Reception

New Families: September 2026

We are delighted to welcome your child to Dunraven this September. All essential information, including your child's home visit schedule and Stay and Play session details, is located in your welcome letter. Please look for this in your email: if you have not received it please contact our office on 020 8696 5620.

The letter also contains an invitation to our online welcome meeting which will take place as follows::

Online Welcome Meeting - Friday 12 June 2026 at 10:00 - 10:45 

School ready

To get your children ready for the transition into school there are a number of things you can do to prepare your child.

Guide from the Department of Education with helpful information. 

Start of Term

In September, Reception children follow a staggered start to help them settle into their new environment:

• Thursday 1 September 2026 -  9:15  – 12:00 (Morning only)

• Friday 2 September 2026 -  9:15 – 12:30 (Morning and lunch)

• Monday 5 September 2026 - All children in full days -  8:40 - 15:20

School Lunches

Lunch is free for all Reception children. Our 3-week rotating menu offers three daily options: Main (Meat), Vegetarian, or Jacket Potato.

• Please ensure your child can use a knife, fork, and spoon independently before starting.

• Most children at Dunraven have school dinner, but If you prefer to provide a packed lunch, you must commit to this for the full term. Please refer to our Healthy Packed Lunch Guide.

• We are a nut-free school. Do not include nuts or nut products in any lunch.

• When the Autumn 2026 menu is available, we will share it with you. You
  must then pre-order for your child. Please discuss these choices with them, as orders cannot be changed at school.

Wraparound Care: Mini Ravens

Breakfast and After School Clubs are managed by Mini Ravens via the Magic Booking portal.

Breakfast Club for new reception children

• Starts: 14 September 2026.

• Time: 8:00 – 8:45 (Drop-off ends at 8:30).

• Location: School Office, Mount Nod Road.

• Cost: £4.00  per session (Under review).

After School Club for new reception children

• Starts: 21 September 2026.

• Time: 15:30 – 16:30  (£7.00) or two sessions from 15:30 - 17:45 (£14.00).

• Location: Collection via Leigham Court Road gate at 16:30 or 17:45.

Bookings & Payment

All bookings must be made online; the school office cannot process bookings.

• Account Setup: Create your account using the Step by Step User Guide Magic Bookings ParentUserGuide.pdf

• Childcare Vouchers: Payments should be made to "Dunraven School." Use your booking reference number to ensure the credit is applied correctly.

• Terms: You must agree to the Terms and Conditions before booking. Your account must remain in credit to authorise sessions.

For queries regarding bookings or payments, please email miniravensbookings@gmail.com.

School Communication & Digital Platforms

We use digital tools to communicate with families.

Edulink: Information & Communication

Edulink is our primary hub for school news and personal data management. With it you can update your contact details, report absences, or change dietary information. It is through Edulink that most school correspondence and updates will be sent directly to the contact details we have on file. You will receive an invitation email to create your account in September. Please follow these Edulink Instructions 

Schoolgateway: Payments

Schoolgateway is the secure system used for all school-related payments (excluding wraparound care). This includes school visits, special events, and other educational resources. We recommend downloading the app for easy mobile access. Please follow these instructions Introduction to School Gateway

Tapestry: Learning Journal

Tapestry is an interactive online tool used by our Reception team to document your child’s learning journey. Through Tapestry you will receive half-term snapshots of your child’s activities and milestones. We encourage you to upload your own photos and notes to share your child’s learning experiences outside of school. We will request your permission to create an account, after which you will receive an email notification to join your child's digital journal.

Punctuality and Attendance 

Starting your child’s school journey in Reception is a once-in-a-lifetime milestone where every single day counts toward building their confidence and sense of security. By ensuring your child is in school every day, you help them settle into vital routines and master the foundational social and academic skills they need to thrive. Missing even a few days can disrupt their progress in phonics and early literacy, making it harder for them to keep pace with their peers. 

The Prime Areas

Communication and Language, Physical Development, and Personal, Social, and Emotional Development—serve as the essential "building blocks" for your child’s entire education. 

