Foundation Stage Curriculum
In Beech class we work closely with parents to provide our youngest children with a broad range of skills from which they can successfully develop throughout their school life.
In Beech class we work closely as a team and with parents to provide our youngest children with a dynamic, experiential curriculum which teaches and builds upon a range of key skills which they can successfully carry forward as they move through the school. We follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory guidance and use “Development Matters” (non-statutory framework) curriculum framework to support our teaching and learning. The Foundation Stage curriculum is divided into seven areas, the 3 Prime Areas and the 4 specific areas.
Prime areas -
- personal, social and emotional development
- communication and language
- physical development.
Specific areas
- literacy
- maths
- understanding the world
- expressive arts and design.
Our experienced and approachable teachers and support staff are skilled at helping children to settle quickly and acquire the key skills which will enable them to become successful learners and confident, happy individuals. We encourage children to be independent learners with questioning minds and provide stimulating, natural resources to develop a sense of awe and wonder in an environment where children are excited to learn. We believe that children gain the best knowledge through “real life” experiences with opportunities to ask questions and explore/develop their understanding through practical, hands on learning.
We have a detailed transition programme leading up to your child starting school which helps to foster close home/school links, and we have close relationships with our local Early Years providers.
To encourage children to feel confident and happy at school, there is a big emphasis placed upon developing children's social interaction skills, making friends and getting to know people, and becoming familiar with our school routines. Through baseline assessment and working closely with your child we quickly establish the starting point for each child, and build upon this through a range of practical learning opportunities within our continuous provision. Children will quickly become familiar with a range of whole class, group and individual teaching opportunities, and much of their learning will be extended through our “busy learning time” when children independently develop the skills and knowledge they have learned, whilst being supported alongside by adults.
We teach phonics and early reading from the very start of the Foundation year, using an accredited scheme “Success For All” phonics. Your child will be given a reading book to share with you, a Guided Reading book and a weekly library book to encourage and develop a love of reading. We provide a range of parent workshops throughout the year to support reading and other areas of the EYFS curriculum.
We encourage families to become involved in our Home Learning challenges, which are mainly practical tasks which you can do together with your child. We use Google Classroom to set Home Learning each week and also to share other important information with you. We strongly believe in the importance of a partnership between home and school, and actively encourage parents to be fully involved with their children’s learning.
Please see below the overview of our Foundation class curriculum.
Foundation Stage Curriculum Detailed Overview
Foundation Stage Curriculum on a Page
