Reception & Year 1 Curriculum Guide

The Pre-Prep at The Mall School provides a warm, caring and nurturing introduction to school life. Children are encouraged to explore and investigate and to develop a love of learning through a balance of adult led and child-initiated activities. Children are given opportunities to develop their own learning through free flow play both in the classrooms and in our outdoor learning environment. The curriculum is enhanced by specialist teaching in swimming, music and PE.

Reception

In Reception, the curriculum is based on the Early Years Foundation stage (EYFS) which emphasises the importance of fostering positive relationships and adapting the provision to meet the needs, interests and learning styles of each boy.

At the heart of all teaching and learning is the Personal, Social and Emotional Development of each boy. Alongside this, we promote pupils’ communication and language skills, their physical development and their literacy and mathematical development.

We teach in a style that will stimulate interest – pupils play, explore and investigate and are encouraged to persevere; learning that difficulties encountered are learning opportunities and that effort counts. Modern resources support the development of IT skills and exciting topic work fosters a growing understanding of the world around them.

We work closely with parents as the partnership between school and home forms the foundation of successful, positive learning. There is daily contact with parents, both formally and informally and parents are encouraged to take an active part in school life – through attending events and, for example, participating in our weekly ‘Share A Story’ sessions.

Children leave Reception with a positive, ‘can do’ attitude to learning and they are equipped with the confidence, knowledge and skills needed for the challenges of Year 1.

Year 1

In Year 1, children experience a more formal, although equally stimulating environment. English and Mathematics continue to have priority, although much is taught in a cross curricular approach. Practical work using Numicon in Maths or phonics games in English continue to excite the pupils’ learning. We follow our own curriculum, promoting high levels of achievement and effort and celebrating children’s successes as they acquire key skills.

In Year 1, emphasis is on key knowledge and skills in English and Mathematics and reading is given high priority with pupils and teachers selecting a new book each day from our extensive range. The partnership with parents continues and regular homework in spelling and linked to classwork is set each week.

Pupils are taught through half termly topics, each focusing on history, geography or science. Topics are carefully chosen to both appeal to and challenge the children and include Space, The African Savannah and The Great Fire of London. Again, emphasis is placed on exploring and practical activity and the children enjoy a range of art and creative tasks from designing and making smoothies to producing their own knight’s shield.

Alongside work in the classroom, pupils have lessons with subject specialists in PE, music and swimming. The curriculum is further enhanced with co-curricular opportunities such as tennis, judo and cookery.