Our Foundation Stage Team

EYFS Lead: Mrs Jones

Nursery (2 Year Old Provision): Mrs Mottershead

Foundation 1:   Miss Maddrell (Mrs Finley on Maternity Leave)

Foundation 2:  Mrs Jones

Our Teaching Assistants are:

Miss Titley, Ms Salusbury, Miss Lydiate & Miss Purdie

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) follows the ‘Development Matters in the EYFS’ guidance. Follow this link to take a look -

Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage

The Foundation Stage makes a crucial contribution to children’s early development and learning. We provide children with a rich variety of teaching and learning experiences that are appropriate to their needs. The Foundation Stage is about developing characteristics of effective learning which include -

PLAYING AND EXPLORING

Children experience and investigate things first hand and ‘have a go’.

ACTIVE LEARNING

Children concentrate and keep on trying even if they encounter difficulties. Children take pride and enjoyment in their achievements.

CREATING AND THINKING CRITICALLY

Children have and develop their own ideas. Children make links between their learning and apply this to their work and play.

The EYFS curriculum identifies three PRIME AREAS. These are fundamental, work together, and move through to support development in all other areas.

  • Personal, Social and Emotional Development

  • Communication and Language

  • Physical Development

SPECIFIC AREAS include essential skills and knowledge for children to participate successfully in society.

  • Literacy

  • Mathematics

  • Understanding of the World

  • Expressive Arts and Design

The teachers and teaching assistants will keep records/ observations on children’s experiences and attainments. Assessments of development and learning needs will be ongoing throughout the school year. During the first half of the autumn term, the teacher will carry out a baseline assessment for every child. This will establish where they are in aspects of their learning and development and help future planning. By the end of the year, the teacher will have built up an accurate profile of each child’s development.

We use Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised as our SSP programme to teach early reading and writing. This is supplemented through our reading scheme. Big Cat Phonics. Children are supported to read a wide range of books that are matched to the phase and stage they are working at. Phonics and practise reading sessions offer opportunities for children to explore and consolidate new and key vocabulary. We encourage parents to support this further at home by sharing weekly library books as well as phonics tasks and home reading books.

We use Read to Write units to develop children’s communication, language and literacy skills.

We follow our own long term plan for maths that we have developed under the support and guidance of a maths consultant. We use White Rose to support our practise.

We explore a range of topics each term that are linked to children’s interests, play and chosen books as well as current events.