Priorslee Primary Academy
Foundation Stage Policy
1.0Introduction
1.1This policy document replaces any earlier references to the general aims and objectives for the Foundation Stage.
1.2This statement of policy will remain in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage, paying attention in particular to the 4 principles of the EYFS.
1.3This statement of policy relates to the education of children of four and five years old who are in reception classes. It recognises the importance of having a specific curriculum matched to the needs of young children.
2.0Document References
2.1 "Tell me and I forget. Show me and I remember. Involve me and I understand."(Chinese proverb)
2.2 “In order to make a good start in reading and writing, your child needs you to talk and listen to them. This helps them hear how language is put together into sentences and prepares them to become readers and writers.”
(Direct Gov advice for parents Oct 2011)
2.3“Children’s progress will be at different rates and individual achievement will vary. However, all children should be able to follow a curriculum which enables them to make maximum progress towards the Early Learning Goals.”
(HMI – ‘The Education of Children Under Five’)
3.0Purpose of this Policy
To ensure that all staff are aware of the specific needs and entitlements of four and five year olds in reception classes.
To establish our aims for the early years children.
To establish a common foundation curriculum for our reception classes which will address their needs and enable them to achieve age related expectations or above after two/three terms.
4.0Our Aims
Our aims are that each reception child will: -
4.1Be happy and feel positive about school.
4.2Feel safe and secure in their new environment.
4.3Fit in well with his/her peers and be a co-operative member of the class.
4.4Make friends and develop confidence in relating to new children and adults.
4.5Be polite, kind and considerate towards others.
4.6Become more independent and self confident about tackling new skills and activities.
4.7Develop their vocabulary and communication skills, feel confident to express theirideas and know that their ideas will be valued.
4.8Develop good attention skills and the ability to concentrate on tasks.
4.9Achieve their best in all areas of the curriculum and are proud of their achievements.
5.0Principles
We recognise that four year olds have specific needs. They need: -
5.1Teachers who are nursery/infant trained with a sound knowledge of child development and early years’ experience. Our early year’s teachers are encouraged to attend relevant training provided by the local authorityand other independent providers and they are led by an experienced co-ordinator who keeps up to date on current issues through attending meetings/early years conferences.
5.2To be in a class with a good ratio of adults to pupils. Both of our reception classes have support each day from classroom assistants and teachers make effective use of voluntary help to supplement this.
5.3Access to outside safe play areas. Our reception rooms have direct access on to a safe play area. The outside area is planned into the curriculum for daily use whatever the weather. It is securely fenced off and includes large apparatus for imaginative and physical play as well as availability of smaller equipment such as bikes, scooters, wheelies etc.
5.4Easy access to washing and toilet facilities. Four year olds need ready access to their own facilities with few restrictions on use.
5.5Classrooms organised to make effective use of the room even when the space is limited. Provision of appropriate areas is more important than provision of a chair and table for every child. Children must have room to move around between activities and have room and opportunities for active play. The classroom environment should be stimulating and well organised with all resources clearly labelled and accessible. The classroom atmosphere should be quiet, comfortable and relaxed.
5.6Well resourced classrooms with construction equipment, puzzles, games, books, CDS and headphone sets, role-play areas, collections of interesting objects to observe and handle (e.g. shells, fir cones, fruits, and textiles), a computersuite and plenty of expendable materials such as paper, paint, plasticine, play doh, crayons etc.
5.7Time to adapt to their new environment, to settle in and to learn new social skills. Our gradual introduction to a full day helps the children to settle in and the Personal, Social and Emotional area of the curriculum focuses on these needs. Once settled children also need time to become engrossed, work in depth and complete activities.
5.8 Opportunities to explore, investigate, manipulate, create, imagine, talk, listen,
practise and master new skills. We try to ensure that our early years provides
such opportunities.
6.0Reception Curriculum
6.1Our reception curriculum recognises the above principles and aims to incorporate them as far as is practically possible, allowing for the constraints of physical and human resources. The curriculum is based on the seven broad areas of learning set out in the EYFS. The seven areas are: -
- Personal, Social & Emotional Development
- Communication and Language
- Literacy
- Maths
- Understanding the World
- Expressive Arts and Design
- Physical Development
A good reception curriculum should: -
6.1.1Employ teaching methodology and classroom organisation, which recognise the needs of four and five year old children.
6.1.2Establish a social context in which children share their learning and co-operate with one another and with other adults and are open to other people’s point of view.
6.1.3Recognise the child’s previous learning experience and the scaffolding of new learning based on that previously learnt and move the children on.
6.1.4Provide access to new learning through appropriate adult support, planned activities, self initiated activities, practical resources and effective use of both indoor and outdoor space.
6.1.5Provide interesting, varied, active and first-hand experiences, which motivate the child to learn and ensure adequate time is allowed for discussion, reflection and practice of newly acquired skills.
