.E, the children have been using their bodies to move and travel in different ways. We then moved onto dance, sequencing movements made with our bodies. We have also being developing our listening skills by playing response games, following two and three step instructions.
Dough disco has continued, which is enabling us to try and form letters the correct way and carefully on lines. This can be easily done at home following one of the dough disco suggestions below.
Suggested websites to support this area:
Cosmic kids Yoga- YouTube
Just dance kids- YouTube
Rachel's dough disco dance party- YouTube
Dough disco with Early Years Emily- YouTube
Literacy
In nursery, we have described fireworks, thought about who we are grateful for during remembrance, drawn our favourite character from the 'Frozen' story and created letters to Santa using drawings, as we read 'The Jolly Christmas Postman.'
In reception, children have wrote adjectives to describe, wrote facts about remembrance day, sequenced a story, wrote invitations and wrote their letters to Santa.
Maths
In nursery, children have explored and created patterns, compared groups, began using dice to subitise, recited numbers sequentially, and naming some 2D shapes.
In reception, children have explored time (o'clock and half past), compared amounts, explored addition and subtraction.
Suggested websites to support this area:
Topmarks
ICT games
Understanding of the world
Nursery headed out into our local area to post letters to Santa, whilst reception headed out on the public bus to St Albans town. Here, they posted thier letters to Santa at the post office, explored the Christmas lights and spent a day participating in two amazing workshops at St Albans Cathedral. We all then headed to Christchurch to further embed our knowledge of the Christmas story.
Expressive art and design
Here, we have created Christmas cards, polar bear chalk work, printing with a variety of materials, made the star of David using lollipop sticks and rehearsed and performed the best Nativity I have ever seen! We have used our home corner role plays to retell the story of the Jolly Postman and celebrate birthdays. Our outdoor stage has enabled us to dress up, make shows and perform to our friends. In music with Mr Mitchell, we have been learning how to sing and perform as a group for our wonderful winter concert and Nativity.
Next term we move on to 'Once upon a time.' Check out the key texts that we will be exploring, on the 'focus texts' star on our class page.
Have a lovely half term,
Mrs Ralph, Miss S and the EYFS team
Autumn 1
What a fantastic start to the year we have had! The weeks have flown by and we have done so much! Below you will find information on all that your child has explored in the seven areas of EYFS.
Personal, social and emotional
We have spent the term embedding our learning powers and understanding how we show each and everyone of them. This has helped us build special friendships and relationships within EYFS, which has enabled our play to be strong and productive. We are now taking turns and waiting respectfully with timers and using skills taught in our play.
Communication & Language
In reception, we have explored phase 2 sounds and have now addressed and learnt the following sounds: s, a, t, p, i, n, m, d, g, o, c, k, ck, e, u, r, h, b, f, l. Use the suggestions on Tapestry and the little wandle website for ideas on how to consolidate and recap any sounds your child is unsure of.
In nursery, we have consolidated phase 1 sounds by exploring rhyming, environmental sounds, body percussion and alliteration. We also have been a part of rhyme time every Friday, where we identify a particular rhyme through sounds, pictures and props before singing the rhyme of the week.
Suggested websites to support this area:
Phonics play
ICT games
Physical development
In P.E, the children have been using their bodies to move and travel in different ways. We then moved onto Gymnastics, using the apparatus safely and building routines with our friends. In our outdoor area, we have been digging like the farmers at harvest time, climbing and using the monkey bars to time ourselves holding on.
Suggested websites to support this area:
Cosmic kids Yoga- Youtube
Just dance kids- Youtube
Literacy
As we sat and reflected on all the texts we have explored this term, the children remembered all the fun things and experiences they have been so lucky to have so far this year. They spoke about when Little City came in and how many loved the hairdressers and some of the boys loved riding the tractors. They retold in detail about each of the professionals who visited us; the dentist, the nurse, the police and the fire service. Such lucky learners! As well as the above, in Literacy Reception have thought about speech characters use, used drama to act out stories, sequenced stories using images and labelled images using their phonics. Nursery have listened and sequenced stories, retold key events using their oracy skills and drawn and painted characters. Linking DT, we all made bread just like the Little Red Hen did.
Maths
In reception, we have explored 2D shapes by naming and exploring properties, before completing a shape hunt around our school. We created our own ABAB and ABCABC patterns using natural objects (this can be easily done at home too). We have continued to develop our subitising skills (identifying an amount without counting), and thinking about the order of number. Number blocks have helped us identify and build numbers and discover which two numbers make a whole number.
In nursery, we have explored size and language related to measure. Identifying big and small and heavy and light. We have paid attention to numbers 1-3 and exploring what the number means, what they look like and how we can build and show each number. We have used nursery rhymes to begin counting in order, which some of us find a little tricky still.
Suggested websites to support this area:
Topmarks
ICT games
Understanding of the world
As mentioned above, we had a variety of professionals which were a great hit! The free toothbrush and toothpaste were a real treat from the dentist. Little city was amazing and we can't wait to have them back in during Spring term. Holding and using the fire hose, was a highlight of the term for some of us.
Expressive art and design
Here, we have created our self portraits by using skin coloured paint and thinking carefully about our features. We have used our home corner role plays to showcase routines and home cultures. Our outdoor stage has enabled us to dress up, make shows and perform to our friends. In music with Mr Mitchell, we have been learning how to move our bodies to a beat and singing together, as a group.
Next term we move on to 'Let's celebrate.' Look out for the key texts that we will be exploring on the 'focus texts' star on our class page.
Have a lovely half term,
Mrs Ralph, Miss S and the EYFS team
