Introduction to Glebe House School
Welcome to Pre-Prep
A very warm welcome to Glebe House Pre-Prep School
(Reception, Divisions I and II)
The Glebe House Difference - Giving your child the very best start
It is an absolute pleasure to welcome you to the start of your Glebe House School journey in our Reception Class. Starting school is an exciting time and there are lots of new things to remember. To ensure that both you and your child feel confident about your time in our Reception Class, this page is designed to give you that support and guidance. Taking those first steps of their educational journey should be full of cherished memories and happy times, so we trust this information helps you with the preparation you and your child need.
We look forward to seeing you in September!
Prep School Teaching Staff
It’s time to meet your teachers!
Lynise Stuart
Head of EYFS and Reception Teacher
Sally Maud
Head of Pre-Prep
Helen Barden
Pre-Prep Teacher
Rebecca Playford
Pre-Prep Teacher
Kate MaGuire
Teaching Assistant
Susan Cardew
Teaching Assistant
Ella Richardson
Teaching Assistant
Gail Carnell
Music Teacher
Jon Turner
Director of Sport
Kevin Cross
Swimming Teacher
Alice Hipwell
Head of Art & Design
David Whitehill
French Teacher
Gina Veale
Dance and Drama Teacher
What can I do to help my child in their reception year?
In Reception the children are encouraged to have a positive approach to learning and to believe that learning is fun and enjoyable. We have high expectations of our children and believe in the ‘can do’ approach to learning by always encouraging them to ‘have a go’ and do their best. One of the reasons children may cry when you drop them off at school is the anticipation of having to leave their parents. We have found through experience, the swifter the drop off, the quicker the children tend to settle. Rest assured, we will always phone you if your child is unsettled and we are also happy to phone to tell you that your child is OK as well!
It can be extremely emotional when first leaving your child at school as you have to accept that your child is starting a new chapter in their lives. We all know that they grow up too fast!
Try to put on a brave face in front of your child and remember that when that first day is over, you can start the age old tradition of asking, “What did you do at school today?” It is extremely common for most children to reply, “Nothing” but as time goes on they will be more willing to share what they have done. Please remember your child really will be having a fantastic time!
Once your child has started school, your involvement and support remains vital. This will help your child to settle into school happily and confidently and show them that home and school work together.
What your child will need everyday
All year round:
- School blazer and hat
- Book Bag – containing Star Book/Reading Record, reading book and healthy snack
- Boiler Suit
- Water in a named re-useable bottle
- Wellington boots/Old trainers for playtime
- Spare sports/PE kits
- Art shirt (optional)
In Summer months:
- Swim Kit
- Sun Hat
- Sunglasses
- Applied sunscreen – we kindly ask you to apply eight-hour sunscreen to your child before coming to School.
In Winter months:
- Gloves and hat
- Wellington boots
A detailed list of required uniform and sports kit is available here.
A typical day in Glebe House Reception class
8.30am Registration
Children arrive via the Reception garden entrance at 8.30am where they hang their blazers, hats etc. and are welcomed into the classroom. Book bags are emptied by the children and placed in their drawers. We are available at this time in case you have any questions or comments.
Welcome Activities – Activities that develop fine motor skills which will first develop into handwriting and phonics, leading to caption and sentence writing as the year progresses. These activities encourage the children to have a calm and focused start to the day.
Carpet time – Register, date, weather, news and birthdays. Each day a child is selected to be the class line leader, the light monitor and the class helper.
Assembly – The children attend various assemblies either in the Pre-Prep or joining with the Prep School. This is an opportunity for the children to receive awards and share their successes.
9.25-10.50am Literacy
We follow the Jolly Phonics and Letters & Sounds scheme which uses sound blending and actions for each of the forty-four sounds of the English Language. Literacy time begins on the carpet through stories, flashcards and songs after which the children go on to do linked activities inside and out. These could be phonic games, alphabet puzzles, a computer program or story, making words using magnetic letters on whiteboards or an activity linked to the sound of the day.
10.50-11.20am Play Time & Snack
The children change into their boiler suits before play time and we encourage them to do this as independently as possible. This is an opportunity for the children to mix with the other two year groups within Pre-Prep which they all readily do. The children can use a range of equipment that helps to develop their gross motor (physical) skills including climbing frames, slides, large construction equipment (crates, ropes and planks), ride-on toys, balls, bats and beanbags. During play time, the children are offered fresh fruit and vegetables as their snack.
