Early Years Foundation Stage
At St Mark’s CE Primary School, our school motto, ‘Together in God’s love, we will shine.’ flows through everything that we do and is underpinned by our values of: Understanding, honesty, perseverance, kindness, respect and love.
When our youngest children become part of our school community, our curriculum is designed to recognise that the children's prior learning from previous settings and from home, provide first hand learning experiences. Every child is recognised as a unique individual, and we celebrate and welcome diversity within our school community.
The ability to learn is underpinned by the teaching of basic skills, knowledge, concepts and values. We provide enhancement opportunities to engage learning and believe that our first experiences of school should be happy and positive, enabling us to develop a lifelong love of learning.
Throughout their time in EYFS, the children develop a sense of belonging to our school community, ready for transition into year 1 the following academic year. They have the confidence and skills to make decisions and self-evaluate, make connections and become lifelong learners.
- To work in partnership with parents and carers to encourage independent, happy learners who thrive in school and reach their full potential from their various starting points.
- To understand and follow children’s interests and provide opportunities throughout our EYFS curriculum to support learning, consolidate and deepen knowledge and ensure children meet their next steps.
- To create an indoor and outdoor environment which supports and extends learning.
- To prepare children to achieve a Good Level of Development (GLD) and the Early Learning goals at the end of the Foundation Stage and ensure children make at least good progress from their starting points.
- To support transition into KS1.
Throughout EYFS at St Mark's, we follow the Early Years Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. This framework specifies the requirement for learning and development in the Early Years and provides prime and specific areas of learning we must cover in our curriculum. We have a curriculum that is child-centred and that is based on projects which engage the children and are key foundations to be built on in the future. We encourage active learning to ensure the children are motivated and interested. We take time to get to know children’s interests and their likes to support learning. All areas of the EYFS curriculum are followed and planned for to ensure there is a broad, balanced and progressive learning environment and curriculum. The children will learn new skills, acquire new knowledge and demonstrate understanding through the seven areas of the EYFS curriculum.
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development
- Physical Development
- Communication and Language
- Understanding the World
- Expressive Arts and Design
These 7 areas are used to plan children’s learning and activities. Planning for this curriculum is designed to be flexible so that children’s unique interests are supported. During each week, the children will work with an adult to complete 1:1 reading sessions and group guided reading sessions, as well as an adult led literacy task, an adult led maths task and a range of child initiated tasks through both the indoor and outdoor provision. As the children move through Reception, there are also planned weekly ‘Challenges’, which the children are encouraged to engage in during their Continuous Provision. A vital aspect in the development of essential knowledge and skills is the use of Continuous Provision. This means that children are using and developing taught skills throughout the year on a daily basis. During the school day, children will have an opportunity to work independently, work collaboratively with their friends and with members of staff. Daily guided activities are also planned to cover different areas of the EYFS curriculum and allow children to develop their next steps in learning. Through observation and discussion, areas of need and next steps are identified for all children to ensure good progress is made.
There are also a range of stimulating and engaging activities which the children can access independently and a variety of opportunities for child-initiated play. In planning and guiding children’s activities we reflect on the different ways that children learn and reflect these in our practise. Staff in the EYFS are skilled at making observations that are then discussed and fed into planning, adult interaction and the learning environment. We will include interventions for groups or individuals if and when necessary. Children in EYFS learn by playing and exploring, being active, and through creative and critical thinking which takes place both indoors and outside. Our outdoor areas are used all year round and in all weather conditions. We ensure activities support the Characteristics of Effective Learning to ensure learning takes place.
- Playing and Exploring – children investigate and experience things, and have a go;
- Active Learning – children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties, and enjoy achievements;
- Creating and Thinking Critically – children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas and develop strategies for doing things.
Our Reception children are very much a part of our whole school community: playing in the playground; attending church and assemblies; performing in a Nativity with KS1 and participating in trips when possible. They also enjoy visits from a range of different people to support our wider curriculum. We provide regular opportunities for parents and carers to come into school and share their work and celebrate successes.
