Parklands Primary School

EYFS Policy

Our Vision

Parklands Primary School believes in creating a culture of high expectation, collaboration and ambition amongst all members of the school community.

We ‎aim to instil a desire for constant improvement amongst ourselves, staff, governors and children and deliver inspired teaching that encourages positive attitudes towards lifelong learning. We want our children to feel valued and confident as individuals and ensure they feel supported, safe and cared for in ‎our school. Our aim is for children to leave Parklands Primary School with a clear sense of responsibility and independence and an understanding of the importance of community and how their behaviour impacts upon others. We aim to inspire success in our children by creating rounded individuals who seek out lifelong opportunities to learn in order to be the best they can be.​

We lay the foundations for each individual’s future and for dreams to be fulfilled – whatever they may be. We aim to:

• Create a positive and motivating environment that will, in turn, play a major role on your child’s future and development;
• Provide stimulating and exciting opportunities that promote every child’s individual learning and development in unrivalled surroundings;
• Ensure that quality is at the heart of our ethos.
• Children should have the opportunity to learn through play. Learning should be fun, engaging and suitably challenging. We value the importance of our outdoor environment and believe that it offers children the opportunity to develop their thinking and problem solving skills. Adults provide high quality interactions, they are role models for learning.
• We are committed to providing the best possible start to their school life, teaching them skills and giving them experiences which will ensure their well-being now and success in the future.

Our School Aims

• We value each member of the school community and aim to develop each individual’s potential and remove barriers to learning.
• We aim to ensure that everyone is able to participate fully in school life, making reasonable adjustments wherever possible to accommodate all members of the school community.
• The school aims to encourage positive attitudes towards diversity among staff and pupils to ensure that everyone is treated equally and achieves individual success.

The Early Years Foundation Stage

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Policy must be read in conjunction with the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage which the school adheres to as well as whole school policies.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) applies to children from birth to the end of the Reception year. At Parklands Primary School the majority of children join us at the beginning of their nursery year and attend either part time or full time, some of the children start at our nursery from two years old.  We also have children that join us at the start of the reception year. Where spaces in the nursery are available, these may be offered to younger children who meet a set criteria. We operate a staggered approach to our intake to ensure the children have time to settle into their surroundings and practitioners can get to know them.

At Parklands Primary School we have:

• Two nursery sessions per day for our part time children as well as all day sessions for our all day children. We have one Class Teacher, a Nursery Lead Practitioner and six Teaching Assistants.
• Four reception classes each with one Class Teacher and one Teaching Assistant.
• All classes have continual access to the outdoor learning environment.
• The Nursery Teacher is the EYFS Leader.
• One Reception Teacher is the Year Group Leader for reception.

Our EYFS is based upon four principles:

• A Unique Child
• Positive Relationships
• Enabling Environments
• Learning and Development

1. A Unique Child

At Parklands Primary School we recognise that every child is a competent learner who can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured. We recognise that children develop in individual ways and at varying rates. Children’s attitudes and dispositions to learning are influenced by feedback from others; we use praise and encouragement, as well as celebrations of work and achievements, and rewards, to encourage children to develop a positive attitude to learning.

1.1 Inclusion:

We value the diversity of individuals within the school and do not discriminate against children because of ‘differences’. All children at Parklands Primary School are treated fairly and all children and their families are valued.

In our school we believe that all our children matter. We give our children every opportunity to achieve their best. We do this by taking account of our children’s range of life experiences when planning for their learning.

In the EYFS we set realistic and challenging expectations that meet the needs of the children. In planning we ensure that we meet the needs of all the learners using practitioner’s knowledge and both formative and summative assessment procedures.

We meet the needs of all our children through:

• Planning opportunities that build upon and extend children’s knowledge, experience and interests, and develop their self-esteem and confidence.
• Using a wide range of teaching strategies based on children’s learning needs and interests.
• Providing a wide range of opportunities to motivate and support children and to help them to learn effectively.
• Providing a safe and supportive learning environment in which the contribution of all children is valued.
• Using resources which reflect diversity and are free from discrimination and stereotyping.
• Planning challenging activities for children whose ability and understanding are in advance of their language and communication skills.
• Monitoring children’s progress and taking action to provide support as necessary.