These areas are vital because they provide the emotional, social, and physical foundation a child needs before they can successfully master specific subjects like reading or maths. We teach these skills through a balanced mix of purposeful play and adult-led activities, ranging from spontaneous games and outdoor exploration to structured group times where we model conversation and social turn-taking.

By focusing on these core pillars, we ensure your child feels confident, healthy, and ready to communicate as they grow into an independent learner. 

Literacy in Reception

In reception, we see Literacy as a mix of four big skills that are interlinked. One doesn't work without the others!

The Four Pillars

• Talking & Listening: Before a child can write a story, they need the words to tell it out loud. We focus on oracy, growing their vocabulary and confidence in speaking.

• Reading Words: Learning to "decode" or sound out words is the first step toward unlocking the magic of books.

• Understanding: It’s not just about reading the words on the page; it’s about chatting about what’s happening and wondering "what happens next?"

• Writing: This covers everything from the physical skill of holding a pencil (Transcription) to the creative spark of dreaming up a story (Composition).

The Physical Foundations of Writing

Before a child can master the art of composition, they must develop the physical mechanics of transcription. We place great importance on gross motor development to build the core strength and shoulder stability required for sitting and writing, alongside fine motor activities that hone the dexterity and the finger strength needed for a comfortable pincer grip. Handwriting is taught through discrete daily sessions, using specific verbal instructions to help children internalise the correct letter formation through sensory, low-pressure practice.

High quality texts

Our writing curriculum is anchored in high-quality stories and themes that spark the imagination. We believe that writing must be explicitly taught and not left to chance; therefore, we lead structured adult-led sessions where practitioners actively model the writing process. During these sessions, adults demonstrate how to turn spoken ideas into written words and move through the cycle of planning and drafting while proactively addressing common misconceptions.

This taught foundation is then extended into independent opportunities within our rich continuous provision. Whether scribing a "potion recipe" in the mud kitchen or drafting a letter in the role-play post office, children are encouraged to apply their skills through purposeful, self-chosen play, allowing them to experiment with their new knowledge in a high-engagement environment.

Reading and Phonics

To support word reading and comprehension, we deliver a rigorous daily phonics program called Sounds Write. This provides children with the "code" they need to decode unfamiliar words, which they then apply during one-to-one reading and collaborative group sessions. These sessions are designed not just to build fluency, but to foster a deep understanding of the text and a genuine love for storytelling. Through this balanced blend of direct instruction and imaginative exploration, we ensure every child finds their voice as a confident reader and writer.

Key components of Literacy in Reception 

• Daily teaching of phonics

• Discrete handwriting practice 

• Opportunities for oral composition and spoken language 

• Writing instruction and practice based on rich texts and real life events 

• Discreetly teaching vocabulary and multiple opportunities to practise in context

• Stories telling and sequencing 

• Adapted practice to ensure all children, including SEND, access learning 

• Building subject knowledge about the world to support writing in context

Maths

At our school, we believe that building a strong foundation in mathematics starts with sparking curiosity and confidence. Our curriculum is designed to meet the Early Learning Goals (ELG) by focusing deeply on number sense, ensuring children do not just learn to count, but truly understand what numbers represent. To achieve this, we proudly use the NCETM Mastering Number programme, which provides a structured and engaging way for children to master the building blocks of maths.

Children join us with a wealth of experience from home and nursery, and we aim to build on that familiar ground. Here is how we support their journey:

• Subitising & Counting: We help children move beyond simple counting to "subitising"—the ability to instantly recognise a small group of objects without counting them one by one.

• Exploring Composition: Pupils dive deep into how numbers are made. They start by exploring the composition of numbers within 5, eventually moving beyond 5 to see how larger numbers are built.

• Comparison & Language: We encourage children to compare sets of objects, using vocabulary like "more than," "fewer than," or "equal to." This leads to identifying when groups are equal and making the exciting connection between equal groups and doubles.

• Connecting Numerals: As their confidence grows, children begin to connect physical quantities to their written numerals, making maths more tangible.

