Welcome to Early Years Foundation Stage
Intent
At Irby Primary School we believe that our Early Years Foundation Stage is crucial to developing firm foundations to be built upon throughout our school journey and beyond. It is our intent that the children who enter our EYFS develop physically, verbally, emotionally, creatively, intellectually and spiritually whilst embedding a positive attitude to school and learning in order for each child to achieve their full potential. We set high expectations throughout all areas of school life and beyond. Our school motto is introduced in our Reception Class…Be kind, Work hard and Never Give up and this is then embedded in all aspects of our children’s lives as they become lifelong learners in an environment of acceptance and support. We believe that all children deserve to be valued as an individual and we are passionate in supporting all children to achieve their full, unique potential. Our Reception class follow the EYFS curriculum, which has seven main areas of learning.
The Prime Areas:-
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Communication and Language
Physical Development
The Specific Areas:-
Literacy
Mathematics
Understanding the World
Expressive Arts
Implementation
We implement these areas of learning by providing a safe, stimulating environment that allows children to discover, be challenged, consolidate and achieve their very best whilst developing their resilience and independence. There is a combination of adult-led, teacher taught whole class, group and individual support. Throughout all of these areas of learning and at the heart of the EYFS Curriculum are the “Characteristics of Effective Learning”. We strive to develop these key characteristics of “Playing and Learning”, “Active Learning” and “Thinking Critically” in order to give the children the skills that they will continue to draw upon throughout their development. We get to know our families and children well and use their interests and knowledge to support and inspire our children’s knowledge and understanding of themselves, our local community and beyond. Our learning environments, both inside and outside are adapted to meet the different and developing needs of our children. We are passionate advocates for ensuring all of our children are able to share how they feel and work with them to support any worries or concerns they may have as we fully believe…Happy Children Learn.
Within our EYFS Curriculum, children are assessed through accurate observations informing future planning and children’s individual next steps in their learning. This enables us to ensure learning is embedded and consistent and that all children continue to make the best possible progress within our EYFS setting.
Impact
The impact of our provision is evident by the happy, inquisitive learners that leave Reception with a good level of development, ready for the new challenges of Year One. It can also be seen through the feedback received by our parents, which is used to support other new parents who may be considering joining our school family. It is a privilege to be part of such an important stage in our children’s development and our dedicated staff work tirelessly to deliver the best possible outcomes for all of our children.
Curriculum
At Irby Primary, our curriculum is designed to follow the EYFS Statutory Framework and is further guided by a document called ‘Development Matters’ that sets out the learning, development and assessment requirements for all children until the end of their Reception year. We plan and deliver a wide range of learning opportunities and experiences to support each child’s educational development across seven areas of learning. The EYFS framework has never prescribed a particular teaching approach and the new framework holds true to this value. Our philosophy of early year’s education remains the same with play and well-being at the heart of everything we do.
Early Learning Goals:
In the final term of the year, a profile will be completed for your child. This provides parents and carers, practitioners and teachers with a well-rounded picture of a child’s knowledge, understanding and abilities, their attainment against expected levels, and their readiness for year 1. Throughout their year in Reception, the children will be observed and assessed, mainly through their play, in order to gain insights and make reasonable judgements against the early learning goals. We will use the terms ‘emerging’ or ‘expected’ to describe our judgements, under the new guidance the term ‘exceeding’ has been removed.
Our Reception Classroom
A little snippet of our classroom, all ready for the new starters who join us each September. Our children will add their wonderful work to enhance our learning environment and make it their very own. We are always adding to and developing the area to ensure it remains a safe and stimulating place to learn for all learners.
Exploring the outside world!
In Red Class we love exploring our forest area. It’s a place we can explore, experiment and learn with our friends. We have the opportunity to develop, to learn and to enjoy ourselves. It’s our safe and non-threatening environment in which we can take risks, make choices and initiate our own learning. It helps us to understand, appreciate and care for the natural environment. We become resilient, confident, independent and creative learners. We develop positive relationships with ourselves and other people.
