Cockerham Parochial CE Primary School
Early Years
Foundation Stage
Policy
2012 - 2013
Introduction
At CockerhamPrimary School, the term ‘Foundation Stage’ refers to children betweenthe ages of four and five years old and describes their curriculum throughout the Reception year. Parents and carers start their child in Reception in the academic year in which he or she has his/her Fifth birthday.
The Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (DFE
2012) states that:
Every child deserves the best possible start in life and the support that enables them to fulfil their potential. Children develop quickly in the early years and a child’s experiences between birth and age five have a major impact on their future life chances. A secure, safe and happy childhood is important in its own right. Good parenting and high quality early learning together provide the foundation children need to make the most of their abilities and talents as they grow up.
Aims
At CockerhamPrimary School, our over-riding aim in the EYFS is for our pupils to
develop a positive foundation for life long learning. We will achieve this by promoting andsupporting the four key principles in the EYFS statutory framework.
1. A Unique Child – Every child is a competent learner from birth who can be
resilient, capable, confident and self-assured.
2. Positive Relationships – Children learn to be strong and independent from a
base of loving and secure relationships with parents and/or a key person.
3. Enabling Environments - The environment plays a key role in supporting and
extending children’s development and learning.
4. Learning and Development – Children develop and learn in different ways and
at different rates and all areas of learning and development are equally
important and inter-connected.
To achieve this we will:
• Ensure that all children and their families feel safe, valued, included and
respected.
• Promote parents as partners in their child’s learning.
• Help children to feel secure and develop relationships with a ‘key worker’
• Promote a safe, challenging, rich and varied indoor and outdoor learning
environment.
• Provide children with the opportunities to play, to engage in active learning and to
think creatively and critically.
• Ensure all seven areas of the EYFS are given equal coverage and that
planning is based on observations of children, their interests and their next
steps in learning.
In the EYFS we set realistic and challenging expectations that meet the needs of our
children. We achieve this by planning to meet the needs of boys and girls, children withspecial educational needs, children who are more able, children with disabilities, childrenfrom all social and cultural backgrounds, children of different ethnic groups and thosefrom diverse linguistic backgrounds.
We meet the needs of all our children through:
• Planning opportunities that build upon and extend children’s knowledge, experience
and interests, and develop their self-esteem and confidence.
• Using a wide range of teaching strategies based on children’s learning needs.
• Providing a wide range of opportunities to motivate and support children and to
help them to learn effectively.
• Providing a safe and supportive learning environment in which the contribution of
all children is valued.
• Using resources which reflect diversity and are free from discrimination and
stereotyping.
• Planning challenging activities for children whose ability and understanding are in
advance of their language and communication skills.
• Monitoring children’s progress and taking action to provide support as necessary.
Equal opportunities
This policy operates in line with the school’s Equal Opportunities Policy. Every child is
valued, respected and challenged regardless of race, gender, religion, social background,culture or disability.
Safeguarding
Children learn best when they are healthy, safe and secure, when their individual needsare met and when they have positive relationships with the adults caring for them.
At CockerhamPrimary School we understand that we are legally required to comply withcertain welfare requirements as stated in the Statutory Framework for the Early YearsFoundation Stage 2012. We are committed to:
• Promoting the welfare of children.
• Promoting good health, preventing the spread of infection and taking appropriate
action when children are ill.
• Managing behaviour effectively in a manner appropriate for the children’s stage of
development and individual needs.
• Ensuring all adults who look after the children or who have unsupervised access to
them are suitable to do so.
• Ensuring that the premises, furniture and equipment are safe and suitable for
purpose.
• Ensuring that every child receives enjoyable and challenging learning and
development experiences tailored to meet their needs.
• Identifying children and young people who are suffering or likely to suffer
significant harm, and taking appropriate action with the aim of making sure they
are kept safe both at home and in our setting/childminder setting.
• Maintaining records, policies and procedures required for safe, efficient
management of the setting and to meet the needs of the children.
Teaching and Learning
At CockerhamPrimary School we recognise that children learn and develop in differentways and have their own learning styles. We value all areas of learning and developmentequally and understand that they are often linked.
Teaching and Learning Style
Our policy on teaching and learning defines the features of effective teaching and
learning in our school. These features apply to teaching and learning in the EYFS just asmuch as they do to the teaching in Key Stages 1 and 2. Features that relate to the EYFSare:
• The partnership between teachers and parents/carers, so that our children feel
secure at school and develop a sense of well-being and achievement.
• The understanding that teachers have of how children develop and learn, and how
this affects their teaching.
• The range of approaches used that provide first-hand experiences, give clear
explanations, make appropriate interventions and extend and develop play and
talking or other means of communication.
• The carefully planned curriculum that helps children work towards the Early
Learning Goals throughout EYFS.
• The provision for children to take part in activities that build on and extend their
interests and develop their intellectual, physical, social and emotional abilities.
• The encouragement for children to communicate and talk about their learning, and
to develop independence.
• The support for learning with appropriate and accessible indoor and outdoor space,
facilities and equipment.
• The identification of the progress and future learning needs of children through
observations.
• The good relationships between our school and the settings that our children
experience prior to joining our school.
Play
Children’s play reflects their wide ranging and varied interests and preoccupations. In
their play children learn at their highest level. Play with peers is important for children’sdevelopment.Through play our children explore and develop learning experiences, which help themmake sense of the world. They have the opportunity to practise skills, develop ideas andthink creatively alongside other children as well as individually. The childrencommunicate with others as they investigate and solve problems. They have theopportunity to express fears or re-live anxious experiences in controlled and safesituations.
