Welcome to the Early Years Foundation Stage!
We are pleased to welcome you to the EYFS page of our school website. Our aim in the EYFS is to help you and your child to settle into school life so that your child’s first experience is good. We aim to work with you as partners in the education of your children. You will from time to time, be invited to the school to discuss your child’s progress and also hear about our approach to the curriculum. As a Church School we see every child as a unique individual and aim to bring out the very best from each child within a caring Christian environment. Our main aim is that children, parents and carers feel happy, secure and valued so our children can progress confidently and happily through their school life.
Our Classes
Nursery
In Nursery we have children who attend either a morning session, an afternoon session or who are part of our wrap around groups. We also offer 30 hours plus top up. We accept children into Nursery the term after their third birthday.
Staff in Nursery
Mrs Roose (Teacher)
Mrs Michie (Nursery Nurse)
Miss Habberjam (Teaching assistant)
Reception
Our Reception children are aged 4 and 5.
Staff in Reception
Miss Gillespie (Reception teacher, EYFS lead)
Miss Lunn (Reception teacher)
Miss Rowley (Nursery Nurse)
Miss Heale (SEND teaching assistant)
EYFS Curriculum Intent Statement
Intent - Why do we teach what we teach?
At St Giles CE Academy we place great value on the development of children as individuals and provide them with the skills, knowledge and understanding they need to prepare them for the challenges in Key Stage One and beyond. Our aim in the EYFS is to build strong foundations rooted in academic success as well as moral and spiritual development, so that ultimately our pupils can be successful in their lives, go on to be active citizens of society and happy, curious, life-long learners.
Our curriculum is therefore the cultural capital we know our pupils need so that they can gain the knowledge, skills and understanding they require for success. They can only do that if we embed the right habits for learning through the Characteristics of Effective Teaching and Learning – Play and Exploration, Active Learning and Creative and Critical Thinking.
Our curriculum is based around our EYFS vision - a set of skills, knowledge and qualities that we hope all children leave EYFS having achieved. It is a topic based skills and knowledge progression, outlining how children build on skills as they move through EYFS and onto KS1. It is based on the Development Matters Guidance, taking into account the 4 themes and principles.
Implementation - How do we teach what we teach?
Our curriculum is delivered through a holistic approach which maximises opportunities for learning across all areas of the curriculum. Our topic based approach has been developed to deliver meaningful experiences that are relevant to our children, build on their prior experiences and provide them with opportunities for new ones. Objectives are thoughtfully sequenced to ensure that all children make progress across all 7 areas of learning. We take an objective led approach, where objectives are carefully sequenced and planned for throughout the year to ensure that all pupils are supported and can make progress from their starting points. Our curriculum prepares children for National Curriculum subjects following on from the EYFS with discrete objectives and planned opportunities for National Curriculum subjects supported by the principles of the EYFS Development Matters.
In the EYFS at St Giles, we place a strong importance on the balance between child initiated and adult led learning. Our children are provided with opportunities to learn from adults, alongside adults and during their own self-initiated, exploratory play.
We define play as learning. It is how children make sense of the world around them. It gives them the opportunity to explore for themselves. It can be intrinsically motivated, child initiated or supported by adults. Play forms the basis of relationships, communication skills and develops thought processes to allow children to make links between experiences. It teaches life skills, independence and develops confidence.
Supportive adults alongside our learning environments provide safe spaces for children to explore and grow through play and develop skills in all areas of our curriculum.
Impact - How do we know what pupils have learnt?
We assess the impact of our curriculum through regular, informal assessment opportunities. Ongoing assessments happen through daily interactions and observations of children in child-led and adult directed learning. As a team, we observe their learning experiences, record relevant information through the use of photographs and Dojo portfolios and carefully plan their next steps. We keep a floor book to evidence learning opportunities for all children in all areas of the curriculum. Every member of staff uses ongoing observational assessment to identify children’s next steps and plan experiences which ensure progress and that build on knowledge and skills cumulatively. Termly summative assessments are tracked on Insight Tracking. During each assessment window, three times a year, teachers update the progress children have made onto Insight Tracking which allows us to assess the impact of teaching and evaluate next steps in teaching and learning. Evidence of children’s learning including photographs, work samples, and comments from parents are taken into account when making assessments. Our regular monitoring of teaching and learning ensures that our curriculum is up to date and focussed on children’s interests. We regularly meet to discuss judgements, moderating assessment decisions and discussing individual children so that every member of our team feels confident in making accurate judgements about where individual pupils are and their next steps for learning.
We believe our high standards are due to the enriched play-based exploration alongside the rigour of assessment and teaching the children have as they move through the early years – a rich diet of balanced learning experiences is undoubtedly the best way to develop happy, curious children.
Long Term Planning.
Medium Term Planning.
