Room 2
New Entrant Classroom
General
The classroom has two teachers who work together to ensure that our teaching programmes reflect the diverse range of strengths, needs, experiences and cultural backgrounds of our learners.
The atmosphere in the class is happy, positive and safe. The children are all keen to learn and do what is expected of them. The classroom has lots of children's work displayed as well as resources to help with learning and independence such as visual displays, timetables, group rotations etc.
We participate in the school wide Quality Circle Time Programme and Virtues Programme which support our school vision. On Fridays we have "sharing news" where the children bring a favourite book or toy from home to share and discuss. This helps develop the children's confidence to speak in front of others as well as their oral language skills.
School Visits
Our classroom runs a pre school programme called Clever Cats. Children from 4 ½ years of age, and their parents or caregivers, are welcome and encouraged to visit and participate in this developmental programme. It runs every second Friday of the term from 1.30 till 3pm. Visits can also be arranged in the mornings during the two weeks prior to the child beginning school to help with the transition. These will be organised with the new entrant teacher.
Starting School
New children are welcomed to our classroom and made to feel secure and comfortable. They will be buddied with an older child or children from the class and supported while they become familiar with our routines, in and out of the classroom.
Literacy
Learning to read and write is an important part of our day and is based on sound educational principals.
Children are supported with their reading and writing and taught the relevant skills and strategies to help them progress. Handwriting is also part of this and children learn to form letters in the correct direction and of an appropriate size.
Success at learning to read happens for children when they are able to practice the skills they learn at school by bringing home easy readers to show how good they are. They also bring home poem books, library books and their own published stories to share.
The 'Jolly Phonics' system is part of our literacy programme. This programme helps the children to develop skills of phonological awareness that are necessary as a problem solving strategy during reading. The children are also taught the link between reading and writing and when writing will record the sounds they hear in unknown words, using their Jolly Phonics knowledge.
Mathematics
Numeracy makes up 80% of our maths programme and the remainder is related to various topics such as geometry and statistics. The level each child begins at when they start school is determined by their number knowledge and skills. For most children the initial emphasis will be on developing number knowledge.
We value the support and input from our parents and caregivers and appreciate that your child's education is a partnership between home and school. Please do not hesitate to contact us at any stage if you have any queries regarding your child or our school. Information packs are available from the School Office and a visit can be arranged. The school usually holds an Open Night once a term as well. We look forward to getting to know new families.
