Early Years Foundation (Reception & Nursery)
Intent:
In our EYFS classes at Salisbury Manor we intend to
ensure all children’s interests and needs are met throughout the
curriculum. Our intent is provide a safe secure learning environment for children
to grow and develop through play to a high standard.
How do we promote these intentions?
·
We can all
learn from one another.
·
We want
children to develop self-confidence: to be proud of who they are and what
they achieve.
·
We
work closely with parents to help children reach their
potential throughout the year, teaching those skills, concepts and
values which will serve them well in future life.
·
Whenever
possible we provide first-hand experiences which make our curriculum purposeful
and relevant.
·
We encourage
children to form positive relationships with others and to work
cooperatively in groups, developing their social skills.
·
We encourage independence by
allowing children to make choices and drive much of their own learning in
a stimulating and nurturing environment where it is ok to make mistakes
along a learning journey.
·
We want our
children to feel part of our school community and our wider community and
to begin to understand their role in contributing to this.
Implementation:
In EYFS we support children to learn and develop by
teaching, encouraging and promoting all aspects of development across the seven
areas of learning. These are split into Prime areas and specific areas;
Prime Areas
Communication
and language
Physical
development
Personal, Social and
Emotional Development (PSED)
Specific areas
Literacy
Mathematics
Understanding
the world
Expressive arts
and design
As a school we
use these areas alongside children’s interest to ensure we celebrate each child’s uniqueness and individuals'
different learning styles, skills and abilities. We follow The
Early Years Foundation Stage which state
the characteristics of effective learning. These are: playing
and exploring, active learning, and creativity and critical thinking.
Playing and
exploring
We provide daily opportunities for children to
learn through play. Adults support children by holding high
quality discussions around children’s independent and shared thinking. When
learning through play children are given opportunities
to explore and develop learning experiences, which help them make sense of
the world. They learn how to control themselves and understand the need for
rules. They can think creatively alongside other children as
well as on their own, communicate with others as they
investigate, solve problems and learn.
Active
Learning
We have a balance of adult-initiated
and child-initiated activities. Phonics, maths,
reading and literacy lessons are adult-led, and opportunities are
followed up with a rich provision
of activities and resources for children to consolidate and
extend their learning through play. This encourages independence, control,
and most importantly, enjoyment: developing a love of
learning. We provide children with challenges to advance their
learning and encourage them to use the new skills and knowledge they
have been taught.
Creativity and
Critical Thinking
When children have opportunities to play with ideas
in different situations, and with a variety of resources, they discover
connections and come to better understandings and develop new ways of doing
things. Adults support this process and enhance their ability to
think critically and ask questions. Children are given time to test out
their ideas and discuss their discoveries with others, sharing
their understanding and knowledge. Children are observed
carefully by adults: learning and progress is tracked and next steps are
identified for all children. We plan a broad and balanced
curriculum which covers all 7 areas of learning, and have an
enriching and diverse learning environment including our indoor classroom,
outdoor provision and woodland area. We visit our woodland area regularly
throughout the year which allows children to learn about the
world through first-hand experiences beyond a classroom
environment.
Impact:
The impact of our curriculum is measured by assessment
procedures which allow us to measure outcomes against all schools nationally.
We measure the percentage of pupils achieving a ‘Good level of development’
(GLD) by the end of the Reception year. The impact of our curriculum will also
be measured by how effectively it helps our pupils develop into well-rounded
individuals who uphold strong positive values and carry the
knowledge, skills and attitudes which will make them lifelong learners and
valuable future citizens. The children are assessed through focus group
activities, phonics and observations through play. We strive for
pupils to have all six of our school’s core values embedded by the time they
leave Reception. These are: Respect, Ambition, Creativity, Determination,
Confidence and Enthusiasm. When children leave Reception, not only are they
ready for Year One, but they are well-rounded individuals with positive
attitudes towards learning and future life.
What does our EYFS year look like?
Reception: Each term, children will have a subject focus and
theme that correlates with the curriculum and phonics program (Read write Inc.)
Children will have 4 core lessons daily including; Phonics, Literacy,
mathematics and Wider curriculum. Between these lessons children will have the
opportunity to learn through play with child initiated and adult led
activities. These are implemented in both the indoor and outdoor learning
environments. Children will complete focus groups activities weekly to build on
new and previous knowledge.
Nursery: Each term the children will have a subject focus
and theme that correlates with the 3 main areas and checkpoints for 3-4 year
olds. These include; communication and language, physical development and
personal, social and emotional development. The children take part in small
group sessions early maths, early literacy and wider curriculum. The children
will focus on phase 1 environmental sounds leading into phonics in summer term
to prepare them for reception. Each child is assigned a key person who will
assess the children through observations in child initiated and adult led
activities in both the indoor and outdoor provision.