1. Effective Primary Teaching Practice 2016: THE IMPORTANCE OF RECEPTION
These slides are intended to be used a starting to support discussions in schools about aspects of the Effective Primary Teaching Practice report.
For more detail and nuance, please do read the full report.
Written by Dame Reena Keeble, supported by a group of teachers, headteachers and experts
Written by Dame Reena Keeble, supported by a group of teachers, headteachers and experts

2. Summary
Invest in developing a strong reception year with a structured approach to teaching and a focus on planning for learning rather than activities.
Effective schools:
1) Have strong leadership
Driven by a clear, evidence-based vision for school, owned by all staff
Regardless of structure, the most senior leader in school leads teaching and learning
2) Prioritise ongoing development of teachers and teaching
Development is structured and focused on pupil outcomes - and led by evidence
Purposeful, clearly focused planning
Teachers’ knowledge of a subject AND how children learn that subject is actively developed, using subject leads and external resources/expertise
Mastery approaches across the curriculum, with high expectations for all pupils’ attainment
3) Make the most of all their resources
Teachers are helped to use their time on things that make the most difference to pupils
Technology is used where it has a clear pedagogical purpose - and only then
There is careful consideration of whether and how to use teaching assistants
Teaching dictates the use of the classroom
4) Make clear choices about their priorities and organisation
Have a strong reception year with a structured approach to teaching - with planning around learning not activities
Think hard about whether setting or streaming helps all pupils to achieve
Are clear on the use and purpose of any homework and how it supports learning objectives

3. Can you clearly describe your approach to teaching in reception?
In schools with an effective approach to reception…
Can you clearly describe your approach to teaching in reception?
How do you decide when to use more formal, or more play-based activities?
Teaching is important:
The timetable is built around what pupils need to learn and by when
There are many opportunities for pupils to develop their language and their ability to explain their actions, their reasoning and their learning
Pupils spend time every day as a whole class in short sessions (e.g. for maths, phonics and guided reading time). Done well, this is not boring drilling - rather pupils delight in the teaching and make better use of the wider provision as a result
Reception planning and assessment is focused:
Planning starts with the learning outcome in mind, rather than the activity
Pupils are able to explain what they are doing and why (i.e. the learning outcome) – where they have the necessary language development
There is purposeful teaching by all adults to secure specific outcomes through modelling, vocabulary building and focused questioning 
Pupil starting points are considered and teaching focuses on building communication and collaboration skills, especially in developing talk and conceptual understanding
How do you plan for what your pupils will learn? what difference is this making to outcomes?
How confident are you that, at any one time, your pupils could explain what they are doing and why?
In effective schools there was a focus on maximising learning across the entire day, so all teaching was purposeful whether during more formal, whole class sessions or during opportunities for children to work independently. Put simply, teaching encompasses the many different ways that teachers helped pupils to learn. This includes the planned and spontaneous interactions between adults and pupils, and in the use of resources and organisation of the classroom. The important point though is that teachers structure and scaffold learning through their decisions about what pupils need to know, understand and be able to do next, and how best this should be taught, to achieve success.

4. In effective schools:
Reception teachers are developed, supported and accountable:
Reception teachers are as accountable as key stage 1 and key stage 2 teachers for outcomes
How ‘school ready’ pupils are at the end is considered:
Bringing year 1 approaches into reception towards the end of the school year and gradually evolving the classroom to support pupils to make a successful transition
Expectations of learning behaviours and outcomes are set that are consistent with the rest of school.
Emphasising the similarities rather than differences with the rest of school and explicitly considering the development of self-regulation and reasoning
Do all teachers understand reception and its expected outcomes?
How could you use the expertise of your reception teachers to support professional development for all school staff?
How important do teachers in other years see the reception year?