11th October 2024Early Years Foundation Stage
Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
‘’Play is the highest form of research” Albert Einstein
At Hinchley Wood Primary School, we believe that every child deserves the best possible start in life and the support that enables them to reach their full potential. Within our practise we will encourage children to have freedom to make informed choices and take controlled risks. Allowing children to have the freedom to explore is vital in allowing them to develop their personality, curiosity, imagination, language and social skills. Children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates. In the Foundation Stage, children learn best through play-based activities and first-hand experiences. Each child is unique and is valued as an individual. We strive to provide a happy, caring, safe and inclusive environment for learning, which meets the individual needs and interests of the children.
We aim for our children to be:
- Ready to learn: Children have a positive, confident attitude to learning. They are both physically and emotionally ready to learn.
- Resourceful: Children show initiative, ask well thought out questions and are prepared to use a variety of strategies to learn.
- Reflective: Children are curious, able and willing to learn from their mistakes and can describe their progress.
- Resilient: Children are prepared to persevere and stay involved in their learning, even when the process is challenging.
- Reciprocal: Children are prepared to help each other and work as a team.
We recognise that the Reception Curriculum is the foundation of all future learning and as such it is carefully mapped out across subjects. We then use our observations of children’s learning, needs, interests, and stages of development across the seven areas of the curriculum to plan our weekly learning. Observations are captured and are communicated to parents through Tapestry.
We believe that it is essential to have a good, trusting partnership between home and school. On Fridays, there is a weekly EYFS newsletter sent out via Tapestry to parents. This gives an overview of the learning week, key dates and events, helpful links and a family fun activity. We encourage parents to post the family fun activity onto Tapestry for children to share with their friends and teachers. Teachers are available every morning and afternoon to communicate with parents and carers as they drop their children at the door.
In our EYFS classes, the children learn the skills needed to become strong, confident individuals who are capable of learning and achieving through a secure foundation of knowledge, positive relationships, enabling environments and an understanding that every child is unique.
These four themes are what the staff at Hinchley Wood Primary integrate into their daily practice.
- A Unique Child – This is based on the principle that every child is a competent learner and can be resilient, capable and confident.
- Positive Relationships – This highlights the importance of children having loving and secure relationships with parents and carers, in order to become strong and independent.
- Enabling Environments – This recognises the key role a child’s environment plays in supporting and extending their development and learning.
Learning and Development – This is based on the knowledge that children develop and learn in different ways and that all areas of learning are interconnected and equally important.
We cover the seven areas of learning from the Statutory Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage. These are:
Three prime areas:
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development
- Communication and Language
- Physical Development
Specific areas:
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Understanding the World
- Expressive Arts and Design
Reading and Writing is an integral part of our EYFS Curriculum, we use the SoundsWrite Phonics programme. Phonics activities are varied and happen daily; these give the children a firm foundation and an opportunity to challenge themselves.
Mathematics is taught in a multi-sensory and practical approach using White Rose Maths to support. The children have ample opportunities to explore Number, Shape, Space and Measures using various equipment and objects. They are taught different strategies to solve problems and develop their mathematical reasoning skills.
Here are some helpful website links to support your child during Reception:
CPD Training | Free maths resources | White Rose Maths
Primary Homework Help | Online Games For Kids - BBC Bitesize
Topmarks: teaching resources, interactive resources, worksheets, homework, exam and revision help
Support for parents / carers | Sounds Write (sounds-write.co.uk)
