Contents
- Early year foundation stage
- Aims
- Learning and development
- Planning
- Staffing and organisation
- Assessment , recording and monitoring
- Learning through play
- The learning environment
- Liaison with pre-school settings and induction
- Reception to year 1 transition
- Home/school links
- Equal opportunities
- Inclusion
Early year’s foundation stage
“Every child deserves the best possible start in life and support to fulfil their potential. A child’s experience in the early years has a major impact on their future life chances. A secure, safe and happy childhood is important in its own right, and it proves the foundation for children to make the most of their abilities and talent as they grow up.”
“Statutory framework for the early year’s foundation stage”, department for children, schools and families, 2007 early childhood is the foundation is the foundation on which children build of the rest of their lives. At Rawdhatul Uloom Islamic Primary School we greatly value the important role that the early year’s foundation stage EYFS plays in laying secure foundations for the future learning and development, however we also believe early childhood is valid in itself, as part of life. It is important to view the EYFS as preparation for life and not simply preparation for the next step of education. The EYFS is for children from birth to five years of age. The final year of the EYFS is referred to as the reception year. All children begin school with a variety of experience and learning. It is the privilege of the practitioners working in reception to take on the task of building upon that prior learning and experience. This is done through a holistic approach to learning, ensuring that parents/carers, support staff and the reception teachers work effectively together to support children’s learning and development.
Aims
It is every child’s right to grow up safe, healthy and enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution and with economic well-being. At Rawdhatul Uloom Islamic Primary School the overreaching aim of the EYFS is to help young children achieve these five every child matters outcomes. We aim to provide a broad and balanced curriculum which will enable each child to develop personally, socially, emotionally, spiritually, physically, creatively and intellectually to his/her full potential. Each child is valued as an individual and teaching and learning is based on the understanding that children develop at different rates.
We aim to:
- Provide a safe, challenging, stimulating, caring and sharing environment which is sensitive to the needs of the child.
- Provide a broad, balanced, relevant and creative curriculum that will set in place firm foundations for future learning and development in key stage 1 and beyond.
- Provide opportunity for children to learn through planned, purposeful play in all areas of learning and development.
- Use and value what each child can do, assessing their individual needs and helping each child to progress.
- Enable choice and decision making, fostering independence and self confidence
- Work in partnership with parents/carers and value their contributions
- Ensure that all children, irrespective of ethnicity, culture, religion, home, language, family background, gender or ability, have the opportunity to experience a challenging and enjoyable programme of learning and development.
Learning and development
The early learning goals ( the knowledge, skills and understanding which young children should have acquired by the end of reception year) and the educational programmes (the matters, skills and processes which are required to be taught for young children) are set out in the “statutory framework for the early years foundation stage” document (department for children schools and families, 2007)
- Personal social and emotional development
- Communication and language
- Physical development
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Understanding of the world
- Expressive arts and designs
At Rawdhatul Uloom Islamic Primary School we believe these seven areas are equally important and depend on each other to support a rounded approach to child development. We aim to deliver all the areas through planned, purposeful play, with a balance of adult led and child-initiated activities. 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 prime areas are:
- Personal social and emotional development
- Communication and language
- Physical development
Planning
Good planning is the key to making children’s learning effective, exciting, varied and progressive. Effective learning builds on and extends what children know and can do. Our planning shows how the principles of the EYFS will be put into practice and is always informed by observations we have made of the children, in order to understand and consider their current interests, development and learning. All practitioners who work in reception at Rawdhatul Uloom Islamic primary school are involved in this process. There are three stages of planning the curriculum:
Long term planning
We have created a framework, which gives structure and coherence to the curriculum. Topics are planned for each of the three terms and the early learning goals and educational programmes are distributed over the terms, to determine broad and balanced coverage. Some early learning goals provide a focus for certain terms, particularly those relating to knowledge and understanding of the word.
Medium term planning
We address particular aspects of the curriculum in more detail for each term; we include links between areas of learning and development and opportunities for ICT. Learning objectives, assessment opportunities and activities and activities for each area of learning and development are identified.
Short term planning
We identify specific learning objectives, activities, differentiation, deployment of adults and resources, to meet the learning needs of children on a weekly and day to day basis. It allows for flexibility in response to individual children’s needs and interests and for revision and modification, informed by on-going observational assessment.
Staffing and Organisation
There is one reception class at Rawdhatul Uloom Islamic Primary School, with a maximum intake of twenty-one children. We maintain an adult/pupil ratio 1:8 within the reception year; the children have daily opportunities for structured and free-flow play both in classroom and in the EYFS outdoor area. This is supported by an adult, who acts as a facilitator to the child’s learning. The teacher liaises with the key workers, regularly involving them in planning, preparation and assessment. We are always aiming to improve our teaching skills, knowledge and understanding and so all practitioners are encouraged to participate in courses, in-service and local cluster group training.
