Early Years Foundation Stage

Welcome to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), which is how the Government and early years professionals describe the time in your child’s life between birth and age 5. This is a very important stage as it helps your child become ‘school ready’ as well as preparing them for their future learning and successes. From when your child is born up until the age of 5, we strongly believe that their early years experience should be happy, active, exciting, fun and secure; and support their development, care and learning needs. In order for children to acquire a deep level of learning, it is important to ensure they have opportunities to build memory prompts, enabling them to recall things which they have learnt, effectively continuing to build their knowledge as they progress throughout education.

Our Reception Class Curriculum Intent

To work in partnership with parents and carers to encourage independent, happy learners who thrive in school and reach their full potential from their various starting points.

To understand and follow children’s interests and provide opportunities throughout our EYFS curriculum to support learning, consolidate and deepen knowledge and ensure children meet their next steps.

To create an indoor and outdoor environment which motivates, inspires and supports learning.

To prepare ALL children to reach the Early Learning Goals at the end of the Foundation Stage and ensure ALL children make good progress from their starting points.

To plan and support a successful and smooth transition into KS1.

Implementation

The curriculum - what we want children to learn.

Our Curriculum for Reception is ambitious and planned to provide high quality teaching and learning for ALL. Stories and language development are at the heart of everything we do in Apple Tree Class.  Careful sequencing helps the children to build on their learning over time and reactivate prior learning. We use children's interests to motivate them and staff plan 

 Impact

• We strive to ensure that our children’s progress across the EYFS curriculum is good from their varied starting points. We also strive for ALL children to reach the Early Learning Goals at the end of Reception and to be near National expectations.
• Evidence in children’s Interactive Learning Journeys support all areas of the EYFS curriculum.
• Class teachers use observations to make formative assessments which inform future planning and ensure that all children build on their current knowledge and skills at a good pace.
• Summative assessment compares children’s attainment to age related expectations using  Development Matters.  This is tracked to ensure rates of progress are at least good for all children, including vulnerable groups such as those with SEND or who are disadvantaged.
• Assessment judgements are moderated both in school and externally with local schools. 

Tapestry

This system, called ‘Tapestry’ is an online learning journal used in schools around the country, it enables staff to take photographs, videos and make written observations of the learning your child does at school. You will then have access to this information (using your email address and a secure password to log in) so you can celebrate this learning at home too.

Tapestry is a brilliant platform of shared learning opportunities and therefore it is a useful tool for Parents/Carers. Not only can you see what your child is learning in school, you can also add your own posts to keep school informed of what your child gets up to out of school too! We love sharing learning experiences both inside and outside of school, all of which contribute to the progress your child makes as they move throughout the Early Years.