EYFS

Early Years Foundation Stage

Welcome to Explorers

At Ashchurch Primary School, we want every child to have the very best possible start to their school journey.

Our Reception children are part of Explorers Class, where we provide a happy, nurturing and stimulating environment in which children feel safe, valued and excited to learn.

We recognise that starting school is a significant milestone. We work closely with families and our local pre-school and nursery settings to ensure that each child has a positive and successful transition into Reception.

Children arrive at school with different experiences, interests, strengths and starting points. We take time to get to know every child as an individual and build upon what they already know and can do, while nurturing their curiosity, independence and love of learning.

Our Curriculum Intent

Our ambition is for children to leave Reception as happy, confident, curious and increasingly independent learners who are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

Our Early Years curriculum provides children with the knowledge, skills, vocabulary and experiences they need to succeed. We place particular importance on developing children's communication and language, personal and social development, physical development and early literacy and mathematical understanding.

We want our children to:

• develop confidence, independence and resilience;

• communicate their ideas, needs and feelings effectively;

• develop a rich and growing vocabulary;

• form positive relationships with children and adults;

• develop a love of stories, books and reading;

• become confident early readers, writers and mathematicians;

• explore, investigate, question and solve problems;

• develop their creativity and imagination;

• learn about themselves, their community and the wider world;

• develop positive attitudes and behaviours for learning.

Above all, we want children to enjoy learning and see themselves as successful learners.

How We Learn in Explorers

We believe that play is fundamental to children's learning and development.

Children learn best when they are actively involved, interested and able to make connections between their experiences. Our curriculum therefore combines carefully planned adult-led teaching with rich opportunities for children to explore, investigate and develop their own learning through play.

Our indoor and outdoor environments are carefully organised so that children can independently access a range of purposeful learning opportunities. Continuous provision enables children to revisit and practise what they have been taught, develop their own ideas and apply their knowledge in different situations.

Adults play an important role within this provision. Through high-quality interactions, adults model language, introduce new vocabulary, ask questions, encourage children to explain their thinking and help them to take their learning further.

We continually adapt our provision in response to children's needs, interests and the learning we want them to develop.

Characteristics of Effective Teaching and Learning

The Characteristics of Effective Teaching and Learning are woven throughout our provision and describe the ways in which children engage with their learning.

Playing and Exploring

Children investigate and experience things and are encouraged to 'have a go'. They explore new experiences, make choices and develop confidence in approaching unfamiliar situations.

Active Learning

Children develop concentration and perseverance. They learn to keep trying when something is difficult and experience the satisfaction of achieving something they have worked hard to accomplish.

Creating and Thinking Critically

Children develop their own ideas, make links between their experiences and begin to develop strategies for solving problems. They are encouraged to think, predict, test ideas and find different ways of doing things.

These characteristics help children to become effective, motivated learners and provide foundations that will support them throughout their time at Ashchurch and beyond.

The Seven Areas of Learning

Our curriculum encompasses the seven areas of learning and development within the Early Years Foundation Stage.

The three Prime Areas are:

• Communication and Language

• Personal, Social and Emotional Development

• Physical Development

The four Specific Areas are:

• Literacy

• Mathematics

• Understanding the World

• Expressive Arts and Design

Although described separately, these areas are closely connected. A single experience may involve children developing their language, mathematical thinking, physical skills, creativity and understanding of the world at the same time.

Communication and Language

Communication and language underpin everything that children do.

We provide a language-rich environment in which children are encouraged to talk, listen, question, explain and share their ideas. Adults model high-quality language and introduce children to new vocabulary through stories, conversations, play and our wider curriculum.

Children experience a wide range of stories, rhymes, songs and non-fiction texts and have frequent opportunities to talk with both adults and their peers.

We recognise that children enter Reception with different levels of language and communication development. Our provision is responsive to individual starting points, with additional support provided where children need it.

Reading, Writing and Phonics

Developing a love of reading is central to our curriculum.

Children are surrounded by high-quality books and stories and enjoy regular opportunities to listen to, talk about and engage with texts. We want children to see themselves as readers and to develop a lifelong enjoyment of books.

Our English curriculum is supported by Literacy Tree, using high-quality children's literature to inspire learning and provide meaningful opportunities for speaking, reading and writing.

Children receive systematic phonics teaching using Twinkl Phonics. Through regular, structured teaching, children develop their understanding of sounds and letters and learn the skills they need to begin reading and writing independently.

Writing develops through phonics, storytelling, mark-making and purposeful opportunities to write throughout our provision. Children also develop the fine motor strength and control needed for handwriting through a wide range of practical activities.

Mathematics

We want our children to develop a secure understanding of number alongside a genuine enjoyment of mathematics.

Our mathematics teaching is supported by White Rose Maths and provides children with opportunities to explore mathematical concepts practically before developing increasingly secure understanding.

Children develop their knowledge of number, numerical patterns, shape, space and measure through direct teaching, games, practical activities and opportunities within continuous provision.

Mathematical language is an important part of our teaching. Children are encouraged to explain what they notice, compare, reason, identify patterns and solve problems.

Understanding the World

Reception marks the beginning of children's journey through the wider Ashchurch curriculum.

Our wider curriculum is shaped by Learning Means the World from Dimensions Curriculum, providing children with rich experiences and opportunities to develop their knowledge and understanding of the world around them.

Through carefully planned themes, experiences, stories, visitors, exploration and discussion, children learn about people, communities, the natural world and the past.

