At SMAS it is our intent that all children who enter our EYFS have the opportunity to develop socially, emotionally, physically, verbally and cognitively, regardless of background, circumstances or needs in a safe and nurturing environment. We aim to work collaboratively with our community of parents and carers to provide every child with the skills to become happy, independent, creative and curious lifelong learners who have the courage to try new things and subsequently reach their full potential. It is our intent that all the children in EYFS will be encouraged to be respectful to their peers, the adults they encounter in school and in the school community as well as their environment.

 

Our vision of Head, Hand, Heart is developed and nurtured within EYFS through;

 

Head - A love of learning and an enquiring mind.

Hand - The encouragement of all forms of physical and artistic expression with an emphasis on life skills, independence and self-reliance.

Heart  - The nurturing of self-esteem and consideration for others.

 

We follow The Statutory Framework for Early Years Foundations Stage (Revised 2021). 

 

The Statutory Framework for Early Years Foundation Stage (Revised 2021)

The Early Years Foundation Stage Framework was developed to support children’s learning and development from birth to five years.  The Areas of Learning and Development in the Framework have three prime areas:

 

• Communication and Language
• Physical Development
• Personal, Social and Emotional Development

 

We also support children in four specific areas through which the three prime areas are strengthened and applied these are:

 

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

 

Our Reception staff provide children with exciting and appropriate play experiences and learning opportunities to enable them to develop in all the above areas. The children engage in learning both inside and outside through a mixture of child-initiated, adult-directed and adult-led activities. Teachers are experienced and are able to recognise each child’s strengths and areas that require more support to develop new skills. 

 

It is important that young children feel safe and secure in their surroundings.  All the adults in the EYFS setting place a strong emphasis on getting to know all the children and on building positive relationships with each child and their carers.  Each class teacher is supported by a Learning Support assistant (LSA). We value the opportunity to work together with parents to help children develop to their full potential and encourage the sharing of information about children on an ongoing basis.

 

 

Our environment is an integral part of our children’s learning.  The children work daily in both our outdoor and indoor areas. Exciting and stimulating resources enrich the children’s learning possibilities. The children are supported to become confident, independent, lifelong learners.

 

Assessment through the year allows us to plan effectively for future learning. We begin with the national baseline assessment and then through key observations and working with the children we target next steps in their learning. At the end of the year, children are assessed against national early learning goals. Parents are kept informed as to their children’s progress throughout the year.