Class 1 2025 - 2026

Miss Davies

Class 1 Teacher
EYFS Lead, Art & Design Subject Leader,
DT Subject Leader, Joint Phonics Lead
Deputy DSL

Mrs Linney

Class 1 Teaching Assistant

Welcome to Class One

Nursery and Reception

Welcome to Early Years at Crawford Village Primary School

At Crawford Village Primary School, we believe that every child deserves to feel loved, valued, safe and happy. Our Early Years classroom is a nurturing, child-centred environment where children are encouraged to be themselves, explore their interests, and develop a lifelong love of learning.

We understand that starting school is a significant step for both children and their families. That is why we work hard to create a warm, caring atmosphere where every child feels a true sense of belonging. We are incredibly proud of the strong relationships we build with our children and their families. Our school community is often described as the Crawford Family, and we believe that by working together, we can provide the very best start to your child's educational journey.

In Early Years, children learn through a balance of play, exploration, and carefully planned experiences. We follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum, which supports children's development across seven areas of learning.

Prime Areas

Personal, Social and Emotional Development
We help children develop confidence, resilience, independence and positive relationships with others. We encourage kindness, respect and emotional wellbeing, supporting children to understand and manage their feelings as they grow.

Communication and Language
Developing strong communication skills is at the heart of everything we do. Through stories, conversations, songs and play, children learn to express themselves, listen carefully and build a rich vocabulary.

Physical Development
We provide opportunities for children to develop both their fine and gross motor skills through active play, outdoor learning, creative activities and practical experiences that build strength, coordination and confidence.

Specific Areas

Literacy
We foster a love of books, stories and reading from the very beginning. Children develop early reading and writing skills through engaging experiences, phonics, storytelling and mark-making activities.

Mathematics
Children explore numbers, patterns, shapes and problem-solving through practical, hands-on activities that make learning meaningful, enjoyable and relevant to everyday life.

Understanding the World
We encourage children to be curious about the world around them. They learn about people, places, nature, technology and their local community through exploration, discussion and first-hand experiences.

Expressive Arts and Design
Creativity is celebrated in our Early Years classroom. Children are given opportunities to explore art, music, dance, role play and imaginative activities that help them express themselves and develop their own unique ideas.

Above all, we believe that childhood should be filled with wonder, joy and discovery. We take the time to get to know every child as an individual, celebrating their strengths, interests and achievements. Our aim is to provide a happy, stimulating environment where children feel confident to take risks, ask questions and develop into enthusiastic learners.

At Crawford Village Primary School, we are more than just a school, we are a family. We are privileged to play a part in your child's early years and look forward to helping them flourish, grow and create wonderful memories that will last a lifetime.

Phonics at Crawford Village Primary School

At Crawford Village Primary School, we are passionate about helping every child become a confident reader and writer. We use Rocket Phonics, a fully systematic and synthetic phonics programme that provides children with the skills they need to develop a lifelong love of reading.

Phonics teaches children to recognise the sounds that letters make and to blend these sounds together to read words. It also helps children segment words into sounds for spelling and writing. Through engaging lessons, games, stories and practical activities, children develop the knowledge and confidence they need to become successful readers.

Phonics in Nursery

In Nursery, our focus is on developing children's speaking and listening skills and helping them become aware of the sounds around them. Through fun, play-based activities, children learn to listen carefully, join in with songs and rhymes, recognise rhythm and rhyme, and begin to hear the different sounds in words.

Children enjoy a language-rich environment filled with stories, conversations, singing and opportunities to develop their vocabulary. As they become ready, children are introduced to some letter sounds and begin to make connections between sounds and letters in a fun and meaningful way.

Phonics in Reception

In Reception, children take part in daily Rocket Phonics lessons where they learn new sounds, practise blending sounds to read words and segmenting sounds to spell words. Lessons are carefully structured, engaging and matched to children's individual stages of development.

As children's phonics knowledge grows, they begin reading books that are closely matched to the sounds they have already learned, helping them experience success and build confidence. Alongside phonics teaching, we continue to nurture a love of reading through shared stories, discussions, role play and exciting literacy opportunities throughout the classroom.

Working Together

We believe that learning to read is a partnership between school and home. We work closely with our Crawford families, providing guidance and support so that parents and carers can feel confident helping their children practise and enjoy reading at home.

By working together, we can ensure that every child develops the strong foundations they need to become enthusiastic, successful readers.

Physical Development in EYFS

Physical Development is a vital part of children's learning and wellbeing in the Early Years. Developing strong physical skills helps children to become confident, independent and ready for future learning. We provide a wide range of opportunities for children to be active, challenge themselves and develop both their gross motor and fine motor skills every day.

