Moving To Reception

A Thoughtful Transition from Pre-Reception to Reception

At Sherborne House, we place great importance on ensuring that the transition from Pre-Reception to Reception is smooth, supportive, and centred around each child’s confidence and well-being. Our transition programme is carefully designed to help children feel happy and secure as they take this exciting next step. The Pre-Reception classrooms open directly into our shared Early Years Garden, offering children daily interaction with Reception staff and an ongoing sense of familiarity with the environment. Throughout the summer term, Reception teachers visit the Pre-Reception classrooms weekly, and in turn, Pre-Reception children visit the Reception classrooms once a week. This reciprocal approach means that by the time children begin school in September, they already feel at home. These sessions provide children with an opportunity to experience a day in the life of reception with activities such as baking, planting and arts and crafts. Our children in Pre-Reception attend our whole school day out to Queen Victoria Country Park. Please click below to see a list of our reception transition schedule.

Reception Transition Schedule

Shared Space and Lunchtime Routines

At Sherborne House, our Pre-Reception and Reception children benefit from a thoughtfully designed shared environment. The Early Years Garden connects both classrooms, encouraging natural movement and familiarity between the classes. Lunchtimes are a particularly nurturing part of the day, where Pre-Reception children sit with their key worker to enjoy a calm, social mealtime. This is a wonderful opportunity for children to chat with their friends, share weekend news, celebrate birthdays, or talk about holidays. As our lunchtime schedule overlaps with Reception, children are gently introduced to the routines of the school lunch hall, helping them feel well-prepared and confident when they make the transition.

Personalised Home Visits

In the summer term, our Reception teachers visit each child at home. These visits offer a valuable opportunity for teachers to begin building strong, trusting relationships with both the child and their family in the comfort of the home environment. We believe that children feel most secure in familiar surroundings, and these visits allow parents to ask any questions they may have directly to their child’s future teacher. This personalised approach ensures that each child is seen and understood as an individual from the very beginning of their Reception journey.

Supporting Our Parents

At Sherborne House, we recognise the importance of working closely with families and supporting them as partners in their child’s early education. Throughout the academic year, our Reception and Pre-Reception teams host a series of curriculum evenings and workshops. Our ‘Starting School’ sessions introduce the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum and provide a welcoming space for parents to ask questions and learn more about what to expect. Further workshops focus on key areas such as early phonics and mathematics, offering practical strategies for supporting learning at home. These sessions are designed to empower parents with knowledge and confidence as their child begins school.

Sherborne House advantage

In Pre-Reception, children take part in daily phonics and maths sessions led by our qualified Early Years teachers. During this important year before starting school, children begin learning Set 1 sounds through the Read Write Inc. phonics programme. These short, engaging lessons support the development of early reading skills and lay a strong foundation for future learning.

Each child is given a picture book to share with their key worker before taking it home to enjoy with their family. Books are changed weekly to promote a love of reading and storytelling from the very start.

In daily maths sessions, children focus on developing a secure understanding of numbers to ten, alongside an introduction to basic shapes. Our Early Years team also provides fun and practical games for families to enjoy at home, helping to reinforce learning in an enjoyable and meaningful way.