EYFS:
Parent Information Overview

Peace Class EYFS
Class Teacher: Mrs Grady
Teaching Assistants: Mrs Anderson, Mrs Syed

Welcome to Peace Class

Hello I’m Mrs Grady and I have the wonderful job of teaching Peace class here at St Mary’s. Peace Class is one of two Early Years classes here at St Mary’s CE Primary Academy. Our classroom is full of fun and discovery, where children learn through play and exploration. We take a holistic approach to teaching, supporting each child’s progress across all seven areas of the EYFS curriculum: understanding of the world, expressive arts and design, personal, social and emotional development, physical development, communication and language, literacy, and maths.

Each morning, we encourage the children to come in independently, put away their belongings, and settle with a morning job. This helps them start the day with confidence and responsibility. Every day includes focused sessions in both maths and phonics, giving children the chance to develop early mathematical understanding and begin their journey into reading.

Lunchtime is a social and enjoyable part of the day. The children eat together in the lunch hall, where they can choose a free hot meal (booked via ParentMail) or bring a packed lunch from home. Sharing mealtimes as a class helps to build friendships and develop social skills.

Our learning environment is designed to support exploration and creativity both indoors and outdoors. Outside, we have a well-resourced play space that includes a sandpit, climbing frame, bikes, role play area and a water tray. Inside, the children can access a variety of areas including a malleable area, creative area, home corner, fine motor area, writing area, small world area and construction area. These spaces allow children to develop their independence, imagination, and problem-solving skills through play.

In addition to daily learning and play, we also have a weekly PE session on Thursdays. In early year the children change themselves into their PE kits as this helps to develop a number of key skills including fine and gross motor skills, as well as their independence. We ask that PE kits are brought in at the beginning of each term, and they will be sent home at the end of every half term for washing.

In Peace Class, we strive to create a safe, nurturing, and stimulating environment where children feel happy, valued, and ready to learn every day.

P.E: Children are asked to bring their P.E. kit and leave it in school. The kit will be sent home at the end of each term to be washed.

Read, Write, Inc: At St Mary’s, we use the Read Write Inc (RWI) phonics scheme to teach children how to read with confidence and enjoyment. RWI is a structured programme that introduces sounds in a clear order and teaches children how to blend these sounds together to make words. Alongside this, children also learn to read common “tricky” words that cannot be sounded out.

During daily phonics sessions, children practise saying sounds and reading words. They also take part in fun, interactive activities such as games, rhymes, and using picture cards to support their learning. As children progress, they read short, lively books that are closely matched to the sounds they know, helping them to become fluent and motivated readers.

Our aim is not only to teach the mechanics of reading but also to develop a lifelong love of stories and books.

Reading and Home Learning: Children’s reading books will be changed every Monday. Please make sure your child has their reading books, reading record, and pleasure books in their bag on that day so we can swap them.

As we introduce new sounds in phonics, handwriting sheets will be sent home. These do not need to be returned but are provided to give you the chance to practise letter formation with your child at home.

We ask that you read with your child at least five times a week. This regular practice is vital as it helps to embed the learning that takes place in school and builds confidence and fluency.

Our Walk-in Wednesday’s take place each term. We look forward to welcoming you into class to share different aspects of the children’s learning.

Snacks / Drinks: A healthy snack is provided in school every day, and this is always fresh fruit or vegetables. If your child prefers, they are welcome to bring in their own healthy snack from home.

Children aged 4 are entitled to free milk each day. Once your child turns 5, they are no longer eligible for free milk; however, parents do have the option to continue it by paying. If you would like to pay for your child’s milk after they turn 5, please collect a form from the school office.

Trips and Special Experiences: We are very lucky to have some exciting experiences planned for the spring term. On 25th March 2026, we will be visiting Mini Meadows Farm. This will be a wonderful opportunity for the children to explore the farm, see the animals up close, and extend their learning outside of the classroom. Further details about the trip will be shared nearer the time.

In addition to our farm visit, we will also have some very special visitors in the classroom — chicks! The children will be able to watch the chicks hatch and learn all about the life cycle of a chicken. They will also be taught how to care for the chicks and how to handle them safely and gently.

Communication ~ Let’s stay connected

There are several ways that school will communicate with you.

Emails are sent for our Weekly Bulletin, Termly Newsletters and Adhoc information.

Text Messages - Alerts (e.g. school trips) / key information.

School Website - Has a wealth of information. https://www.stmaryscebl.info

You will receive regular updates through our Weekly Bulletin that is emailed on a Friday and a Newsletter which is emailed home at the end of each term.

Also look out for our Instagram Page
and our  Facebook Page to see what is happening in school.

We encourage parents to share concerns—big or small—as early as possible. Open communication helps us support your child in the best way.

Please note that class teachers are unable to speak with parents during morning drop-off or at the end of the school day.

If you’d like to arrange a meeting, simply contact the school office:

Tel: 01536 722757
Email: reception@stmarys.pdet.org.uk
They’ll be happy to book a convenient appointment with your child’s teacher.

For your child's termly Theme Overviews - click here

For your child's Maths practice for Key Instant Recall Facts (KIRF) - click here

For School Term Dates - click here