Infant and Junior School - Foundation Stage Policy

This policy applies to children in the EYFS only

Rationale

“All children deserve the care and support they need to have the best start in life. Children learn and develop at a faster rate from birth to five years old than at any other time in their lives, so their experiences in early years have a major impact on their future life chances. A secure, safe, and happy childhood is important in its own right. Good parenting and high-quality early learning provide the foundation children need to fulfil their potential.”

Early years foundation stage statutory framework For group and school-based providers, Department for Education (Published: 8 December 2023 Effective: 4 January 2024)

Early childhood is the foundation on which children build the rest of their lives. It is essential that the practitioners working in the EYFS build on that prior learning and experience. This is done through ensuring that parents/carers, support staff and the early years practitioners work together effectively to support children’s learning and development. This is achieved by the sharing of information from previous settings and parents/carers and ensuring that each child’s learning is a continuous journey.

The term Foundation Stage is used to describe children in the reception class only.

Aims

It is every child’s right to grow up safe, healthy, enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution and achieve economic well-being. At Sheffield Girls’ these 5 entitlements are underpinned by the four guiding principles:

• Every child is a unique child, who is constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident, and self-assured.

• Children learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships.

• Children learn and develop well in enabling environments with teaching and support from adults, who respond to their individual interests and needs and help them to build their learning over time. Children benefit from a strong partnership between practitioners and parents and/or carers.

• Importance of learning and development. Children develop and learn at different rates. This applies to the education and care of all children, including children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

At Sheffield Girls’ we strive to enable each child to develop personally, socially, emotionally, spiritually, physically, creatively and intellectually to reach their very best potential. To do this, we aim to:

• Develop a carefully structured curriculum delivered by teachers who understand and are able to implement the EYFS requirements that will set in place firm foundations for future learning and development in Key Stage 1 and beyond

• Build on the early experiences of each child – valuing what children already know and can do

• Work with parents/carers in an atmosphere of mutual respect, keeping parents/carers well and regularly informed of their child’s learning and development

• Plan opportunities for children to engage in activities planned by adults and those that they plan or initiate themselves, enabling choice and decision-making, fostering independence and self-confidence

• Plan purposeful activities for children to have rich and stimulating experiences, in a learning environment that is well organised and motivating

• Ensure that effective learning and development takes place by observing and responding appropriately to children informed by knowledge of how children develop and learn

• Recognise that each child is different and ensure that no child is excluded or disadvantaged

• Ensure that all experiences during the Foundation Stage are underpinned by PSED where each child learns how to work and play, co-operate and function in a group, develop personal and moral values and understand themselves and others.

Learning and development: The early years curriculum

At Sheffield Girls’ we utilise the early learning goals (the knowledge, skills and understanding which all young children should acquire by the end of the EYFS) and seven areas of learning and development to create our bespoke reception curriculum. The areas of learning and development are:

Prime areas:

• Communication and language

• Physical development

• Personal, social and emotional development

Specific areas:

• Literacy

• Mathematics

• Understanding the world

• Expressive arts and design

We believe these areas are equally important and interconnected, depending on each other to support a rounded approach to child development. We deliver all the areas through our Fusion Curriculum which interlinks planned, purposeful play, with a balance of adult-led and child initiated activities underpinned by our key competencies of creativity, independence, moral and ethical, confidence, appreciation and curious cognition.

The reception fusion curriculum is planned through a series of themes and topics, each of which offer experiences in all seven areas and IT. This gives structure and coherence to the curriculum. Topics are planned each term and all areas of learning and development are given equal importance, to determine broad and balanced coverage and ensure progression of each child.

Medium and short term planning allows for flexibility in response to individual children’s needs and interests and for revision and modification, informed by on-going observational assessment. Consideration is also given to ‘in the moment planning’ where children are given opportunities to find their own interests which staff use to enhance and build upon children’s existing knowledge. Staff ensure that all children are encouraged to experience all areas of activity during the week, although they may not necessarily experience them each day.

Activities and tasks are planned according to the needs and abilities of the children. All children are given the same opportunities; however activities will be differentiated by task, outcome or level of support. We provide appropriate stretch and challenge for those children working within a more exceeding level of development.

Importance of play

Through play reception children explore and develop learning experiences, which help them make sense of the world. They practise and build up ideas and learn how to control themselves and understand the need for rules. They have the opportunity to think creatively alongside other children as well as on their own. They communicate with others as they investigate and solve problems. They express fears or re-live anxious experiences in controlled and safe situations.

Through play we aim to develop the whole child in terms of emotional, social, physical, intellectual and aesthetic areas of growth. We realise that the curriculum should be carefully structured to be effective and should include:

• Opportunities for child initiated activities.

• Provision for the children’s different starting points.

• Relevant and appropriate content to match the different levels of children’s needs.

• Planned and purposeful activities that provide opportunities for teaching, learning and enjoyment.

• A learning environment that is well planned and well organised.