11.20-12.05pm Mathematics
This could be counting games, songs, rhymes, sorting, etc. This will usually begin on the carpet and then the children will work in groups on mathematical activities. We also take this area of learning beyond the classroom so activities could involve a shape walk for example where the children take photos of the shapes they see.
12.05 -1.15pm Lunchtime & Playtime
Reception children eat lunch with Divisions I and II and their teachers. We encourage good manners, using cutlery appropriately and the children have lots of opportunities to chat with the other children and teachers followed by another outside playtime with the whole of Pre-Prep.
1.15-3.15pm Topic & Continuous Provision
Planned and structured activities including play dough, art, construction, sand/ water play, role play and investigations.
3.15-3.30pm Story Time
The children gather to sit on the carpet after a busy day for a story read by Mrs Stuart. Children are encouraged to engage in the story and questioned about the characters, setting and storyline.
3.30pm End of School Day
Children are sent out to parents waiting in the Reception garden.
After School Provision
3.30 – 4.15pm Co-curricular Clubs and Activities
At the start of each term children can choose from a wide selection of different co-curricular clubs (season dependent). These may include ballet, tennis, coding and gardening Clubs. Click here for more information. (link to co-curricular landing page when ready).
4.15 – 6.00pm Teatime/Sunnytime Club*
Teatime and Sunnytime clubs run every day. Reception children are invited to join the Glebe Nursery providing extended activities and a light supper. Division I and II children are able to join the Sunnytime club held in Pre Prep where they will engage in a variety of activities before joining the Prep children for tea in the Dining Hall at 5.30pm for a hot tea. Children can stay until 6.00pm in both options.
*A small additional charge applies
Reception Class A-Z
Absence from school
Please inform the School Office as soon as possible if your child will not be attending school due to illness, an appointment or an unavoidable holiday day. If your child has been sick or suffered from diarrhoea please keep them away from school for 48 hours for their own comfort and to help prevent the spread of infection.
Accidents
Should your child have an accident at school their teacher will make every effort to talk to you at the end of the school day. We will also complete an accident form and put it in your child’s school book bag. In the case of a serious accident, you will be contacted immediately.
Arrival at school
Please bring your child into school at 8.30am via the Reception garden . If your child needs to be dropped off before 8.30am please use the Early Birds session in the Dining Hall (8am-8.30am).
Birthdays
Children may bring in a birthday cake to share with their class during snacktime. Please check with your child’s teacher for any allergies in the class. It is also a tradition for children to buy a book of their choice to give to the school on their birthday. Your child presents the book to the Head in assembly and is then donated to the Pre Prep library.
Book bags
It is important that your child has their book bag at school every day. It must contain their reading book and reading record at all times. It may also include homework, finished work, letters or certificates. Very early on we encourage children to empty their own book bag and place books in separate baskets.
Break times & lunch times
Children are encouraged to bring in a named, reusable water bottle for the classroom so that they can access fresh water throughout the day. A choice of lunch is available every day in the Dining Hall, freshly made and cooked in the school kitchen. There is always a choice of pudding which includes fresh fruit. Teachers sit with the children for snack and lunch to encourage good manners and politeness. Menus are shared termly for pupils to make their meal choices. These are completed by you and sent to the school office.
Co curricular clubs & activities
After the school day finishes, there are a number of optional sports, art, music and other activity clubs. Parents are emailed the seasonal club options ahead of the start of each term and are asked to complete a form with their children’s club choices. From 4.15-6.00pm Teatime Club operates from the Nursery and Sunnytime Club from Pre Prep. Both options include tea and a small fee applies. Please contact the School Office for details and costs.
Collecting your child
At the end of the day, the class teacher will dismiss your child at 3.30pm. They will send your child to you once they see you waiting outside the Reception garden. If another adult is collecting your child please inform the Reception Teacher or School Office. If you cannot make it to school on time please inform us as soon as possible.
Health and safety
Please make sure the school has your up to date details in case we need to contact you. It may be advisable for your child to have an ear/ eye test before they start school. This may show that your child has no difficulties at all but it is best to do this before they start school.
House teams & stars
Your child will be assigned to a house; Barbers (Yellow), L ‘Estrange (Red) or Saint Edmunds (Green). They will be awarded points or ‘stars’ for their house for many different reasons such as working hard, being polite and helpful, showing kindness or winning competitions. Each week the stars will be counted and rewards will be given in a special Good Work Assembly.
Medication
If your child needs medication whilst at school, please fill in a parental consent form from the School Office. The Pre-Prep team will look after and administer any medication. Please ensure the medication is clearly named and in date.
