Making the most of Reception

Reception is the only part of school that is not compulsory. Parents are often surprised when I tell them that they don’t have to send their child to school to do the Reception year.

So it’s somewhat ironic that Reception is perhaps the most important year of a child’s school life. Done well, a good Reception year sets four- and five-year-olds on the path to a childhood of successful learning, and beyond.

It’s a measure of the importance of Reception that Ofsted embarked on the survey that resulted in our report published today. For ‘Bold beginnings’ we visited more than 40 good and outstanding schools across England; from Chagford Primary School in Devon to Shilbottle Primary School in Northumberland. In each school, inspectors talked to Reception teachers and school leaders and observed Reception children’s learning.

Ofsted inspectors went to really good schools for this survey. They were making a difference for all young children, regardless of their background, because of what they taught.

Our research confirmed that Reception is vital for children’s development. But too often it is a false start for young children and leaves them exposed to all the painful and unnecessary consequences of falling behind their peers.

First and foremost, Reception is an opportunity for schools. At the schools our inspectors visited, they could see what great strides children we making in their learning. By the end of the Reception year, they had got nearly all their children reading well.

Primary schools should be introducing an element of formal teaching in Reception. It should not just be an extension of pre-school.

It’s in their Reception year that four- and five-year-old children get into the habit of the daily school routine. It’s when they enjoy playing together and make good relationships, are introduced to everyday school life and, get to use the school’s sports facilities for physical education.

They also learn to sit properly on a chair when writing; how to form capital and lower-case letters correctly; and to read aloud what they have written.

So if a child falls behind during Reception it’s going to be that bit harder for him or her to catch up later. The evidence for this is clear. A good early education can mean the difference at GCSE between gaining seven grade Bs or seven grade Cs.

It is almost impossible to overstate the importance of reading. Along with listening to stories and singing nursery rhymes this is how young children expand their vocabulary - as HM Chief Inspector Amanda Spielman has stressed in a recent speech at the Nursery World Business Summit. They learn the kind of linguistic fluency that will serve them well in later in life.

However, I’m afraid the same cannot be said of the way young children are introduced to early mathematics. It is very important for young children to understand the concept of numbers, not just be able to count.

So Ofsted wants all primary schools to: