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Reception
A very warm welcome to Early Years at Flamstead End.
At Flamstead End, we believe every child deserves the very best start to their education. Our nurturing and inclusive Early Years environment is designed to help children feel happy, safe, and confident as they begin their school adventure.
“Pupils are at the heart of everything that happens throughout the school.” Ofsted, April 2025
Our bright, spacious classrooms and outdoor learning areas provide endless opportunities for children to play, explore, create, and discover. Every area of our setting has been carefully planned to inspire curiosity, encourage independence, and support learning through meaningful, hands-on experiences.
Learning in Early Years is fun, engaging, and child-centred. Through play, exploration, and carefully planned activities, we help children develop the skills, confidence, and resilience they need to become enthusiastic learners. We celebrate every child's achievements and encourage them to become curious, independent thinkers with a lifelong love of learning.
“From the start, children receive an exceptional early education. Across the early years, they build strong foundations in communication, language and number.”
“…with children in the early years engaging in a rich variety of experiences that lay strong foundations.” Ofsted, April 2025
Working Together
We believe that children thrive when school and home work in partnership. Building positive relationships with our families is at the heart of everything we do, and we value the support and involvement of parents and carers throughout the year.
We regularly invite families into our setting for Stay and Play sessions, giving you the opportunity to experience your child's learning first-hand and share special moments together in the classroom.
Celebrating Together
Throughout the year, we enjoy celebrating a wide range of festivals, achievements, and special events. These occasions help create lasting memories, strengthen our school community, and give children opportunities to learn about the world around them.
We are incredibly proud of our Early Years provision and can't wait to welcome you to Flamstead End. Together, we will ensure your child enjoys a happy, confident, and successful start to their school journey.
Early years provision – Outstanding. Ofsted, April 2025
For more from Flamstead End's Early Years team take a look at our Instagram page
TRANSITION INFORMATION
SCHOOL READINESS
Herts for Learning Early Year’s team have produced activity cards that have been designed to support children starting Reception as part of their Supporting Smooth Transition procedures. Parents and carers can easily keep these cards on their digital devices, making them accessible for use during activities at home or on the go. These cards are a great way to introduce new ideas and help children develop skills that will benefit their learning journey at school.
Poster with QR code to digital transition cards
Downloadable transition cards
50 Things
50 Things is an exciting initiative that supports children’s learning at home. It is inspired by parents and carers with each activity developed by Early Years experts and language specialists to create a fabulous resource for families.
More information can be found here
QR code to the 50 Things initiative
Parentkind
Take a look at the website below for advice on school readiness.
Parentkind - a downloadable booklet can be viewed here
Parentkind - countdown to school
Parentkind - separation anxiety
Parentkind - before and after school conversation
CURRICULUM
Long term plan across EYFS
Skills development across EYFS
British Values in the Early Years
Cultural Capital in the Early Years
LITERACY
Literacy is integrated within our topic and child initiated learning in the Autumn term. From the Spring term, Literacy is taught discretely in daily lessons in addition to elements integrated throughout the Reception environment, inside and outside. As soon as the children join us in September, a focus is placed on letter formation (see handwriting phrases in the phonics section of this page), continuing to develop listening and communication skills. Children begin whole class phonics learning in the first half term, after which, they are streamed via ability.
Writing expectations - Early Learning GoalReading and writing ideas
In each year group, children are expected to learn to read and write high frequency words/common exception words. These are words that appear frequently in texts, attached below are the high frequency words children are expected to learn throughout Reception.
First 100 high frequency word assessment
To see more photos of our mark making and Literacy, click here and select the Reception gallery.
PHONICS
For additional information and resources on please click on this link and then scroll down to phonics.
How to say the soundsHow to blendFred gamesFred game wordsSound blending books
MATHS
Just like Literacy, Maths is taught in discrete lessons as well as throughout the Reception environment, both indoors and out. Please click on the links below, for ways to support your child at home.
Household items to support maths
Maths at home - number concepts
To see more images of Maths in Reception click here and select the Reception button.
BEING CREATIVE
In Reception we love to explore our creativity through the mark making, craft, easels, construction as well as imaginary and role play.
Children are encouraged to independently plan ideas, use a range of resources and adapt their work to achieve their desired outcomes. We love to see how children take the skills we teach and come up with their own creative ideas! See more images here.
Making a train using Mobilo! Even added figures as passengers!
Using paintbrushes and cars to make marks using paint!
Creating Elsa castles using Lego!
Making food and patterns in playdough!
Making stairs using Duplo!
Building towers using foam bricks, with friends!
Making vehicles using junk modelling, as part of road safety week!
'It's Rapunzel's castle!'
Making masks!
Making a community!
OUTDOORS
As part of our Reception curriculum, we love to encourage the children to explore the outdoors! There are many benefits of being outdoors including: developing gross motor skills, communication skills, greater self-awareness, sparking interest in new topics, develop decision-making skills, as well as many other benefits.
Take a look in the gallery (Reception) for more photos of us exploring the outdoors!
Making ramps using guttering and planks! Building houses using connecting squares!
Making water systems using guttering!
Mark making using foam!
Exploring the instruments and stage!
Making sandcastles!
Cooking in the mud kitchen!
Making cement!
Making cupcakes!