If your child was born between 1 September 2021 and 31 August 2022, they will be starting reception in primary school from September 2026.
If you have accepted the place at St Matthew’s for your child, we are looking forward to welcoming you to the St Matthew’s community.
We recommend that you bookmark this page and visit regularly as we will publish important information here that will help you prepare your child for starting school in September.
NEW INTAKE MEETINGS
We expect to have 120 new starters joining our four Reception classes in September. Our Reception classes are called Duckling Class, Hedgehog Class, Poppy Class and Willow Class. When we receive your green admission form we will place your child into one of these four classes.
On Wednesday 11th June and Thursday 12th June, we will be holding New Intake meetings. You will be invited to one of these, depending on which class your child will be in.
Welcome to Reception at St Matthew's
We hope you enjoy this short video which has been made to give you a flavour of life in our Reception classes.
Is your child ready for school?
Which of the skills/behaviours listed below can your child do?
Growing independence
Taking care of themselves
- Putting on/taking off their coat and shoes
- Using the toilet and washing their hands
- Getting dressed with little help, e.g. after using the toilet or doing PE
- Using cutlery (e.g. fork and spoon, chopsticks) and drinking from an open cup
- Spending time away from you, learning they can be looked after by caring adults
Play, creativity and curiosity
- Taking part in imaginative play (e.g. role play)
- Drawing, painting, colouring and sticking
- Sharing story books with caregivers, looking at pictures and talking about the characters
- Exploring the world around them (e.g. looking closely at the natural world or playing safely with objects at home)
Building relationships and communicating
Being with others
- Practising sharing and taking turns with toys
- Talking to them about how they are feeling and why
- Looking at story books together and speaking about what characters are feeling is a good way to do this
- Beginning to recognise what others are feeling, e.g. understanding if a friend is sad
- Encouraging them to set boundaries for themselves and others (e.g. knowing how to say ‘no’)
Communication and language
- Singing along with songs and nursery rhymes
- Talking happily to others about activities, experiences and the world around them
- Showing they need help by speaking clearly (in basic English or sign language)
- Recognising the pattern of their name (so they can find it on their coat peg or jacket)
Listening and engaging
- Paying attention for short periods of time
- Listening to and following simple instructions
- Carrying on with a task even when it’s difficult and bouncing back if things go wrong
Physical development
Getting moving for at least three hours a day
- Walking up and down steps (one foot at a time, using the wall for support)
- Climbing, running, jumping and playing
- Catching a large ball (most of the time)
- Doing simple puzzles and craft activities, strengthening their grip with cutting and sticking
Healthy routines
- Going to bed around the same time each night, waking up in time to get ready for school
- Limiting screen time to the recommended daily amounts (For babies/toddlers aged between two and four years, the World Health Organisation recommends no more than an hour of screen time a day.)
- Eating a healthy diet and trying new foods
- Brushing their teeth with fluoride toothpaste twice a day (you’ll need to supervise this until they are at least 7)