Early Years at The Raleigh School

We would like to take this opportunity to highlight some of the exciting activities, areas of learning and discovery opportunities that our four and five-year-old children will enjoy in their first year at The Raleigh School.

In Reception, the children have access to a well-developed outside area and an inviting classroom, with all areas carefully planned and set up to offer a rich and stimulating environment; one that embraces all aspects of the EYFS curriculum. Our extensive grounds allow the children to freely explore and develop their imaginative, creative and physical skills. 

We are proud to offer a play track and Raleigh Early Years Village for the children to develop their physical development and role-play skills, and most importantly to bring their learning to life. The children’s creative and imaginative skills are encouraged to flow throughout class directed and independent play time.

The Literacy curriculum in Reception is covered through a variety of traditional tales, non- fiction text and stories from other cultures. With role-play areas available throughout the setting, children enjoy applying new stories and imaginative features to their play and also adding their own twists to stories they know and love. At The Raleigh, we place a strong emphasis on the importance of the early development of reading and writing, with dedicated times for both of these skills throughout each day. Each child will come home each week with a new sharing text that they have freely chosen to help foster a love of reading for pleasure alongside a meticulously matched decodable book to develop their early reading fluency. Our creative curriculum covers all aspects of the EYFS areas of learning, and we are particularly proud to offer dedicated PE and Games lessons, weekly French lessons and a range of enriching workshops and visits for all children in early years.

Among the highlights of the year are our Harvest Festival Assembly and Christmas Production where the children thoroughly enjoy displaying their newfound confidence on stage. Each child also has the opportunity to perform in a class assembly where each class showcases what they have learnt in their first year at school. We invite parents to these special performances to celebrate so many successes and talents that emerge even from such a young age.

We value the importance of building strong relationships with our parents, keeping the child at the heart. Parents are welcome to help in school as parent readers, surprise storytellers, and to support with arts and crafts projects and on school trips. Parents are also invited to attend workshops and coffee mornings to ensure that home and school work in partnership to support our youngest children.

Should you have any questions regarding Early Years at The Raleigh, please contact your child's class teacher via the school office.

Early Years Curriculum Map

Your child will study a wide variety of topics as part of their curriculum studies at The Raleigh School. Please see below details of the curriculum content that your child will study in Year R. Whilst each class follows the same curriculum, there will be individualised delivery based on the needs of the class.