At Orleans, we are proud to offer a nurturing and inspiring Reception environment where children can learn, grow and thrive. With two well-equipped classrooms, a shared learning area and a dedicated Reception garden, our setting is designed to support creative, hands-on exploration every day.
Our Early Years proudly achieved an Outstanding judgment. Inspectors recognised how we nurture your child's resilience, perseverance, and emotional development in our caring environment, giving them the perfect start to their learning adventure.
Our children have access to the outdoors throughout the day in all weathers, enabling them to develop confidence and independence through play and discovery. Our experienced and caring Reception team is committed to helping every child reach their full potential. We warmly welcome visits—come and meet the team and see if our environment is the right fit for your child.
Our purpose-built Reception garden offers children the opportunity to step outside the classroom and continue their learning in a rich, engaging outdoor environment. Carefully designed to support all areas of physical, social, and academic development, our outside environment provides something for every learner — from curious young scientists exploring pond life to children who enjoy a quiet moment in the reading nook. Learning areas are thoughtfully planned around the seasons, children’s interests, and our curriculum, ensuring meaningful and exciting experiences all year round.
Here are our wonderful Reception classrooms!
To find out details of life in Reception, please have a look at the curriculum summary and map that details learning across the year for each subject below.
Reception Curriculum Overview
Reception is an exciting year where children take their first confident steps into the world of learning. Our curriculum is designed to nurture curiosity, creativity, and independence while supporting the development of essential literacy, numeracy, and personal skills.
Autumn Term: All About Me & Traditional Tales
The year begins with children exploring themselves, their families, and their emotions. Through topics like All About Me and traditional tales, children develop early literacy skills, including name writing, letter formation, story retelling, and recognizing initial sounds. In maths, they experience numbers through counting, patterns, and exploring numbers within 6. Science and understanding the world focus on their senses and the natural world around them. Physical development emphasizes gross motor skills and fundamental movements, while expressive arts allow children to explore marks, drawing, and sounds. PSHE work encourages self-regulation, understanding feelings, and building special relationships.
Autumn 2: Celebrations & Our Community
Children explore special times and local communities, fostering a sense of belonging and cultural understanding. Literacy expands to rhyming words, lists, and simple sentences, while numeracy covers addition and subtraction within 6 and measures like length, shape, and sorting. History and geography introduce the past and local places, helping children understand change and continuity in their environment. PE develops gymnastics and dance skills, and art activities include painting and mixed media. Music focuses on celebration songs, rhythm, and movement. PSHE continues with listening, following instructions, and managing self.
Spring 1 & 2: Animals & Life Cycles
Children investigate the natural world, animals, and life cycles through stories like Mog and the Vet, Big Bright Feelings Books, and Surprising Sharks. Literacy skills progress to simple stories, labels, and extended sentences with capital letters and full stops, building toward the Early Learning Goals for writing. Maths explores numbers within 10, addition and subtraction within 10, grouping and sharing, and number patterns within 15. Science includes observing animals, exploring lifecycles, and conducting hands-on investigations. Geography encourages map exploration and understanding diverse environments, while art and design include sculpture, 3D creation, and textiles. Music and movement sessions explore sounds and storytelling through music. PSHE focuses on relationships, family, and wellbeing.
Summer 1 & 2: Our World
In the final term, children broaden their understanding of the wider world. Literacy skills progress to instructions, simple facts, and extended writing, consolidating ELG skills in reading and writing. Numeracy includes doubling, halving, number patterns within 20, measures, and money, supporting children in achieving the Early Learning Goals for numbers and numerical patterns. Science focuses on seasonal changes and environmental impact, including a pond study to observe how nature evolves over time. Geography explores global environments and comparisons with the local area. PE develops games, ball skills, and prepares children for sports day, while expressive arts encourage creativity in music, art, and design. PSHE covers taking on challenges, self-regulation, and managing wellbeing.
Reception is all about exploration, discovery, and growth. Children learn through play, creativity, and meaningful experiences, building the skills they need to meet the Early Learning Goals in Literacy—including reading, writing, and communication—and Mathematics, developing confidence with numbers, patterns, and problem-solving. By the end of the year, children are ready for Year 1, equipped with curiosity, resilience, and a love of learning.
Further information to support your child at home can be found on the Reception Google Classroom.