At Stourport Primary Academy our Reception Class is known as Rainbow. This is the final stage of your child’s Early Year’s Foundation Stage before they start their educational journey through the National Curriculum and therefore we feel careful planning and preparation is vital. Our staff recognise that at this stage children learn best through play and hands on activities where they are given the opportunity to problem solve in a safe environment. Failures as well as successes are celebrated and children learn to EXPLORE, DREAM, DISCOVER and ACHIEVE.

Our Rainbow classroom is set out into lots of different play/learning zones. We have a role play area that changes regularly – this can be a shop one week and a space station the next! Whatever the children are showing an interest in, staff ensure the role play area is set up to help develop the children’s language and communication skills.

We have large variety of ‘Small World Play’ equipment for children who prefer quieter play. From a wide variety of different animals to a selection of dolls houses children can set up their own imaginary play based on the books we have read, a topic we are doing or their own imaginations.

We have a wide selection of different construction kits for children to develop their gross and fine motor skills, imaginations and creativity and also to help enhance areas of the curriculum such as maths and science.

A particularly favourite part of the classroom is the art and craft area where children are encouraged to mix their own paint, make their own playdough and select their own crafting equipment for their art projects. It can get messy but the mess is all part of the learning process.

At Stourport Primary Academy a love of reading is very important. Rainbow has its own special book corner where books are changed regularly to support learning and to help promote a lifelong love of reading.

When you are only four years old, the bones in your little hands haven’t fully developed so we have special mark making and writing areas where children can choose from a selection of different writing equipment to help develop their fine motor skills. Provision is in place to help children develop the correct pencil grip, learn to write their own names, and to form letters correctly.

All this is supported by other activities which the teachers plan to enhance the provision in the room and support learning.

As well as our amazing Rainbow Classroom, Reception have their very own outside learning area. This is accessed daily by those who want to use it as our classroom is free flow – we understand children learn best when they are doing what they like.

It has its own mud kitchen (because who doesn’t love a mud pie!) musical instrument area for the all our budding musicians, and then a large selection of large construction materials for the children to build their own dens or whatever they want.

If you would like to book a tour of our Rainbow classroom for your child please contact the school on 01299 822120 and a member of staff will be happy to help you. Alternatively look out for one of our open days. To apply for your child’s place in Reception, visit our Admissions Page.