Early Years Foundation Stage
Intent
At Alexander Hosea Primary School (AHS), our EYFS curriculum aim is to support all of our children to develop into confident, happy and independent learners. Through a nurturing environment, the children are enabled to develop the necessary skills, knowledge and attitudes to continue with their learning through school and aspire to do
Through working in partnership with parents, we will:
- promote independence, perseverance and the confidence to ‘have a go’.
- support the development of social skills and friendship
- provide a safe, secure and caring environment for young children to develop, learn and explore.
Our intent is to secure solid foundations for learning and to nurture individual talents by offering a range of opportunities to support children’s holistic development.
Implementation
Children come to AHS from many different settings, so the transition into school is carefully managed by talking to settings, meetings with parents and visiting each child at home. Time is taken at the beginning of the year to help children develop relationships with one another and with staff.
The learning environment is planned to help children at different stages through the year. Thought is given to communication, physical development and personal and social needs. Children should enter the space and feel like it is a home from home that inspires them to want to learn and create but is equally comforting when they need a quieter moment.
There is a large outdoor space right next to the classroom that allows for inside outside preferences. We even have our own vegetable patch where we watch our vegetables grow. We are fortunate in having a wooded area within the school grounds which offers an extra space to explore one afternoon a week in forest sessions.
The learning provision is planned to support the changing needs throughout the year. There are things that are always available (continuous provision) and others that are added as provocations to learning or enhancements. Children are encouraged to access resources independently, use them respectfully and then be responsible for putting them away.
Each day has a mix of guided class sessions including an Unlocking Letters and Sounds session and a maths session. There might also be a guided session but children also have time to develop their own ideas and practise skills within the environment.
Within these sessions staff make observations and act as co-learners to the children. They use their knowledge of each child’s development and the curriculum to skilfully move the learning on or broaden their experience.
Ideas drawn from research into helicopter stories and drawing club are used to introduce vocabulary, develop communication through story and develop writing through the year.
Boolean maths is used to develop fluency maths throughout EYFS and into KS1. Number blocks are used within this and always popular with the children. White Rose maths is also used to pace maths learning through the year.
Stories and books are used through the year to introduce new ideas and projects. These are planned to give a broad and balanced diet and to encourage a curiosity in the diverse world they live in. Times gone by, far off places and the celebrations of different religions are all approached through story. Although the curriculum is mapped out as a long term plan, it is flexible enough to allow for the particular interests of different groups of children.
Impact
At AHS the children in our Early Years Foundation Stage will be engaged learners who don’t give up when they find things tricky but will know that solving problems helps them to learn. They will communicate well with each other as they learn and be independent in accessing the things they need to develop their ideas. They will use the skills they have been taught and show how they are mastering them. For example in role play they will write a vet report using their phonic knowledge.
Impact of the curriculum is regularly reviewed for each child. This approach has a proven track record of rapid progress. However, if children are found to need intervention to keep up, these are put in place.
From their own unique starting points, we expect all children, even those at risk of disadvantage, to achieve age-related expectation and/or make excellent progress academically and socially. All children will be given the best foundations to prepare them for a life-long learning journey.
Please click on the links below for information regarding the Foundation stage.
Guidance to your child's learning and development in the early years foundation stage
Action for Children - Things to do with your child
Childnet - Smartie the Penguin - An online story for 3 to 7 year olds