It is important to us that all children in our school feel ‘safe’. We aim to educate children on boundaries, rules and limits and to help them understand why they exist. We provide children with choices to help them develop this important life skill. Children should be allowed to take risks, but are also taught how to recognise and avoid hazards.

1.2 Welfare:

At Parklands Primary School we comply with the welfare requirements as stated in the Statutory Framework for Early Years Foundation Stage 2021. We understand that we are required to:

• Promote the welfare of children.
• Promote good health, preventing the spread of infection and taking appropriate action when children are ill.
• Manage behaviour effectively in a manner appropriate for the children’s stage of development and individual needs.
• Ensure all adults who look after the children or who have unsupervised access to them are suitable to do so.
• Ensure that the premises, furniture and equipment is safe and suitable for purpose.
• Ensure that every child receives enjoyable and challenging learning and development experiences tailored to meet their needs.
• Maintain records, policies and procedures required for safe efficient management of the setting and to meet the needs of the children.

We endeavour to meet all these requirements (see whole school policies for further information).

2. Positive Relationships

At Parklands Primary School we recognise that children learn to be strong and independent. We aim to develop caring, respectful, professional relationships with the children and their families.

Parents as Partners

We recognise that parents are the children’s first and most enduring educators and we value the contribution they make.

We recognise the role that parents have played in their future role, in educating the children. We do this through:

• Talking to parents about their child before their child starts in our school, through inviting the parents into school prior to the children starting as well as carrying out home visits for all children (where taken up by the parents / carers);
• Parents signing the home school agreement prior to their children starting school;
• Offering parents regular opportunities to talk about their child’s progress;
• Inviting parents/carers into school for parent-teacher meetings and Stay, Play and Learn sessions;
• Encouraging parents to talk to the EYFS staff and school staff generally if there are any concerns. We discuss our open door policy with the parents during home visits and regularly remind parents when adults are available to talk to;
• Parents receive reports on their child’s progress at the end of each term, during parental consultations and annual reports;
• Sending out questionnaires encouraging the parents to feedback on experiences and how we as a school can support them further, improving home school relationships;
• Offering workshops to the parents throughout the year to demonstrate how they can support their child’s learning at home;
• Using our WOW certificates in which parents can share achievements in the home and any other valuable experiences their child has taken part in.
• Arranging activities throughout the year that encourage collaboration between child, school and parents: Christmas performance, Sports Day etc;
• Communicating with parents through the school website and newsletters;
• We also provide parents with a half termly curriculum overview leaflet informing them of the learning that will be taking place for that half term to maximise their support at home.

All staff involved in the EYFS aim to develop good relationships with all children, interacting positively with them and taking time to listen.  At our school both the teachers and support staff act as a Key Person to an assigned group of children.

3. Enabling Environments

At Parklands Primary School we recognise that the environment plays a key role in supporting and extending the children’s development. This begins by observing the children and assessing their interests, development and learning, before planning challenging but achievable activities and experiences to extend the children’s learning.

3.1 Observation, Assessment and Planning

The planning within the EYFS includes ‘Medium Term Plans,’ which are based around half termly themes. These plans are used by the EYFS teachers as a guide for weekly planning; however the teacher may alter the ‘Medium Term Plans’ in response to the needs (achievements and interests) of the children.

We make regular assessments of children’s learning. This information is used to ensure that future planning reflects identified needs. Assessment in the EYFS takes the form of observation, and this involves all adults within the Early Years setting and regular training is provided for key members of the Early Years team to ensure judgements and observations are accurate and informative. These observations are recorded using Target Tracker.

