Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
Intent
At Avonwood Primary School, our aim is to provide the best possible start for every individual child, ensuring each child reaches their potential from their various starting points. It is our intent to ensure we take into consideration the differing starting points and needs of each child as they begin their learning journey. To achieve this, we have rigorous assessment in place to identify where children are in their learning, any gaps they may have in previous areas as well as to provide challenge. We build relationships that support, enhance, and invite children’s curiosity and confidence as well as build a sense of belonging. It is our intent to work in partnership with parents to meet the needs of every child more effectively. Together with this partnership, we can provide children with the highest quality of care and education.
Our enabling environment and skilful adult interactions support the children to develop oracy skills, explore and make links in their play to previous learning and experiences. Our curriculum has been designed with a holistic view of learning not only ensuring children gain the knowledge, skills and understanding they require to be successful learners, but to also maximise opportunities for cross-curricular links. In addition, we aim for our curriculum to foster a love of learning through providing opportunities for children to follow their own lines of enquiry and interests.
At Avonwood, we place a strong emphasis on the prime areas of learning. We enable our EYFS children to develop their vocabulary and communication skills so they can collaborate, connect, and build meaningful relationships. We believe this will enable out children to build confidence in expressing themselves, ideas and making connections between their learning. In addition, we aim to develop independent and creative learners who feel confident to tackle new skills, activities and problem solve through perseverance.
By the end of their Foundation year, our aim is for all children to develop as individuals, be happy at school, be skilful communicators and achieve their very best, making at least good progress from their starting point.
Implementation
At Avonwood Primary School, we follow the EYFS framework as well as support from the non-statutory guidance Development Matters. The framework sets out seven areas of learning and development and all areas are important and inter-connected. The areas are crucial for igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, and for building their capacity to learn, form relationships and thrive. The 3 prime areas are those most essential for a child’s healthy development and future learning. As children grow, the prime areas will help them to develop skills in the 4 specific areas, which provide the children with essential skills and knowledge.
Prime Areas
- Communication and language
- Physical development
- Personal, social, and emotional development
Specific Areas
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Understanding the world
- Expressive arts and design
Alongside this are the Characteristics of Learning – Playing and Exploring; Active Learning and Creating and Thinking Critically – underpinning all learning and development. Below are the 4 overriding principles which are thread throughout the Early Years, which our education is guided by and based upon:
- Unique Child
- Positive Relationships
- Enabling Environments
- Learning and Development
Each half term, EYFS staff introduce a new theme to provide awe and wonder for learning, whilst providing the flexibility for children to follow their own interests and ideas. Children benefit from meaningful learning across the curriculum as well as from first hand-experiencesto broaden children’s knowledge and understanding. Children learn through a balance of child-initiated and adult-directed activities. Our school recognises the importance of providing a stimulating, nurturing, safe and challenging learning environment. The classrooms are organised and resourced to provide learning opportunities in the seven areas of learning in the EYFS curriculum and to promote the characteristics of effective learning. Our environment is carefully planned to help children achieve across all aspects of the EYFS, with equal importance placed upon the inside and outside. Children are introduced to and taught how to access the equipment in each area of provision independently. Staff are fully involved in moving children on with their learning through modelling, scaffolding, and extending.
Our timetable is carefully structured so that children have rigorous directed teaching in literacy, maths, and phonics. In the morning, carpet times are followed by our Let’s Learn Board choices as well as adult-led group work. Our group works allows the children to apply new knowledge and skills and for the teachers to systematically check understanding and respond to misconceptions, provide support, challenge, and verbal feedback. Afternoon sessions focus upon the wider curriculum and allows time for children to engage in exploration activities carefully planned for or following their own interests. We apply an inclusive approach with all children learning together. A range of interventions and support, enhance, and scaffold children who may not be achieving their full potential.
Literacy
Reading is at the heart of our curriculum. In Foundation, we have key texts to support our literacy learning which change every 1-2 weeks. Key texts have been specifically chosen in the Foundation Stage to help develop vocabulary and oracy skills by taking into consideration a wide range of genres, authors, and diverse texts. We also have a Drop Everything and Read (DEAR) session at the end of every day to instil a lifelong love of stories, storytelling and reading.
Maths
We follow the White Rose maths scheme of learning. Maths learning is taught to achieve mastery in across the area of mathematics. New skills and concepts are embedded through our whole class teaching, small focus group work and daily Mastering Number sessions. Children learn to apply their mathematical thinking using a variety of strategies and resources such as using concrete manipulatives and pictorial representations. High quality learning environments and meaningful interactions with adults, support children in developing mathematical thinking and discussion.
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 ELG’s feed into the National Curriculum through our robust planning and continuous provision opportunities. Children are encouraged to explore through hands-on, meaningful contexts.
Impact
We measure the impact of our EYFS curriculum by monitoring every child’s learning and progress through precise and accurate assessments. This also helps to inform planning, identify next steps for learning or any knowledge/skills gaps. Our teachers and teaching assistants draw upon their own knowledge of children and expert, professional judgments. In addition, we ensure consistency across the Foundation Stage through holding and attending moderation events within school, BCP and within the United Learning Trust.
We use the following assessments to meet the needs of our children:
Summative assessment:
- Reception Baseline Assessment (RBA) establishes children’s starting points in Communication and Language, Literacy and Mathematics
- NELi or Ted Talk programme to identify speech and language ability
- Termly data captures
Formative assessment (on-going):
- Talking with the children and having discussions
- Questioning
- Observation
- Children’s work
- Learning journals including photos and post-it notes
- Conversations with parents
We believe our curriculum and its delivery ensure children make at least good progress towards their age-related expectations (GLDs) before transitioning into Year 1. This is achieved through our high standards, providing enriching play-based exploration and meaningful experiences, alongside rigorous assessment, and teaching. All these components added together ensure there is a rich diet of balanced learning at Avonwood Primary School.