Early Years Foundation Stage

What is the intent of the Early Years Foundation Stage at Winsford High Street?

Our Early Years Provision at Winsford High Street Community Primary School is driven by the needs of our pupils who join us from varied starting points and with varied life experiences. We strive to ensure that by the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage the children at Winsford High Street will be happy, confident, resilient, independent learners who embody the characteristics of effective learning to allow them to transition smoothly into Year One. Our Early Years Foundation Stage allows children to actively ask questions, build on their natural curiosity, develop problem-solving abilities and broaden their purposeful knowledge and skills. At Winsford High Street we strongly believe that the Early Years Foundation Stage is crucial to children’s later learning and therefore strive to give them the very best start to their education.

“There is a heavy emphasis on developing their attitudes to learning, so they become curious and inquisitive learners. This enables these children to make good progress in all aspects of their learning.” Ofsted December 2017

Implementation

How do we achieve what we set out to?

We meet the welfare requirements laid down in the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. We actively safeguard and promote the welfare of all of our children.
We plan to develop learning across the prime and specific areas of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage.
We carefully plan sequences of activities that provide meaningful learning experiences, developing each child’s characteristics of effective learning. These are based around an overarching theme in line with the school curriculum, whilst also appealing to our children’s interests.
We provide high quality interactions with adults that demonstrate and impact on the progress of all children.

Staff use high quality questioning and interactions to check understanding, address misconceptions and to facilitate next steps in learning. “Adults consistently question children well to develop their learning, particularly in their writing and number work.” Ofsted Dec 2017
Staff act as role models to the children for children to develop their own speaking and listening skills.
Accurate assessment is used, through small group work and observations recorded on Learning Book. These are used to inform the next steps of learning and meet individual needs. Judgements are continually moderated as a team.
We develop an engaging environment that is set up so that children can access all areas of learning both inside and outside of the classroom.
We provide challenges for child-initiated activities that enhance children’s learning and impact on progress.

Children are immersed in a language rich environment.
Weekly home learning opportunities allowing parents to build on their child’s school experiences, at home are provided.
We respond to the needs and interests of the children through mini-topics and enhancements to the learning environment.
Educational visits are organised to provide rich, first-hand experiences to all children.
Specific targeted interventions are used to support those in need of additional support including the use of WELLCOMM for speech and language development.

We aim to work collaboratively with parents. We provide regular parent workshops related to the specific areas of learning of Maths and Literacy. Parent contributions to Learning Book and WOW cards are encouraged and celebrated.
All children benefit from Forest Schools sessions to support all areas of the EYFS curriculum, risk taking and the promotion of mental health and well-being.
Literacy is planned using ‘Pathways to Write’. Literacy opportunities are also promoted in all areas of our continuous provision where applicable. Our Literacy planning is heavily story based with texts chosen for their level of challenge and quality language. The use of age appropriate stories allows us to create ‘hook’ lessons which further promote our children’s enjoyment, willingness and pleasure for reading.
Phonics is taught daily using ‘Letter and Sounds’. Children are grouped in fluid groups to meet their current needs and provide a necessary level of challenge.
Maths is taught based on an approach to develop mathematical reasoning and fluency designed to give children a secure foundation of mathematical concepts ready for their transition into Year 1. Our maths curriculum has been developed following work with the Cheshire and Wirral Maths Hub.

Development matters is used as a guide for planning and assessment alongside the Early Learning Goals.
Assessment judgements are made from accumulative observations and in-depth knowledge of the children through one to one and small group tasks. These ongoing assessments are used to inform planning and next steps in teaching and learning for all children throughout the year.

Impact

What is the impact of our EYFS curriculum?

As a result of our EYFS curriculum the children of Winsford High Street are motivated to learn, confident and resilient.

“Children demonstrate high levels of engagement in activities, developing their speaking and listening skills, enabling them to access more areas of the learning and communicate to both adults and children. Children develop skills across all areas of the curriculum including literacy, mathematics and physical development using these in different ways.” Ofsted December 2017

The children acquire knowledge about the wider world and gain first hand experiences to create memories and make links with previous learning and as a basis for future learning.

“Children have developed a wider sense of the world around them and can draw on these experiences during interactions with others and link this to new learning.” Ofsted December 2017

The children make good progress over their time in our EYFS from often low starting points. Many children enter our Nursery and Reception classes with significant speech and language difficulties. Children make rapid progress with their language difficulties with the support of WELLCOMM and speech interventions.

“Leaders have established highly effective nursery provision so that the needs of children can be met at the earliest stage of their education. Many children enter the Nursery Year with skills below those typical for their age. Leaders and governors target additional support for children’s language development from the point of entry. This intensive support is raising the levels of development for children transferring to the school’s Reception classes.” Ofsted December 2017

“From low starting points on entry, pupils currently make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics.” Ofsted December 2017

Click here to find the Curriculum Overviews for Reception

Click here to find the Curriculum Overviews for Nursery