EYFS Framework
Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED) - providing opportunities for each child to become a valued member of their class and the school with a positive self-image and high self-esteem. Enable the children to learn how to co-operate and work harmoniously alongside and with each other and to listen to each other.
Communication and Language (CAL) - opportunities for all children to talk and communicate in a widening range of situations, to respond to adults and each other, to practise and extend the range of vocabulary and communication skills they use and to listen carefully.
Physical Development (PD) - opportunities for all children to develop and practise their fine and gross motor skills, and to increase their understanding of how their bodies work and what they need to do to be healthy and safe.
Literacy - opportunities for all children to explore, enjoy, learn about and use words in a broad range of contexts and to experience a rich variety of books.
Mathematics - opportunities for all children to develop their understanding of number, measurement, pattern, shape and space in a broad range of contexts in which they can explore, enjoy, learn, practise and talk.
Understanding the World (UW) - opportunities for all children to solve problems, make decisions, experiment, predict, plan and question in a variety of contexts, and to explore and find out about their environment and people and places that have significance in their lives.
Expressive Arts and Design (EAD) - opportunities for all children to explore and share their thoughts, ideas and feelings through a variety of art, design and technology, music, movement, dance and imaginative and role play activities.
Philosophy and practice
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) at Park Road Primary School gives children the opportunity to experience the very best possible start to their education.
At Park Road, we ensure that our children establish solid foundations on which they can build for their future learning journey. This ensures that they continue to flourish throughout their school years and beyond. The EYFS prepares children for learning in Key Stage 1 and the KS1 National Curriculum.
Reception builds on what the children have already experienced at their Nursery settings. Literacy skills are taught daily, with specific emphasis on phonics. The children learn to read and write using a phonic approach. The National Strategy for Letters and Sounds is our prime approach for phonics, this teaches the children to hear, say, write and read the sounds in words. This is supported with interactive ICT based programs such as LCP phonics and PhonicsPlay.co.uk which the school has a subscription with. Phoincsplay.co.uk can be accessed from home using the schools own log in details.
Numeracy is also taught daily in a fun and practical way. Concepts are built upon through progression of skills, based on ‘Development Matters’ and using the whole school scheme of learning ‘Maths HUBS white rose’. This develops the skills of: Using and Applying, Count and Understand number, Knowing and Using number facts, Calculating, Understanding shape, Measuring and Handling Data.
Each day our children will have learning opportunities, through purposeful play, in each of the 7 EYFS areas of learning. In practice, most activities will develop a number of different skills and knowledge. For example, in role play activities children could be learning to play with others whilst developing their language or story telling skills or during modelling with construction children could be learning positional language, to count, spatial awareness skills and motor control.
Each week will be carefully planned to ensure children receive personalised learning experiences, taking into account skill development and interests. Some activities will be adult-led, whilst others will be independent activities chosen by the child. We provide opportunities for learning indoors and outdoors whatever the weather.
Purpose of topic planning and a Unique Child centred approach
We have six broad half-termly themes. In each half-term children's learning activities will be linked to these themes. However, these will be influenced by children’s interests and their ideas for activities. This overview broadly outlines the themes for teaching and learning in each half term. The teaching and learning which takes place will reflect the children’s interests and needs so this overview is seen as a guide rather than as a scheme of work. Each theme is flexible in time length.
At Park Road Community Primary School, we believe that every child is unique and have their own unique interests and ideas. Pupil’s own ideas and interests help lead learning within our EYFS. We endeavour to ensure that each child has their interests planned for on a number of occasions across the year, eg a child may display a keen interest in the weather, in particular the wind, they may be observed exploring the wind through trying to make a piece of paper attached to string fly in the air. This exploratory play would lead towards an enquiry-based investigation into the effects of the wind on different sized, shaped and weighted objects and materials. We may even share some ‘wind’ themed poems and stories to develop the pupil’s skills in communication and language. Literacy based on first hand experiences is always most effective. We could even make kites!
Another example which could lead to a couple of weeks’ worth of planning that would engage many pupils, especially boys, may be an interest observed in cars, dinosaurs, diggers or fire engines! The possibilities with using children’s ideas are endless. This method of teaching and learning ensures that children are interested, motivated and excited about learning! Each theme would last as long as the children’s interest allows and would be skilfully planned to include all 7 areas of learning.
Forest School learning and ethos.
At Park Road Primary School, pupils in the EYFS take part in weekly Forest school sessions. These sessions enable our pupils to embrace the learning opportunities of the natural world, through self-initiated and self-directed play and learning that is supported sympathetically and non-judgementally.
Children learn practical and social skills and are taught to understand health and safety issues. Children are supported to engage with and appreciate their natural world, to use the natural resources it offers and the endless opportunities it provides to become self-confident and self-efficient learners. Pupils are encouraged and supported to become resourceful, resilient and reflective learners. They develop good relationships with each other and learn respect for everyone and everything that they engage with. Pupils are also encouraged to take risks within their learning. Forest Schools will enable every type of learner to achieve success and make rapid and sustained progress in their learning. Pupils will become confident, happy and self-assured learners.