Early Years Foundation Stage
EYFS Vision
Our Early Years Team offer a safe and welcoming environment; they establish a warm and trusting relationship with each child and their family, enabling children to become strong and independent learners.
We wish to develop and foster positive attitudes towards learning through child-centred and high-quality interactions that promote a child’s social, emotional, physical, moral and cognitive development. We recognise that the needs of our young children are such that it is not possible to separate their need for learning experiences from their need for care and emotional support, so we offer a supportive and engaging environment that is catered to their individual needs.
We actively involve parents in every aspect of their child’s learning through the use of our private platform Class Dojo, newsletter contributions, parents’ evenings and informal conversations. These positive relationships empower the Early Years Team to give all of our Reception children the best possible start to their school journey by building the foundations they need for their future endeavours.
Transition and Home Visits
We pride ourselves on having strong links and effective transition arrangements. We ensure new pupils have opportunities to visit the school prior to starting, helping them to settle in quickly once they begin with us.
Throughout the year, EYFS staff and members of the Senior Leadership Team engage with local nurseries to build links, helping children and their parents to become familiar with our staff. Once we know which children will be joining us, we invite the children and their parents to various events including Outdoor Learning taster afternoons, 'Stay and Play' sessions and school-wide events. This allows children and their parents to further immerse themselves into our school community and establish relationships with all members of staff as well as existing parents.
We also offer home visits in June, July and the first few weeks of autumn term. The class teacher and another member of staff will talk to families informally, but will also take detailed notes about their children’s accomplishments along with any special needs or requirements. Carers will have an opportunity to ask any questions and share any important information with the school team. This is also a special experience for the child, as it allows them to be seen in their own environment and share their personal interests and experiences with the members of staff.
In September, we have a staggered start to aid children’s transition into school. Typically, in week one, the children will attend half days. By the end of this week, they will also stay for lunch and leave at 12:00. This offers the children their first experiences of the dining hall and of the main school playground before staying full time. By the second week, children are able to stay for full days if they are managing the transition well and can attend breakfast and after school clubs.
EYFS Intent
Prime Areas of Learning
Our aim is for all children to have exposure to a range of experiences that develops their vocabulary and promotes their oracy. Pupils will be able to communicate freely about their wants and give their own opinions in a respectful manner. They will develop their listening skills through positive interactions with both adults and peers in school and in the wider community. Children will leave reception with a confident sense of self and will be independent, resilient learners who are sensitive to the needs of others. We aim for children to leave the early years with a strong physical foundation that allows them to access other areas of the curriculum (core strength, fine motor control, increased co-ordination and agility), along with a strong understanding of self-care.
Literacy and Maths
The team aim for pupils to become happy, confident readers. They will have a secure level of fluency which enables them to enjoy a range of genres and texts that will take them on new adventures with every page they read. In writing, all children will have access to a range of writing stimuli to promote a love for writing. All adults encourage sound development and correct letter formation through adult- and child-led interactions. Our literacy lessons are based around our topic, we ensure the children are immersed in the stories we read through imaginative activities. This promotes a love of reading and contributes to the development of communication and language. Our aim is for every child to enjoy and succeed in mathematics at a level accessible to them. Every pupil is encouraged to develop their fluency, recall and understanding in the subject using a range of both taught and exploratory activities.
Understanding of the World and Expressive Arts & Design
Children are naturally curious about the world around them; we foster and promote this curiosity through the use of scientific vocabulary to discuss experiments and observations. All children will be able to identify with their local communities by embracing and respecting their diverse surroundings. Our aim is for all children to be creative individuals who are able to use their imagination in a variety of different contexts, sharing their enthusiasm and skills for the arts with those around them.