Early years foundation stage
Our activities are planned to promote a good standard of learning through Adult Lead and Child Initiated activities, for example:
Adult Lead learning takes the form of teaching phonics, handwriting, and reading skills and circle time.
Child Initiated learning takes the form of role play in free play activities e.g. the role play area, the sand or water play activities and also in problem solving activities e.g. puzzles. The staffs at King Fishers are committed in giving the children space to develop their own unique character.
Purpose and Aims
The aim of using the Early Years Foundation Stage is to help all children achieve the five ‘Every Child Matters’ outcomes of staying safe, being healthy, enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution and achieving economic well being.
A Princpled Approach
The Early Years Foundation Stage states that ‘All children, irrespective of ethnicity, culture or religion, home language, family background, learning difficulties or disabilities, gender or ability should have the opportunity to experience a challenging and enjoyable programme of learning and development”.
The Early Years Foundation Stage principles which guide the work of all practitioners are grouped into four distinct but complementary themes:
A Unique Child
Every child is a competent learner from birth who can be resilient, capable, confident and self assured.
Positive Relationships
Children learn to be strong and independent from a base of loving and secure relationships with parents and/or a key person.
Enabling Environments
The environment plays a key role in supporting and extending childrens development and learning.
Learning and Development
Children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates and all areas of learning and development are equally important and inter-connected.
We plan activities to meet the six areas covered by the early learning goals and education programmes. We aim to provide activities appropriate to each child’s individual development and to meet the needs of each child through careful assessment and planning.
The areas of learning are:
1. Personal, Social and Emotional Development
We will provide children with experiences and support which will help them to develop a positve sense of themselves and of others; respect for others; social skills; and a positive disposition to learn. We will also ensure there is support for children’s emotional well-being to help them to know themselves and what they do.
2. Communication, Language and Literacy
Children’s learning and competence in communicating, speaking and listening, being read to and beginning to read and write will be supported and extended. Children will be provided with opportunity and encouragement to use their skills in a range of situations and for a range of purposes, and be supported in developing the confidence and disposition to do so.
3. Problem Solving, Reasoning and Numeracy
Childen will be supported in developing their understanding of Problem Solving, Reasoning and Numeracy in a broad range of contexts in which they can explore, enjoy, learn, practise and talk about their developing understanding. They will be provided with opportunities to practise and extend their skills in these areas and to gain confidence and competence in their use.
4. Knowledge and Understanding of the World
Childen will be supported in developing the knowledge, skills and understanding that help them to make sense of the world. Their learning will be supported through offering opportunities for them to use a range of tools safely; encounter creatures, people, plants and objects in their natural environments and in real-life situations; undertake practical ‘experiments’; and work with a range of materials.
5. Physical Development
The physical development of babies and young children will be encouraged through the provision of opportunies for them to be active and interactive and to improve their skills of coordination, control, manipulation and movement. They will be supported in using all of their senses to learn about the world around them and to make connections between new information and what they already know. They will be supported in developing an understanding of the importance of physical activity and making healthy choices in relation to food.
6. Creative Development
Children’s creativity will be extended by the provison of support for their curiosity, exploration and play. They will be provided with opportunities to explore and share their thoughts, ideas and feelings, for example, through a variety of art, music, movement, dance, imaginative and role-play activities, mathematics and design and technology.
