Sherborne Primary School
Autumn 2019
SHERBORNE PRIMARY SCHOOL Early Years Foundation Stage POLICY
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CONTENTS:
What is the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum [EYFS] A Unique child A Positive Relationship Enabling Environments Learning and development Transition to School Pre- school Liaison Transition for Parents School Prospectus Starting-School Booklet Parental Involvement Parental Support in School Classroom Organisation and Management. Daily Routine Planning Assessment and Reporting to Parents
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What is the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum [EYFS]. The Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum was introduced in 2008 and revised in 2012 it brings together all previous documentation and guidance on the care and education of children 0-5 years of age into one overall framework. All providers of care and education across England are legally required to implement this statutory framework in order to support children and families to achieve their best outcomes. It seeks to provide; Quality and consistency in all settings. A secure foundation though learning and development. Partnership working with parents and practitioners. Equality of opportunity ensuring that every child is included and supported The EYFS clearly explains how the experiences children have in their early years can have a major impact upon their future achievements. Therefore, at Sherborne Primary School we aim to ensure that the EYFS is implemented to the highest standard. The EYFS Curriculum is divided into seven areas of learning. The Prime areas of learning: Personal, Social and Emotional Development. Communication and Language Physical Development. The Specific areas of Learning include essential skills and knowledge Literacy [reading and writing] Mathematics [Number and shape space and measure] Understanding the world, [world, people and communities, and technology] Expressive Art and design [media and materials, being imaginative,] At Sherborne Primary we will plan educational experiences based on the observations made of children in their chosen activities. These observations will help teachers to ascertain children’s interests and developmental needs; this is called assessment for learning. The observations will be gathered by making observational notes or through an online journal called Tapestry. This forum records children's individual playing and exploring thus their individual Characteristics of Effective Learning. This will inform part of the end of year summative assessment EYFS profile for each child. Parents will be asked to contribute to the learning assessment thereby giving a complete picture of children’s achievements in all aspects of their lives. 3
The Early Years Foundation Stage is grouped into four main themes and underpinned through the Characteristics of Effective learning which moves through all areas of learning. ● A Unique child ● Positive Relationships ● Enabling Environments ● Learning and Development
A Unique Child. The EYFS acknowledges that each child and their family are unique and individual with varying characteristics and circumstances, therefore, each child will develop at their own pace. At Sherborne Primary School we believe that by working closely with parents and our partners in pre-school we can develop a deeper understanding of our children and their families. Therefore enabling us to work together to develop children who can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured learners.
A Positive Relationship. The EYFS asserts that ‘parents are a child’s first and most enduring educators’. Children learn to be strong and independent from a base of loving and secure relationships with parents and key adults. At Sherborne Primary School we endeavour to foster positive relationships with every child’s parent; this is vital in order to provide children and their families with the support, care and learning experiences they need. We are committed to three induction meetings with parents in order to foster the positive relationships we want to develop and operate an open door policy. An information Meeting is organised in May / June, the half term before children start school. We will supply parents with information about how their child will develop in their first year at school and around the logistics of how school operates. We will supply: A Starting-School Booklets. Guidance about induction days, school routines and information about aspects of the Foundation Stage are also distributed. A second parent meeting is organised for before the end of the school year (June / July) to assert school expectations and reiterate the development their child will go through. We entitle this meeting ‘School Readiness’. It is also attended by our PSA (Parental Support Advisor) and helps direct parents / carers to behavioural & developmental expectations for their child. 4
We will supply an EYFS help booklet detailing how parents can help their child during the summer months in preparation for learning and the start of school. We will make a home visit to every child the week before they start school during September. This allows a personal one to one meeting with parents helping to develop a sound working partnership with the family. A third meeting in late September / early October is offered in order to have parental feedback on how things are going, to answer any concerns and to inform parents of how we will proceed with phonics & maths strategies; this includes ways that parents / carers can support children at home.
Transition for Parents and Child. In order that the transition to school should be made as easy as possible for both child and parent the school makes provision for a range of pre-entry visits during the summer term. Two school sessions when children go into class and meet their new teacher and join in with class activities. The children find out which doors to use, where to put coats, where the toilets are situated etc. Starting School in September– children are phased in to school over a two week period in two small groups. We provide a PSA (Parental Support Advisor) to help support parents with a variety of home and family issues.
