EYFS

At St Aloysius, we greatly value the importance that the EYFS plays in laying secure foundations for future learning and development. We recognise that children develop at different rates and in different ways and we take a holistic approach to learning to ensure that parents, guardians and the Foundation Stage team work together effectively to support the learning and development of the children in our care. All children will follow the curriculum at a stage that is suitable for their ability and each individual will have the opportunity to achieve their full potential.

In the Foundation Stage, we learn through play, build foundations for our learning and make memories that will last a lifetime. Our aim is to ensure children become confident and resilient learners. We learn in both our indoor and outdoor classroom through a wide range of child and adult led activities. We follow the EYFS curriculum which is broken down into 7 areas of learning which are separated into Prime and Specific Areas, these include:

Prime Areas:

Communication and Language
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Physical Development

Specific Areas:

Literacy
Maths
Understanding the World
Expressive Arts and Design

Each half term, we explore a new theme which is supported by a key text. In Reception, this is their Literacy Counts focus text – E.g. The Extraordinary Gardener when learning about growing. We also learn about key events and celebrations that take place throughout the year. This includes seasons, celebrations such as Christmas, Diwali, Chinese New Year and Easter.

Phonics:

We follow the Read Write Inc phonics scheme and this begins in Nursery. Children take part in Phase 1 listening games first, then when the children are secure in this, they take part in daily RWI lessons. This continues into Reception, with children taking part in daily speed sound and story book lessons.

Maths:

In Nursery, the children take part in daily counting songs and rhymes and they access mathematical activities in the provision. When the children are settled, we follow the NCETM Numberblocks planning and resources to ensure that the children have a secure understanding of numbers within 5. This is built upon in Reception through the use of Power Maths. The children take part in daily lessons and activities in the provision.

Visits and Visitors:

At St Aloysius, we strongly believe in making our learning hands on and memorable for the children. We welcome visitors and provide real life experiences such as inviting the police and fire service in during our learning about people who help us, welcoming the farm into school during our learning about animals and growing, and taking care of ducklings and butterflies as we learn about life cycles.

Transition:

To support transition into nursery, we hold stay and play sessions for our new families to attend. This enables the children to explore their new classroom, meet their teacher and begin to make new friends with the support of their parent/carer.

Our Nursery children become familiar with the Reception staff through spending time together in our shared spaces throughout the year. This supports their transition into Reception. During transition days, they spend time in their new class and begin to build relationships with their teachers and friends. Our EYFS Lead visits children joining us from private nursery settings and ensures there is clear communication and transition from one setting to another.

How our EYFS runs:

We have a 39 place Nursery with 15 hour and 30 hour provision available.

We also have two Reception classes. Nursery and Reception have their own classrooms and we share a messy room and outdoor area.

Assessment:

On entry, the EYFS team complete baseline assessments through daily observation of the children. This is delivered in an informal way, through observing children in their play and interacting with them within the provision. We assess and record the children’s progress regularly to inform our teaching and learning. This helps us to develop our understanding of what the children can do and what their next steps in learning are, and enables early identification of those pupils requiring additional support. Reception also complete the NFER Baseline assessment at the start of the year. All children complete the Wellcomm Screening at key points throughout the year, which identifies children who need Speech and Language support.