At Parklands Primary School, we use a tracking system to record the children’s developmental ages. We also track the lowest percentage of children in terms of attainment, which changes on a cyclical process. Within the final term of both nursery and reception, we provide a written summary to parents, reporting their progress against the prime areas and the specific areas of learning and we also report on their child’s characteristics of effective learning. We provide an opportunity for the parents to discuss this with their child’s EYFS teacher during an open session at the end of the year or alternatively the parents can arrange a meeting with their child’s class teacher.

3.2 The Learning Environment

The EYFS classroom is organised to allow children to explore and learn securely and safely. There are areas where the children can be active, explore and investigate, be creative and imaginative or be quiet and rest. The classroom is set up in learning areas, where children are able to find and locate equipment and resources independently. The EYFS class has its own enclosed outdoor area. This has a positive effect on the children’s development. Being outdoors offers opportunities for doing things in different ways and on different scales than when indoors. It offers the children space to explore, use their senses and be physically active and exuberant. We plan activities and resources for the children to access outdoors that help the children to develop in all seven areas of learning.

4. Learning and Development

At Parklands Primary School we recognise that children learn and develop in different ways and at different rates. We value all areas of learning and development equally and understand that they are inter connected. Our policy on learning and teaching in the EYFS defines the features of effective learning and teaching in our school. Features that relate to the EYFS are:

• The partnership between staff and parents, so that our children feel secure at school and develop a sense of well-being and achievement.
• The understanding that staff have of how children develop and learn, and how this affects their teaching.
• Ensuring all adults within the setting are suitably qualified.
• The range of approaches used that provide first-hand experiences, give clear explanations, make appropriate interventions and extend and develop play and talk or other means of communication.
• The carefully planned curriculum that helps children work towards their targets and goals throughout EYFS.
• The provision for children to take part in activities that build on and extend their interests and develop their intellectual, physical, social and emotional abilities.
• The encouragement for children to communicate and talk about their learning, and to develop independence and self-management.
• The support for learning with appropriate and accessible indoor and outdoor space, facilities and equipment;
• The identification of the progress and future learning needs of children through observations, which are shared with parents.

4.1 Play

Through play our 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.

4.2 Active Learning

Active learning occurs when children are motivated and interested. Children need to have some independence and control over their learning. As children develop their confidence they learn to make decisions. It provides children with a sense of satisfaction as they take ownership of their learning.

4.3 Creativity and Critical Thinking

Children are given opportunity to be creative through all areas of learning. Adults support children’s thinking and help them to make connections by showing genuine interest, offering encouragement, clarifying ideas and asking open questions. Children can access resources freely and are allowed to move them around the environment to extend their learning.

Educational Programmes

There are seven areas of learning and development that must shape educational programmes in early years settings. These seven areas of learning and development are important and are inter-connected.

The EYFS is made up of seven areas of learning:

The Prime Areas:

• Communication and Language
• Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED)
• Physical Development

The Specific Areas:

• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding the World
• Expressive Arts and Design

None of these areas can be delivered in isolation from the others. They are equally important and depend on each other. All areas are delivered through a balance of adult led and child-initiated activities. The practitioners within the setting are aware and fully trained on how to deliver the Early Years curriculum thinking of the seven areas of learning and also the characteristics of effective learning. The characteristics of effective learning are;

• Playing and Exploring (engagement)
• Active Learning (motivation)
• Creating and Thinking Critically (thinking)

These characteristics are embedded into the curriculum and everyday practise and support the children’s learning across all areas.

Review

We are aware of the need to review the school Early Years Foundation Stage Policy regularly so that we can take account of changes in the Statutory Framework, new initiatives, changes in the curriculum, developments in technology or changes to the physical environment of the school.

During the review consideration will be given to:

• The value of the policy to all staff and the Governing Body.
• The effectiveness of the policy in working and achieving the school aims pupil performance and assessment results.

This policy has been reviewed and no individual or group are disadvantaged by the policy or process therein.

Date Reviewed:   Autumn Term 2021

Review Date:        Autumn Term 2022