EYFS
We love EYFS. We love helping you learn. We love watching you grow. We love being part of your journey.
Intent- What do we want for our EYFS curriculum?
At Sandiway Primary school we provide a high quality EYFS education giving children a secure and confident start to their school life. We are committed to nurturing a lifelong love of learning alongside the aims of the EYFS statutory Framework. The EYFS stage is crucial in securing solid foundations that our children continue to build upon. We strive for high standards, consider the development of the whole child and seek to foster resilience and independence. We believe that all children deserve to be valued as an individual and we are passionate in allowing all children to achieve their full, unique potential. We are inclusive and welcoming to all - taking children on a journey that is engaging, exciting and empowering.
Our practice in EYFS is led by the four guiding principles.
We work in close partnership with parent and carers throughout the year to support their learning and to encourage children to reach their full potential. We also aim to promote a smooth transition from EYFS to Key Stage 1 by providing children with the knowledge, skills and attitudes they need to succeed throughout their education.
We have ensured that our EYFS curriculum is ambitious and is designed to give children the knowledge and cultural capital they need to succeed in life. Children's experiences over time are consistently and coherently arranged to build cumulatively sufficient knowledge and skills for their future learning.
Implementation - How is the EYFS curriculum is delivered?
The characteristics of effective learning underpin learning and development across all areas and support the child to remain an effective and motivated learner.
In our classroom, you may see children playing alone or with their peers, deciding on resources and choosing how to spend their time. You may see a child playing and listening to an adult who is modelling how to achieve something or teaching a new skill that interests them.
The new statutory framework does not prescribe a particular teaching approach, but an effective pedagogy is a mix of different approaches. There is a combination of adult led, teacher taught sessions as well as a wealth of stimulating continuous provision opportunities when adults scaffold learning through skilful interactions and questioning.
All of the crucial skills, knowledge and vocabulary that we teach are presented to the children throughout the year. These encompass a range of topics, which are designed with their interests in mind and supporting children to develop their experience and knowledge across a range of themes. Our learning environments, both inside and outside are also adapted regularly to meet the different and developing needs of the children. We aim to ensure that these areas are always stimulating and exciting, and more importantly they are accessible and challenge all children, regardless of where they are in their developmental journey.
Parents are given regular updates on their child's developments and have a good understanding of how their child is progressing. All children in Reception have an online EYFS learning journal, (Seesaw) that demonstrates each individual child's achievements and developments across the academic year.
Parents are invited to parents’ evenings and open afternoons, where they have the opportunity to look through their child's EYFS learning journey, see their children in their classroom environment and chat to the EYFS team. Parents are also invited to contribute to children’s learning journeys, by informing school of any developments that happen at home. These form part of children's individual learning journeys.
Impact
By the end of the Early Years Foundation stage, we aim for all children to have reached their personal best and have achieved outstanding progress. A good level of development, GLD demonstrates that the child has achieved the Early learning Goals in the Prime areas (Communication and language, Physical development and Personal, Social and Emotional development) and in the Specific areas of Literacy and Mathematics.
By focusing on the characteristics of effective learning we strive to promote resilience, motivation, appropriate risk taking and problem solving. This supports the child’s independence and builds on key skills that they will need throughout their life.
Summative and Statutory Assessment
We begin each year by looking at the individual needs of all our children. We take into account their different starting points and carefully develop our EYFS provision to ensure that it suitable for their unique needs and stages of development. A statutory baseline is completed in the first few weeks. Please click on the link and read more about this. Reception Baseline Assessment. We will also observe your child in the first few weeks of school to gather information that can be used to assess your children on entry in their level of development. These observations highlight strengths and next steps for your child.
Baseline - In the first six weeks of the Autumn half term your child will complete a statutory baseline from the Government. This is all online and children work 1-1 with a teaching assistant. We will also complete a WELCOMM screening which is a language toolkit which helps to identify areas in language, communication and interaction. Alongside this we will play and interact with your child and look at the next steps that are needed to help them on their school journey. We want the children to feel secure with all the adults in the classroom and become more confident in the class routines as well as making new friends along the way. This information will be communicated in a range of ways; through Seesaw, parents’ evenings, meet the teacher evenings and parental chats
Ongoing Assessment- Within our EYFS, children are assessed continuously through accurate and specific observations. These provide us with information for immediate and future planning. Observations ensure that learning is embedded and consistent and that all children continue to make excellent progress. Children are assessed against the Development Matters framework and the EYFS framework (ELG's).
At the end of EYFS, a comprehensive assessment is completed to provide a well-rounded picture of a child's knowledge, understanding and abilities; their attainment against the Early learning goals (ELG's) and their readiness for Year one
.