Lead: Miss S Gray
Teachers: Miss Gray, Miss Jones, Miss Edwards and Mrs Mahon. Support Staff: Mrs Taylor, Mrs Hamshaw, Mrs Foulds, Mrs Wilmot and Mrs Pilley.
Intent
Our early years curriculum lays a foundation for future learning. We engage children in learning from the start of their school journey. We expect our children to leave us happy and confident and ready for the next stage in learning.
In the Early Years Foundation Stage children experience a positive, welcoming and nurturing environment where they feel secure and able to reach their potential. We provide opportunities throughout our curriculum to support learning, consolidate and deepen knowledge. We work in partnership with parents and encourage independent, happy learners who thrive in school.
How We Learn in EYFS
Daily focussed activities are planned according to the children's needs and stages of development. The activities allow children to develop their next steps in learning. Bespoke group and individual interventions are planned and implemented. These are monitored regularly.
We regularly invite parents and carers into school to work with their child and celebrate successes. We keep parents informed about their child's learning through online platforms, stay and play sessions, parent workshops, parent consultations and transition visits.
Parents have the opportunity to meet with new teachers and visit classrooms. Transition into Key Stage One is carefully planned through a range of activities to allow staff and children to get to know each other.
Our Curriculum
Each topic planned is included in the curriculum for specific reasons and we want to ensure that all children leaving Foundation Stage are ready for the next stage in their learning.
All the topics have resources and activities ready to use in the enhanced provision for child initiated learning. Topics are introduced with a good quality storybook or non – fiction text. Our curriculum aims to teach all children the skills and knowledge they need.
Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED)
Children’s personal, social and emotional development (PSED) is crucial for children to lead healthy and happy lives, and is fundamental to their cognitive development. In Early Years Foundation Stage we create a supportive and nurturing climate and ethos which provides children with a sense of safety, security, belonging and self-worth by:
*Establishing and developing mutually respectful relationships with and between adults and children
* Understanding children’s idiosyncrasies, qualities and attributes so they feel valued and develop positive attitudes towards themselves and others
* Knowing and understanding children’s family contexts and dynamics
*Setting rules, establishing boundaries, following routines and explaining consequences
*Modelling and explaining behaviours and emotions and how to manage and resolve conflict *Empowering children to be independent enabling them to make informed choices and decisions
* Using praise to build confidence
Physical Development
In Early Years Foundation Stage we nurture children’s strong need and desire to be physically active which builds the foundations for other areas of their development by:
*Building children’s strength, stamina, balance, co-ordination and dexterity
*Developing a range of large and small movements which they can control
* Improving and refining children’s control and manipulation of a variety of tools
* Instilling a sense of confidence in children’s own physical abilities enabling them to negotiate spaces
* Promoting independence by teaching them to make decisions and choices that will keep them healthy and safe
Communication and Language
The development of children’s spoken language underpins all seven areas of learning and development. It is the key to enabling children to achieve and provide strong foundations for future learning.
At SQS it is promoted through a language rich ethos and environment in which adults narrate, ask questions, model thinking, provide a running commentary, repeat and extend language and give our children a reason and a desire to talk. We read frequently to children, and engaging them actively in stories, non-fiction, rhymes and poems, and then providing them with extensive opportunities to use and embed new words in a range of contexts, will give children the opportunity to thrive. Through conversation, story-telling and role play, where children share their ideas with support and modelling from their teacher, and sensitive questioning that invites them to elaborate, children become comfortable using a rich range of vocabulary and language structures.
At the planning stage, new and ambitious vocabulary linked to our themes is identified. This language is displayed within the environment in the form of words and sentences, acting as prompts for adults and children. We also carefully consider how children develop listening, attention and understanding to improve speaking skills Within provision, staff seek and plan for opportunities to provide talk. It is also taught through direct teaching e.g. carpet sessions, snack times, story and rhyme time.
Enhancements are added to all areas of provision as a stimulus to inspire interest and engage children in talk. Adults move around the environment modelling the qualities of a good communicator and searching for opportunities to engage children in conversation.
Credits:
Created with images by FeeLoona - "child tower building blocks" • newarta - "kid toys play" • Rawpixel.com - "Group of kindergarten kids friends drawing art class outdoors" • oksix - "Rainbow children's hide-out"