Reception

Mrs. S. Bagshaw

Reception

Curriculum Map

Reception

Curriculum Meeting

Mrs. H. Dodd

Class Teacher

Mrs. K. Forshaw

Teaching Assistant

Mrs. E. Jackson

Teaching Assistant

Miss. K. Sheedy

Teaching Assistant

Gallery

Calendar

The Garswood Calendar can be found on the home page of our website or by clicking the link opposite to give you access to term dates, trips, annual and special events and much more.

After that click on the gallery link to witness how we recorded and celebrated these events and relive some happy Garswood memories. We also have the Garswood on Video page for some more active memories such as assemblies and events that have occured over the years.

All our images have meta data removed before uploading to ensure the image doesn't contain hidden data—like GPS location, timestamps, and camera details—embedded inside the file, without changing how the image looks.

If you are a parent or guardian at Garswood, you will have been given the opportunity to link your email address to your child's journal to receive additional photos, videos, updates, links, news and a weekly class update from the SeeSaw App available on all Apple or IOS devices.

Click on the link below to log in, or if you are struggling, please contact your child's class teacher.

If all that isn't enough, we also have our @Garswoodprimaryschool Instagram page, full of our latest adventures and special events.

We will not upload any images of your child without your permission. When your child starts their Garswood journey all parents and guardians are asked for signed permission for the various platforms and this permission can be withdrawn at any time.

SeeSaw

Instagram

Our school heartbeat is defined by the mission of "Making Memories," built upon four vibrant pillars:

• 🌈 Thinking Positively: Cultivating a mindset that sees every challenge as a chance to grow.

• 🤝 Building Relationships: Learning the art of connection, cooperation, and kindness.

• ❤️ Building Emotional Intelligence: Using the PATHS (Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies) curriculum to help children understand and navigate their feelings.

• ✨ Living Your Best Life! Finding the unique potential within every child and celebrating it daily.

Our Seven Areas of Learning

• 🗣️ Finding Our Voices: (Communication and Language) Learning to listen, talk with adults, and use new vocabulary.

• 🌱 Growing Our Hearts: (Personal, Social and Emotional Development) Building independence, self-control, and the "turtle" technique for calming down.

• 🏃 Active Explorers: (Physical Development) Mastering everything from scissor skills to balancing on large equipment.

• 📚 Story Seekers: (Literacy) Discovering the magic of rhymes and the thrill of early writing.

• 🔢 Number Wizards: (Mathematics) Playing with patterns and the logic of numbers.

• 🗺️ Investigating Our World: (Understanding the World) Learning about our community, seasonality, and global traditions.

• 🎨 Creative Souls: (Expressive Arts and Design) Expressing ideas through dance, music, and "Drawing Club."

The "Getting to Know You" Assessment (Reception Baseline Assessment - RBA)

Within the first six weeks of starting Reception, your child will take part in the Reception Baseline Assessment (RBA).

This is a short, interactive activity using familiar materials—it is not a test. There is no "pass" or "fail," and no pressure is applied.

It simply helps us understand how to best support your child's progress from their very first day until they leave us in Year 6.

Reading opens up the whole curriculum. At Garswood, we use the "Little Wandle" phonics approach to build confident decoders. In school, your child will participate in our "Three-Read" strategy every week:

1. Decoding: Sounding out and blending.

2. Prosody: Reading with rhythm and expression.

3. Comprehension: Truly understanding the heart of the story.

Your "How-To" Guide for Home Reading

Success is a partnership! Here is how you can support your child using our digital tools:

Step 1: Access the Collins E-Read System

Website: Go to https://ebooks.collinsopenpage.com/

• Username Pattern: ukarsw + first initial + surname (e.g., John Smith is ukarswjsmith).

• Password: Garswood1 (Remember the capital 'G'!).

• The Goal: Listen to your child read the book they have already practiced in school. Celebrate their success!

Step 2: Use Seesaw & The Reading Record

• Check Seesaw for weekly updates and maths activities.

• Use the Reading Record to share "fantastic reading" moments with us. Staff will leave notes here; please add your own to celebrate progress together.

Step 3: The "Sharing Book"

• Every week, your child will bring home a storybook. This is for you to read to them. Make this a special, cozy time together to foster a lifelong love for stories.

Collins Hub Link

A Bright Future Awaits

The Garswood promise is simple: we grow greatness. The foundations we build today in Reception—from the nursery rhymes and "Drawing Club" sessions to the resilience learned through PATHS—are the direct ancestors of the National Curriculum subjects your child will master by Year 6.

Every strawberry picked and every word blended is a step toward a confident, successful future.