Pre- school Liaison. There is liaison with all the local preschools and time is spent meeting children and staff as a pre-school information gathering exercise. Transitional information is passed from preschool to class teachers. A Transition Starting school information picture book is given to pre-school providers to share with children, thus to help develop confidence about starting school. This book is replicated for individuals who may find it more difficult to make the adjustment or who have specific needs. There are particularly strong links with Pear tree Nursery who regularly visits the school for activities and performances.
Enabling Environments. An enabling environment will support, facilitate and extend children’s learning and development. It requires that planning and experiences are based upon children’s interests and learning needs. At Sherborne Primary we aim to provide activities in a safe, secure environment, where children are challenged and take risks both indoors and outdoors. 5
Learning and Development. The EYFS states that Children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates within the context of relationships and the environment around them, and that learning and development are equally important and interconnected. After many years of research it is now widely accepted that play underpins all development and learning in young children.
‘In their play children learn at their highest level’ EYFS 2008. t Sherborne Primary we value this principal therefore; it will underpin all our A work within a creative curriculum for the children in our care. We will plan for children's learning and development taking into account their specific Characteristics of Effective Learning.
Information for Parents. The school website provides information about the aims of the school as well as details of the curriculum offered. This includes information; advice and support on helping your child learn to read Information is also included about school and class organization, diary events and activities and photographs of past events.
Parental Involvement. Sherborne Primary School organise ‘Inspire Mornings’ when parents are invited into school to see children learning in different areas of learning and development. Parents will see Phonics, English, and mathematical lessons. Letters and Sounds workshops will be held to explain the phases children will be working through in the Foundation Stage. This will help parents support their children through this most important step in their literacy development. Parents are encouraged to support teaching staff in school and regularly help throughout Foundation Stage with 1:1 reading support, school off site visits and other activities. Parents are signposted on how to help their children at home via home school reading records and Tapestry
Classroom Organisation and Management. 6
Reception children are organized into two parallel classes; these are divided equally by age and gender. Experienced teaching assistants support children’s learning and development. Where other adults are used in an instructional capacity with groups or other individual pupils, they are well briefed and supported by the teacher. In the EYFS curriculum children are encouraged to make choices and follow their individual interests. Teachers and teaching assistants observe children’s achievements within these self-chosen activities and plan extended or complementary activities in order to achieve success for children in their next steps. Where teachers give extended attention to groups or individual pupils, the other pupils are making choices or are given a focus or challenging tasks that allows them to work independently of the teacher, the work having been planned independently or with the help of the teacher in advance.
Daily Routine The daily routine is based on the EYFS philosophy which encompasses elements of the High Scope philosophy providing a framework for planning and decision-making by both children and adults. The children are challenged to complete a mission at different points during the day and in different activities. The classrooms are organized with materials clearly labelled on open shelves allowing the children to select and make choices for their tasks, replacing the equipment when they have finished. The daily routine provides a planning framework for individuals and groups, with the aim of encouraging children to become independent learners. The elements of the daily routine include: ● ● ● ●
Circle time Planning/direct teaching time Phonic time Work/ self-initiated activity time
There may be a specific area of work, which is the focus of the teaching and children are expected to complete this during the planned ‘activities’. The teacher may be working with a group or individual children, or observing, assessing and looking for evidence of learning in children’s self-initiated activity.
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Planning. Following the EYFS principles, Planning is part of a cycle of assessment for learning: - Observation, assessment, planning. Planning is done collaboratively with the FSTG staff, reflecting curriculum guidance for the Foundation Stage. Planning takes place weekly and daily, and is undertaken in the light of assessments of children’s previous learning and interests.
Assessment and Reporting to Parents. Assessment is informed and based on discussion and observation with photographic evidence on Tapestry. This is supplemented by discussion with parents and home observations. The children are informally assessed on entry to school during the first half term against Foundation Stage Developmental Matters and Early Learning Goals. Information from nursery/ pre-school and observations from home are also included in this assessment. Assessments are then on going throughout the year and inform the EYFS profile which is completed during the summer term. Information about pupils’ attainment feeds directly into the planning process therefore providing appropriately challenging work in their next steps. Assessment information is used to identify those pupils needing specialized or addition help. Time is allowed for a review of children’s work, when children are encouraged to evaluate the tasks they are working on or have completed. Teachers also provide evaluative feedback to the pupils on work in progress or completed during the working day. Children are set targets in the autumn term; these are reviewed with parents in the spring. Parents receive an annual report based on their child’s achievements on the EYFS Profile and other relevant achievements during the summer term. Liz Maskew Foundation Stage Coordinator
Autumn 2019.
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