• Fluency & Strategy: By consolidating their skills and counting to larger numbers, pupils develop a wider range of strategies. Through varied, hands-on practice, they secure the vital number facts that will support them throughout their entire school career.

We aim to make maths an adventure where every child feels like a capable mathematician!

Phonics 

In our school, literacy begins with a strong foundation in phonics, which is the essential bridge between spoken language, reading and writing.  We place a high priority on daily phonics sessions, as consistent, high-frequency practice is the key to building the skills and knowledge children need to become fluent readers and confident writers.

To give our pupils the best start, we use Sounds-Write, a highly successful, evidence-based linguistic phonics programme. 

Phonics it’s about three core skills that children master through our daily sessions:

1. Blending: Merging individual sounds together to read a word (e.g., /s-u-n/ becomes "sun").

2. Segmenting: Breaking a spoken word into its individual sounds to spell it (e.g., "cat" becomes /c-a-t/.

3. Phoneme Manipulation: Learning how to swap sounds in and out of words (e.g., changing "mat" to "map").

Sounds-Write Programme

• A "Speech-to-Print" Approach: It starts with what children already know—the sounds they speak every day—and teaches them how to represent those sounds with letters.

• Simple and Consistent: The programme uses a very specific set of clear instructions and hand gestures. This consistency helps children feel secure and reduces "cognitive load," allowing them to focus entirely on learning.

• Multi-Sensory Learning: Pupils are constantly saying the sounds, hearing them, and writing them, which ensures the learning "sticks."

By providing this structured daily practice, we ensure that every child develops the tools they need to unlock the world of books and express themselves through writing.

We deliver family forums and live lessons to ensure families understand the process of phonics and how best to support their children. As part of the programme, we map out decodable reading books that match the level of each child. These are read with children each week in school and at home. 

Sounds Write - A Guide for Reception Families 

Uniform

Dunraven School is a uniform school.  As of 1 October 2025 all compulsory branded items of uniform for the Primary and Secondary Phases should be purchased from our new uniform supplier Healthy Bean Ltd.  All other non-branded items may be purchased from any supplier of your choice. Purchases from Healthy Bean can be made:

• Online at the dedicated Dunraven School uniform site HERE

• By phone: +44(0)203 488 2755

• Email: sales@hbuniform.co.uk

Families can choose to have the uniform delivered for collection from school for free (deliveries are usually made once a week) or delivered to home for a small fee.   We will also run in-person try and buy sessions when families are preparing for the new school year. Details of these sessions will be added to the website and shared with families directly. 

Our branded uniform items feature our trademarked Dunraven School logo.

Primary Phase Uniform Buying Guide

Pre-loved Dunraven School Uniform

Dunraven School is working in partnership with St Christopher's Hospice charity to stock pre-loved Dunraven School uniform items. Items are available for primary and secondary phase for a small cost from St Christopher's, 23 Streatham High Road, SW16 1DS. Save money, reduce waste and support an excellent cause.  Donations of any pre-loved uniform are also welcome, please visit the store. 

Uniform Requirements

Please ensure all items of uniform are clearly labelled with your child’s name.

Daily Uniform

Bottoms: Grey trousers, a grey pinafore dress, or a skirt.

Tops: A white polo shirt.

Ties: Your child does not need a tie in Reception.

Footwear: Black school shoes or plain black trainers with grey or white socks or tights.

Note: These items can be purchased from any retailer.

Knitwear 

Children are required to wear a branded Dunraven jumper or cardigan, available online via the Healthy Bean website here

Summer Options 

Dunraven branded summer dresses are available online, but children may also wear any yellow gingham or striped dress.

PE Kit

A Dunraven branded PE kit is available from Healthy Bean, but it is not compulsory in reception.  

Alternatively, your child may wear:

Tops: A plain grey, black, or blue t-shirt or sweatshirt (no logos).

Bottoms: Plain grey, black, or blue shorts or leggings (no logos).

Uniform summary 

Healthy Bean Website

EYFS policy