EYFS Newsletter

Spring 2 2026

Welcome

Please find our curriculum information for this half term, along with ways you can support at home.

Maths

We follow White Rose Maths for Nursery and Reception and NCTEM Mastering Number for Reception.

Nursery Children

Compare and sort collections - Notice when two collections are the same. Make collections of large objects the same. Recognise two collections are the same using large and small objects. Make collections the same using large and small objects. Sort and talk about their own collections. Look for collections of large and small amount.
Pattern: lead on own repeats - Join in fully with sequences and songs. Sing rhymes independently. Lead sequences and songs. Read on in familiar repeating stories. Copy art-based simple patterns. Explore own line and repeating patterns in art.
Shape space and measure: start to puzzle - Complete shape-match puzzles. Complete simple jigsaws. Match objects to pictures. Match objects to shadows. Explore objects and small world from different positions. Look for collections of large and small amounts. Make simple routes in small world with lines and curves.
Pattern: making patterns together - Sing their own songs independently. Clap in time to a beat. Make and talk about movement patterns. Talk about objects in patterns and arrangements. Copy AB patterns with support. Continue AB patterns with support.
Subitising: make games and actions - Match dot patterns Be introduced to subitising games Play subitising games Copy sets of sounds Listen to and represent sounds with fingers Listen to and represent sounds with resources

Reception Children

Explore 3D Shape - Recognise and name 3D shapes. Find 2D shapes within 3D shape.s Use 3D shapes for tasks. 3D shapes in the environment. Identify more complex patterns. Copy and continue patterns. Patterns in the environment.
To 20 and beyond - Build numbers beyond 10 (10-13). Continue patterns beyond 10 (10-13). Build numbers beyond 10 (14-20). Continue patterns beyond 10 (14-20). Verbal counting beyond 20. Verbal counting patterns.
How many now? - Add more. How many did I add? Take away. How many did I take away?
Manipulate, compose and decompose - Select shapes for a purpose. Rotate shapes. Manipulate shapes. Explain shape arrangements. Compose shapes. Decompose shapes. Copy 2D shape pictures. Find 2D shapes within 3D shapes.

Literacy

Nursery and Reception are taught together for Literacy

1 week of learning about the season Spring. The children will go on a Spring walk, sing songs related to Spring and write poems as a class.
Using the story “Mr Gumpy’s Outing” as the basis for 3 weeks of literacy lessons. Children will learn to retell the story using words and actions. sequence the story. Reception children will write dictated sentences from the story. Nursery children will draw a picture from the story and write initial sounds to represent words.
Using the story Handa’s Surprise to identify and discuss similarities and differences between life in this county and life in other countries.

Phonics

We follow the phonics scheme FFT Success for all for both Nursery and Reception children

Nursery Children

As part of their first steps to phonics programme the children will continue to learn GPC’s (grapheme phoneme correspondence eg s a t) Each GPC is taught over two days, instead of one day as is taught in the Reception Phonics lessons. This provides more opportunity for consolidation, helping children to remember the GPCs they are taught. Between now and the end of the Nursery school year the children will learn the first 35 GPC’s. This will then enable them to start their Reception year in September with existing phonics skills for a smooth transition ready for reading and writing in the Reception year. Guided reading books are not introduced until the Reception year.

This half term Nursery children will learn x y z and will be taught the correct formation of each gpc. They will then re cap s a t p i n m d g o c k e u. Introduce the digraph ck Please make sure they bring their phonics folder to school to bring home each week with the new gpc’s to recognise and letter formation sheets.

Reception Children

Reception children will learn the digraphs (when 2 letters make 1 sound) - ar or ur ow oi and continue with daily letter formation, word writing and sentence writing.

Assessment 4 is week beginning 20/04/2026.

Knowledge and understanding of the world

Animals - Children will learn;

To understand the similarities and differences of animals in this country and in other countries.
To recognise some environments that are different to the one in which they live.
To understand the effect of changing seasons on the natural world.

Geography outdoor adventures - Children will learn;

Explore the seasons and understand the effect of the changing seasons on the natural world.
Describe what they see, hear, touch and feel.
Describe their environment and draw maps.
Make observational drawings and paintings of animals and plants.

History adventures through time - Children will learn;

Compare and contrast characters from stories including figures from the past.
Understand the past through settings, characters and events encountered in books read in class and storytelling.

Design Technolgy

Making boats

To understand what waterproof means and to test if materials are waterproof.
To test and make predictions about which materials will float or sink.
To compare the use of boats and their shape and structure.
To design and make boats (Reception children)

RE

Eid
Special places for Christians - Church
Special places for Muslims - Mosque

PE

In preparation for our sports day on Thursday 21st May at 9.30am (more details to follow) Reception and Nursery will have PE together to learn the skills for each race.

Outdoor Learning

We will continue to tend to our raised beds and notice the changes that happen as our vegetables start to grow.

The children will be developing language and communication as well as learning to work as a team, taking turns and negotiating plans using the outdoor resources. We will be using not only our outdoor area but schools’ extensive grounds including the wilderness area.

Jigsaw PSHCE (Reception only)

Through class discussion, age appropriate stories and scenarios we will cover;

My family and me
Making friends
Falling out and bullying
Being the best friend we can be

How you can support at home

Nursery and Reception Children - Sharing stories daily, practicing holding a pencil correctly, singing number songs/nursery rhymes and counting.
Nursery Children - Looking through their phonics folders with them at home and completing the letter formation sheets.
Reception Children - Reading their school guided reading book at least 3 times a week. Practicing the sounds and red words in their folder regularly.

Websites we use are:

Thank you for your continued support,

The EYFS Team

Credits:

Created with an image by Liliia - "Abstract acrylic and watercolor painted background."

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