Assessment, recording and monitoring
At Rawdhatul Uloom Islamic Primary School we undertake assessment for learning. We analyse and review what we know about each child’s development and learning, and then make informed decisions about the child’s progress. This enables us to plan the next steps to meet their development and learning needs. All practitioners who interact with the child contribute to the assessment process.
Formative assessment
This type of assessment informs everyday planning and is based on on-going observational assessment of each child’s achievements, interests and learning styles. Formative assessment may take the form of anecdotal observations, focused observations, baseline assessment, other focused assessments e.g. Sound/number, annotated examples of work, photographs and information from parents. Each child has an individual Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Profile folder. ClassDojo and CEM Baseline are online subscriptions which help with assessments and recording observations.
Summative assessment
The EYFS profile summarises all of the formative assessment undertaken and makes statements about the child’s achievements against thirteen scales. It summarises children’s progress towards the early learning goals. ClassDojo and CEM Baseline are online subscriptions which help with assessments and recording observations.
Learning through 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’s development.” “Early Years Foundation Stage” department for children schools and families 2007. At Rawdhatul Uloom we do not make a distinction between work and play. We support children’s learning through planned play activities, and decide when child-initiated or adult led play activities would provide the most effective learning opportunities. We believe that it is important for adults to support children’s learning through play, by getting involved in the play themselves.
The learning environment
“A rich and varied environment supports children’s and development. It gives them the confidence to explore and learn in secure and safe, yet challenging, indoor and outdoor spaces.” Early Years Foundation Stage Department for children, schools and families, 2007. We aim to create an attractive, welcoming, and stimulating learning environment. Which will encourage children to explore, investigate and learn through first-hand experience? We also aim to make it a place where children feel secure and confident, and are challenged to develop their independence. Activities are planned for both the inside and outside; children have the freedom to move between the indoor and outdoor classroom throughout the school day. The learning environment is divided into a variety of different areas; role play, book corner, writing area, computer, creative, sand, water, outside and construction. These areas are carefully arranged to encourage quiet areas and more active areas within the learning environment. Children are encouraged to become independent learners and to take some responsibility for initiating their own lines of enquiry and investigation.
Induction
During the induction period in September:
- The practitioners will get to know the children individually and establish a good relationship.
- The key workers carry out a baseline assessment
- Admission on a full time basis is introduced at the beginning of Reception, unless it is mutually agreed between parents, the EYFS leader and the head teacher that the child will benefit from a part time arrangement. A child reaches statutory school age at the beginning of the term following his/her fifth birthday.
Year 1 and 2 children undertake the role of “playground buddies” to help new children become familiar with the playground and to become confident at joining in with playground games at playtimes.
Reception to year 1 transition
The Reception and the year 1 teacher work together to make the transition from the early year’s foundation stage to key stage 1 as smooth as possible.
At Rawdhatul Uloom Islamic Primary School:
- Children are encouraged to develop independence when dressing and undressing and when organising their personal belongings throughout the reception year.
- Reception practitioners plan from more structured activities to be undertaken during the summer terms, encouraging less dependence or adult support.
- Individual EYFS profile folders are passed on to year 1 teachers.
- Reception and year 1 meet to discuss individual needs of children in July.
Home/school links
- Encouraging parents to share their child’s “magic moments” which are used to record special moments or achievements at home.
- Encouraging relevant learning activities to be continued at home e.g. Maths games and library books, and ensuring that experiences at home are used to develop learning at school.
- Discussing individual targets with parents/carers at parent’s day/evening.
- Providing annual written report parents/carers in July summarising the child’s progress against the early learning goals and EYFS assessment scales.
- Holding child/parent open days and workshops to enable parents to work alongside their children.
Equal opportunities
At Rawdhatul Uloom Islamic Primary School we aim to provide all pupils, regardless of ethnicity, culture, religion, home language, family background, learning difficulties, disabilities, gender or ability, equal access to all aspects of school life and work to ensure that every child is valued fully as an individual. Practitioners, as role models, are aware of the influence of adults in promoting positive attitudes and use that influence to challenge stereotypical ideas.
Safeguarding
Please refer to ‘safeguarding and prevent’ policy.
Health and safety
Please refer to ‘health and safety’ policy with specific reference being made to risk assessment and medical needs (first aid training).
Monitoring and review
The effectiveness of this policy will be monitored and evaluated by the head teacher and EYFS leader, and will be reviewed on an annual basis.