Early Years
Intent
Together may we give our children the roots to grow and the wings to fly. (Anon)
Within the Early Years Foundation Stage (Preschool and Reception) our intent is :
- To provide a caring, friendly, enabling environment which promotes the learning and development of every child and prepares them for the challenges of today and tomorrow.
- To develop trusting relationships and work in partnership with parents and carers to develop confident, independent and reflective learners who thrive in school and reach their full potential.
- To ensure that children access a broad and balanced curriculum that builds on their interests and nurtures and encourages a love of learning.
- To provide a rich and stimulating environment with opportunities for learning both indoors and outdoors .
- To prepare children to make good progress from their starting points and to reach the Early Learning Goals at the end of the Foundation Stage
Implementation
Learning in the Early Years in our school is facilitated through a balance of discreet, adult led sessions and carefully planned continuous provision where our children have opportunities to investigate, make decisions for themselves and apply their understanding through play in a motivating learning environment both inside and outdoors.
We value the experiences that forest school brings to our children and this begins within our Early Years provision. By creating stimulating play spaces with open ended resources we aim to ignite curiosity and excitement as well as a sense of awe and wonder in every child.
Our learning is based on the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum which is delivered mainly through a play-based approach using the children’s interests and fascinations as our starting point and allowing their imagination and creativity to take the lead. Activities are carefully planned to cover all areas of the EYFS curriculum and to allow children to develop their next steps in learning.
Regular ongoing observation of the children's learning, together with information contributed from home, is collected in each child's Learning Journey and used to inform our planning of activities, adult intervention or support and the set up of the learning environment, both indoors and outside.
Phonics Curriculum Parents Meeting Autumn 2022
Impact
At Ashton under Hill First School our children make good progress from their starting points throughout their time in Early Years and the majority reach the Early Learning Goals at the end of Reception. We ensure that our children enter Key Stage 1 'school ready' with a love of learning and a broad range of knowledge and skills which provides them with the right foundation for future progress, enabling them to be a confident, independent and reflective learner.
