Hazeldown School Foundation Stage Information for Parents - Preparing your child for school

Aug 28, 2026

Hazeldown School provides Foundation Stage information to help parents prepare for the year ahead, supporting children’s happiness, security, and confidence through partnership between parents and practitioners. The booklet outlines curriculum principles, classroom organisation, PE routines, and key routines for reading and writing development. It offers practical guidance on independence, safety, readiness skills, handwriting posture and pencil grip, and letter-sound recognition activities, plus top tips for avoiding unhelpful learning comparisons.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLifestyle

FormatPDF

Pages12

Reading Time18 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Preparing your child for school

Class organisation

PE days

Reading

Writing

Foundation Stage learning programme

Assessment

Hazeldown School Foundation Stage Information for Parents Contents Introduction Preparing your child for school Class Organisation PE Days Reading Writing Foundation Stage learning programme Assessment Introduction Welcome to Hazeldown School. The aim of this booklet is to provide you with information about the year ahead for you and your children. Our curriculum in the Foundation Stage is based on‘Curriculum guidance for the Foundation Stage’ published by DfEE and QCA. In this document, a principle for early years education is stated as ‘all children feel included, secure and valued’. It goes on to state that ‘Parents and practitioners should work together in an atmosphere of mutual respect within which children can have security and confidence’. At Hazeldown we pride ourselves on a long tradition of partnership with parents. You, as your child’s first educator, your child and ourselves will work together to ensure your child’s happiness and security in school. This booklet is just part of that process! Preparing your child for school. In school, your child will learn through speaking, listening, observing, playing and creative activity. You can help by: Reading or telling a story at bedtime. Taking time to listen to your child’s news and views and encouraging questions. Planning to give simple responsibilities and encouraging independence. Guiding choice of TV programmes and discussing what you have seen together. Make sure your child has a good night’s sleep each night; school is very tiring for young children! Mark all your children’s clothing and possessions with their name. It is a great help if your child : Knows the safest way to and from school Understands and uses the Green Cross Code Knows name, address and telephone number Plays in safe places Avoids talking with strangers Please help your child towards independence. Can they: Put on and do up coats? Speak clearly and make themselves understood? Go the toilet properly and wash their hands themselves? Use a knife and fork? Listen to and carry out simple instructions? Use scissors safely? Listen to and retell a story? Say some simple rhymes? Recognise colours and name them? Count to 5? To 10? Beyond 10? Recognise and write their name (not capitals)? Catch a ball? Skip? Visit the library and enjoy using books? Top tips please: Don’t… Teach your child to write in capitals Compare your child with a friend’s child etc. All children will have different rates of progress Classroom organisation There will be two classes, Mrs Samantha Owens will be teaching one class and Mrs Jodie White and Mrs Amanda Maguire will be teaching class two. Each class will be supported by a Teaching Assistant. PE days PE kits can stay in school all week – we will send them home to be washed every half term. It is vital all PE kits , coats and school uniform items are named! For details of acceptable school uniform, please see the Essential Information for Parents leaflet. Reading It will help your children greatly with their reading development if they can recognise the letters of the alphabet and say the sound they make (not the name) e.g. a for apple, e for elephant. Playing I-Spy and similar games helps the child to hearthe first sound of a word when it is spoken. Further ideas to help your child hear the letter sounds. 1. Make a scrapbook collection of as many things beginning with each letter of the alphabet e.g. f for fire, fish, feather, fork, face etc. Write the word next to the picture. 2. When saying a word, emphasise its beginning sound. Match the written letter to pictures of objects beginning with that sound. Ask your child to write the letter several times (starting in the appropriate place) whilst saying its sound. 3. Play a silly game where you pick up an object but use the wrong sound for the initial letter [e.g. show](e.g. show)[ ](e.g. show)[your child a cu

FAQs

What is the main aim of this Hazeldown School Foundation Stage booklet?

It provides information for the year ahead so parents and children understand how to work together, supporting children’s happiness, security, and confidence in school.

How can parents help their child prepare for school day-to-day?

Parents can read or tell stories at bedtime, listen to children’s thoughts, encourage simple responsibilities and independence, and guide TV choices while discussing what was seen.

What reading and writing support does the booklet recommend?

For reading, children should recognise alphabet letters and their sounds, and play listening games like I-Spy. For writing, guidance includes correct sitting and pencil grip, with attention to letter formation and name writing using correct capital and lowercase patterns.

Aug 28, 2026

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