Class 1 Long Term PLan

Our Reception long-term plan provides a clear overview of the exciting learning journey your child will experience throughout the year. It outlines the key themes, skills, and developmental goals we focus on each term, helping you understand how we support your child’s growth both academically and personally. Please click here to explore the full plan and see how we create a nurturing, engaging, and inspiring start to school life.

Characteristics of Learning

In EYFS, we place a strong emphasis on the Characteristics of Effective Learning, which support children in becoming confident, motivated, and independent learners. Through playing and exploring, we use the story We’re Going on a Bear Hunt to encourage curiosity, adventure, and a willingness to try new experiences. For active learning, Giraffes Can’t Dance inspires children to keep trying, build resilience, and take pride in their achievements. Finally, through creating and thinking critically, Izzy Gizmo supports children in developing their problem-solving skills, encouraging them to think creatively, test ideas, and learn from their experiences. These stories help bring learning to life while nurturing a love of learning in every child.

Please click here to see an overview of how we put this into place in the classroom and the language we use with the children.

Oracy in EYFS at Highfield Primary School

At Highfield, we believe every child deserves to have their voice heard. From the moment our children walk through the door, we create an environment where conversations matter, questions are encouraged and every child feels confident to share their ideas.

Talk is at the heart of everything we do. Whether children are building in the construction area, investigating outdoors, reading a story together or learning new mathematical concepts, there are always opportunities to listen, speak, question and explain.

Our adults know our children well and place great value on meaningful conversations. We model language, introduce new vocabulary naturally and give children time to think before they answer. We celebrate every contribution and help children become confident communicators who are happy to express themselves.

What does oracy look like in our EYFS?

Every morning starts with a conversation

Before we even take the register, the children gather together for our morning discussion. Using a picture or photograph on the screen, we spend time talking about what we can see, what we notice and what we wonder.

There are no right or wrong answers. These discussions encourage every child to contribute, build confidence and develop the language needed to explain their ideas.

Talk It Tuesday

Each Tuesday, our Basic Skills session focuses purely on speaking and listening.

Children take part in games, discussions and activities that encourage them to:

speak clearly
listen carefully to others
take turns in conversations
answer and ask questions
build on the ideas of their friends.

These sessions are always fun and relaxed, helping even our quieter children to find their voice.

Picture News

Picture News gives our children the opportunity to talk about the wider world.

Through carefully chosen images and stories, children learn to:

share their opinions
listen respectfully to different viewpoints
explain their thinking
ask thoughtful questions
understand that everyone's ideas are valued.

Read Write Inc. (RWI)

Speaking is an important part of our daily phonics sessions.

Children regularly:

practise saying sounds correctly
orally blend words
rehearse sentences before writing
retell stories
work with partners to discuss their learning
learn and use new vocabulary every day.

Mastering Number (NCETM)

We encourage children to talk like mathematicians.

Rather than simply giving an answer, children are encouraged to explain how they know.

Adults ask questions such as:

"How do you know?"
"Can you show me another way?"
"What do you notice?"
"Can you prove it?"

These conversations help children deepen their mathematical understanding while developing confidence in explaining their thinking.

Story Time

Books provide some of our richest opportunities for talk.

Every day we enjoy stories together, stopping to wonder, predict, question and discuss.

Children learn ambitious new vocabulary and begin to make links between stories, their own experiences and the world around them.

Show and Tell

Show and Tell is an important part of life in our classroom.

Children enjoy sharing something special with their friends, speaking in front of the class and answering questions from others.

Over the year we see confidence grow as children become proud, articulate speakers.

Continuous Provision

Some of the richest conversations happen during child-initiated play.

Whether children are:

cooking in the home corner
building a rocket
creating a dinosaur world
investigating in the mud kitchen
exploring the water tray
working together outdoors

our adults join children's play, modelling language, introducing new vocabulary and extending conversations through thoughtful questioning.

Skilled Adult Interactions

Throughout the day our staff carefully adapt their questions to develop children's thinking.

We use a range of questioning techniques including:

recalling previous learning
predicting
explaining
comparing
reasoning
justifying opinions
solving problems
encouraging children to think more deeply.

These conversations are never rushed. We give children time to think, respond and build on each other's ideas.

Oracy Progression from Nursery to Reception

Nursery	Reception
Builds confidence to talk with familiar adults.	Speaks confidently with adults and peers across the school day.
Learns to listen and take turns during conversations.	Listens carefully and responds appropriately to others' ideas.
Begins to use short sentences to share needs, wants and experiences.	Uses longer, more detailed sentences to explain ideas and experiences.
Learns new vocabulary through songs, stories and play.	Uses a widening vocabulary across all areas of learning.
Joins in with familiar rhymes, stories and repeated phrases.	Retells stories confidently using appropriate vocabulary and sequencing.
Begins to answer simple questions.	Answers a range of open-ended questions and explains their thinking.
Starts to ask questions during play and learning.	Asks thoughtful questions to deepen their own understanding.
Talks alongside others during play.	Holds conversations, negotiates, collaborates and solves problems with others during play.
Begins to explain simple ideas.	Justifies opinions and gives reasons for their answers.
Builds confidence speaking in small groups.	Speaks confidently in front of the whole class during Show and Tell, Picture News and class discussions.

The Impact

By the time our children leave Reception, they are confident communicators who enjoy talking, listening and sharing their ideas. They understand that their voice matters and have developed the language and confidence needed to thrive as they move into Key Stage One.

Visitors to our classrooms will hear purposeful conversations, rich vocabulary, laughter, curiosity and children who are eager to explain their thinking. We are proud of the warm, language-rich environment we have created, where every child is encouraged to speak with confidence and feel valued.