Early Years Foundation Stage

Rationale

The Early Years, or the Foundation Stage as it is also known, is the basis upon which children build the rest of their lives.  It refers to children from birth to the end of the academic year in which a child has their fifth birthday.

 The school works in line with  ‘Early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework’ (2021).

Aims

We aim to ensure that all children are welcomed into a caring, happy, secure environment.  We encourage children to observe, enquire and learn through an active and practical approach.  We are committed to providing equality of opportunity for every child and adult, an approach shared and supported by everyone in our school community. All the work we do at Kersey is underpinned by our C of E foundation and our school vision.

 Our main aims are:

• To meet the needs of the whole child: - socially, intellectually, emotionally, physically, spiritually and aesthetically - and to ensure a smooth transition from home to school.
• To develop an effective partnership between parents, carers and school.
• To establish and maintain links with settings providing pre-compulsory school provision.
• To support learning through using a physical environment that has appropriate space, facilities and equipment. This environment will be organised with due regard to health and safety.
• To maintain a child-centred focus and ensure that children feel safe, develop confidence and experience enjoyment in learning.
• To ensure early identification of children’s particular needs through assessment and to provide appropriate intervention and support.
• To have clear aims and objectives for learning experiences.
• To provide a rich and stimulating curriculum that can be accessed by all and that takes account of children’s individual interests and achievements.
• To provide developmentally appropriate activities and to set high expectations for learning.
• For children to develop a sense of achievement and intrinsic motivation through learning which is pleasurable.
• To provide first hand experiences as an aid to learning.
• To encourage children to think and talk about their learning and to develop self-control and independence and creativity.
• To use play and talk as media for learning.
• To give appropriate periods of time for learning through sustained involvement in concentrated activity.

Play in the Foundation Stage

We regard structured play, both inside and outside the classroom, as an important part of the Foundation Stage.  Children learn by doing and when a child is actively engaged in a play situation they become intrinsically motivated.  This is an opportunity for children to learn a variety of skills, concepts, knowledge and attitudes.

 Resources will be accessible to children and clearly labelled to encourage independence.

 We aim to provide a structured play programme, which will:-

• Be stimulating and fun.
• Provide opportunities for extended learning.
• Encourage trial and error learning.
• Encourage exploration and questioning.
• Develop problem-solving skills.
• Develop language acquisition through adult intervention.
• Allow an outlet for emotional needs.
• Give children opportunities to develop their learning with a focus on Early Learning Goals.
• Be an opportunity to practise newly acquired skills and concepts.

Children’s attainment through the Early Years

This is evaluated through observation and assessment of different areas and characteristics of learning.  They are:

•  Three prime areas of learning (communication and language, physical development and personal, social and emotional development)
• Four specific areas of learning: literacy, mathematics, understanding the world, expressive arts and design.
• Three key learning characteristics: playing and exploring, active learning, creating and thinking critically.