Yeadon Westfield Infant SchoolEarly Years: Blog items
Date: 19th Dec 2025 @ 12:20pm
Date: 19th Dec 2025 @ 10:02am
This half term the weather has got colder but this hasn’t stopped Reception enjoying our outdoor area. The children are using the outdoor space incredibly well and are developing their physical, imaginative, speaking, listening and social skills whilst they play. We have had lots of themes in the classroom including Dinosaurs Love Underpants, Stick Man and many more!
Children have been working hard on developing their fine motor skills. They have been working extremely hard using a pencil. Correct letter formation is being taught and children are encouraged to write in many areas of the classroom. The children have done incredibly well to remember all the new phrases. The children are growing in confidence when forming their letters. We are beginning to write simple words and sentences and are working hard on segmenting a word in order to spell.
Children are now reading on a daily basis as a whole class and individually once a week with an adult. They are developing their blending skills in order to read simple words and sentences. Reading books will continue to be sent out. Please continue to read with your child at least three times throughout the week and return your child’s book by Wednesday so a new one can be sent out on Friday. Thank you for your continued support.
In maths, we have explored the numbers from one to ten. The children have really enjoyed investigating numbers practically, using everyday objects and mathematical resources. They have also focused on exploring and finding different ways to make a number using Numicon I.e. 6+4=10. The children are developing their 1:1 counting skills and continued support at home is much appreciated.
We are so proud of how well the children have settled this term. They are having lots of fun and learning so much! We had a wonderful nativity performance and we all thoroughly enjoyed our visit to see Stick Man! The children did us incredibly proud with their behaviour.
Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Team Reception
xxxx
Date: 19th Dec 2025 @ 8:18am
The children have been very busy learning now they are settled and familiar with the Nursery environment. They have learnt about different events and celebrations as well as learning about themes related to their own interests. They have learnt about Bonfire night, Antibullying ( our focus was filling our kindness bucket) and of course the last 2 weeks in particular have been focused around that highly anticipated event – Christmas!
In phonics we having been looking at Phase 1 and have spent lots of time learning to listen and join in with different forms of sounds around our environment and also experimenting with instrumental sounds.
In maths we have learning lots of counting songs, recognising and reading numbers in our environment and have been learning how to use flashcards – just ask us how quickly we can say our name!
We have done lots of learning around different stories with Dear zoo, We’re going on a Bear Hunt and Brown Bear coming out as clear favourites.
Despite the weather the children have enjoyed playing outside, jumping in muddy puddles and then using the puddles to paint our hut.
There has been much story telling outside as we have run away from fire-breathing dragons and giants and mixed lots of spells to protect our outside area.
This final week before Christmas has seen us making reindeer food, modelling for our calendars, developing our fine motor skills by punching out those hearts and designing and writing our Christmas cards. We also had great fun on the Santa Dash and at our Christmas Disco!
We were so proud of all the children in our Nativity. They were so brave, looked fabulous in their outfits and had worked so hard learning all the songs and actions. We hope you enjoyed the performance!
I am so proud of the huge progress the children have made in their confidence and independence this term. Next term we will welcome Mrs Lofthouse (the children met her last week) on a Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and I will be back seeing you on a Thursday and a Friday.
The entire Early Years Team would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and look forward to seeing you all in the new year.
Nursery visit to The Snowman and the Snowdog
Date: 16th Dec 2025 @ 12:59pm
Date: 14th Nov 2025 @ 4:25pm
The wet weather hasn't stopped the children in early years playing outside - they thoroughly enjoyed splashing and playing in the rain!
Reception Blog - Autumn Term 1
Date: 24th Oct 2025 @ 12:49pm
This half term has seen the children settle into school life incredibly well. It has been a joy to watch new friendships form and the children develop independence.
New rules and routines have been established and the children are working hard every day to follow these to the best of their ability.
The children are working hard on speaking in clear sentences and listening to others when adults or children are speaking. We have learnt lots of new, interesting and amazing things about our reception class already.
The class have been busy learning new sounds in phonics and are trying hard to sound out words and blend them together in order to read. We will continue to learn new letter sounds next half term too.
We are having lots of fun developing our gross motor skills. Climbing, crawling, and using chalk outside, ‘painting’ large areas with water and much more. We are also busy developing our fine motor control by using Lego, being creative in the DT area, using scissors and investigating ‘funky fingers’ activities. All these activities (and many more) will help your child develop strength in their fingers and will help them to gain more pencil control.
In maths we have been learning all about a number each week. So far we have learnt all about 1, 2,3 and 4. Within these number sessions we have looked at 2D shapes, objects that have 1, 2, 3 and 4 things. We have been counting lots of things in the classroom (saying each number as we count each object).
We have been enjoying our weekly PE sessions learning new skills and developing on existing ones. We have been concentrating on body management and the fundamental skills such as hopping, skipping, jumping, walking and running. We do our PE sessions following the PE Hub scheme and have enjoyed playing lots of games using the new skills we have learnt.
Well done reception for a successful first half term. We look forward to seeing you all after a week off and starting a new half term of learning and fun.
Team Reception 😊
Date: 24th Oct 2025 @ 12:42pm
Well that first half term went quickly! The Nursery children have been fantastic and have settled beautifully into their setting. We have been so proud of the bravery they have shown coming in on their own and organising themselves.
We have been learning new routines, rules have been established and it has been a pleasure watching friendships beginning to form and grow.
The children have been developing their gross motor skills outside with lots of climbing, running, rolling and riding bikes.
They have also been developing their fine motor skills through mark making, painting, building using duplo and wooden bricks.
All of this gross and fine motor development will be getting their muscles and their brains ready for writing.
Lunchtimes have been a hit and the children have been learning to speak clearly using sentences and remembering their manners when talking to each other.
We have also seen lots of imaginative play both inside and out, so much problems solving – particularly with our conker runs, operations taking place in the Westfield Hospital and lots of baking in the playdough area.
Nursery, well done on a fantastic first half term. Have a lovely break and we’ll see you after the holiday ready for lots more learning and fun.
Reception children building confidence, strength and balance in PE
Date: 7th Oct 2025 @ 11:38am
Reception had an amazing time in PE. The children loved exploring the apparatus, climbing, balancing, and jumping with confidence. It was wonderful to see their excitement as they developed strength, coordination, and a sense of adventure.
Date: 2nd Oct 2025 @ 2:59pm
The children in early years love getting their wellies and wetsuits on and playing outside in the rain.
Date: 19th Sep 2025 @ 12:17pm
Nursery children had fun playing in the rain in our all weather outside area.
Date: 10th Sep 2025 @ 11:12am
New Nursery and Reception children are settling well, and we’re so proud of how quickly they’re adapting to their new routines.
