Early Years Foundation Stage 

Our aim in Reception is to ensure that our children have a happy and positive start to life at Spaldwick Primary School. In Reception, we follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Framework. Our emphasis is on active learning, including self-directed spontaneous play, planned focused teaching and learning activities, experimentation, exploration, investigation and discussion. 

We aim to provide a safe, challenging, stimulating and caring environment, that is sensitive to the needs of all children. Our broad, flexible and creative curriculum reflects the interests of the children and helps to enable each child to flourish and develop to their full potential. We value the experiences that each child brings to the setting, observing the children as they play, in order to assess their development and plan for the next steps in their learning. 

There are 17 Early Learning Goals, all of which are interrelated and equally important. 

Communication and Language

We provide a language-rich environment to support children to develop their confidence and skills so they can express themselves and speak and listen in a wide range of situations.

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

This area of learning helps children to develop a positive sense of themselves, and others; to form positive relationships and develop respect for others; to develop social skills and learn how to manage feelings; to understand appropriate behaviour in groups, and to have confidence in their own abilities. 

Physical Development

In this area, we provide opportunities for children to be active and interactive, and to develop their co-ordination control, and movement.  We focus on both gross and fine motor skills.

Literacy

Literacy development focuses on building the skills children need to link sounds and letters so they can begin to read and write. We follow the Read, Write Inc. scheme of work to teach Phonics. Our reading scheme is structured around the Read Write Inc Bookbag books and supplemented with Oxford Reading Tree and the Jelly and Bean series.

Mathematics

In Mathematics, we provide opportunities to develop and improve our children's skills in counting, understanding and using numbers, calculating simple addition and subtraction problems and to explore patterns within numbers.

Understanding the World

We guide children to make sense of their physical world and their community by providing opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places and the environment.

Expressive Arts and Design

We provide an environment where children can explore and play with a wide range of media and materials. We also encourage them to share their thoughts, ideas and feelings, through a variety of activities in art, music, movement, dance, role-play and design.

Characteristics of Effective Learning

Apart from monitoring what children learn we also keep an eye on how they learn. This gives us important information on the kinds of learners children are and how we can support them to achieve. You can find out more information by clicking the link below.

Characteristics of Effective Learning Guidance

Assessment

Adults interact with children’s play to develop and assess their learning. We use an app called class dojo to keep a diary of children's learning and share regular updates. 

As a school we are delighted to be recognised by Early Excellence as a Partner

School for 2024/25, to host events and share good practice in our area.

Early Excellence are a highly regarded organisation that promote inspirational learning, offering School Improvement & Bespoke Consultancy as well as educational resource solutions focused on early primary EYFS & KS1.