Reception 2026 - 2027

Miss Stritch

Reception Teacher

Reception at Middleforth C of E Primary School

Welcome to Reception at Middleforth C of E Primary School.

My name is Miss Stritch, Reception Class Teacher and EYFS Lead. I am supported by our wonderful team, Mrs Makepeace and Miss Monk. Together, we create a nurturing, ambitious and child-centred environment where every child feels valued, supported and inspired to learn.

We recognise that every child begins school with their own unique experiences, interests and strengths. Through strong relationships, high expectations and a deep understanding of child development, we ensure every child is given the very best start to their school journey.


Miss Stritch	Mrs Makepeace	Miss Monk

Our EYFS Vision

At Middleforth, we believe that every child deserves the very best start to their education.

We are committed to creating a nurturing, inclusive and ambitious environment where children feel safe, valued and inspired to learn. We recognise that children arrive with different experiences, backgrounds and starting points, and we strive to ensure that every child flourishes throughout their time in Reception.

We are ambitious for every child and committed to ensuring that no child is left behind. Through high-quality teaching, meaningful learning experiences and a deep understanding of each child's individual needs, we work to remove barriers to learning and help every child make excellent progress from their starting points.

Rooted in our Christian vision to 'Let Your Light Shine', we encourage children to become confident, curious and compassionate learners who develop a lifelong love of learning and are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

Our Learning Environment

We are incredibly proud of our calm, caring and purposeful learning environment. We want every child to feel safe, happy and confident from the moment they join our Reception class.

Our classroom is carefully designed to promote independence, curiosity and a love of learning. Children learn through a balance of child-initiated play and carefully planned adult-led teaching, enabling them to develop knowledge, skills and understanding across all areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

Both our indoor and outdoor environments are thoughtfully organised to encourage exploration, problem-solving, creativity and communication. High-quality resources and carefully planned enhancements promote sustained engagement and provide opportunities for children to revisit, practise and deepen their learning.

One of the most special aspects of our provision is our extensive outdoor learning environment. Children enjoy free-flow access throughout the day, whatever the weather, allowing them to move seamlessly between indoor and outdoor learning experiences. This supports physical development, wellbeing, resilience, independence and a deep sense of curiosity about the world around them.

Through skilled adult interactions and carefully considered provision, children are encouraged to become confident learners who are willing to take risks, persevere through challenges and think critically.

Our Curriculum

At Middleforth, we deliver an ambitious and carefully sequenced curriculum that builds progressively from our Nursery provision and prepares children for a successful transition into Year 1.

Our curriculum is designed around what we want children to know, remember and be able to do. Learning is carefully planned to develop knowledge and skills across all areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage whilst fostering the Characteristics of Effective Learning:

Playing and Exploring
Active Learning
Creating and Thinking Critically

Communication and language sit at the heart of our curriculum. Through story-rich experiences, high-quality interactions and purposeful opportunities for talk, we develop children's vocabulary, language and confidence as communicators.

We provide meaningful first-hand experiences that inspire curiosity, develop cultural capital and help children make connections in their learning. Our curriculum is designed to close gaps in knowledge, language and experience, ensuring all children are ready for future learning and a successful transition into Year 1.

Inclusion and Belonging

At Middleforth, every child is known, valued and celebrated as an individual.

We are committed to providing an inclusive environment where every child feels a strong sense of belonging and can access all aspects of school life. We maintain high expectations for all children and provide appropriate support, challenge and adaptations to enable every child to succeed.

Through strong partnerships with families and, where appropriate, external agencies, we identify needs early and respond quickly. By removing barriers to learning and providing targeted support when needed, we ensure that all children have the opportunity to thrive both academically and personally.

Knowing Every Child

Each child is allocated a Key Worker who develops a strong relationship with them and their family.

Our children belong to one of three Key Worker groups:

The Rowan Rangers – led by Miss Stritch and Mr H (Mondays)

The Pine Pioneers – led by Mrs Makepeace

The Oak Explorers – led by Miss Monk

This system ensures that every child is exceptionally well known by at least one adult whilst continuing to benefit from the support and care of the whole Reception team.

Through ongoing assessment, observations and regular monitoring, we develop a detailed understanding of each child's strengths, interests and next steps. Our bespoke progression document, informed by Lancashire EYFS materials, Development Matters and Birth to 5 Matters, enables us to carefully track learning and ensure children make strong progress throughout the year.

Our Key Worker system also helps us build strong partnerships with families, ensuring information is shared effectively between home and school and enabling us to celebrate achievements, respond to needs and support every child to flourish.

Working in Partnership with Families

We believe that strong partnerships between home and school are fundamental to children's success.

We work closely with families to ensure parents and carers are actively involved in their child's learning journey. Through regular communication, celebrations of learning and shared experiences, we build positive relationships that support children's development both at home and at school.

We use Class Dojo as our main communication platform, enabling us to share learning experiences, important information and celebrate children's achievements throughout the year.

We value the important role parents play as their child's first educators and recognise that, by working together, we can provide the very best outcomes for every child.

A Nurturing Start to School Life

Our experienced EYFS team is passionate about giving every child the very best start to their education.

Through high-quality interactions, carefully planned learning experiences and a nurturing approach, we support children to become confident, independent and resilient learners who are ready for the opportunities and challenges ahead.

Above all, we want every child to feel happy, secure and excited about coming to school each day. We strive to create a learning environment where children feel safe to explore, make mistakes, celebrate successes and develop a lifelong love of learning.

Rooted in our Christian vision to 'Let Your Light Shine', we encourage every child to grow in confidence, kindness and curiosity, supporting them to flourish as unique individuals and reach their full potential.

By the end of Reception, our children leave as confident, capable and resilient learners who are ready to shine in Year 1 and beyond.