"Exploring and Growing"

Learning Experiences for Reception Pupils at Wessex Gardens

At Wessex Gardens Primary School, learning for Reception pupils is centred around creating a nurturing, engaging, and stimulating environment that encourages curiosity and exploration. The school follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum, which focuses on the development of key skills in areas such as communication, personal, social, and emotional development, literacy, mathematics, understanding the world, and expressive arts and design.

Reception pupils are encouraged to explore learning through play, allowing them to build essential skills while developing their independence. Teachers provide a mix of adult-led and child-initiated activities, ensuring that each pupil’s interests are incorporated into the learning process, helping them to make connections between their own experiences and the world around them.

The learning environment in Reception at Wessex Gardens is designed to support all aspects of a child’s development. Classrooms are set up with a variety of resources and areas for creative play, problem-solving, and social interaction.

Outdoor learning is a key part of the curriculum, with the school’s outdoor spaces used to support physical development, as well as to engage pupils in sensory experiences and exploration of the natural world. Pupils are encouraged to develop their communication skills through storytelling, songs, and discussions, while their personal growth is supported through building positive relationships with their peers and teachers. The school’s approach fosters a love of learning, laying the foundation for lifelong curiosity and enthusiasm.