Welcome to Early Years Unit (Acorn and Oak Class)

Welcome to Acorn and Oak Class

At Townville Early Years Foundation Stage, we recognise that all children are unique and bring with them their own individual interests and experiences. It is for this reason we believe that a balance of discrete teaching sessions and child-initiated play is vital in order for our children to become fully engaged and excited by their learning.

Our Nursery and Reception children access continuous provision together with separate focused group times throughout the day.

Curriculum information for parents

At Townville Early Years Foundation Stage, we recognise that all children are unique and bring with them their own individual interests and experiences. It is for this reason we believe that a balance of discrete teaching sessions and child-initiated play is vital in order for our children to become fully engaged and excited by their learning.

Our Nursery and Reception children access continuous provision together with separate focused group times throughout the day.

Our continuous provision is a workshop environment where children are encouraged to be independent learners, developing their skills across all seven areas of learning and across the three characteristics of effective learners.

Whilst many of our resources are accessible to the children at all times, giving them the opportunity to independently select resources to support their chosen activity. Practitioners also make some enhancements where necessary to the provision based on what they learn from their interactions with the children, designing them to ensure progress and interest is maximized.

Practitioners also plan discrete teaching sessions and activities designed to ensure that all children are given the skills they need to access and achieve across the curriculum in line with the Early Years Statutory Framework (Sept 2021). The sessions and activities we design also aim to inspire awe and wonder in all our children. All practitioners ensure that planning is flexible and takes accounts of the children’s interests, talents, needs and abilities.

We have focus children NOT focus activities. During the day whilst the children access the provision staff approach the children, have quality interactions with them, play with them and support their independent learning and development.

We acknowledge that it is during their child-initiated activity that children show high-levels of involvement and at this point, when the brain is most active, progress and development occurs.

Each week three children from each class become focus children, a pre-week questionnaire is sent out to gain information from the home environment. During the week observation sheets are completed, for each child, by all adults across the setting. At the end of the week class teachers meet with parents to discuss their child’s attainment and progress and to agree next steps for the child, planning support which can be offered by both home and school.

In addition, key achievements and learning throughout the week, for every child, are recorded as observations on the Tapestry system. Equally we value parents feedback and input from home learning and encourage parents to upload anything their child has done at home that they feel proud of onto the Tapestry system via the app.

There are two summative assessments that take place during the EYFS:

• Reception Baseline Assessment (RBA) (at the start of the Reception year):
  The Reception Baseline Assessment, or RBA is a short, interactive and practical assessment of your child’s early literacy, communication, language and mathematics skills when they begin in school. It will be undertaken with your child’s class teacher and will measure your child’s progress from reception to year 6. The school, the teachers and you, as parents will not be shared and the data will only be accessed by the DFE. The teacher will be able to spend quality 1-1 time with your child, getting to know them and if they need any further support in certain areas. When your child reaches year 6, you will be able to see the progress your child has made throughout their school journey. If you wish to read further on the reception baseline, then you can find a useful parent booklet here.
• Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (at the end of the EYFS):
  Discussions at termly focus meetings will inform you on how your child is progressing. At the end of the academic year, a report will be given to you to inform you of your child’s progress and whether they have met or are continuing to work towards their early learning goals (ELGs). There are 17 ELGs your child is expected to achieve by the end of the EYFS.

Key contacts

• EYFS Curriculum Long Term Plan
• EYFS Policy
• Development Matters – Non-statutory curriculum guidance for EYFS
• What to expect in the Early Years Foundation Stage- a guide for parents
• Seven Areas of Learning in detail
• Why do we play – information for parents
• Outdoor Learning
• Characteristics of effective teaching and learning