Children are encouraged to be curious: to notice, question, investigate and talk about what they discover.

The foundations established in Reception prepare children for the subjects they will encounter more formally as they move through school, including science, history, geography, computing and religious education.

Expressive Arts and Design

Children have frequent opportunities to explore their creativity and imagination.

Through art, music, movement, construction, role play and imaginative experiences, children learn to express their ideas in different ways.

Our provision allows children to experiment with materials and techniques, develop their own ideas and revisit and improve their creations. Children are encouraged to be imaginative, make choices and take pride in what they produce.

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

Children's wellbeing is at the heart of our Early Years provision.

We help children to develop positive relationships, understand and express their emotions and become increasingly independent in managing themselves and their belongings.

Children learn to cooperate, take turns, resolve difficulties and understand how their actions affect others. They are supported to develop confidence and resilience and to recognise that making mistakes and encountering difficulties are an important part of learning.

We want every child to feel that they belong at Ashchurch.

Physical Development

Children need regular opportunities to move, explore and develop their physical confidence.

Our children experience a wide range of activities that develop both their gross and fine motor skills. They have regular access to outdoor learning and opportunities to develop balance, coordination, strength and spatial awareness.

Fine motor activities develop the strength and control children need for tasks including drawing, cutting and handwriting.

Children also learn about looking after themselves and making healthy choices.

Learning Indoors and Outdoors

Our outdoor environment is an important extension of our classroom and children have regular opportunities to learn outside.

Outdoor learning provides different opportunities for children to investigate, build, create, move, collaborate and take appropriate risks. Children can explore concepts on a larger scale and develop physical skills that cannot always be replicated indoors.

We recognise that some children learn particularly effectively outdoors and ensure that both environments provide meaningful and purposeful opportunities for learning.

Assessment – Knowing Our Children Well

Assessment in Early Years is about knowing our children well and understanding what they know, can do and need to learn next.

When children begin Reception, we spend time getting to know them, building on information from families and previous settings and finding out about their individual starting points. The statutory Reception Baseline Assessment is also completed during children's first weeks in Reception.

Assessment then forms a natural part of everyday teaching and learning. Through high-quality interactions, conversations, observations and working alongside children, our Early Years team develops a detailed understanding of each child's strengths, interests and next steps.

We believe that adults' time is best spent interacting with children and supporting their learning, rather than creating unnecessary evidence. Practitioners use their professional knowledge of each child to adapt teaching, provision and support so that children can build securely upon what they already know and can do.

Children's progress and development are considered throughout the year, enabling us to identify where additional support or further challenge may be needed.

At the end of Reception, children's development is assessed against the Early Learning Goals as part of the statutory EYFS Profile. This information is shared with families and Year 1 teachers, helping to ensure that children's learning continues seamlessly as they move into Key Stage 1.

Working in Partnership with Families

We recognise that parents and carers are children's first and most important educators, and we value the partnership between home and school.

Throughout the year, we keep families closely involved in what their children are learning. Each week, families receive an Explorers newsletter which provides an update on the learning that has taken place that week.

We share photographs and videos of learning in school, alongside information and resources that families can use to talk about, revisit and build upon learning at home.

These regular updates help parents and carers understand what their child is learning in school and provide opportunities for children to share and consolidate their learning with the people who know them best.

We also value regular conversations between home and school. Parents and carers are encouraged to speak to us about their child's experiences, achievements or any concerns they may have, and our Early Years team is available throughout the year to support families.

Formal parents' evenings take place twice during the academic year, providing an opportunity to discuss each child's progress, strengths and next steps.

At the end of the Reception year, families receive a written report outlining their child's progress and achievements across the Early Years curriculum and their readiness for the next stage of their learning journey.

Transition into Reception

We recognise how important a positive transition into school is.

Before children start at Ashchurch, we work closely with local nurseries and pre-school settings and provide opportunities for children and their families to become familiar with our school, staff and environment.

Information shared by families and previous settings helps us to understand each child's individual needs and ensures that appropriate support can be in place from the beginning.

Our aim is for children to quickly develop a sense of security and belonging within Explorers and the wider Ashchurch school community.

Preparing for Year 1

Our Early Years curriculum is the beginning of a child's curriculum journey at Ashchurch, not something separate from the rest of the school.

Throughout Reception, we progressively build the knowledge, skills, vocabulary, independence and learning behaviours that children will need as they move into Year 1.

Our Reception and Year 1 staff work together to ensure that transition is carefully planned and appropriate for the children. Information about children's learning and development is shared so that Year 1 teaching can build effectively upon what children already know and can do.

The Impact of Our Early Years Curriculum

By the end of their time in Explorers, we want our children to have developed strong foundations for future learning.

We want them to leave Reception as children who are:

• happy and confident;

• curious about the world;

• enthusiastic about learning;

• increasingly independent;

• able to communicate their ideas;

• kind and able to form positive relationships;

• willing to persevere when something is difficult;

• excited by books, stories and reading;

• confident to explore mathematical ideas; and

• ready for the next stage of their journey at Ashchurch.

We recognise that every child develops at a different rate and that success will look different for different children. Our role is to understand each child's starting point, provide the support and challenge they need and ensure that every child is able to make progress and experience success.

We want children to finish their Reception year with happy memories of Explorers, a strong sense of belonging and, most importantly, a love of learning that they will carry with them throughout their time at Ashchurch and beyond.

 

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