Welcome to the Early Years Foundation Stage

Goldfinch Class - Mrs Wilson, Mrs Jenner (Tuesday PM), Mrs Cooper (Wednesday PM)

Firecrest Class -  Miss Nixon (Monday to Thursday) and Mrs Cooper (Wednesday and Friday)

Both Classes are assisted by Mr Fletcher, Mrs Humphreys and Mrs Hart (Monday to Wednesday)

In the Early Years we all build relationships with all of the children and the teachers and teaching assistants foster positive relationships with parents and carers through greeting families at drop-off and collection times. However, as the teachers in the Early Years Foundation Stage Mrs Wilson is the Key Person for Goldfinch Class and Miss Nixon and Mrs Cooper are the Key Persons for Firecrest Class. As the key persons we ensure that your children become familiar with the provision, ensure that their individual and care needs are met and are the main contact for parents and carers if you need to pass on a message, ask questions or raise any concerns.

What is the Early Years Foundation Stage?

The early years foundation stage (EYFS) sets standards for the learning, development and care of your child from birth to 5 years old. All schools and Ofsted-registered early years providers must follow the EYFS, including childminders, preschools, nurseries and school reception classes.

Every child deserves the best possible start in life and the support that enables them to fulfil their potential. Children develop quickly in the early years and a child’s early experiences have a major impact on their future life chances. Our Reception Class is part of the Early Years Foundation Stage. 

Overarching Principles

Four guiding principles should shape practice in early years settings. These are:

• Every child is a unique child, who is constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured;

• Children learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships;

• Children learn and develop well in enabling environments, in which their experiences respond to their individual needs and there is a strong partnership between practitioners and parents and/or carers; and
• Children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates.

Areas of Learning

Your child will mostly be taught through play, alongside focussed adult-led tasks. 

The 3 Prime Areas are:

• Communication and Language - giving children opportunities to speak and listen in a range of situations and to develop their confidence and skills in expressing themselves.
• Physical Development - providing opportunities for young children to be active and to develop their co-ordination, control, and movement. Children are be helped to understand the importance of physical activity, and to make healthy food choices.
• Personal, Social and Emotional Development - helping children to develop a positive sense of themselves, and others; to form positive relationships and develop respect for others; to develop social skills and learn how to manage their feelings; to understand appropriate behaviour in groups; and to have confidence in their own abilities.

The 4 Specific Areas are:

• Literacy Development – encouraging children to read and write, both through listening to others reading and beginning to read and write themselves. Children are given access to a wide range of reading materials – books, poems, and other written materials, to ignite their interest.
• Mathematics – providing children with opportunities to practise and improve their skills in counting, calculating simple additions and subtractions, and to describe shapes, spaces, and measures.
• Understanding the World – guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community through opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places and the environment.
• Expressive Arts and Design involves supporting children to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials, as well as providing opportunities and encouragement for sharing their thoughts, ideas and feelings through a variety of activities in art, music, movement, dance, role-play, and design and technology.

Mathematics

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