Reception

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Welcome to Our Reception Class

Early Years is our speciality—we truly understand how precious your little ones are, and we are thrilled that you’re considering us to nurture, care for, and educate them in our Reception class.

The Early Years phase is complex, with many essential elements that shape everyday practice. While it’s not always easy to get it right, we’ve developed a unique approach to ensure the best early experiences for our children. In fact, we’ve been recognised as an exemplary setting by the Stockport Council Early Years Improvement Team.

Because of this, we are proud to offer support and guidance to other schools in Stockport, helping them understand what they can and should be providing for their youngest learners.

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"I have worked in a few different schools and Dial Park is hands down the best EYFS provision I've ever seen-gutted we live too far away now for our boys to come here!" 

How to get a place at Dial Park Reception

To apply for a place in our Reception class please CLICK HERE

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How does it feel for a child to be in our Reception Class

In our Reception Class, your child will immediately feel a sense of belonging in a warm, safe, and homely environment—it's truly a home from home. With an ever-changing range of exciting play and exploration opportunities, every day brings something new and fun!

These carefully crafted play experiences ensure that while children are having fun, they are also learning and growing, often without even realising it!

We encourage curiosity and love embracing nature, giving children the freedom to explore both indoors and outdoors throughout the year—come rain or shine.

Your child will always feel listened to, cared for, and safe, as they begin their journey into “big school”, making new friends and building confidence.

We are intentionally inclusive, welcoming every child with open arms, supported by our caring, nurturing, and knowledgeable staff.

Come and see for yourself—book a visit to experience the magic of our Reception Class and how it feels for your child to be part of our school family.

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What learning looks like in Reception

In Reception, we celebrate each child’s unique strengths, talents, and diversity, embracing them as individuals and encouraging them to reach their full potential.

Children can expect a busy and exciting day filled with a balance of formal lessons—including Phonics, Maths, Topic, and Writing—alongside rich learning experiences in our indoor and outdoor environments. A key focus in Reception is developing independence and applying learning to real-life situations.

We follow both the statutory curriculum and the children’s own interests, ensuring that every child makes exceptional progress, regardless of their starting point. Play and exploration are at the heart of learning, and our interactive, engaging approach allows children to thrive. Our staff carefully plan learning experiences that support individual needs, build on achievements, and encourage progress.

Our goal is to ignite curiosity, awe, and wonder, sparking a love for learning through real and meaningful experiences that enhance engagement, language development, and a lifelong passion for discovery.

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Forest School

Our youngest learners have access to their own dedicated outdoor play space, separate from the rest of the school, providing a safe and stimulating environment for exploration and discovery.

A Level 3 Forest School Practitioner leads all outdoor learning for our Reception class, ensuring that children benefit from expertly guided experiences in nature.

In addition to this, Reception children attend Forest School every week, where specialist Forest School Practitioners and Reception staff don their wet legs and wellies to embrace the elements and have an incredible time outdoors.

Each half term, children also take part in a cook around the fire, learning essential outdoor safety skills while experiencing the joy of preparing food in nature.

Through these experiences, children develop confidence, resilience, and a deep connection with the natural world, discovering the freedom and wellbeing benefits that being outdoors brings—it’s truly good for the soul!


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Our Curriculum

Reception is more than just a time to play and explore—it’s the year when children take big steps in their learning journey. This is the year they begin to recognise letters and sounds, start to read books independently, and develop skills that set the foundation for their future learning.

The progress children make in Reception is phenomenal—every year, we share in the joy and emotion of seeing them achieve things they couldn’t do before. This is what makes the Early Years so magical.

At the heart of our approach is educational research, which has shaped our bespoke Best Balance Approach—a carefully designed blend of the most effective early years teaching methods, tailored to meet the needs of our children.

We love it—and so do the children!

Our curriculum follows a three-year program, allowing all of Early Years to collaborate and connect. While topics are revisited each year, they are explored with different focuses, ensuring that children experience both breadth and depth in their learning. This structure means that as children progress through the Early Years, they are always encountering new challenges and opportunities to grow.

Throughout Reception, children work towards the Early Learning Goals, but their learning doesn't stop there. We ensure a seamless progression beyond the Early Years Foundation Stage, carefully bridging the gap between Reception and Year 1. Our curriculum builds strong foundations that prepare children for the more structured learning of the National Curriculum, equipping them with the skills, confidence, and curiosity they need to thrive as they continue their educational journey.

Best Balance Approach   

Our Curriculum Themes

EY Statutory Framework

Early Learning Goals

Guide for Parents

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Phonics and Reading in Reception

In Reception, we use a range of research-backed strategies to help children develop into confident, enthusiastic readers. One of the most effective methods is phonics, which we teach through daily sessions. Children learn to recognise sounds, blend them together to form words, and break words down to support both reading and writing.

We follow Supersonic Phonic Friends, a government-approved and validated phonics scheme, ensuring a structured and engaging approach to early reading.

To support their learning at home:
😊 Children bring home a decodable book matched to their phonics knowledge, so they can proudly share their reading skills with you.
😊 They also receive tricky words—words that don’t follow typical phonics rules—so we can master them together (we won’t let them trick us!).
😊 Each child is given a Reading Eggs password, providing access to a fun, interactive online reading program.

We know that supporting your child’s reading at home can feel overwhelming, but don’t worry—we’re here to help! We run phonics workshops, send home useful information, and provide fun games so you feel confident in guiding your child’s reading journey.

👇 Click the link below to hear how to pronounce the phonics sounds correctly with your child.

Pure Sounds Video
Meet the Team

From left to right:

• Mr Wrigley: Teacher
• Miss Commins: Teaching Assistant 
• Miss Tannahill: Teaching Assistant
• Miss Ogden: Teaching Assistant
• Mrs Marshall: Teaching Assistant
• Miss Phillips: HLTA responsible for outdoor learning
• Miss Smith: Teacher



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