EYFS
At Tattenhall Park Primary School, our practice is guided by the Early Years Statutory Framework, which sets out expectations for children’s learning and development and welfare.
Unique Child
At Tattenhall Park Primary School, we recognise that every child is unique. They begin school with a variety of different experiences. These experiences may include time in other early years’ settings. We aim to build on these experiences to ensure that we deliver an ambitious curriculum for all. To achieve this, we are conscious of prior learning and work closely with other settings and parents during the transition to school. We recognise that children develop in individual ways and at different rates. We take a holistic approach to developing the unique child and we use the children’s interests as a vehicle for their learning.
Positive Relationships
Transitions to school begin early to build positive relationships. Teachers are conscious that starting school is a big milestone and we acknowledge that an effective transition is essential to a successful start to primary school life. Our aim is for all children to feel happy, safe and secure. Our relationships with our families are also important in achieving this as we recognise that learning is a partnership between home and school.
Parents as Partners in Learning
- Transition packs.
- Transition meetings prior to September start.
- Tapestry used a tool to share learning at school and special events at home.
- Weekly Home Learning Newsletters
- Parents invited to support on school trips.
- Mystery Reader
- Parent and other family members invited to share their role in the wider community.
- Sports Day.
- Community events – e.g gardening
- Stay and Play sessions.
- Meet the teacher and other curriculum evenings.
Enabling Environments
The Early Years classrooms and outdoor spaces are organised to allow children to explore and learn safely and securely. The resources are carefully considered so that the child’s learning during play-based activities is enhanced with open-ended opportunities. Children are encouraged to investigate, ask questions and explore, whilst building resilience.
Learning and Development
In planning and guiding what our children learn, we reflect on the Characteristics of Effective Learning:
- Playing and Exploring
- Active Learning
- Creating and thinking critically
The Foundation Stage curriculum is organised into seven areas of learning:
Prime Areas:
- Communication & Language
- Personal Social & Emotional Development
- Physical Development
Specific Areas:
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Understanding the World
- Expressive Arts & Design.
These areas are developed through adult-led activities, structured play and child-initiated activities, following the children’s interests and embodying topic led themes.
PRIME AREAS
Communication and Language
Communication is key to our children's learning and embodies our whole curriculum.
We support our children to:
- Listen carefully and respond with relevant comments and questions.
- Share their thoughts and feelings with our friends, peers and grown-ups.
- Value and respect each other's opinions.
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
We take pride in helping our pupils to:
- Develop their feelings.
- Work together.
- Develop a positive disposition towards learning.
- Develop friendships with adults and peers.
- Understand differences between themselves and others.
We use ‘Jigsaw PSHE’ and ‘Jigsaw RE’ to support our PSED sessions. We are also a ‘No Outsiders’ school.
Physical Development
Physical development is developed through:
- PE and outdoor provision activities – using imagination and showing an awareness of space.
- Learning to understand how to stay fit and healthy through exercise and diet.
- Using small equipment and materials to develop fine motor control and coordination.
- Using large equipment to develop gross motor skills because large movements support the development of writing through control, suppleness, and coordination.
SPECIFIC AREAS
Literacy
Literacy skills transfer across the whole curriculum – we learn to read, and we read to learn. We write for lots of different real reasons and with a purpose so that we are interested and inspired.
- Reading – we follow the Read, Write Inc scheme.
- Reading – we have designated daily Storytime. In these sessions, we develop the children’s vocabulary, comprehension, and love of books.
- Writing – we are a ‘Pathways to Write’ school and we use high quality texts to engage the children.
Mathematics
Maths is all around us and we use our whole environment to help us learn. We follow Master the Curriculum in Nursery and Whiterose Maths in Reception.
Understanding the World
The world around us is a fascinating place in which we all have different and similar experiences. We use first hand experiences to explore the environments and people/ communities around them – immediate, local, and further afield. We use Kapow Primary Geography suggested sessions to support some of our sessions.
Expressive Arts & Design
We use Kapow Primary Art and Design, Design and Technology and Music planning to support our curriculum delivery.
We take pride in helping our pupils to:
- Develop skills in music, art, drama, dance, storytelling, role play through topics and the children’s own interests.
- Give children opportunities given to express themselves in a stimulating environment. Our art area is a permanent fixture, which includes a range of materials.
Assessment in EYFS
We assess our children formally and informally through observation of child-initiated activities as well as planned adult led activities.
As children start school, we spend time having quality interactions with them to understand their interests and needs. We observe each child and understand their individual and specific Characteristics of Learning - playing and exploring, active learning and creating and thinking critically. During their first weeks in school a Baseline Assessment is formed from which we can plan for next steps and track each child’s progress throughout the year.
Assessment evidence is collated in the form of observations and written comments which are recorded in different ways, for example completed work, photographs or videos and celebrated in an individual Learning Journey on Tapestry. This is used to monitor cohort, group and individual progress and inform next steps.
During the reception year, children work towards the Early Learning Goals in each area of learning. At the end of the reception year, each child is assessed against Early Learning Goals for each area of learning, Prime and Specific, and deemed to be:
- Working towards the expected level (Emerging)
- Working at the expected level (Expected)
Children are expected to achieve what is known as their ‘Good Level of Development’, which includes being assessed at the Expected level in all Prime areas of learning (Personal, Social & Emotional Development, Communication & Language and Physical Development) along with the Specific areas of Maths and Literacy.
Summer Term 1
Spring Term 2
