Phase 1
Early Years
Foundation
Stage
Nursery and Reception
In the Early Years Foundation Stage at Newport, children are taught through a play-based approach to develop the characteristics of effective learning through continuous provision. The progression of learning is carefully designed to enable children to progress from what they already know and can do so they are ready for their next stage of learning. Working in partnership with parents and carers, we support children’s Personal, Social and Emotional Development by creating a learning environment that enables our children to feel known, understood, safe and secure, and enjoy their learning.
Communication and Language
At Newport Community School Primary Academy, we expect that every child will leave the Early Years with a wide range of vocabulary, the ability to interact with both their peers and adults and will be able to enunciate sounds at an age-appropriate level.
In order to function in society, one must learn the rules and structures of the language system. One structure of language that helps a child to become more specific in their understanding and use of language is the knowledge of concepts.
Concepts are the “big ideas” that children learn as they engage in a range of experiences. Concepts help a child to understand about direction, location, position, number, quantity, sequence, attributes, dimension, size and similarities and differences.
In Nursery, children begin this journey through our Language Led Curriculum. This continues into the first half term in Reception. After the October half term, Reception begin half termly learning explorations in line with the rest of the school. The theme of the Reception curriculum follows the thread of similarity and difference for the rest of the year whilst also providing hook back opportunities to the concepts covered during the Language Led Curriculum.
Prime and Specific Areas
The EYFS framework includes 7 areas of learning and development that are equally important and inter-connected. However, 3 areas known as the prime areas are seen as particularly important for igniting curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, and for building children’s capacity to learn, form relationships and thrive.
The prime areas are:
· Communication and language
· Physical development
· Personal, social and emotional development
The prime areas are strengthened and applied through 4 specific areas:
· Literacy
· Mathematics
· Understanding the world
· Expressive arts and design
Prime Areas are fundamental, work together and support development in all other areas:
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Personal, Social and Emotional Development
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Communication and Language
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Physical Development
Specific Areas include the essential skills and knowledge required for children to participate successfully in society:
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Literacy
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Maths
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Understanding the World
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Expressive Arts and Design
Teaching and assessment
Where appropriate, some lessons are taught through direct instruction by the teacher or other adults to the whole class or small groups. This is gradually built in to the children’s routine to help prepare them for the move into Year 1.
Children begin Little Wandle Letters and Sounds in Nursery, starting with listening to adults modelling oral blending, joining in with oral blending opportunities and taking part in games. Children continue their phonics journey in Reception by learning to say sounds and write letters that enable them to begin to read books accurately with fluency and confidence. In Reception, phonics assessments are used to determine when the children are ready to start reading a book which is matched to their phonics phase and children are provided with a text matched to their phonics phase to practise independent reading at home.
Nursery pupils are exposed to mathematical concepts, including Number, Spatial Reasoning and Patterns through the Language Led Curriculum. Maths is taught as practically as possible, using a range of manipulatives. Maths in Reception is based on White Rose Maths and the NCETM Mastering Number project.
The teachers in EYFS take part in termly Cohort Keep-Up meetings that allow the Phase Leader to support teachers in delivering the right provision for each child to make an appropriate level of progress as they move through the Phase.
Continuous provision
At NCSPA we recognise that young children learn best when they are active. We understand that active learning involves other people, objects, ideas and events that engage and involve children for sustained periods.
Continuous provision refers to the resources provided in the environment for children to interact with creatively. During continuous provision time, the children have access to both classrooms and the covered, outside area. Our outdoor environment is provided for children in EYFS as an extension of the classroom. In Nursery, the children have free access to the outside for the majority of the day, including a covered outdoor classroom. In Reception, they have access to an area with a canopy that can be utilised all year round. A garden area is timetabled for all to access and all children will have regular access to our Go Wild outdoor learning environment.