Welcome to Avonwood Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

Meet The Team

Welcome to the EYFS staff team. We are a dedicated and friendly team, determined to help your children have a fantastic start to life at Avonwood Primary School. We understand that starting primary school is a huge milestone for children and their parents. At Avonwood we are exceptionally proud of our EYFS provision and will do our very best to make sure every child gets the most out of this vital foundation year. If you ever require any help or have any questions, please do not hesitate to chat to us at drop off / pick up or contact the school and one of us will respond.

Year Lead	Miss Wyatt
Hedgehogs Teacher	Miss Wyatt
Badgers Teachers	Miss Greenwood
Teaching Assistants	Miss Dennett, Mrs Mossa & Mrs Rattue (HTLA)

Curriculum Briefings 2024

At the beginning of each half term we invite parents and carers to our presentation which includes information on curriculum coverage and key dates for the halfterm ahead.

The key dates for the half term ahead and information on homework (including Reach for the Stars Challenges) are captured on the half termly curriculum handout, a paper copy of which is sent home with your child. The electronic version of the handout can also be found below:

EYFS Parent curriculum handout - Nov 2024

EYFS Parent curriculum handout - Sep 2024

If you were unable to attend the meeting, you can find the slides below:

EYFS Curriculum Events - Nov 2024

EYFS Parent Curriculum Events - Sep 2024

EYFS Parent Phonic Presentation 2024

From Autumn 2, we recorded the online briefing and this can be accessed below:

EYFS Curriculum Briefing, Nov 24 - YouTube

An Introduction to EYFS

Key Information

EYFS Curriculum Overview: Click Here

Avonwood EYFS Policy: Click Here

Twitter: @AvonwoodEYFS

Our commitment to excellence at Avonwood Primary School starts in the Early Years Foundation Stage.

Throughout your child’s Early Years journey we foster a love of learning by exploring engaging learning opportunities both indoors and out, whatever the weather. Our play-based curriculum enables us to immerse our children in a language-rich environment, developing their communication skills and vocabulary in meaningful ways. The children's interests help to shape our teaching and we support every child as an individual. Children learn about our world through hands-on experiences. They learn about growing and changes by looking closely at our natural environment. Books and talk are at the heart of our curriculum, and we use stories to learn about the world, ourselves, and each other.

At Avonwood, we nurture and respect one another, building caring and trusting relationships through open communication. We want all children to feel happy, safe, and secure at school, building a sense of belonging. Our aim for all children to develop the confidence and belief within themselves, developing a positive sense of self as well as to feel valued and listened to. We want all children at Avonwood to become independent, resilient learners who have a sense of perseverance.

We begin our exciting adventure at school by learning about one another and our families. There are lots of friends to be made, new routines to be learnt and lots of new areas to explore. At the start of the second half term, we will look closely at the changing season of autumn. Our ‘Let’s Celebrate’ topic will begin with a bang! We learn about traditions and celebrations such as Bonfire Night, Diwali, and Christmas. The children will enjoy immersing themselves in the colours, lights and all things glittering during this topic.

Next, we will learn about knights, castles, and dragons as we explore these themes through stories such as ‘The Very Last Castle’ by Travis Jonker and ‘Small Knight & George’ by Ronda Armitage. We look forward to being transported back in time and experiencing life in a castle. We will also learn about the changes the season of spring will bring us, lifecycles, planting and growing and exploring our natural world.

‘Where We Live’ starts off the summer term. The children will learn about their where they live, their local area and community, and maps. At the start of this learning, we will read ‘The Jolly Postman’ and use this as a stimulus for learning about different houses and homes as well as different story characters. I wonder who we will find on the Jolly Postman’s journey through the woods? In addition, a parcel is delivered…DING, DING! It’s the Naughty Bus! This exciting text told through close photography and narrated by the toy bus, inspires lots of wonderful imaginative play, encouraging Foundation to become authors and create their very own adventure stories. Rounding off the year, will be our ‘Science Detectives’ topic. This will allow us to become inventors, explorers, and investigators.

Foundation Timetable - A Typical Day

At Avonwood our mantra is ‘Every Minute Counts’, so please help us by arriving promptly at 8:50am daily. We have a one-hour lunch and a 15-minute snack.

Foundation Example Timetable (Subject to Change) @ Avonwood Primary School
Monday	Fiddly Fingers	Literacy Let’s Learn	Maths Let’s Learn	Phonics	Lunch	Whole class reading	Topic	Continuous Provision	Snack DEAR
Tuesday	Fiddly Fingers	Literacy Let’s Learn	Maths Let’s Learn	Phonics	Lunch	Jurassic Maths	Jigsaw	Continuous Provision	Snack DEAR
Wednesday	Fiddly Fingers	Literacy Let’s Learn	PE Music	Phonics	Lunch	Jurassic Maths	RE	Continuous Provision	Snack DEAR
Thursday	Fiddly Fingers	Literacy Let’s Learn	Maths Let’s Learn	Phonics	Lunch	Jurassic Maths	Topic	Continuous Provision	Snack DEAR
Friday	Fiddly Fingers	Literacy Let’s Learn	Maths Let’s Learn	Phonics	Lunch	Whole class reading Library	PE	Continuous Provision	Snack Assembly

Home Learning

At Avonwood we appreciate that the transition from nursey school to primary school is a significant one. We therefore adapt our home learning expectations to be suitable for this age group. By building the foundations for home learning early, the partnership between yourself and your child will reap dividends for years to come. If you have any concerns regarding home learning expectations for EYFS age children, please do not hesitate to contact the team on:

foundationTeam@avonwoodprimaryschool.org,uk

FAQs

How will my child be supported with the transition to school?

