Early Years Foundation Stage at North Leigh

The Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage sets the standards for learning, development and care for children from birth to 5 years. In this document the term 'Reception' refers to the Early Years educational provision at North Leigh C E Primary School.

Intent

In the EYFS setting at North Leigh C E Primary School, we believe that all children are entitled to the best possible start in their school life, both intellectually and emotionally. Our EYFS curriculum is designed to recognise children's prior learning, both from previous settings and their experiences at home. We work in partnership with parents, carers and other settings to provide the best possible start at school, ensuring each individual reaches their full potential from their various starting points. Our curriculum has been designed to enable children to succeed through cooperative and collaborative learning principles. As such, there is a strong emphasis on the Prime Areas of learning; Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Physical Development and Communication and Language.

Our enabling environments and warm, skilful adult interactions support the children as they begin to link learning to their play and exploration right from the start. We believe that high level engagement ensures high level attainment. We therefore provide an engaging curriculum that maximises opportunities for meaningful cross-curricular links and learning experiences, as well as promoting the unique child by offering extended periods of play and sustained thinking. We follow children's interests and ideas to foster a lifelong love of learning both in and outside of school. By the end of the Reception year, our intent is to ensure that all children make at least good progress from their starting points are equipped with the skills and knowledge to support a life-long love of learning.

Implementation: 

Teaching in Reception at North Leigh C E Primary School is delivered in accordance with the government's statutory document 'The Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage' [March 2021] This document is a principled approach to Early Years education, bringing together children's welfare, learning and development requirements through four themes: 'A Unique Child', 'Positive Relationships', 'Enabling Environments with Teaching and Support from Adults' and 'Learning and Development at Different Rates'.

The curriculum is centred on 3 prime areas of learning:

1. Communication and Language
2. Physical Development
3. Personal, Social and Emotional Development.

Practitioners also support activities through four specific areas which strengthen the prime areas. These are:

1. Literacy
2. Mathematics
3. Understanding of the World
4. Expressive Arts and Design.

Learning experiences and continuous provision support children in developing the Characteristics of Effective Learning. We believe these underpin future learning behaviours. The characteristics are:

1. Playing and exploring
2. Active learning
3. Creating and thinking critically.

• Each half term, EYFS staff introduce a new theme to provide inspiration for learning, whilst providing the flexibility for children to follow their own interests and ideas. Children learn through a balance of child-initiated and adult-directed activities. The timetable is carefully structured so that children have directed teaching for Phonics and Maths during the day. The timetable changes throughout the year to take into consideration the changing needs of the children. These sessions are often followed by small focused group work. This means the Reception Teacher can systematically check for understanding, identify and respond to misconceptions quickly and provide real-time verbal feedback which results in a strong impact on the acquisition of new learning. Children are provided with plenty of time to engage in 'exploration' throughout the variety of experiences carefully planned to engage and challenge them in the provision. The curriculum is planned for the inside and outside environment and equal importance is given to learning in both areas.
  
  English/Literacy
  Reading is at the heart of our curriculum and our aim is to encourage a love of reading right from the start. In EYFS we have focus text for each half term, alongside a rich variety of fiction and non-fiction books for the children to enjoy. The aim is to expose children to a range of books that not only develop a love of reading, but have been chosen specifically to develop their vocabulary and comprehension. Quality texts are embedded in our provision through activities, story sessions and on display for children to access independently. Through this, children begin to internalise new vocabulary, language patterns and begin to retell stories.
  
  Phonics
  At North Leigh we follow the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds phonics scheme, please visit the Early Reading and Phonics page for more details about how we teach phonics.
  
  Mathematics
  At North Leigh we follow the White Rose Scheme for Maths in combination with the Numbersense Scheme to aid development of number fluency. We ensure that our plans meet the needs of our children. The high quality learning environments and meaningful interactions with adults, support children in developing mathematical thinking and discussions through continuous provision. Pupils learn through games and tasks using concrete manipulatives and pictorial structures and representations which are then rehearsed applied and recorded within their own child-led exploration.
  
  Wider Curriculum
  Our wider curriculum is taught through the learning areas; 'Understanding of the World' and 'Expressive Arts and Design.' EYFS staff have a good understanding of how ELGs feed into the National Curriculum through our robust planning and CPD opportunities. In reverse, colleagues throughout the school are also aware of the key ELGs that link to each foundation subject and the progression of the subject.
  
  Exciting, purposeful and contextual activities are planned to build on children's natural curiosity. The children explore a range of materials and test out their own ideas. The children will be encouraged to employ subject specific language and terminology in foundation subjects, and such vocabulary will be modelled, both verbally and orally, by supporting practitioners. Observations of the children's learning are carried out in order to understand where pupils are and identify their 'next steps' for learning.
  
  Our inclusive approach means that all children learn together. Alongside this we have a range of additional interventions which take place in class and support for children who may not be reaching their potential, or are showing a greater depth of understanding and need further challenge. This includes, for example, sessions for developing speech and language, social skills, fine motor skills, phonics, and mathematics.
  
  Regular monitoring of teaching and learning by SLT and the EYFS leader ensure staff develop good subject knowledge. The EYFS leader ensures staff receive CPD specific to Early Years to develop their practice.

Impact: 

Prior to the children starting school, the Reception Teacher and the Pastoral Lead carry out Home Visits and spend time speaking to the child's parents and also visit the children in their previous settings to gain an understanding of the whole child, their interests, abilities and starting points. During the first half term in Reception, all staff use ongoing assessments, observations and conversations with the children to develop a baseline assessment. This identifies the starting points for each child in all areas of learning so that we can plan experiences to ensure progress.

The RBA (Statutory Reception Baseline Assessment) is also carried out within the first six weeks of the autumn term. This assessment focuses on 'Language, Communication and Literacy,' and 'Mathematics.' The purpose of this baseline assessment is to show the progress children make from Reception until the end of KS2.

We believe that Early Years education is important in its own right and should not be viewed simply as preparation for the next stage of children's education. We believe that the EYFS framework supports children in developing the skills they need to be learners throughout their time at North Leigh C E Primary School.

Ongoing Observation
All ongoing observations are used to inform weekly planning and identify children's next steps. This formative assessment does not involve prolonged periods of time away from the children and excessive paper work. Practitioners draw on their knowledge of the child and their own expert professional judgements through discussions with other practitioners, photographs and physical examples such as a child's drawing / making. Some observations are uploaded using 'Target Tracker' and kept in individual files. Parents are informed if their child's progress in regular informal chats and Parent/Teacher meetings.

Assessment
Assessments are carried out each half term and our aim is for children to 'keep up' rather than 'catch up' wherever possible. Summative Assessments are completed four times per year and the EYFS leader updates the progress children have made to Target Tracker. This information is shared with SLT and Governors. In Summer Term 2, the EYFS Profiles is completed where teacher judges whether the child has met each of the 17 ELGs. They will be assessed as either 'emerging' or 'expected.' Whilst there is no judgement to state if a child is exceeding beyond an ELG, teachers, have a duty to provide a narrative for both parents and the Year 1 teacher.

Impact is also evident through our successful transitions into Year 1. EYFS staff have a good understanding of how ELGs link to the National Curriculum, and through our robust planning and delivery across the spectrum of subjects – both core and foundation - children leave the EYFS stage with the skills, knowledge and confidence to continue their journey as life-long learners and be able to reach their full potential in life.

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