We keep parents informed and we operate an ‘open door’ policy to ensure children’s transition into school and throughout their Reception year is happy and allows them to reach their potential with the support needed. This includes transition days, home visits, stay and play sessions, parent workshops, Learning Journals, reports and parent consultations as well as more frequent informal communication to suit individual families. We also support the transition into Key Stage 1 for both child and parents. We prepare children for Year 1 with visits to their new class, meeting the teacher and ensuring the environments are similar at the end of EYFS and the start of Year 1.
We strive to ensure that our children’s progress across the EYFS curriculum is good from their varied starting points. We also strive for children to achieve a Good Level of Development and many of the Early Learning Goals at the end of Reception, and to be as close as possible to National Expectations. Evidence in children’s Learning Journals and staff knowledge of the children support all areas of the EYFS curriculum. The impact of our curriculum is measured by assessment procedures which allow us to measure outcomes against all schools nationally. We measure the percentage of pupils achieving age related expectations and that are on track for GLD throughout the academic year and put supportive interventions in place if and when needed. Class teachers use observations to make formative assessments which inform future planning and ensure that all children build on their current knowledge and skills at a good pace. This is regularly tracked to ensure rates of progress are at least good for all children, including vulnerable groups such as those with SEND, EAL, disadvantaged or summer born children. Our assessment judgements have been moderated both in school and externally with local schools and others in our trust. We also partake in local authority moderation which has validated our judgments.
"Mwaka wa kwanza wa msingi wa shule ya msingi ya St Mark's, kauli mbiu ya shule yetu, ""Together in God's love, we will shine,"" inapita katika kila kitu tunachofanya na inategemea maadili yetu ya: uelewa, uaminifu, uvumilivu, fadhili, heshima na upendo." Wakati watoto wetu wadogo wanapoingia katika jamii ya shule, mtaala wetu umebuniwa kutambua kwamba kujifunza kwa watoto kutoka kwa mazingira ya awali na kutoka nyumbani, hutoa uzoefu wa kujifunza wa kwanza. Kila mtoto anatambuliwa kama mtu wa kipekee, na tunasherehekea na kuwakaribisha utofauti ndani ya jamii yetu ya shule. Uwezo wa kujifunza unategemezwa na kufundishwa kwa ujuzi wa msingi, maarifa, dhana na maadili. Tunatoa fursa za kuboresha kushiriki kujifunza na kuamini kwamba uzoefu wetu wa kwanza wa shule unapaswa kuwa na furaha na chanya, kutuwezesha kuendeleza upendo wa maisha ya kujifunza. Katika kipindi cha miaka yao katika EYFS, watoto huendeleza hisia ya kuwa sehemu ya jamii yetu ya shule, tayari kwa ajili ya mpito katika mwaka wa kwanza mwaka wa masomo unaofuata. Wana ujasiri na ujuzi wa kufanya maamuzi na kujithamini, kufanya uhusiano na kuwa wanafunzi wa maisha yote. - Kufanya kazi kwa ushirikiano na wazazi na watunzaji kuhamasisha wanafunzi wa kujitegemea, wenye furaha ambao