Reception
When pupils join us in Reception, they begin their Habs Girls journey and become an important part of our community.
We embed curiosity and independence, emphasising the awe and wonder that come from discovery. Pastoral care is at the heart of everything we do. We encourage our girls to explore the world around them, so that when they move on from Habs at the end of Upper Sixth, they leave prepared to make a profound impact on the world around them.
As a school, we are exempt from the EYFS Framework. So while we still follow its main principles and make sure all our children meet the EYFS learning and development criteria, this exemption allows us greater flexibility to personalise our curriculum. That way, we can cater for the more able children in our community, offering more stretch and challenge.
The timetable in Reception
Reception children wear full school uniform, and have a dedicated drop-off lane in front of the Senior School. The whistle is blown when the school day begins at 8.35am, although you can drop your child off any time after 8am and they can come into the Reception garden.
The structure of each day varies, with a mix of whole-class sessions, small-group learning directed by our teachers, and learning initiated by your child. Learning takes place both indoors and outdoors.
- Phonics sessions – daily
- Specialist subject specific teaching – throughout the week
- PE lessons – three times per week
- Performing Arts lessons – every week
- Forest School sessions – once a week
- Mandarin lessons – once a week
- Introductory swimming sessions – twice in the summer term
At the end of the school day, Reception students must be collected from their classroom door.
Food in Reception
Throughout the day, your daughter will benefit from regular nutrition:
Breakfast
Please see the wraparound care section on our breakfast club.
Breaks and snacks
There is no special break-time in Reception because the school day is child-led. You can send your daughter in to school with a range of allowed snacks to school, and we provide fresh fruit.
Lunch
Your daughter will have lunch in our Performance Space, where they are provided with a nutritious school meal from a range of choices prepared to meet a wealth of dietary needs.
Each Reception student receives a coloured wristband. Some may wear more than one, indicating their dietary requirements:
- Orange – They can eat anything
- Red – Acute allergies
- Green – Vegetarian
- Yellow – No beef
- Blue – Allergy to dairy or eggs
- Pink – Pescatarian
Lunch is provided and is part of the school fees.
Before and after school
Before we introduce your child to our before and after school sessions, you will need to check with your child’s class teacher before they can attend any of our wraparound care. Teachers will know whether your child is ready for this step and whether they have settled well enough into our school routines.
Before school
Our breakfast club is available from 7.30am to 8.15am. This takes place in a section of the dining room, and you will need to drop your child off at the dining room entrance at the back of the building. There is a cost associated with this.
If your daughter will need a school breakfast, she must arrive by 7.45am. We will then make sure she eats a suitable amount of breakfast.
After school
Reception students can attend free after-school care in the Junior School between 3.30pm and 4.00pm. After 4.00pm after-school care is chargeable and finishes at 5.30pm. There are no after-school clubs for Reception pupils.
Our buddy system
Reception are paired with a ‘buddy’ from Year 5, who will support and help them in their first term at Habs Girls. We arrange a series of activities to help our littlest ones get to know their buddies.
Your daughter could also talk to their buddy about any worries they have.
Reception learning journeys
We use a digital platform called Tapestry to monitor your child’s learning in Reception.
This lets us communicate with you on the same day any observations are made. You can also add your own comments, which will help us to plan any next steps.