Play is included in all areas of the curriculum, indoors and outside, through enhanced and continuous provision. Child initiated play is a vital part of all learning, encouraging creativity and valuing the contributions of the individual child. The adults in the foundation stage play and engage with the children to support, scaffold and promote teaching and learning. This involves making decisions on how to intervene effectively to support and extend the children’s curriculum knowledge and skills. Our indoor and outdoor play activities encourage children to:

• Explore and experiment

• Relate to their world

• Acquire skills of problem solving and organisation

• Develop language

• Develop imagination

• Acquire social skills

• Deal with success and failure

• Exercise choice, learn decision making

• Become relaxed, secure and confident

• Cope with pressures, worries and fears

Assessment, recording and reporting

Assessment is key in helping parents/carers and staff to recognise children’s progress, understand their needs and plan activities and support. On entry to reception, a baseline assessment is carried out within the first 6 weeks of the autumn term so that the reception teacher can understand each individual child's entry-level and their subsequent learning and development needs. On-going observations of children and assessments linked to dialogue between practitioners form the basis when making professional judgements of children’s progress and development. Evidence can be found in the children’s ‘Learning Journals’ which are a formal record of individual children’s progress, learning and achievement during their time in reception.

Reception Pupil Progress meetings are held each term. These meetings are an opportunity for each reception child’s individual wellbeing and learning needs to be discussed with the reception teacher, head, deputy head, SENCO and the year 1 teacher (for the summer term meeting). Before each meeting, the reception teacher tracks each child’s progress in communication and language, reading, writing, maths and PSED with a professional judgement made of either emerging, expected or exceeding. Through dialogue and using these judgements, any appropriate interventions, actions or targets are set to support positive learning and development outcomes for individual children.

At the end of the summer term the reception teacher completes the EYFS Profile for each child in the Foundation Stage. Each child’s level of development is assessed against the early learning goals and a professional judgement is made of either ‘working towards’ (emerging) or ‘achieved’ (expected). EYFS Profile data is recorded on SIMS and is made available to the Local Authority if requested.

We report to parents through two parents’ evenings held in October and March. These meetings are an opportunity for the reception teacher and parents to discuss progress, wellbeing and any other concerns relating to their child plus parents can look at their child’s learning journal. Towards the end of the summer term a written report is shared with parents which details the result of their child’s EYFS Profile and contains a commentary from the reception teacher and subject specialist teachers relating to communication and language; physical development; personal, social and emotional development; literacy; mathematics; understanding the world; expressive arts and design; music and MFL. The written report also contains a short commentary on each child’s skills and abilities in relation to the three characteristics of effective teaching and learning.

This report is shared with the year 1 teacher and is discussed in the transition meeting held at the end of the summer term. The reception and year 1 teacher work together to make the transition from the EYFS to Key Stage 1 as smooth as possible. The reception children have multiple opportunities throughout the school year to share learning experiences with the year 1 children and staff as part of the transition process. In addition, in July the reception children spend an afternoon in the year 1 classroom with the year 1 teachers to help support the reception children to move into the next key stage.

Safeguarding

At Sheffield Girls’ we understand that: ‘Children learn best when they are healthy, safe, secure, when their individual needs are met, and when they have positive relationships with the adults caring for them’ Early years foundation stage statutory framework For group and school-based providers, Department for Education (Published: 8 December 2023 Effective: 4 January 2024; p.23).

We endeavour to create a high-quality, welcoming and safe setting where our foundation stage children can enjoy learning and grow in confidence.

Please refer to the Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy which details the policies and procedures in place to safeguard the children in the EYFS.

In addition, please refer to:

• The Infant & Junior School Healthy Eating Policy

• Health and Safety Policy

• ICT Acceptable Use Agreement

• The Infant & Junior School Intimate Care Policy

• The Infant & Junior School Missing Child Policy

• The Infant & Junior School Supervision Policy

• The Infant & Junior School Supervision of Staff Policy

The EYFS area is a non-smoking area and the use of mobile phones, cameras and other electronic devices with imaging/sharing capabilities is not permitted.

Supporting and understanding children’s behaviour

Corporal punishment or any punishment that could negatively affect a child’s wellbeing is not allowed. It is not permitted to threaten physical punishment. Physical intervention is only allowed in order to prevent a child from immediate danger of injuring themselves or another child. Should physical intervention be used, a written record must be reported on CPOMS under the category of ‘physical intervention’. The head and DSL will automatically be informed of this incident and the child’s parents must be informed of the incident on the same day.

In addition, please refer to the Infant & Junior School Behaviour, Rewards and Sanctions Policy.

Special educational needs

Currently the person with responsibility for SEND in the EYFS is Michelle Bates (SENCO).

For any child with a special educational need or disability, either permanent or temporary, the SEND teacher will liaise with the foundation stage staff (including the School Nurse if appropriate) to put arrangements in place to ensure that wherever possible the needs of the individual are met. The SENCO can be contacted at any point in the school year if a concern has been raised by the reception teacher regarding an aspect of a child’s learning or wellbeing. If appropriate, the SENCO will observe a child in the reception setting to determine what course of action may be necessary for example, target setting, monitoring, meeting with parents or generating a learning support plan.

