EYFS at Swanton Morley Primary School
INTENT
- To deliver the Statutory Framework for EYFS.
- Provide a balanced and ambitious curriculum across the seven areas of learning, using play as the vehicle for learning along with direct teaching activities such as writing, maths concepts and phonics.
- To create a safe and happy environment with motivating and enjoyable learning experiences.
- To create and maintain partnership with parents and carers as we recognise that together, we can have a significant impact on a child’s learning.
- Provide opportunities for children to engage in activities that are adult-initiated and child-initiated.
IMPLEMENTATION
Curriculum
We plan 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 the children to achieve and exceed the early learning goals. We deliver our curriculum with an awareness of our local context and so aim to deliver learning opportunities which expand our children’s understanding of other cultures and communities and make good use of our rural local areas to deepen children’s knowledge of the world around them.
All the seven areas of learning and development are equally important and inter-connected. They are the foundations for nurturing their capacity to learn, form relationships and thrive.
The prime areas are:
- Communication and Language
- Physical Development
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development
The four specific areas are:
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Understanding the World
- Expressive Arts and Design
Children are provided with a range of rich, meaningful experiences in which children are active, explore, think creatively and solve problems. We aim to develop and foster positive attitudes towards learning, confidence, communication and physical development in order to inspire children’s in the early years to become life-long learners. Across all aspects of the curriculum we play close attention to the characteristics of effective learning and embed these in everything that we do–
- Playing and Exploring: Engagement
- Active Learning: Motivation
- Creating and Thinking Critically
Planning
For each academic year a long-term plan showing the progression of skills from the EYFS curriculum is produced and learning is based around themes which relate to the children’s interests and provide meaningful learning opportunities across the seven areas of learning. Learning Means the World units inform the selection of high-quality texts and engaging experiences around which, planning is based, in order to ensure that children are immersed in a language-rich environment and exposed to new vocabulary and story structures. Teachers produce medium term plans which inform our short-term weekly maths, phonics and continuous provision planning. Planning in EYFS is reflective and is moulded around following the children’s interests and addressing gaps in knowledge and experiences whilst allowing flexibility for in the moment planning in response to child-initiated learning.
Children have whole group and small group adult teaching which increase in length and frequency as they progress through the EYFS; teaching early Mathematics and Literacy, including writing, early reading and maths skills. Other subjects are taught using a mixture of both whole group inputs and enhancements within continuous provision. Music, RE, Art and Design and Learning means the world are taught during weekly inputs and through enhancements. During the Summer term, Acorns begin to transition towards a Year 1 day in order to prepare them for an effective transition into Year 1. A daily phonics session using Read, Write, Inc is organised so that children can advance through phonics ability groups according to need. Children are given reading books as soon as they have learnt the first set of sounds and are able to orally blend words in order to immerse them in opportunities to segment and blend words as soon as possible. Children will also receive personalised adult support around individual areas of development to allow all children to thrive.
There is a balance between children having time and space to engage in their own child-initiated activities and those that are planned by the adults. During children’s play, early years practitioners observe and interact where appropriate to stretch and challenge children further through questioning and deepening children’s exploration through play.
A stimulating environment is created to encourage children to free-flow between inside and out. The environment is organised to be an engaging and challenging environment both inside and out which aims to provide the same learning opportunities in both areas, for example ensuring maths and literacy opportunities are available outside. Children are encouraged to become independent learners and to take some responsibility for initiating their own lines of enquiry and investigation as well as evaluating their strategies and thinking of ways to solve problems.
IMPACT
Observation and Assessment
We record our observations of achievements, next steps and interests in a variety of ways:
- Transition notes from previous settings
- Next steps trackers for each child
- Phonics assessments
- Significant observations of children’s achievements are collated in their own personal learning journey through Tapestry, which are shared and contributed to by parents.
- Evidence in phonics books, writing folders and floor books for Maths and Understanding the world.
Children’s work is kept in Phonics books, writing folders and two class floor books as well as photographed for Tapestry. Focused assessments also take place, either individually or as a group, monitoring understanding and knowledge before a theme is introduced and after it is completed. In addition, assessments are made at various points in the term to check phonics and maths progress.
Summative assessments are made in the form of the Reception Baseline assessment, Early Language Assessments (Welcomm and Sound Pronunciation) and progress recorded on Pupil Asset termly. At the end of the Reception year the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile is completed to record achievements in each of the Early Learning goals. Within the final term of Acorns, we provide parents and carers with a report based on their child’s development against each of the Early Learning Goals and the characteristics of their learning.
Year 1 teachers will meet with the EYFS staff and discuss each child’s development against the Early Learning Goals in order to support a smooth transition to Year 1. This discussion helps the Year 1 teacher to plan an effective, responsive and appropriate curriculum that will meet the needs of all children where continued overlap with EYFS needs.
Parents as Partners and the Wider context
Partnership with parents and carers is recognised and valued, it has a significant impact on a child’s learning. Parents are actively encouraged to participate in their child’s education and care in numerous ways – including ‘stay and play’ sessions, celebration assemblies and a variety of themed learning cafes as well as through reading records. Parents are invited to phonics meetings with the Reading Leader to allow them to feel confident in supporting their children at home. Communication with parents happens through weekly tapestry updates, home school diaries and Tapestry comments.