Early Years Education
Our Foundation Stage children learn in a secure and stimulating environment where first-hand experience encourages the development of imagination, creativity and the enjoyment of learning.
Our classrooms are large, bright and welcoming and we have a secure outdoor classroom where children enjoy riding bikes, large scale construction, role play, planting vegetables, exploring in the sand and water and getting messy in the mud kitchen! In addition we use our wildlife garden for ‘Forest School’ activities on a weekly basis –Welly Wednesdays and Forest Fridays!
The content of the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum reflects the developmental needs of each child. We take account of experiences prior to school and parents meet with the Reception teachers to share information, and get to know each other.
The Pre-School induction sessions in the summer term make a sound contribution to the children’s development. These include visits to pre-school settings and opportunities for children and parents to visit school. Good relationships are established early on and children are familiar with school. Parents comment very positively on these sessions and agree they helped their child settle into school very easily.
In the first week of the Autumn term Reception children attend school for half day sessions. These are invaluable in ensuring that children settle quickly and develop positive relationships with all staff.
Early Learning Goals
All children in the Reception year are part of the ‘Foundation Stage’. They remain in this stage until the end of their first year in school.
During the year they work towards the Early Learning Goals which:
• establish what most children are expected to achieve in each area of learning by the end of the Foundation Stage.
• set high expectations, which are achievable with good quality provision, an appropriate curriculum and effective teaching.
The children’s learning is organised in seven areas:
the ‘prime’ areas of communication and language; physical development; personal, social and emotional development and ‘specific’ areas of literacy, mathematics, understanding the world, expressive arts and design.
In planning and guiding children’s activities, we consider the different ways that children learn and reflect these in our practice. The three characteristics of effective learning are: playing and exploring; active learning and creating and thinking critically.
Much of young children’s learning is based on play, which is carefully structured to ensure the development of appropriate knowledge, skills and understanding. So when your child comes home and says s/he has been playing, remember that’s how they learn best at 4 and 5 years of age.
There is lots of information about the Early Years framework linked below, and our class pages are a window into everyday life across our Early Years provision.
To get an even better idea of life in EYFS at Pendle, you are always welcome to phone the school office to arrange a visit.
Useful Documents for EYFS