The Early Years Foundation Stage (Nursery and Reception)

“A secure, safe and happy childhood is important in its own right.”

Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage:

In the EYFS at Birtley East Primary School our aim is to develop a positive foundation for lifelong learning.  To support this, we actively promote the four overarching principles set out in the EYFS Statutory Framework.

• A Unique Child
• Positive Relationships
• Enabling Environment
• Learning and Development.

A Unique Child:
To ensure that every child makes good progress from their starting points, learning opportunities are carefully planned that respond to the individual needs, interests and fascinations of every child.  Each child has their own Learning Journal that builds up a picture of their characteristics of learning and demonstrates their learning and development through self led play.

Positive Relationships:
Every child has been allocated a key person whose role it is to support individuals through nurturing and respectful relationships.  Each child’s key person works to develop supportive links with families, ensuring the next steps in children’s learning are based on a shared approach to observational assessment.  In both Nursery and Reception,  clear routines, boundaries and behavioural expectations are promoted and modelled.  Visual timetables and prompts ensure that children with EAL or those with additional learning needs are supported. Positive Relationships are promoted when planning learning opportunities in the EYFS.  Children have the right to learn through child led learning that is carefully balanced and complimented by adult led learning plans based upon observational assessments.

Enabling Environments:
Learning environments in the EYFS at our school are carefully planned to enable and facilitate independence , and promote the characteristics of effective learning for every child (playing and exploring, active learning, creative and critical thinking).  At Birtley East Primary School the children in the EYFS learn through play and have the opportunity to learn throughout the day, both indoors and outdoors in all weathers.  They are encouraged to take risks and explore. The learning environment is organised to enable learning across the seven areas of learning.  The established systems and routines allow practitioners to support learning and development particularly in the Prime Areas.

Learning and Development:
“Play is essential for children’s development, building their confidence as they learn to explore, to think about problems, and relate to others.  Children learn by leading their own play, and by taking part in play which is guided by adults” Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage.
Short term learning and development is planned for through adult led and child led play opportunities both indoors and outdoors. Ongoing, carefully planned enhancements to the continuous provision are made. Planned enhancements to the learning environment are informed by observational assessment of the children engaged in play.  These focused and incidental observations inform us about each child, their interests and fascinations.

Long and medium term plans are developed on reflection of  the summative assessment for each cohort to ensure that the curriculum evolves and is informed by the needs and interests of the children.

The EYFS at Birtley East Primary School follows the seven areas of learning and development set out in the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage.  When planning and guiding children’s activities, practitioners reflect on the different ways that children learn.  Their individual characteristics of learning are used to shape next steps in provision for their learning. Our children are supported to reach their full potential, making good progress form their starting points and to reach their Early Learning Goals.

Characteristics of Effective Learning:
The three characteristics of effective teaching and learning are:

• playing and exploring – children investigate and experience things, and ‘have a go’;
• active learning – children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties, and enjoy achievements; and
• creating and thinking critically – children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things.
  

Seven Areas of Learning and Development: 
All areas of learning and development are important and inter-connected. Three areas are particularly crucial for igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, and for building their capacity to learn, form relationships and thrive.

These three areas, the prime areas, are:

• Communication and language development involves giving children opportunities to experience a rich language environment; to develop their confidence and skills in expressing themselves; and to speak and listen in a range of situations.
• Physical development involves providing opportunities for young children to be active and interactive; and to develop their co-ordination, control, and movement. Children must also be helped to understand the importance of physical activity, and to make healthy choices in relation to food.
• Personal, social and emotional development involves helping children to develop a positive sense of themselves, and others; to form positive relationships and develop respect for others; to develop social skills and learn how to manage their feelings; to understand appropriate behaviour in groups; and to have confidence in their own abilities.

The specific areas are:

•  Literacy development
•  Mathematics
•  Understanding the world
•  Expressive arts and design

Impact
Our curriculum ensures that all children are ready for the next stage in their learning journey and make progress over time. We want our learners at Birtley East to be engaged and enjoy learning, where a love of lifelong learning is instilled. We want our pupils to be articulate and to develop and demonstrate leadership qualities and to be good citizens. We support our children to achieve an age-appropriate level of knowledge and understanding across subjects and at the key milestones in Early Years. During their time in EYFS, they become fantastic role models and the very best of themselves. Their individuality is valued and the unique child has every opportunity to achieve and excel, based upon their own personal strengths, interest and core values whilst learning in EYFS, and in the future. The true impact of our curriculum can be seen in the progress and achievements in the Reception year as pupils achieve a Good Level of Development.

Our Children will:
• Be eloquent orators who have strong communication skills. They will be able to talk fluently as well as listen respectively and with tolerance to the views of others.
• Demonstrate self-regulation, emotional resilience and the ability to persevere when they encounter challenge whilst managing risks.
• Develop a sense of self-awareness and become confident in their own abilities.
• Achieve excellent communication and reading skills.
• Be secure mathematicians who are able to master Number tasks up to number 10 securely.
• Be kind, respectful and honest, demonstrating inclusive attitudes and have a sense of their role in wider society.
• Be ready to transition smoothly into the next phase of their education.