Reception
The very start of the Thorpe House learning journey begins in this most exciting of
environments. Reception boys learn predominantly through play and by investigating life
through the myriad educational toys, mark-making equipment and exploratory
opportunities all around them, with outdoor learning an integral part of the experience
through the year.
We embrace their interests and follow these to invite them into the world of more formal
education. They love learning because it is colourful, tactile and fun. With a huge focus on
the Prime Areas of the Early Learning Curriculum, boys are nurtured to be social and
expressive children - and highly communicative; to develop physically in both fine and gross
motor and to have a good level of self-care. Forest School addresses so many of the Prime
Areas and we find it invaluable in Reception.
Trips to places of interest for the boys knows no bounds: train rides to the theatre, trips to
the zoo and to Windsor Castle, all make the happiest of memories, while nurturing an
explosion of excitement in learning and wonderful vocabulary.
We are proud to identify the individual boy’s strengths and areas for development; we
celebrate intelligence and ability and teach phonics daily. Additionally, the boys are given
key words to learn by sight and they have their daily reading book. Maths is very hands-on,
and the boys are able to explore number using a multitude of mediums.
We are proud of the magic that happens in Reception Class, where our tiniest learn to read
and write; the latter in the pre-cursive style. The community joy in these first exciting steps
makes this class truly exciting.