Hedgehogs

Hedgehog Class- Early Years Unit

At Langwathby School our Early Years Curriculum provides the foundations on which our young learners will grow and develop.

We place huge value in ensuring that we provide a Curriculum that is broad and enriching allowing children to explore and investigate in a stimulating environment. Learners are encouraged to make decisions, solve problems and to develop a sense of belonging and identity within our unit. Our Early Years curriculum has been carefully designed to ensure that pupils have a secure grasp of key concepts that will support their knowledge and development. 

Well planned continuous provision allows children to develop independence and to make choices whilst practising and consolidating new learning.  Children have the opportunity to access this daily whilst staff work with children in small groups, using direct teaching of knowledge and skills. 

Seasonal topics and festivals to celebrate are highlighted in our long term map whilst also allowing us flexibility to build learning around the children's own likes and interests.

Welcome to Hedgehogs Class!

Hedgehog class is a mixed nursery and reception unit. Led by Mrs Wilby and Mrs Wildey and supported by Mrs Saxby and Mrs Ward. Nursery is led by Miss Houghton.

We are very lucky to have two large classrooms, complete with our own toilets, kitchen and cloakroom plus a large outdoor area. 

Our brains develop fast in Hedgehog class, as we learn to read and write and work with numbers and shapes. We are learning how to be good friends, share and be confident, resilient learners. We enjoy being creative and finding out about the world around us.

We love to learn and explore new ideas and experiences. In the classroom we have lots of resources to help us learn through play. We have 'Busy Time', where we are able to follow our own interests and guide our own learning. This is a great opportunity to showcase our talents, drawing, building, creating and many more!

We are excited to learn more about the world around us, music, literacy and mathematics, in lots of different ways.

Each week we enjoy taking part in Action Ants, learning how to move and travel in different ways, and using a range of equipment, to build our muscles. Our weekly Forest School sessions offer lots of experiences of the world around us.

Our Class Blog

This term we are learning all about us, thinking about what makes us special and unique. With being new into school, we are learning about our classrooms and what it means to be a big Reception child. We will also be learning about celebrations and festivals.  

Nursery will be listening to the sounds around us and those made when we speak to support our early phonics journey. We sing songs and rhymes that help us recognise rhythm and develop basic counting fluency. We will spend time learning how to play in the areas around the classroom, practicing social skills and communication. 

Weekly Routines

Hedgehog class have Forest School on a Tuesday and take part in Action Ants on a Monday. PE kits, waterproofs and wellies stay in school.

Outdoor Provision & Forest School 

Our outdoor provision is central to our teaching and learning and allows children to develop resilience and confidence as they try new challenges and become engaged in different experiences.  Our outdoor area has a large sand pit, reading den, writing area, music area with resources, climbing frame with slide and mud kitchen. These areas are available for the children to use on a daily basis alongside the enhanced provision and resources that we provide.

We also have a weekly Forest School session every Tuesday morning led by Holly Brown a fully qualified Forest School leader. The skills children learn here become life long skills as they use new tools and equipment whilst learning about nature and our natural surroundings.  We place high value on learning outside of the classroom and understand the importance of allowing the children to take part in age appropriate challenges.  The children enjoy structured teaching activities alongside time to explore their surroundings led by their own personal interests.

Supporting at Home

Please help support your child at home by using your child's phonic pack and reading regularly at home. Your support at home is crucial in developing your child as a confident and enthusiastic learner. Please read your child's reading book regularly at home and comment in their yellow reading record book. Remember, reading to your child is just as important as them reading to you.

Statutory and Non-Statutory Guidance for EYFS