Pegs and drawers
Children have named pegs where they hang sports kits, boiler suits, blazers, hats etc. Wellies and trainers will also be kept here. Each child has a named drawer in class for their book bag.
Reading record / Star book
Reading books will be sent home with your child when the teacher feels they are ready. Please record that you have listened to your child read with a simple signature or feel free to comment about how they got on. You can also write messages to your child’s teacher e.g. queries, concerns or something you feel we ought to know. The teacher may use it to inform you of specific achievements at school, missing items or any other issues. In the back of the book there is a record of stars your child has received at school.
Reports & parent consultations
We like to keep you regularly informed on your child’s progress at Glebe. There is an initial settling in Parents’ Consultation before the October Half Term. At the end of the Autumn term you will receive a summary of your child’s progress. There is another Parents’ Consultation Evening during the Spring Term, then a final full written report at the end of the Summer Term along with details about the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum results
Snacks
A selection of fresh fruit and vegetables are provided every morning at playtime for the children. In the afternoon they are offered breadsticks and crackers.
Top Tips
Nothing is going to make a day at school more fretful than trying to locate reading books etc in the morning. Encourage your child to pack their bag in advance the night before a school day. This helps to develop their independence and responsibility for their belongings.
One of the banes of school life is losing possessions as something will inevitably go astray. You can minimise losses by encouraging your child to look after their own belongings, putting things away in bags and hanging items on specific pegs. When it comes to labelling clothing, maybe ask your child to choose a specific symbol that is their own unique mark, perhaps a smiley face or a star, to help them recognise their own belongings at a glance. Remember that other children in the setting will be wearing similar clothing of the same size and name labels are the only way of truly identifying which items belong to each child. Very often children like to add a key-ring to their book bags to make them easily identifiable.
You can help by encouraging your child to dress and undress. Boiler suits can be particularly tricky at first, especially turning it the right way round! Try to allow a reasonable amount of time to do this. Creating a dressing up box at home will help by making dressing and undressing fun. Explain why he or she needs to change for PE or swimming. Encourage your child to tidy up toys, books and games after using them. Your child’s teacher will reinforce this.
Unless your child has a specific medical reason, children need to be able to use the toilet area independently. Please encourage your child to wipe their own bottom at home, as staff will not be able to provide this intimate care for children who do not have specific needs.
Encourage an enjoyment of books and stories by visiting the local library and sharing stories with your child. Encourage your child to join in with songs and rhymes.
Provide your child with a variety of writing equipment to encourage mark making. Label your child’s pictures with his or her name. You may encourage them to copy your writing if they are ready. Only use a capital letter at the beginning of their name, lower case letters for the rest and use letter names, not sounds, to spell it out.
Match, sort, weigh, and count everyday objects at home. Look at numbers all around you. Talk about size and shape. Involve your child in paying for goods.
Please, please enjoy every moment of your child’s first days at school! These early school years are incredibly precious and go extremely fast. And remember, there are no right and wrong answers!
Events throughout the year
At Glebe there is always something exciting going on, but here are just a few of the most important events that you and your child can look forward to:
Autumn Term
- Pre-Prep Autumn Walk in Sandringham woods – families and dogs welcome
- Division II Parents’ Lunch – Division II children invite their parents to dine with them
- Pre-Prep Christmas Play – families welcome
- Christmas Carol Service at St Mary’s Church, Old Hunstanton – families welcome
- Settling In Parent Consultations and Christmas reports
Spring Term
- Annual Glebe Pancake Race
- Division I Parents’ Lunch – Division I children invite their parents to dine with them
- Pre-Prep Easter Egg Hunt
- World Book Day
- Children’s Mental Health Week
- Parent Consultations
Summer Term
- Reception Parents’ Lunch – Reception children invite their parents to dine with them
Pre-Prep Beach Trip - Sports Day Morning – families welcome
- Speech Day – This is the final day of the school year where all children, families and members of staff meet at St Mary’s Church, Old Hunstanton for a service. We then meet again in a marquee on the school field for Speeches and Prize Giving.
- End of year reports
Important Contact Information
The School Office
Please contact the School Office Manager, Tania Stowe, in the school office if you have any queries or need to inform us of absences, medical needs or any other matters regarding your child.
Telephone 01485 532809
Email: [email protected]
Your Reception Teacher
If you have any concerns or questions about life in our reception class, your child’s progress or any other personal matters regarding your child, please contact our Reception Teacher, Lynise Stuart, directly.
Email: [email protected]
The Bursar
For queries regarding payment or funding, please contact School Bursar, Paul Ashby, directly.
Email: [email protected]
Welcome to our Reception Class!