hufanikiwa shuleni na kufikia uwezo wao kamili kutoka kwa vituo vyao mbalimbali vya kuanza. - Kuelewa na kufuata maslahi ya watoto na kutoa fursa katika mtaala wetu wa EYFS kusaidia kujifunza, kuimarisha na kuimarisha maarifa na kuhakikisha watoto wanakutana na hatua zao zifuatazo. - Kuunda mazingira ya ndani na nje ambayo inasaidia na kupanua kujifunza. - Kuandaa watoto kufikia kiwango kizuri cha maendeleo (GLD) na malengo ya kujifunza mapema mwishoni mwa hatua ya msingi na kuhakikisha watoto kufanya angalau maendeleo mazuri kutoka hatua zao za mwanzo. - Kuunga mkono mpito katika KS1. Katika miaka yote ya EYFS, St Mark's hufuata Mfumo wa Sheria wa Miaka ya Mapema kwa Hatua ya Msingi wa Miaka ya Mapema. Mfumo huu unafafanua mahitaji ya kujifunza na maendeleo katika miaka ya mapema na hutoa maeneo ya msingi na maalum ya kujifunza ambayo lazima tufunikie katika mtaala wetu. Mtaala wetu wa masomo ni wa watoto na unaonyesha jinsi ya kuendeleza mradi ambao ni muhimu kwa watoto na ni msingi wa maendeleo ya baadaye. Tunahimiza kujifunza kwa bidii ili kuhakikisha kwamba watoto wana kichocheo na kupendezwa. Tunachukua muda wa kujua maslahi ya watoto na wanapenda kusaidia kujifunza. Sehemu zote za mtaala wa EYFS zinafuatwa na kupangwa ili kuhakikisha kuna mazingira ya kujifunza na mtaala mpana, usawa na wa maendeleo. Watoto watajifunza ujuzi mpya, kupata maarifa mapya na kuonyesha uelewa kupitia maeneo saba ya mtaala wa EYFS. Maendeleo ya kibinafsi, kijamii na kihisia - Maendeleo ya kimwili - Mawasiliano na Lugha - Kuelewa Ulimwengu - Sanaa ya Kuelezea na Ubunifu - Maeneo haya saba hutumiwa kupanga kujifunza na shughuli za watoto. Mipango ya mtaala huu imeundwa kuwa rahisi ili maslahi ya kipekee ya watoto yaunge mkono. Katika kila wiki, watoto watafanya kazi na mtu mzima kukamilisha vikao vya kusoma 1: 1 na vikao vya kusoma vilivyoongozwa na kikundi, pamoja na kazi ya kusoma na kuandika iliyoongozwa na mtu mzima, kazi ya hisabati iliyoongozwa na mtu mzima na kazi kadhaa za kuanza kwa mtoto kupitia utoaji wa ndani na nje. Kama watoto kusonga kwa njia ya Mapokezi, kuna pia iliyopangwa kila wiki <unk>Challenges<unk>, ambayo watoto ni kuhamasishwa kushiriki katika wakati wao Continuous Provision. Sehemu muhimu katika maendeleo ya maarifa na ujuzi muhimu ni matumizi ya Utoaji wa kuendelea. Hii inamaanisha kwamba watoto wanatumia na kuendeleza ujuzi uliofundishwa mwaka mzima kila siku. Wakati wa siku ya shule, watoto watakuwa na fursa ya kufanya kazi kwa kujitegemea, kufanya kazi kwa kushirikiana na marafiki zao na wafanyakazi. Shughuli za kila siku za kuongozwa pia zimepangwa kufunika maeneo tofauti ya mtaala wa EYFS na kuruhusu watoto kuendeleza hatua zao za baadaye katika kujifunza. Kupitia uchunguzi na majadiliano, maeneo ya uhitaji na hatua zijazo hutambuliwa kwa watoto wote ili kuhakikisha maendeleo mazuri yanafanywa. Pia kuna mbalimbali ya kuchochea na kuvutia shughuli ambayo watoto wanaweza kupata kujitegemea na aina mbalimbali ya fursa kwa ajili ya kucheza mtoto-kuanzishwa. Katika kupanga na kuongoza shughuli za watoto sisi kutafakari juu ya njia tofauti kwamba watoto kujifunza na kutafakari hizi katika mazoezi yetu. Wafanyakazi wa EYFS wana ujuzi wa kufanya uchunguzi ambao kisha huzungumziwa na