Starting school is an exciting big step, however, we understand that this can also be an anxious time. At Avonwood, we have many transitional activities and content to support the transition from nursery or pre-school and make it as smooth as possible. Where possible, a visit will be made to your child’s nursery towards the end of the summer term. Your child will have the opportunity to visit us at Avonwood for a Teddy Bear Club session - here they will visit their new classroom, meet their new teacher and teaching assistant. They will also be provided with a visual transition booklet with photos of their new teacher and the school. Parents are also invited to an information evening during the summer term. In addition, the first few weeks in September are planned to enable a staggered and transitional period to support your child.

What is the Early Years Foundation Stage and what are the Early Learning Goals? Will my child be assessed?

The Early Years Foundation Stage is a statutory framework which sets out the standards for learning, development, and care of children from 0-5 years. The Early Learning Goals guide children’s overall learning and development. At the end of the academic year, every child is assessed against the Early Learning Goals before transitioning into Year One.

The Early Years Foundation Stage is split into 7 areas and 17 strands of learning within these 7 areas.

The 3 PRIME areas are essential. They support development in all areas of learning.

Personal, Social and Emotional Development – self-regulation; managing self; and building relationships.
Physical Development – fine motor; and gross motor.
Communication and Language – listening, attention and understanding; and speaking.

The 4 SPECIFIC areas teach the children essential skills and knowledge.

Literacy – comprehension; word reading; and writing.
Mathematics – number; and numerical patterns.
Understanding the World – past and present; people, culture, and community; and the natural world.
Expressive Arts and Design – creating with materials; and being imaginative and expressive.

The Characteristics of Effective Learning – playing and exploring, active learning and creating and thinking critically are vital in underpinning all learning and development. They help to develop the unique child and are present in all areas of learning.

What is the Reception Baseline?

At the start of every year, we will carry out a baseline with each child to establish where they are in terms of their development including communication and language, literacy, and maths. These assessments are carried out through fun, hands-on activities and are used as a foundation to plan appropriately for the children and ensure we know next steps for progression. From September 2021, the DfE Reception Baseline Assessment (RBA) became statutory, meaning this same assessment must be carried out in all schools nationally.

What are your EYFS aims?

At Avonwood, our aims for Foundation Stage are for your child to:

Be happy and feel positive about school
Build a sense of belonging
Feel safe and secure in their school environment
Make friends and build social skills
Be polite, kind, and considerate towards others
Develop their vocabulary and communication skills
Feel confident to express themselves and their ideas, knowing that their ideas will be valued
Develop independence and perseverance as well as self-confidence to tackle new skills and activities through problem solving
Develop good attention skills and the ability to concentrate on tasks
Achieve their best and feel proud of themselves

Is the EYFS play-based?

At Avonwood, we offer a balance of adult-led and guided learning as well as child-initiated learning. Play is an important part of the Early Years; therefore, we have a focus on learning through play, practical activities and ‘hands on’ experiences. We believe this encourages children to make links between new learning and what they already know, as well to take risks and make mistakes, which is the best way to learn! Play also improves children’s personal, social, and emotional development, enabling them to make relationships, collaborate and solve problems. Through play, children can think creatively and imaginatively, following their own lines of enquiry and interests. Here, at Avonwood, we will always support, guide, and challenge the children in their learning. We offer a balance of adult-led and guided learning as well as child-initiated learning.

What is Jurassic Maths?

Jurassic Maths is a maths hub providing a programme to be taught in schools. It aims to teach mastery in mathematics including mathematical thinking, fluency, variation, and representations. Through these daily sessions children will continue to improve and consolidate their mathematical knowledge and skills, developing a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts.

What does my child need to bring to school?

Your child will need to bring a water bottle and a book bag. Pencils and other writing equipment are provided in our classrooms. A daily fruit snack is provided daily. In addition, children under 5 are entitled to free milk daily in Foundation Stage. If you would like your child to continue receiving milk after they have turned 5, please contact the school office.

What should my child be reading and how often?

At Avonwood, we believe that reading is key and underpins all learning. From Autumn 2 onwards, we expect the children to complete daily reading as well as practise their phonic sounds sent home. We ask that each phonic book sent home is practised at least 3 times! This is to allow your child to develop the following skills: word reading, comprehension, vocabulary, fluency, and prosody. Reading to your child is also just as important. We visit the school library weekly, and children will be able to select a book to bring home and share.

Is homework set in Foundation?

We ask that children read their phonic books daily and share their library books. In addition, we ask that children complete the phonics home learning each week to continually reinforce learning taught at school. Later, in the academic year an online maths activity will also be set. From Spring term onwards, our weekly newsletters will offer an optional ‘Reach for the Star’s’ challenge. Our newsletters will also include other tips and guidance to support your child at home too.

What trips and visits do you have in Foundation?

Foundation will have an exciting visit to the farm. Where possible, other opportunities for visitors to visit us at school are also planned for. Previous examples include emergency service visits, drama, and dance workshops.

What days do our children need to wear PE kit?

In Foundation we have PE on Wednesday and Friday. Children should attend school in full PE kit, including navy jogging bottoms or shorts and our branded Avonwood navy hoody.