Gross Motor Skills

Gross motor skills involve the large movements of the body and are essential for children's overall physical development. Through outdoor play, PE lessons and active learning opportunities, children develop their balance, coordination, strength and spatial awareness.

Activities may include:

Running, jumping and climbing
Riding bikes and scooters
Dancing and movement activities
Ball games
Obstacle courses
Exploring our outdoor environment

Developing these skills helps children build confidence, improve their physical health and lays the foundations for sitting comfortably, maintaining good posture and focusing during learning activities.

Fine Motor Skills

Fine motor skills involve the smaller muscles in the hands, fingers and wrists, which are essential for writing, drawing, cutting and many everyday tasks.

Throughout the day, children are provided with lots of opportunities to strengthen these important muscles through activities such as:

Mark making, drawing and early writing
Painting and creative activities
Cutting and sticking
Threading and weaving
Building with construction materials
Using playdough and malleable materials
Tweezers, peg boards and finger gym activities

Strong fine motor skills help children develop the control and coordination needed for successful writing and independence in tasks such as dressing, fastening coats and using cutlery.

PE in EYFS

Children in EYFS take part in PE lessons every Tuesday and Friday. These sessions provide opportunities for children to develop their physical skills, teamwork, coordination and confidence while having fun and enjoying being active.

To help children make the most of these lessons, we ask that they come to school already dressed in their PE kit on Tuesdays and Fridays.

At Crawford Village Primary School, we believe that active children are happy learners. By encouraging movement, exploration and physical challenge every day, we help children develop healthy habits and a positive attitude towards physical activity that will support them throughout their lives.

P.E. will take place on Tuesdays and Fridays. Chidren should come to school in their full PE kit on both of these days.

Home Learning

At Crawford Village Primary School, we know that learning doesn't stop when the school day ends. Home life is just as important as school life, and some of the most valuable learning opportunities happen through everyday experiences with family. We are incredibly grateful for the support of our Crawford families and recognise the important role that parents and carers play in their child's learning journey.

One of the most powerful ways you can support your child at home is by reading regularly together. Whether you are listening to your child read, sharing a bedtime story, talking about pictures in a book, or simply enjoying books together, you are helping to develop their language, imagination, confidence and love of reading.

As children begin learning phonics, we will send home letter sounds, tricky words and reading books that match their learning in school. Spending just a few minutes each day practising these sounds and words can make a huge difference. Regular practice helps children to remember what they have learned, build fluency and develop confidence in their reading and writing skills.

We understand that family life can be busy, and home learning should never feel like a chore. Short, positive and enjoyable learning moments are often the most effective. Singing nursery rhymes, sharing stories, spotting numbers and letters in the environment, talking about your day, baking together or exploring the outdoors are all wonderful ways to support your child's development.

When school and home work together, children thrive. The encouragement, praise and support children receive at home has an incredible impact on their progress, self-belief and happiness. By working in partnership, we can give every child the very best start to their learning journey and help them grow into confident, successful learners.

To help support your child's reading journey, we ask that children bring their reading book and reading record to school every day.

Forest School

At Crawford Village Primary School, we are incredibly fortunate to offer our EYFS children the wonderful opportunity to take part in Forest School. These sessions provide children with valuable experiences in the natural environment, allowing them to explore, discover, learn and develop through hands-on, child-led activities.

Forest School is much more than simply being outdoors. It encourages children to become curious, independent and resilient learners whilst developing a deep appreciation and respect for the natural world. Whether they are building dens, hunting for minibeasts, creating natural artwork, exploring seasonal changes or working together to solve problems, children are immersed in meaningful experiences that spark their imagination and sense of wonder.

Spending time outdoors has many benefits for young children. It supports their physical development through climbing, balancing, lifting and exploring different terrains, whilst also promoting emotional wellbeing, confidence and self-esteem. Forest School encourages children to take appropriate risks, persevere when faced with challenges and develop important social skills as they work and play alongside their friends.

One of the things we love most about Forest School is that every child can shine. Children often discover new interests, talents and strengths when learning outdoors, and we regularly see confidence flourish in this unique environment.

As part of our Crawford Family, we believe that some of the most memorable learning experiences happen beyond the classroom walls. Forest School provides children with the freedom to explore, the space to be creative and the opportunity to develop a lifelong love of nature and the outdoors.

We look forward to seeing muddy boots, rosy cheeks, big smiles and plenty of exciting adventures along the way!

Please look at our Forest School page to find out more about what we do in these sessions.

Kind Regards

Miss Davies