Our Early Years Vision
At St Andrew’s, children are at the heart of all that we do. Rooted in our Christian vision, Achieve, Believe, Care, Together, and guided by “Let all that you do be done in love” (1 Corinthians 16:14), we believe that every child is uniquely made, deeply valued and full of potential.
Our Early Years provision is a place where children can flourish, grow and live life in all its fullness. We nurture the whole child, creating a safe, loving and inclusive environment where children feel happy, secure and ready to learn.
We recognise that every child is unique, with their own interests, strengths and starting points. Through play, exploration and meaningful experiences, we encourage children to develop their curiosity, confidence and independence, building the foundations for lifelong learning.
We want every child’s journey at St Andrew’s to begin with a sense of belonging, wonder and possibility. Through warm relationships, purposeful play and rich experiences, we encourage children to explore, ask questions, make connections and develop a love of learning.
We recognise that parents and carers know their children best. By building strong, trusting relationships with families, we share knowledge, celebrate progress and work together to ensure every child feels understood, supported and ready to learn.
Together, we aim to give every child the strong foundations, positive experiences and confidence they need to begin their learning journey at St Andrew’s, helping them to grow, develop and embrace new opportunities.
Our Reception Children
Essential Letters and Sounds
In our Reception class, children begin their phonics journey with Essential Letters and Sounds (ELS), a structured programme that lays the foundations for early reading and writing. Through daily phonics sessions, children learn the sounds that letters make and how to use these to read and write words. They practise blending sounds to read words and segmenting words to spell, developing the essential skills they need to become fluent readers and accurate writers.
How can you support your child at home?
To support their learning at home, each child will be given a phonics pack containing writing tools, sound mats and reading books. These resources will help you practise the sounds your child is learning in school, support their early writing skills and enjoy reading together. Little and often is best, helping children to build confidence and reinforce their learning in a fun and familiar environment.
Mystery Reader!
Each week, we welcome a special Mystery Reader into our Reception class to share a story with the children. But who will it be? The excitement builds as the children try to guess who might be visiting! Our Mystery Reader could be a parent, a member of staff, a governor or even an author. This special experience helps to nurture a love of reading, brings stories to life and shows children that reading is something to be enjoyed and shared by everyone.
Mastering Number
In our Reception class, we use Mastering Number to develop children’s understanding of number and build strong foundations in mathematics. Through carefully sequenced activities and daily sessions, children explore counting, recognising quantities, subitising and understanding how numbers are made up. This helps children develop a secure understanding of number and the skills they need for future learning in maths.
Drawing Club
Drawing Club is an exciting approach to learning that combines stories, imagination, drawing and early writing. Each session begins with a familiar or new story, traditional tale or animation, which inspires children to explore characters, settings and imaginative ideas. Children then bring their ideas to life through drawing and writing, adding secret codes, words and sentences as their writing skills develop. Drawing Club encourages children to use their imagination, develop their vocabulary and see writing as a fun and meaningful way to express their ideas.
Forest Fun Fridays!
Every Friday, our children head outdoors for a Forest School-style session in our very own mini forest. These sessions provide wonderful opportunities to explore nature, discover new things and learn through hands-on experiences. Whether investigating the natural world, getting creative with outdoor resources or working together to solve problems, children develop their curiosity, independence and confidence while enjoying the freedom and excitement of learning outdoors.