Southborough is a two-form entry school. We have an intake of 60 children each year. Each class has a class teacher and a teaching assistant.
We pride ourselves on our transition from pre-school to Reception as we work very closely with the local settings in our area. Before your child starts with us we have a discussion with pre-school and nursery settings to find out where your child is at in their learning and how we can best support them with their next steps on their learning journey. We will also visit pre-school and nursery settings so that the children get to know us in their setting. Nursery settings and pre-schools will provide the school with a written report at the end of the summer term.
In the summer term children are invited in for two play dates. This is an opportunity for them to meet their class teachers and the teaching assistants as well as their new classmates. This is also a great opportunity for parents to get to know one another too. Parents are invited in for a meeting (without their children) to find out out about the EYFS curriculum and what your child will be learning at school. This usually takes place in July.
Over the summer the children are given a transition booklet with photos of their new classroom and teachers so they can familiarise and become comfortable with the changes ahead.
In the first week of September the Reception staff will do home visits for every child. This gives the children a chance to start building a relationship with their new teachers in their environment. We talk to parents directly to find out about your child's preferences; things they particularly enjoy, find difficult etc. We have always had very positive feedback about home visits and how valuable the children and parents find them.
The children will have a settling in period before they start doing full days. They will come in for mornings at first, followed by mornings and staying for lunch before they attend for a full day. Every child is unique, some may settle quickly and some may need extra support. That is what we are here for and we will work with every family to ensure that your child has a positive start to school.
Please do take a look at the Reception class pages as it gives a detailed picture of some of the experiences your child will have here with us.
If you have any questions about Reception at Southborough then please do get in touch and Mrs Malhotra our Head of Early Years will get back to you to answer your questions.