Early Years Foundation Stage

 

Statement

Intent, Implementation and Impact

At Stanhope Primary we aim to provide the highest quality care and education for all our children, giving them a strong foundation for their future learning.

Each child is a unique individual and ‘every child deserves the best possible start in life and the support that enables them to fulfil their potential’.  (EYFS Statutory Framework).

We actively safeguard and promote the welfare of all of our children. We recognise that children will learn most effectively when they are healthy, safe and secure, when their individual needs are met and when they have positive relationships with the adults who care for them.

We aim to provide a setting that encompasses a safe and stimulating environment where children are able to enjoy learning and grow in confidence that helps them to achieve their fullest potential.

We strive to create a safe and happy environment with motivating and enjoyable learning experiences that enable children to become confident learners. The EYFS curriculum is designed to encourage inquisitive, independent and happy learners.

We have an exciting and challenging curriculum based on our observation of children’s needs, interests, and stages of development across the seven areas of learning to enable each child to achieve a good level of development at the end of the foundation stage. We want our young children to be confident in their choices and decisions, purposeful in their play, and willing and able communicators.

We aim to develop and foster positive attitudes towards learning. We value the benefits of rich, meaningful first-hand experiences in which children explore, think creatively and are active participants in their own learning. We aim to provide children with the skills and attitude they need to succeed throughout their education in preparation for adulthood.

 

Intent

At Stanhope Primary School, it is our intent that all pupils, regardless of background

and ability, have access to a broad and balanced Early Years curriculum in which they can thrive.

It is our intent that children:

• Learn through a balance of a child initiated and adult directed activities and challenges
• Have a consistent daily routine that enables them to feel safe and secure
• Access their learning through a plan do review approach, taking ownership of their learning
• Are engaged in active learning as we know that all children work at their highest level when engaged in purposeful active learning.
• Are supported in their play by knowledgeable early years practitioners who can scaffold, support model and challenge
• Are observed by knowledgeable staff who can plan in the moment next steps in children’s learning
• Develop a life-long love of reading.
• Develop a strong grounding in number
• Have opportunities throughout the daily routine, to explore practically the British values of Mutual respect, Mutual tolerance, Rule of Law, Individual liberty and Democracy.

 

Implementation 

At Stanhope Primary School, the Early Years Curriculum is implemented in the following ways:

• Each day children plan for their self-initiated work-time. Children think about and plan for how they will spend their time. Planning time provides vital opportunities for speaking and listening, with children communicating and sharing their thoughts and ideas. Developing confidence as a speaker, sequencing and clarifying thoughts and ideas are just some of the opportunities provided by planning time.
• During work time children are actively involved with materials they have chosen to work with. Active learning involves children having direct and immediate experience of objects and materials, the time and space to manipulate and reflect upon resources, as well as the control as to how to use them. Intrinsic motivation within a language rich and supportive environment enables children to work at their highest level.
• Children share and discuss what they have done during recall or review time. Adults listen carefully and converse with children. Recalling helps children reflect upon their actions, sequence events and discuss problems that arose during work time.
• A free flow enabling environment both indoors and outdoors
• Forest School site which is accessed on a weekly basis.
• Children access their learning in large whole class activities, small group activities, and at times 1:1 with an early year’s practitioner.
• Children learn through a balance of child initiated and adult focused activities and challenges
• Launchpad for Literacy a systematic, skill-based approach creating firm foundations and a broad base of readiness.
• Throughout the day we take every opportunity to develop the personal, social and emotional development of all children. This includes children taking care of their own needs (putting on their own coats, personal hygiene) and respecting the needs of others.
• Children are taught to read and write through Read Write Inc. phonics, a whole school approach to teaching literacy for children that creates fluent readers, confident speakers and willing writers.
• Children are taught through the White Rose Maths Scheme while also accessing frequent and varied opportunities to build and apply mathematical knowledge and understanding through our enabling environment.
• Recognising and valuing parents as the child’s first educator, working in partnership with parents.
• Early identification of children who may need additional support in their learning
• Working in partnership with a range of professionals who provide advice and support both to school and families.
• Our inclusive approach means that all children learn together but we have a range of additional interventions and support to enhance and scaffold children who may not be reaching their potential or moving on children who are doing very well. This includes intervention programmes such as BLAST and Colourful Semantics.
• Each child in reception accesses a literacy booster session 3 times a week in addition to whole class phonics and small adult focused activities.

 

Impact 

At Stanhope Primary School we strive to provide children with the skills and attitude they need to succeed throughout their education, to reach their full potential. We determine and monitor children’s progress across the Foundation Stage in the following ways:

• Prior to children starting, staff spend time speaking to the child’s parents on home visits and/ or previous settings and to gain an understanding of the whole child and where they are at.
• During the first half term in Nursery or Reception, all staff use ongoing assessments, observations and conversations with the child to develop a baseline assessment. This identifies each individual’s starting points in all areas so we can plan experiences to ensure progress.
• The RBA (Statutory Reception Baseline Assessment) This assessment focuses on ‘Language, Communication and Literacy,’ and ‘Mathematics.’ The purpose of this is to show the progress children make from Reception until the end of KS2.
• All ongoing observations are used to inform weekly planning and identify children’s next steps. Practitioners draw on their knowledge of the child and their own expert professional judgements through discussions with other practitioners, photographs and physical examples such as a child’s drawing / making.
• Floor books are used in nursery and reception for evidence of collaborative learning.
• Individual learning is recorded in Learning Journey books in nursery while more formal Literacy and Numeracy books are used in reception to evidence and record children’s learning.
• Portrait books begin in nursery and continue throughout school
• Daily team reflection meetings ensure that our enabling environment is relative and responsive to the needs and interests observed in the setting. Team notes are recorded and actioned.
• Children’s attitudes and engagement, their well- being and involvement are monitored through our reflection time.
• Phonic assessments are carried out every half term to quickly identify pupils that are not making expected progress. Our aim is for children to ‘keep up’ rather than ‘catch up’ where possible.
• Assessments are completed three times per year and shared with parents, whereby the Class Teacher updates the progress children have made. All staff in the Foundation Stage assess using the new Statutory framework for the EYFS and the non- statutory curriculum guidance – Development Matters
• Termly pupil progress meetings using the termly data are carried out to identify pupils who are not making expected progress followed by a 3 step impact plan.
•  In Summer Term 2, the EYFSP is completed where teachers judge whether the child has met each of the 17 ELG’s. They will be assessed as either ‘emerging’ or ‘expected.’
• Impact is also evident through our successful transitions into Year 1.