kuingizwa katika mipango, mwingiliano wa watu wazima na mazingira ya kujifunza. Tutajumuisha uingiliaji kwa makundi au watu binafsi ikiwa na wakati inahitajika. Watoto katika EYFS kujifunza kwa kucheza na kuchunguza, kuwa hai, na kwa njia ya ubunifu na kufikiri muhimu ambayo hufanyika wote ndani na nje. Maeneo yetu ya nje hutumiwa mwaka mzima na katika hali zote za hewa. Sisi kuhakikisha shughuli kusaidia Sifa ya Kujifunza ufanisi kuhakikisha kujifunza hufanyika. - Kucheza na Kuchunguza <unk> watoto kuchunguza na uzoefu mambo, na kuwa na kwenda; <unk> Active Learning <unk> watoto kuzingatia na kuendelea kujaribu kama wao kukutana na matatizo, na kufurahia mafanikio; <unk> Kuunda na kufikiri kwa ukali <unk> watoto kuwa na na kuendeleza mawazo yao wenyewe, kufanya uhusiano kati ya mawazo na kuendeleza mikakati ya kufanya mambo. Watoto wetu wa mapokezi ni sehemu kubwa ya jamii yetu ya shule nzima: kucheza katika uwanja wa michezo; kuhudhuria kanisa na makusanyiko; kufanya katika kuzaliwa kwa Kristo na KS1 na kushiriki katika safari wakati inawezekana. Pia wanafurahia ziara kutoka kwa watu mbalimbali ili kuunga mkono mtaala wetu mkubwa zaidi. Tunawapa wazazi na walezi fursa ya kuja shuleni na kushiriki kazi yao na kusherehekea mafanikio. Tunawajulisha wazazi na tunaendesha sera ya "mlango wazi" ili kuhakikisha mabadiliko ya watoto katika shule na katika mwaka wao wa mapokezi ni furaha na inaruhusu wao kufikia uwezo wao na msaada unaohitajika. Hii inajumuisha siku za mpito, ziara za nyumbani, kukaa na kucheza, warsha za wazazi, jarida la kujifunza, ripoti na mashauriano ya wazazi, na pia mawasiliano ya kawaida ya kawaida ili kukidhi familia za mtu binafsi. Kuongeza hatua ya kwanza ya hatua ya msingi ya 1 ni muhimu kwa watoto na wazazi. Wanafunzi wanaanza mwaka wa kwanza kwa kutembelea darasa lao jipya, kukutana na mwalimu na kuhakikisha mazingira ni sawa mwishoni mwa EYFS na mwanzo wa mwaka wa kwanza. Tunataka kuhakikisha kwamba maendeleo ya watoto wetu katika mtaala wa EYFS ni mazuri kutoka kwa hatua zao tofauti za kuanza. Pia tunajitahidi kwa watoto kufikia kiwango kizuri cha maendeleo na malengo mengi ya kujifunza mapema mwishoni mwa mapokezi, na kuwa karibu iwezekanavyo na matarajio ya kitaifa. Utafiti wa watoto na ujuzi wa wafanyakazi wa watoto huunga mkono maeneo yote ya mtaala wa EYFS. Matokeo ya mtaala wetu yanapimwa na taratibu za tathmini ambazo zinaturuhusu kupima matokeo dhidi ya shule zote kitaifa. Kwa mfano, asilimia ya wanafunzi wanaofikia matarajio ya umri na ambao wako kwenye njia ya GLD katika mwaka wa masomo na kuweka uingiliaji wa msaada mahali ikiwa na wakati inahitajika. Walimu wa darasa hutumia uchunguzi kufanya tathmini za kuunda ambazo zinaarifu mipango ya baadaye na kuhakikisha kwamba watoto wote wanajenga juu ya maarifa na ujuzi wao wa sasa kwa kasi nzuri. Hii ni kufuatiliwa mara kwa mara ili kuhakikisha viwango vya maendeleo ni angalau nzuri kwa watoto wote, ikiwa ni pamoja na makundi ya hatari kama vile wale na SEND, EAL, watoto walio na hasara au watoto waliozaliwa majira ya joto. Hukumu zetu za tathmini zimepunguzwa ndani na nje ya shule na shule za mitaa na wengine katika uaminifu wetu. Pia tunashiriki katika udhibiti wa mamlaka ya mitaa ambayo imethibitisha hukumu zetu.