Learning Support plans identify targets in specific areas of learning for those children who require additional support, in line with the Infant & Junior Schools SEND policy. The SENCO is responsible for providing additional information and advice to practitioners and parents, and for arranging external intervention and support where necessary. These needs will be regularly reviewed and provision amended by staff in the EYFS and the SEND team.

In addition, please refer to the Infant & Junior School SEND Policy.

English as an additional language

In addition, in the EYFS children will be allowed to use their home language, should they wish, in play and learning situations, whilst still encouraging their development of English. For example if an older pupil speaks a child’s home language, arrangements may be made for them to have time in school to talk. If required, additional support to develop fluency in English will be provided and this will be arranged by the SEND teacher. Assessments for children with a home language other than English, will be made in English (e.g. Baseline assessment), in order to identify specific needs. If there are concerns about a child’s language development, then this will be discussed with parents.

In addition, please refer to the Infant & Junior School EAL Policy.

Inclusion

It is important that all children are safe. We aim to protect the physical and psychological well-being of all children in the EYFS (please refer to the Infant & Junior School Safeguarding Policy). At Sheffield Girls’ we aim to provide all children, regardless of ethnicity, culture, religion, home language, family background, learning difficulties, disabilities, or ability, equal access to all aspects of school life and work to ensure that every child is valued fully as an individual. Other cultures are celebrated through aspects of the EYFS curriculum.

We endeavour to challenge inappropriate attitudes and practices through positive modelling and reinforcement by staff. Any such behaviour is dealt with immediately. Staff will speak to an individual child and if necessary all the children. Attitudes and practices will be monitored. Staff will refer to the Infant & Junior School Behaviour, Rewards and Sanctions Policy for guidance as necessary.

Home / school links

We recognise that parents/carers are the child’s first and most enduring educators and we value the contribution they make. When parents and carers and practitioners work together in early years settings, the results have a positive impact on the child’s development. A successful partnership needs to be a two-way flow of information, knowledge and expertise. We aim to foster healthy relationships with parents and carers by:

• Inviting pre-starter reception children and parents and carers to informal ’Connect and Create’ sessions throughout the year. At these sessions the children have opportunities to play and socialise and parents/carers have the opportunity to talk with foundation stage staff.

• Outlining the reception routines and curriculum to parents and carers during the ‘starting school’ afternoon in July.

• Termly ‘parent information’ letters that detail curriculum plans, homework tasks, ways to support learning at home, key diary dates plus other information relevant to the reception class.

• Updating a designated ‘Reception Parents’ page on Firefly with curriculum updates, details of events, links to supporting their child at home, photographs of their children at school etc.

• Operating an “open door” policy, whereby parents and carers can come and discuss concerns and developments in an informal manner.

• Inviting parents and carers to help in school and to accompany children on outdoor visits.

• Inviting parents and carers to celebration events throughout the year including a Harvest Celebration, Christmas Nativity, Spring Sing and Celebration assembly. These events also combine a ‘book look’ where the reception children can share their Learning Journals with their parents or carers.

• Holding child/parent workshops to enable parents and carers to work alongside their children.

• Encouraging parents and carers to listen to their child read/undertake a reading/phonics activity and to comment on progress in a home/school reading record book.

• Encouraging relevant learning activities to be continued at home e.g. maths games and borrowing library books, ensuring that experiences at home are used to develop learning in school.

• Encouraging parents and carers to make regular entries in their child’s ‘Me and my world’ book which provide an opportunity for achievements and experiences outside of school to be shared inside school.

• Parents’ Evenings in October and March

• Providing an annual written report to parents and carers at the end of the summer term that summarises individual children’s progress in the EYFS Profile.

Transition from nursery settings into reception

In the Spring term preceding the start of the reception year there are regular, planned opportunities for nursery children to visit the school and reception class through our ‘Connect and Create’ programme. In these informal sessions the children can enjoy craft and play based activities in the classroom whilst their parents and carers socialise and have coffee. Parents and carers also have the opportunity to talk with the foundation stage staff about any concerns they have or about their child in general.

Parents and carers accompany their child to the starting school afternoon in July where there is a further opportunity to speak with staff and gain information about the reception/school routines plus curriculum information.

At Sheffield Girls’ we have developed close links between several local nurseries and settings in the area. During the summer term the reception teacher (with parental / carer permission) arranges a nursery visit to see new reception-starter children within their own preschool setting. These preschool visits provide vital opportunities for practitioners to share information with the child’s new reception teacher plus they offer the reception teacher time to observe the child in their own setting with their peers. Prior to entry into reception, transition documents are forwarded from the child’s previous setting to the reception teacher.

Where a new reception-starter does not attend a nursery or preschool setting, the parent or carer is offered the choice of a home visit by the reception teacher.

At any point in the school year prior to entry into reception, prospective parents or carers are more than welcome to visit the school at any time. They are also welcome to attend any of the school's Open Mornings / In-Action mornings that are held during the course of the academic year.