Ngahape - NE/Year 1

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Starting school is a big milestone in a child’s life, and like you, we want this transition to be positive, fun, and successful for everyone involved.

In Ngahape, I believe in building strong, collaborative relationships with families. Together, we can support your child’s learning and wellbeing, ensuring they feel safe, happy, and excited to begin their school journey.

Ngahape Approach to Learning
Our learning environment is based on current research and best practices. It includes a balance of Structured Literacy, Prime Maths, purposeful play, life skills, and academic learning across the curriculum. This approach ensures children develop a strong foundation for both learning and personal growth, while also cultivating a lifelong love of learning.

I will focus on helping your child settle into the routines of school, make new friends, and explore exciting learning opportunities. I will keep you updated on their progress through HERO, our communication platform, so you can stay connected to their journey.

Key Life Skills for School Success
There are a few important life skills that will help your child transition smoothly into school life. These include:

• Self-care skills: Being toilet trained, managing their own clothes and shoes, and taking care of their belongings.
• Practical tasks: Learning how to blow their nose, open packets or wrappers in their lunch box, and independently manage snack and lunch times.

We encourage families to support their children in developing these skills before starting school.

School Visits
Before your child starts school, school visits are offered to help them familiarise themselves with the new environment. These visits are usually scheduled a few weeks before their fifth birthday, and we typically offer two visits. If your child requires more visits, we can make arrangements to suit their needs.

Our visits take place on Tuesday mornings from 8:45 AM to 10:30 AM, providing a relaxed and supportive introduction to school life.

My aim is to provide your child with the best possible learning opportunities, and I will work to ensure they feel supported, valued, and challenged. Here’s how I approach their learning:

☼ Identify Individual Needs: I will recognize and cater to each child’s unique learning style and needs, tailoring programmes to ensure they thrive.

☼ Revisit Past Learning: Repetition is a powerful tool in reinforcing concepts and skills, and I will build on previous learning to strengthen understanding.

☼ High Expectations for Achievement: I have high standards for all children and encourage them to set and achieve personal goals, aiming for success and growth.

☼ Offer Choices: By providing opportunities for choice, children develop independence and become responsible, self-motivated learners.

☼ Value Mistakes as Learning Opportunities: Mistakes are an essential part of learning, and I encourage children to see them as valuable experiences for growth.

☼ Expect Quality in Learning and Behaviour: I set high expectations for both academic achievement and respectful behaviour.

☼ Recognise and Celebrate Differences: Every child is unique, and I value and celebrate the diversity in our classroom.

I look forward to working closely with your child, supporting their learning, and scaffolding their development every step of the way. Together, we will create a positive, engaging, and challenging learning environment that helps them grow and succeed.

Kind Regards,  

Bec Trafford