Typical Day at Head Start Primary
Typical Day – Reception / KS1
Breakfast – children and staff sit together to enjoy breakfast. Children are encouraged to use good manners and to take responsibility by helping prepare their own food and to clear away after themselves. This time is used to develop social skills, particularly speaking and listening, making eye contact and taking turns in conversation.
Wake up – physical education focused on agility, balance, co-ordination, running and jumping, along with individual and team games. This session aims to ease any feelings of anxiety, tension and stress helping to improve attention and general well-being.
Group Time – during this time children will sit together for a short period. We will discuss the organisation of the day using a visual timetable. We will go through the rules and the activities available for the day.
Focus task – during this time, children will complete paper-based activities along with a computer-based activity, both of which are linked to the National Curriculum. Each session covers a different subject area and, as we are a small provision, we are able to choose tasks to meet the child’s own individual needs and level of attainment. These tasks are used to monitor pupil progress and to assess age-related expectations. Reception aged children will access the provision. Staff will use objective led planning specific to each child matched to their individual needs and linked to one of the 7 areas of learning. We will use children’s interests to support engagement.
Circle time – this follows Jenny Mosley’s Circle Time approach which promotes self-esteem, self-discipline and positive relationships. It is also a great opportunity to discuss emotions and to develop empathy. Circle time begins with ‘Talking Ted’ where children can share their thoughts and feelings with everyone, but only while holding Ted. This is followed by story time in which stories with positive messages promoting empathy, friendship and positive behaviour are shared. Additionally, we use this time to explore the protected characteristics in an age appropriate way.
Creative task – children enjoy this hands-on learning time where they can take part in activities such as baking, painting, junk modelling and science experiments. The themes are linked to seasonal events, the world around us or topics that the children particularly enjoy. This time provides an excellent opportunity for children to follow instructions, exercise independent choice and improve fine motor skills and co-ordination. Children experience a great sense of pride when they take their finished product home with them.
Lunch – children and staff sit together to have lunch. Children are encouraged to help prepare their own lunch and, at least once per week, we will prepare something during creative task to share at lunch time. Again, children are encouraged to use good manners and to clear away after themselves.
Free choice – children are given a choice of resources they can use during this time of learning through play. This is an important time for promoting positive interactions with others including compromise, conflict resolution and sharing, and for nurturing their imagination and creativity.
Story Time / Celebration – We will end the session with a story. We choose our texts carefully to ensure we provide high quality texts. We focus of promoting reading for pleasure as well as vocabulary development and verbal comprehension skills. We will then celebrate the achievements of the children throughout the day and each child will be rewarded for their achievements that day.
Typical Day – KS2
Breakfast – children and staff sit together to enjoy breakfast. Children are encouraged to use good manners and to take responsibility by helping prepare their own food and to clear away after themselves. This time is used to develop social skills, particularly speaking and listening, making eye contact and taking turns in conversation.
Group Time – during this time children will sit together for a short period. We will discuss the organisation of the day using a visual timetable. We will go through the rules and the activities available for the day.
PSHE – sessions focus on well-being, relationships and health education and promote resilience, healthy living and self-esteem, along with tackling issues that may be barriers to learning such as anxiety. As we are a small provision, we are able to offer bespoke sessions to meet the individual needs of each child. Additionally, we use this time to explore the protected characteristics in an age appropriate way.
English task – this will cover reading, writing, SPaG and handwriting. These tasks are chosen to meet the child’s own individual needs and level of attainment and, wherever possible, are based on their individual interests. They are used to monitor pupil progress and to assess age-related expectations.
Maths task – these tasks are chosen to meet the child’s own individual needs and level of attainment and, wherever possible, are based and are used to monitor pupil progress and to assess age-related expectations.
Creative task – children enjoy this hands-on learning time where they can take part in activities such as baking, painting, junk modelling and science experiments. The themes are linked to seasonal events, the world around us or topics that the children particularly enjoy. This time provides an excellent opportunity for children to follow instructions, exercise independent choice and improve fine motor skills and co-ordination. Children experience a great sense of pride when they take their finished product home with them.
Lunch – children and staff sit together to have lunch. Children are encouraged to help prepare their own lunch and, at least once per week, we will prepare something during creative task to share at lunch time. Again, children are encouraged to use good manners and to clear away after themselves.
Foundation task – children are given a different task each day to cover the National Curriculum foundation subjects. The subject area will vary depending on which subjects are covered during the creative task and on the child’s individual needs and interests.
Story Time / Celebration – We will end the session with a story. We choose our texts carefully to ensure we provide high quality texts. We focus of promoting reading for pleasure as well as vocabulary development and verbal comprehension skills. We will then celebrate the achievements of the children throughout the day and each child will be rewarded for their achievements that day.
