FREEHOLDCOMMUNITYSCHOOL

EARLY YEARS POLICY

Reviewed: September 2017

Date of Next Review: July 2020

Rationale;

In Early Years we believe that children should be inspired to feel a sense of awe and wonder in a safe environment. Teaching should be motivating and children should learn independence skills in an enabling environment and learning should be exciting. They should be challenged through questioning and have opportunities to ask their own questions and find out answers. Children should progress rapidly as individuals.

The DfE document Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage, 2012, sets out four overarching principles which should shape and guide early years practice.

  • Every child is a unique child, who is constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured.
  • Children learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships
  • Children learn and develop well in enabling environments, in which their experiences respond to their individual needs and there is a strong partnership between practitioners and parents and/or carers
  • Children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates. The framework covers the education and care of all children in the early years provision, including children with special educational needs and disabilities.

The learning and development requirements of the EYFS framework are informed by “the best available evidence on how children learn and reflect a broad range of skills, knowledge and attitudes children need as foundations for good future progress”.

These requirements include the seven areas of learning, the early learning goals and the assessment requirements. The seven areas include three Prime areas and four Specific areas. All areas are important and connected.

The Prime areas are crucial for supporting children’s enthusiasm and capacity for learning and their ability to form positive relationships and thrive. These are:

  • Communication and language
  • Physical development
  • Personal, Social and Emotional development

The four Specific areas both strengthen and apply the Prime areas. These are:

  • Literacy
  • Mathematics
  • Understanding the World
  • Expressive Arts and Design

To plan and guide children’s activities, practitioners must also reflect on the different ways that children learn and these learning characteristics include:

  • Playing and exploring – children investigate and experience and are willing to ‘have a go’
  • Active learning – children concentrate and persevere and enjoy their achievements
  • Creating and thinking critically – children have and develop ideas, make links and work out strategies to do things.

Aims;

  • To manage carefully the transition between home and the setting and between different settings
  • To ensure the quality of provision is appropriate to the different starting points from which children develop their learning
  • To provide an environment which is safe, secure and welcoming
  • To treat children as individuals and provide equality of opportunity
  • To promote a positive attitude towards school and learning and develop attention skills and persistence
  • To encourage independence and a sense of responsibility, to promote each child’s self confidence and self esteem
  • To provide purposeful and planned play opportunities for first hand experiences both indoors and outdoors
  • To provide opportunities for children to return to situations to consolidate learning through a balance of adult led and child initiated activities
  • To develop social skills that enable children to work alongside and with each other
  • To encourage and promote positive behaviour
  • To teach English and provide multi-lingual support through opportunities for children to communicate through gesture, action, expression and speech
  • To match observations and assessments to the expectations of the early learning goals for each child
  • To develop an effective working partnership with parents and carers and staff

Guidelines;

  • To establish admission procedures, such as; home visits, visits to the setting and parents meetings to introduce new children and their parents to the school
  • To develop and implement a scheme of work for the foundation stage which underpins the seven areas of learning
  • To provide a stimulating, well-planned and well organised learning environment
  • To plan an environment free from stereotypical images and discriminatory practice
  • To provide resources that stimulate children and encourage them to initiate their own learning
  • To observe children regularly to be aware of how they learn most effectivelyand identify the range of needs and learning styles they exhibit and what their interests are
  • To monitor, evaluate and review children’s progress by integrating observation and assessment into daily classroom practice
  • To plan activities which are informed by observations and assessment which may be adult-led or child initiated, with appropriate intervention by adults
  • To allow time for sustained concentration and to repeat activities frequently to be re-visited by the children
  • To encourage, praise and celebrate each child’s achievements and develop positive self-talk
  • To establish clear boundaries and strategies to manage and achieve the expected behaviour
  • To model good use of English
  • To provide a range of opportunities for children to engage in speaking and listening skills in English with peers and adults
  • To develop effective strategies to meet learning needs and implement individual education plans as necessary
  • To provide opportunities for parents and carers to become involved and informed about their children’s progress and achievements in school and to share information with staff
  • For staff from nursery, reception and year 1to liaise closely with each other

Assessment, recording and reporting

Early years experience should build on what children already know and can do and adults must be able to observe and respond effectively.

Assessment is carried out to;

  • celebrate children’s success
  • provide appropriate experiences for them
  • observe children in different situations
  • see what motivates and interests them
  • see where best they learn and how they learn-learning styles
  • ensure all children are making progress
  • get a broad picture of each child
  • inform planning
  • watch how the child relates to children and adults
  • see how they apply their knowledge and understanding
  • share with parents and others

This information enables the staff to extend the children’s learning and experience and develop a relationship between home and school. Assessment in the foundation stage is an on-going process which recognises the developing nature of the individual young child.

Observations

Individual observations are arranged in the weekly timetable and incidentally so that adults can observe individual children in a range of situations and share their information to give as much of the above information as possible. These observations are based on firm evidence and are used to inform future planning. They are cross-referenced to their individual records, showing their achievement in the early learning goals which are up-dated each term. Adults collect evidence in a variety of ways including photographs, video, annotated work, written observations and the majority of these are carried out using an i-pad which stores evidence and can be downloaded to software called Tapestry, which organises this evidence into individual files for each child. This evidence is protected in line with our Safeguarding policy.

Class records and Individual records

The children’s achievements and progress are recorded throughout the week and this informs future planning and their individual records.Each child has their own Learning diary which shows concepts and skills achieved and established working towards the early learning goals. These are up-dated each term and shared with the parents and their child during parents meetings throughout the year.

Reporting to parents and carers

The children’s Learning journey and the EYFS Profile are shared with parents and carers at parents meetings throughout the year or on parent’s request. At the end of the reception year the EYFS Profile is given to parents and carers as a summative account of their progress throughout the early years foundation stage and their achievement in the early learning goals. This information is also shared with the year 1 teacher to support transition into key stage 1. Parents are made aware of their child’s key worker and encouraged to discuss their child at any time with the key worker or class teacher at a suitable time for both parents and staff. Parents are invited to workshops throughout the year to inform and support the learning process of the children. The school website will also be available to inform and support parents.

Accountability

The majority of children are expected to be working within the early learning goals by the end of the reception year. This is the expected progress. By the end of this stage some children may have made more progress and this has exceeded average progress whilst others will be working towards some or all of the goals and this is emerging progress. The early learning goals are used to assess some children as they move into and through Year 1 in order to support a smooth transition and monitor progress effectively.

Resources

Staff will be utilised for their skills and the resources available to best effect. Plans will identify resourcesin advance, where possible, so that the curriculum requirements are fulfilled. Resources will be checked to ensure they are suitable and of good quality and that they reflect the cultural background of the children and our multi-cultural society. ICT will be used in meaningful contexts to support and facilitate learning and teaching. Resources will be attractively displayed to motivate and stimulate children and to promote independence, social skills, questioning and creative thinking (in line with the Display policy)

Welfare

The welfare arrangements described in the EYFS are covered in the following policies and procedures of FreeholdCommunitySchool:

  • Child Protection
  • Health & Safety
  • AEN, Gifted and Talented
  • Equal opportunities and inclusion
  • WholeSchool Food Policy
  • Administration of medicines policy
  • Behaviour policy
  • RASA guidance and policy
  • Learning & teaching
  • Data Protection