Intent:

At St-Swithun’s Primary Academy our foundation stage aims to deliver an ambitious curriculum centered around high quality teaching and learning experiences. Children are encouraged to actively learn through playing and exploring, allowing them to think creatively and critically across all areas of the curriculum. We strive to give children the very best start in life and support needed to enable them to fulfill their full future potential and success. A rich, vibrant, positive learning environment enables us to develop a lifelong love of learning.

Implementation:

Our curriculum is built around the ‘Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage’

The principles that guide the work in the EYFS are grouped into 4 themes:

• A unique child
• Positive relationships
• Enabling Environments
• Learning and Development

The EYFS Curriculum consists of the seven areas of Learning and Development. In school there are three prime and four specific areas

• The three prime areas of learning are:
• Personal, Social and Emotional Development
• Communication and Language
• Physical Development

The four specific areas of learning are:

• Mathematics
• Literacy
• Understanding of the World
• Expressive Arts and Design

Termly themed topics are used to excite and motivate young minds. These themes are embedded throughout the provision and environment, allowing children to make clear links in learning.  

During the school day school day, children have an opportunity to work independently and collaboratively with or alongside their friends within a wealth of stimulating continuous provision and child initiated play opportunities both indoors and outdoors.

Daily guided activities are also planned which cover different areas of the EYFS curriculum and allow children to deepen their knowledge, skills and understanding further.

We deliver daily Little Big Maths sessions which are both enjoyable and interactive and allow children to develop core Maths skills. Concepts explored within these session are then carefully planned and placed into the learning environment for children to practice and deepen their knowledge, skills and understanding further.

Our daily ‘letters and sound’ programme allows all children to explore sounds and go onto to read effectively. Discrete sessions are used as a starting point and again are embedded into the rich, playful environment which allows children to deepen their understanding apply their learning.

We recognise that language and communication are vital in all area’s of a child’s development and is therefore a consistent focus within our language rich environment. Exploring vocabulary, holding conversations and sharing stories are a regular part of the school day.

Here at St-Swithun's we work alongside Speech and Language Therapists to support children's speech and language needs. We use a speech and language screener to identify early speech and language needs and provide additional speech and language interventions that develop area’s specific individual needs. To support our more complex speech and language needs we use a Makaton programme that uses symbols, signs and speech to enable children to communicate.

We also have developed close partnerships with key agencies such a Sure Start. We offer a referral system to any families who we feel may benefit from their support, covering a wide range needs from toilet training, behaviour, eating and sleeping.

We are proud to celebrate a close partnership with our parents as we know that this has a positive impact on children’s learning and the speed at which they progress. Online tapestry journals allow parents to have a close insight into their child’s learning as and when it’s happening. Weekly parent sessions empower parents to learn alongside their children allowing learning to naturally extend into the home.

Reception children are offered a balance between a play based curriculum in a morning and formal but still vibrant lessons of maths and English in the afternoon, this helps prepare the children well for transition into KS1.

Children develop their Christian values through weekly RE sessions along with regular visits to church. Children are also given the opportunity to learn about different diverse faiths and cultures.

Children are closely observed during their independent play and observations are taken whilst children demonstrate an independence of applying skills.

Termly summative assessments against the development matters carefully track progress and attainment. Pupils who are still struggling maintain good progress are identified quickly and interventions are targeted ensuring pupils continue to make good progress.

Impact:

We strive to ensure that our children’s progress across the EYFS curriculum is better than good from their varied starting points. We also strive for children to reach the Early Learning Goals at the end of Reception and for most to be at least in line with National Age Related Expectations.

Assessment judgements are moderated both in school and externally with local schools and others in our trust. We also partake in local authority moderation which has validated our school judgements.

The Curriculum Leader for Early Years and Foundation Stage is:

Mrs Christa Mitchinson

Little Big Maths 

We deliver daily Little Big Maths sessions which are both enjoyable and interactive and allow children to develop core Maths skills. Concepts explored within these session are then carefully planned and placed into the learning environment for children to practice and deepen their knowledge, skills and understanding further.

Speech and Language 

Here at St-Swithun's we work alongside Speech and Language Therapists to support children's speech and language needs. We use a speech and language screener to identify early speech and language needs and provide additional speech and language interventions that develop area’s specific individual needs. To support our more complex speech and language needs we use a Makaton programme that uses symbols, signs and speech to enable children to communicate. You can learn more about Makaton here https://www.makaton.org/aboutMakaton/

Sign of the week.

March

Forest Schools 

Every year we work closely with the staff at Hallcroft Children's Centre to provide our children with the opportunity to take part in Forest School sessions. Through Forest School activities children develop confidence and an understanding of the world, the environment and everything within it by partaking in a variety of outdoor experiences and activities.

We have enjoyed activities such as making bird feeders, looking for minibeasts, creating play dough faces on tree trunks using natural objects and building habitats. We have visited the Bassetlaw Museum gardens to take part in Forest School activities and also ran an after school club here at St Swithun's, where the children practised sawing wood and toasting marshmallows over a fire, as well as a variety of other outdoor activities.

Muddy Monday! 

Every Monday we get on our wellies and wet suits and carry our activities in the garden centered around the natural world. 

Tasty Tuesday!

Every Tuesday we put on our baking aprons and bake something delicious for snack time. 

Phase One Phonics

Our daily ‘letters and sound’ programme allows all children to explore sounds and go onto to read effectively. Discrete sessions are used as a starting point and again are embedded into the rich, playful environment which allows children to deepen their understanding apply their learning.

Children develop their Christian values through weekly RE sessions along with regular visits to church. Children are also given the opportunity to learn about different diverse faiths and cultures.