North Frodingham Primary School

INTENT

• To provide opportunities for all, where reflection, good communication, shared purpose and responsibility and effective use of resources provides a positive first start to children’s educational journey in a loving, caring and nurturing environment. The Child is at the centre of all we do – we ensure all children feel valued, included and respected: modelling and promoting the key values the school endorses, including British values.
• To ensure high standards and expectations for all children carefully planning opportunities for all children to reach their next steps in learning and full potential. Providing engaging, fun, focused learning with equal access to all 7 areas of learning for all children whatever their preferred learning styles or needs.
• To provide a safe and stimulating learning environment that encourages children to take responsibility for their own development as independent learners. An environment that builds on children’s own interests, curiosity and enthusiasm and provides the opportunity to practise and master new learning through the indoor and outdoor provision.
• Recognising parents and carers as children’s first educators we aim to build strong relationships so that we can work together effectively to build children’s confidence, self-esteem and learning opportunities. Creating a firm foundation and partnership that will last throughout the family involvement within our school community.
• We recognise each child as an individual and aim to develop their unique personality, children’s awareness of diversity and respect for each other’s values and customs. We welcome visitors and foster involvement within the local community.

IMPLEMENTATION

The FSU team create an environment which promotes care, emotional security and builds confidence, independence and a love of learning. At the beginning of each term, we carefully consider the individual needs and interests of each pupil and their, ‘Next Steps’, in learning. We then tailor a broad and balanced curriculum to suit and inspire each cohort. Following the EYFS Curriculum and linking to, ‘Development Matters’, and the, ‘East Riding Agreed Syllabus for RE’, we are able to build a full, relevant and robust Curriculum where we hold, ‘High Expectations’, for all children. Half termly topics are linked to good quality, diverse texts and learning opportunities and experiences are directly linked to the Prime (Communication and Language, Personal, Social and Emotional Development and Physical Development) and Specific (Literacy, Maths, Understanding The World and Expressive Arts) areas of learning.

Play is vital in the EYFS and is very important to us. Our Curriculum and timetable has been designed to ensure that children have ample time for free flow, independent play to develop, practise and refine new skills. Both Indoor and Outdoor Continuous and Enhanced Provision are carefully planned to suit the needs of each cohort and to build the skills needed to access the KS1 curriculum. Visits, visitors, Outdoor Learning sessions and STEM Ambassadors all contribute to an ambitious curriculum where we hold high expectations for all our pupils.   

PSED is delivered directly through a carousel of Circle Time, Picture News and British Values and is woven through our curriculum and provision.

Communication and Language development needs are met through a, ‘Language Rich Environment’. Poems, songs, nursery rhymes, ‘Helicopter Stories’, and regular story times support the children’s developing skills and help them to gain confidence and understanding. Communication and Language skills are assessed upon entry enabling us to quickly provide tailored support.

Physical development is taught directly through PE sessions alongside various other planned and child-initiated opportunities for children to develop physically. FS1 and FS2 children experience a wide range of sports delivered by experienced and knowledgeable coaches including football, gymnastics, dance and golf.

Staff are expert in teaching systematic, synthetic phonics. Daily phonics sessions are delivered through the, ‘Bug Club Phonics’, scheme of work. Children are grouped according to the Phonics Phase in which they are working and teaching starts in Phase 1 of, ‘Letters and Sounds’. Reading is a priority in the EYFS; children read regularly to an adult and Reading Books are carefully matched to the Phonics units. 2 year olds and FS1 children access carefully planned sessions designed to lay the foundations and develop the range of skills needed for future reading and writing. Phonics Work Shops are held annually for parents and carers and further support can be found on our website.

Opportunities for Adult Led writing are well planned and resourced; Children are encouraged to write using real life contexts, such as writing lists, menus, letters, plans and post its and have a variety of writing resources available to them. All children access, ‘Dough Disco’, and ‘Funky Fingers’, which promote the development of fine and gross motor skills.  

Sequenced maths sessions are delivered to FS2 children using the White Rose scheme of work, ‘Mastering Number’, which is supplemented with NCETM’s, ‘Master The Curriculum’, for Shape, Space and Measure units. Complementary maths activities can be found in the environment, linked directly to the current unit of work allowing children to practise and deepen their maths skills. 2 Year olds and FS1 children are introduced to focused maths sessions which include counting, number rhymes and maths games. Further experiences for learning in maths are woven into many of our daily routines.

An, ‘Investigation Table’, encourages the children to play, explore, question and foster the skills for future learning and Enquiry. Exciting and unusual resources entice children into this area where practitioners can extend the children’s learning through careful questioning, encourage them to take managed risks and to challenge themselves. Our, ‘Small World’, and, ‘Role Play’, areas allow practitioners to expose the children to other faiths, cultures, ways of life and past ways of life from around the World and aids us in challenging Gender Stereotyping. RE sessions are delivered using, ‘Jack In The Box’, and, ‘Puddles’, texts and resources which link directly to our school’s focussed values. (Perseverance, Friendship, Courage etc)

The EAD curriculum is rich and varied. Children have access to, Junk Modelling, Mark Making, Messy Play and, ‘Deconstructed Role Play’ within the Continuous Provision and through Adult Led tasks. Creativity and roleplay outdoors links to the Natural World and children learn how to thread, weave and sew simple designs by the end of the EYFS.

Parents are regularly invited into the setting for, ‘Stay and Play’, sessions, Workshops and themed craft mornings. The FSU units operates an, ‘Open Door Policy’, and time is always made for parents or carers needing to talk. FS1 and FS2 parents and carers are invited to termly Parents Evenings, parents of 2 Year Olds are involved in the, ‘2 Year Progress Check’, and all receive annual reports. Additional strategies to involve and inform parents and carers include New Starter Visits, Home Visits upon request, Reading Records, Topic Overviews, Marvellous Me updates and Class e-mails. Parents and carers can also access Home Learning Links on Purple Mash and Active Learn.

IMPACT

• • Children in the EYFS report that they feel safe, they enjoy learning and feel like they, ‘belong’ to our school and local community.
  • Current attainment is above National and this continues an upward trend in outcomes over three years.
  • Progress from on-entry to end of Foundation Stage is good as children enter FS2 broadly in line with typical for their age and leave above or in line with National.
  • SEND children within the EYFS make good progress.
  • Disadvantaged children within the EYFS make good progress.
  • More Able children within the EYFS make good progress.
  • Effective communication between EYFS and KS1 professionals and the early development of relationships ensures a smooth transition into KS1.