TEMPLENEWSAM HALTON PRIMARY SCHOOL
POLICY FOR THE FOUNDATION STAGE
The Early Years Foundation Stage
The Foundation Stage provides education for children between the ages of three and five and spans the Nursery and Reception year groups. Children may join the Foundation Stage at any time during this period. Many of the children in our setting join our 78 place Nursery during the school year after they turn three, depending on the timing of their third birthday. Some children join us later, in our 60 place Reception Cohort at the start of the year in which they will turn five – although compulsory schooling begins at the start of the term after a child’s fifth birthday. These children often come from a variety of nursery and childminding settings, although some may have not have attended any other setting.
The Foundation Stage is instrumental in providing a sound foundation for future learning and supporting children on their journey to ‘school readiness’. It is a period of rapid growth and development, during which children discover a great deal about the world and themselves. The early experiences provided in EYFS are critical in developing concepts, skills and attitudes as well as nurturing social, intellectual and physical well being - thereby helping to equip children with the positive attitudes and habits of learning needed to embark on future education and life ahead. These skills and attitudes are greatly influenced by their environment and positive adult relationships at home and at school.
The Early Learning Goals set out what is expected of most children by the end of the Foundation Stage and children’s progress towards these goals are closely monitored throughout their time in EYFS. Where children are at risk of falling behind their peers, appropriate action and intervention is swiftly put in place.
Our Philosophy
We start from the assumption that children are active and independent learners. Each child is an individual and brings to the setting diverse experiences arising from a unique combination of family backgrounds. He/she has already learned a great deal and may well have already attended other settings. We strive to ensure that each child knows that he/she is seen as an individual and that each other’s values are understood, respected and reflected in the setting. We actively promote and teach ‘growth mindset’ skills, enabling our children to be confident, resilient learners who take ownership of their learning and actively seek challenge.
From this basis every child can maintain and develop a confident and positive self-image, which is the foundation of a happy and successful life.
The Early Years education that we offer to our children is based on the following principles:
Ø It is an exciting, stimulating and nurturing environment which ensures children want to come to school each day and are keen and ready to learn.
Ø It builds on what our children already know and can do.
Ø It recognises the important role as parents as first educators and the vital need to develop partnership and trust between home and school.
Ø It ensures that all children are involved and make good progress.
Ø It offers a structure for learning that has a range of starting points, content that matches the needs of young children and activity that provides opportunities for learning both outdoors and indoors.
Ø It strives to provide a rich, stimulating environment of high quality where learning takes place within a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum.
Ø It provides well-planned play as this is a key way in which children learn with enjoyment and challenge as well as opportunities for engaging in carefully planned adult directed activities.
Ø It recognises the adults in the setting as the most important resource and uses their observation, assessment and interaction to help the children to make brilliant progress.
Ø It monitors and evaluates its practice constantly.
The Aims of the Foundation Stage
We use the EYFS Statutory Framework alongside the Development Matters document in order to provide a safe, nurturing and stimulating learning environment which is underpinned by the Characteristics of Effective Learning.
We aim to:
Ø Enable each child to reach his/her full physical, emotional, social and intellectual potential and where possible to attain or exceed the Early Learning Goals by the end of the Reception year.
Ø Work in partnership with parents – practitioners and parents are very much a team which passionately care about of the wellbeing and development of each child.
Ø Track the progress of each child at regular intervals in order to ensure that all children make good or better progress.
Ø Where necessary, provide early intervention strategies and if required, contact other agencies for referrals or further support to ensure children receive individualised support for their needs.
Ø Provide a curriculum that supports, fosters, promotes and develops children’s - personal, social and emotional well-being
- positive attitudes and disposition towards their learning
- social skills
- attention skills, resilience and persistence
- language and communication
- reading and writing
- mathematics
- knowledge and understanding of the world
- physical development
- creative development
Ø Provide equal opportunities for all children regardless of ethnic or social background, language, gender or special needs.
Ø Celebrate and share children’s achievements.
Ø Create a learning environment in which it is safe to fail.
Ø To meet all the Learning and Development requirements outlined in the EYFS statutory framework.
Ø To meet all safeguarding and welfare requirements outlined in the EYFS statutory framework.
Teaching and Learning Strategies
We employ a variety of teaching and learning strategies. These are flexible and adaptable to meet the individual needs and the nature of young children. We recognise the central role of play in young children’s learning and the importance of communication.
Strategies include:
Ø A planned environment that encourages children to be self-initiating and self-terminating in their activities and explore ideas and interests in depth.
Ø Working in partnership with parents so that children can feel secure and develop a sense of well-being. This includes an initial home visit, informal ‘chats’ and formal parent consultations, sending out questionnaires, weekly newsletters with information about our current learning and providing a range of open events and workshops.
Ø Observation of children to inform future planning and identify learning needs. We record these in Orbit, an electronic web-based ‘learning journey’. This gives parents immediate access to view their child’s progress, observations and next steps. It also enables split families equal access to their child’s learning journey. Parents can also contribute to their child’s learning journey at any time using the ‘postcard’ feature. This gives practitioners and insight into children’s home life, learning and experiences outside of our setting which gives us a holistic view of the child. We use this knowledge in our assessment and planning in order to provide experiences appropriate to the needs and interests of individuals.
Ø A range of approaches that provide first-hand experiences, give clear explanations, make appropriate interventions and extend and develop play and talk or other means of communication These include supporting child initiated individual and small group activities, focused adult planned activities and whole class approaches where appropriate. We also recognise children require independence from an adult in their play and are sensitive as to when and how adults intervene.