6.1.6Offer a broad and balanced range of opportunities to foster creativity, self-expression, purposeful play and a spirit of enquiry, which allows the children to represent their understandings of what has been experienced.
6.1.7Provide for children to make choices and decisions as part of helping them to be in control of their learning.
6.2The ‘Early Learning Goals’ are precursors to the Key Stage 1 National Curriculum.
The reception teachers plan as a year group to ensure consistency and equal opportunities for all pupils. Full details of the reception curriculum can be found in the document EYFS from which the school’s medium term plans are developed.
7.0Admissions Procedure
7.1Priorslee Primary aims to develop a socially inclusive community and to this end the school promotes access for all children including those with a disability or special need.
7.2The current admissions policy provides for one intake.
8.0Induction Programme
8.1The children make a pre-entry visit to the school during the last part of the preceding term. The visit is without their parents/guardians and is their first experience of interacting with their peers and teacher and allows them to begin to establish a class identity. Parents are positively encouraged to settle their child into activities before leaving.
8.2The parents/guardians are invited to a talk prior to their children starting school. The Principal and Early Years Coordinator lead these meetings. Parents/guardians are informed about the procedures for the start of their child’s first term in school. They are given specific information about the reception curriculum as well as general information that will assist their child’s smooth entry into school. A school prospectus is also given to parents plus a detailed guide to the school website.
8.3The children have a gradual introduction to a full school day as follows:
- On the first day children start school at 8.50am, they are collected by their parents/guardians from the classroom at 11.45am.
- The new entrants attend school for mornings only for the remainder of that first full week.
- During the second full week the children stay for whole days. School is flexible and children may attend for half days this week as well.
9.0Assessment
9.1During their first few weeks in school, teachers carry out an on entry assessment based on the early year’s foundation stage curriculum.
9.2Observations of the children inform staff of the children’s progress against the early learning goals and assist with future planning. These observations are kept as an ongoing record of each child’s progress.
11.0Access and Entitlement
Reception pupils should be offered equal access and opportunity irrespective of gender, ethnic group, ability or disability, religion or creed.
12.0Special Needs
12.1The reception class teachers will follow the procedures set out in the school’s Special Educational Needs Policy when identifying children with special needs. Early identification and assessment of children’s special needs is vital.
12.2For children with learning difficulties, or a sensory or physical impairment, the need for a positive and supportive introduction to school is very important. Such children need to experience success at an early stage. Liaising with the child’s parents/guardians and professionals who have supported them before they start school should ensure appropriate support for them on entry to school.
12.3Opportunities should be made for able children who achieve all the Early Learning Goals early to move on to Level 1 work of the National Curriculum.
13.0Partnerships
13.1The school provides daily opportunities for direct contact between parents/guardians and teachers. This ensures that any problems or concerns of the child, teacher or parent/guardian can be dealt with promptly and facilitate the child’s successful start to school life.
13.2It is important for parents/guardians to feel involved in their child’s education and to recognise their role as partners in this process. The school’s ‘Home/School Contract’, which explains this partnership, will be issued to the parents/guardians of all new reception children.
13.3The relationships established between local pre-school providers will be fostered and expanded as these groups can offer valuable information on the new pupils entering school.
13.4The school welcomes the support offered through established links with professional services provided through the local authority and through the health service.
13.5Links with the reception staff of other local schools are also valuable and will be
encouraged as a means of moderating assessments and evaluating achievements.
14.0 Safeguarding
At Priorslee Academy the health, safety and well-being is of our prime concern.
We teach our children to be safe in every situation and the rules and boundaries are reiterated on a daily basis. In the classroom and outdoor area children learn to make safe choices in their work and play.
All staff has child protection training, they know who the designated safeguarding leads are and will refer to these people as appropriate. Staff regularly have first aid training and we have paediatric trained first aid staff in EYFS. Staff conduct risk assessments daily both inside and in the outdoor area. If and when an accident does occur, procedures are followed to ensure that children are well looked after, their injuries or ailments are treated and their parents are informed, in writing or by telephone call as necessary. All accidents are recorded and the accident book is reviewed to identify any recurring problems.
15.0 Homework
15.1 Children are given homework from the first week in reception, they are given a reading book to take home and read with their parents/ carers. Children should aim to read at home on a daily basis. Books are changed twice a week.
15.2 As the children become more independent they will be given key words to take home and learn, these are checked each week and replaced as the child learns them. Spelling books are given later in the year. Homework relating to the 7 areas of learning is given throughout the year; where possible this is practical homework.
16.0Further Reading
- Early Years Foundation Stage Framework 2012 (statutory)
- Early Years Outcomes (2013)
- Early Years Foundation Stage: Assessment and Reporting Arrangements 2014
- Early Years Foundation Stage Profile: Handbook 2014