Active Learning
Children learn best through physical and mental challenges. Active learning involves
other people, objects, ideas and events that engage and involve children for sustained
periods.Active learning occurs when children are motivated and interested. Children need tohave some independence and control over their learning. As children develop theirconfidence they learn to make decisions. It provides children with a sense of
satisfaction as they take ownership of their learning.
Creativity and Critical Thinking
When children have opportunities to play with ideas in different situations and with avariety of resources, they discover connections and come to new and better
understandings and ways of doing things. Adult support in this process enhances theirability to think critically and ask questions.Children should be given the opportunity to be creative through all areas of learning, notjust through the arts. Adults can support children’s thinking and help them to makeconnections by showing genuine interest, offering encouragement, clarifying ideas andasking open questions. Children can access resources freely and are allowed to move
them around the classroom to extend their learning.
Environment
At CockerhamPrimary School we recognise that the environment plays a key role in
supporting and extending the children’s development. Through observation we assess thechildren’s interests, stages of development and learning needs, before planning
challenging, achievable activities and experiences to extend the children’s learning.
Observation, Assessment and Planning
The Planning within the EYFS is based around themes. These plans are usedby the EYFS teacher as a guide for weekly planning; however the teacher may alterthese in response to the needs (achievements and interests) of the children. This will beindicated on weekly planning.We make regular assessments of children’s learning and we use this information toensure that future planning reflects identified needs. Assessment in the EYFS takes theform of observation, and this involves the teacher and other adults as appropriate.These observations are recorded in a variety of ways and used to inform the EYFSProfile (EYFSP). In line with the school’s Assessment Policy, at Christmas and Easter parents and carers are provided with an Interim Report to share pupil progress and effort.
Within the final term of the EYFS, we provide a written summary to parents/carers,
reporting their progress against the Early Learning Goals. Theparents are given the opportunity to discuss these judgements with the teacher andboth parents and children are encouraged to feedback to the teacher.
The Learning Environment
The classroom is organised to allow children to explore and learn securely and
safely.There are areas where the children can be active, be quiet and rest. The classroom issplit into learning areas, where children are able to find and locate equipment andresources independently. At CockerhamPrimary School the children have opportunitiesto move between their classroom and the outdoor area on adaily basis. Our outdoor area is planned to have shelter to enable pupils to have the opportunity tobe outdoors during inclement weather. This will have a positive effect on the children’sdevelopment. Being outdoors offers the children further opportunities to explore, usetheir senses, develop their language skills and be physically active. We plan activities andresources both inside and outside enabling the children to develop in all the areas oflearning.
Curriculum
The EYFS Curriculum is divided into seven equal areas of learning. Within each area,
children develop through different ages and stages. The Early Learning Goals, when
children are approximately 60 months old, are the national expectations for children atthe end of the Reception year (and Foundation Stage.)
Details of the seven areas of learning from the EYFS and a summary of what each of themmean for children are as follows:
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.
• Literacy development involves encouraging children to link sounds and letters and to begin to read and write. Children must be given access to a wide range of reading materials (books, poems, and other written materials) to ignite their interest.
• Mathematics involves providing children with opportunities to develop and improve their skills in counting, understanding and using numbers, calculating simple addition and subtraction problems; and to describe shapes, spaces, and measures.
• Understanding the world involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community through opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places, technology and the environment.
• Expressive arts and design involves enabling children to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials, as well as providing opportunities and encouragement for sharing their thoughts, ideas and feelings through a variety of activities in art, music, movement, dance, role-play, and design and technology.
None of these areas can be delivered in isolation from the others. They are equally
important and depend on each other. All areas are delivered through a balance of adultled and child initiated activities. In each area there are Early Learning Goals (ELGs) thatdefine the expectations for most children to reach by the end of the EYFS.
In planning and guiding children’s activities, practitioners must reflect on the different ways that children learn and reflect these in their practice. 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.
The early learning goals
The prime areas
Communication and language
Listening and attention: children listen attentively in a range of situations. They listen to stories, accurately anticipating key events and respond to what they hear with relevant comments, questions or actions. They give their attention to what others say and respond appropriately, while engaged in another activity.
Understanding: children follow instructions involving several ideas or actions. They answer ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions about their experiences and in response to stories or events. 8
Speaking: children express themselves effectively, showing awareness of listeners’ needs. They use past, present and future forms accurately when talking about events that have happened or are to happen in the future. They develop their own narratives and explanations by connecting ideas or events.
Physical development
Moving and handling: children show good control and co-ordination in large and small movements. They move confidently in a range of ways, safely negotiating space. They handle equipment and tools effectively, including pencils for writing.
Health and self-care: children know the importance for good health of physical exercise, and a healthy diet, and talk about ways to keep healthy and safe. They manage their own basic hygiene and personal needs successfully, including dressing and going to the toilet independently.
Personal, social and emotional development
Self-confidence and self-awareness: children are confident to try new activities, and say why they like some activities more than others. They are confident to speak in a familiar group, will talk about their ideas, and will choose the resources they need for their chosen activities. They say when they do or don’t need help.
Managing feelings and behaviour: children talk about how they and others show feelings, talk about their own and others’ behaviour, and its consequences, and know that some behaviour is unacceptable. They work as part of a group or class, and understand and follow the rules. They adjust their behaviour to different situations, and take changes of routine in their stride.
Making relationships: children play co-operatively, taking turns with others. They take account of one another’s ideas about how to organise their activity. They show sensitivity to others’ needs and feelings, and form positive relationships with adults and other children.
The specific areas
Literacy
Reading: children read and understand simple sentences. They use phonic knowledge to decode regular words and read them aloud accurately. They also read some common irregular words. They demonstrate understanding when talking with others about what they have read.9