Ø A firm understanding by all of the staff of how young children learn.
Ø Promotion of peer collaboration and assessment.
Ø An emphasis on children learning through movement and using all of their senses.
Ø A carefully planned curriculum that ensures progression and helps children to achieve the Early Learning Goals by the end of the Foundation Stage.
Ø Provision for children to take part in activities that build on and extend their interests and develop their intellectual, physical, social and emotional abilities.
Ø Encouragement for children to communicate and talk about their learning and to develop independence and self-management.
Ø Support for learning with appropriate and accessible indoor and outdoor space, facilities and equipment.
Ø Establish and maintain good relationships between the upper Key Stages in school, the home and previous/ongoing settings.
Ø Maintain clear action plans and regular monitoring to evaluate and improve what we do.
Ø Regular identification of the training needs of all of the adults working within the Foundation Stage and attempting to meet these needs fairly.
Ø Use of Growing Green, Brilliant Blue and the Learning Line in order to support children in identifying their own successes, areas for development and how to reach their next step.
Ø Daily planning as a group to discuss the activities on offer and discuss children’s own ideas. In Nursery the visual ‘Planning Board’ is used and in Reception ‘Plan, Do, Review’ sessions are used.
Ø Small family ‘key groups’ are used throughout the EYFS in order to provide children with a secure, familiar support group and base from which to explore and develop confidence.
The balance between some of these strategies will change throughout the Foundation Stage.
Play in the Foundation Stage
Through play, our children explore and develop learning experiences, which help them to make sense of the world. They practise and build up ideas and learn how to control themselves and understand the need for rules. They have the opportunity to think creatively alongside other children as well as on their own. They communicate with others as they investigate and solve problems. They express fears or re-live anxious experiences in controlled and safe situations. When playing, children are encouraged to make their own selection of the activities on offer, as we believe that this encourages independent learning.
Special Educational Needs
The early identification of children’s special educational needs is essential to avoid falling behind in the early stages of development. EYFS ensures strong liaison with the SEN co-ordinator in school in order to:
Ø Monitor pupil progress.
Ø Gather evidence for referrals and funding.
Ø Contact outside agencies for advice and support.
Ø Plan and implement IEP/IBP’s/EHCP’s
Ø Conduct ISAR meetings with practitioners and parents.
Ø Develop strategies to encourage and support all children.
Ø Recruit specialist practitioners to support the needs of groups and/or individuals.
Ø Evaluate impact of SEN support and plan ahead to best meet the needs of children with SEN.
Ø Conduct speech and language screening for each child upon entry to EYFS.
Inclusion in the Foundation Stage
Our school values each child as an individual, recognising their own interests, personalities and strength. We set realistic and challenging expectations that meet their needs, so that most children achieve the Early Learning Goals and/or make rapid progress by the end of the Key Stage and are ready for Year One with some children progress beyond this point. We plan very carefully using assessment and the interests of the children in order to meet the needs of boys, girls, special educational needs, children operating beyond their age related expectation, children with disabilities, different ethnic backgrounds, summer born children and looked after children. The social and cultural backgrounds of all the children are also considered.
We meet their needs through:
Ø Planning opportunities that build upon and extend children’s knowledge, experience and interest and develop their self-esteem and confidence.
Ø Using a range of teaching strategies based on children’s learning needs.
Ø Providing a range of opportunities to motivate and support children and help them to learn effectively.
Ø Providing a safe and supportive learning environment in which everyone’s contribution is valued.
Ø Using resources which reflect diversity and are free from discrimination and stereotyping. Materials and equipment are selected to reflect the community the children come from as well as the wider world. Good quality resources are selected to meet the developmental needs of the children and to be as open-ended as possible. They are selected to develop all areas of learning. These resources are available to all and stored in clearly marked baskets or on open shelving to allow easy access to all children.
Ø Planning challenging activities for children whose ability and understanding are in advance of their language and communication skills.
Ø Monitoring children’s progress and taking action to provide support as necessary i.e. speech therapy.
The Foundation Stage Curriculum
The curriculum is built upon the Characteristics of Effective Learning and reflects the Learning and Development Requirements identified in the EYFS Statutory Framework, Development Matters and the Early Learning Goals.
The experiences, environment and activities we provide enable our children to develop a wide range of competencies, skills and concepts across the 7 areas (17 strands) of learning.
Ø Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Ø Physical Development
Ø Communication and Language
Ø Literacy
Ø Mathematics
Ø Understanding the World
Ø Expressive Arts and Design
Skills in Phonics, literacy and numeracy are carefully built upon throughout the Key Stage, progressing from informal, organic teaching on entry to Nursery, building up to short daily key worker led focussed activities throughout the Nursery year then into more formal large group and whole class teaching in Reception, finally building up to more formal lessons in order to prepare children for the transition to Year One.
Planning in the Foundation Stage
Planning identifies what children will learn across the seven areas of learning and is underpinned by the three Characteristics of Effective Learning:
• playing and exploring - children investigate and experience things, and ‘have a go’
• active learning - children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties and enjoy achievements
• creating and thinking critically - children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things.
Ø Long term planning for continuous areas of provision shows continuity and progression throughout the Foundation Stage.
Ø Enhancements to provision are identified on Medium and Weekly plans.
Ø Yearly overviews identify the progression of taught skills and over arching themes across the Key Stage. This ensures continuity and progress.