At Covingham Park, we believe that the Early Years Foundation Stage is vital in securing solid foundations for children beginning their journey through school. It is our intent that our children develop key physical, verbal, cognitive and emotional skills whilst embedding a positive attitude to school and learning that they will continue to build upon each year.
We know that all children are individual with their own strengths and needs. In order to ensure every child can fulfil their potential we begin each year with a strong transition process. Through home and nursery visits in the summer and a part time settling in period, we get to know our children’s starting points and interests. Then we carefully design our curriculum and learning environments to suit all needs and stages of development.
The new Statutory Framework for the EYFS curriculum applies from 1 September 2021. The seven main areas of learning remain the same:
The Prime Areas:
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Communication and Language
Physical Development
The Specific Areas:
Literacy
Mathematics
Understanding the World
Expressive Arts
The new early learning goals summarise the knowledge, skills and understanding that all young children should have gained by the end of Reception.
Communication and Language
Listening, Attention and Understanding
Speaking
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Self-regulation
Managing Self
Building Relationships
Physical Development
Gross Motor Skills
Fine Motor Skills
Literacy
Comprehension
Word Reading
Writing
Mathematics
Number
Numerical Patterns
Understanding the World
Past and Present
People, Culture and Communities
The Natural World
Expressive Arts and Design
Creating with Materials
Being Imaginative and Expressive
The RBA will be statutory in schools from September 2021, and we are required to carry it out within the first 6 weeks of pupils starting reception. It will be an activity-based assessment of pupils’ starting points in:
language, communication and literacy
mathematics
We implement this through a child led, play based approach with topics chosen democratically by the children. Based on the selected theme, teaching is practical and modelled by all adults in a combination of whole class adult led carpet inputs, small group sessions and working with children in the continuous provision. We aim to support and challenge all learners and closely consider the “Characteristics of Effective Learning” to ensure children actively learn and have opportunities to think critically.
We aim for our learning environments to be stimulating and exciting. Both inside and outside provisions are constantly adapted to reflect the children’s interests, as well as to provide opportunities to consolidate and move learning forward based on next steps identified each day.
We actively promote independence from all children both in their personal and social skills, but also through accessing and applying their understanding of the curriculum.
Children are assessed continuously through accurate observations both in adult directed time and through their engagement with learning opportunities in the provision. This provides us with information for future planning and enables us to put support and challenge in place as soon as it is identified and required.
Our EYFS strives to reflect our school ethos of ‘Caring for Pupils, Promoting Success’.