Welcome to Caterpillars! We are very proud of the amazing EYFS team we have here at Westglade and we have lots of fun learning in F2.

Firstly, let's meet the F2 team!

Here is some key information:

The F2 door opens at 8:30 and closes at 8:50. You can arrive at anytime between those times however any later than this will be marked as late. Please come to the class door to drop your child off in the morning. The pick up location is on the main EYFS field where we will dismiss the children one at a time from the playground gate when school finishes at 3pm. 

Lunches - All children in F2 are entitled to a free school meal if they would like one. The menu is on the website for you to look at and see. There are 2 choices, usually a meat and then a vegetarian option. If you have any special dietary requirements or allergies please let the staff know. Alternatively, you can send your child with a healthy packed lunch. In addition, children have access to milk and fruit in the morning. 

What to bring to school:

Please bring a water bottle every day. Water or diluted squash is acceptable however, no fizzy drinks please. If your child has wellies they would be great as we tend to do our outdoor learning in any weather! Please ensure that all items are clearly named so that we can identify who they belong to. 

School Uniform:

Our school uniform is navy. We ask for footwear to be black. As we have a lot of play based learning in early years, it would be a great idea to provide your child with a spare set of clothes to bring/keep in school in case they get wet/need a change. We do have some spare items in school however these are limited. 

What do we do in Caterpillars?

In Early Years, we follow a book based curriculum. This allows exposure to a wide variety of texts often based on the children's interests and specially picked texts which enables a deep understanding and learning experience of each text over a 3 week block period. We promote lots of language development which is an essential aspect of children's literacy development. Our texts filter through our in class provision where the children can extend their learning of the text through play and exploration.

Our continuous provision supports the development of children using the Birth to 5 and Development Matters documents created by the DFE. Please see the attached document below for the full document. We adapt the provision to support the needs of the children and often use child initiated ideas to enhance learning areas. It is great fun learning in F2! 

Additionally, we have direct teach lessons every day. These include, RWI (phonics), writing and maths. Other weekly sessions include RSHE and PE. Other areas of the curriculum are incorporated into our daily continuous provision. 

During certain times of the year, we have our lovely dance teacher Mrs Bathgate join us for dance sessions! Additionally, we have Singing Jane who delivers music in on Monday afternoons to do a singing session with us which is fantastic. 

A large proportion of learning time is spent outside. Here we have further opportunities to develop learning and provide different experiences. Some examples of activities include construction, water areas, mud kitchen, potion making, climbing and an outdoor cafe. Mark making opportunities are always available in the form of chalk, paints and a variety of writing equipment. 

This book unit!

Our current book unit is Handa's Surprise! This is a fabulous story where children learn about diversity, healthy eating, African animals, geography, cultures, traditions and lots more! The story follows an African girl from Kenya who is carrying a basket of fruit to her friend Akeyo. Along the way, lots of different animals come and steal the fruit from her basket! Follow the link to the story below to find out more. 

The children will be doing activities such as basket weaving, maps, fruit smoothies and fruit tasting, animals masks, African drumming and plenty more! 

Please see the link below to a short video of the story: