Early Years Foundation Stage

Intent

To deliver the content of the Early Years Foundation Stage statutory framework, giving children a secure foundation and enabling them to ‘Learn, Grow and Succeed’ through taking into consideration our individual differences, bravely facing challenges and celebrating being the best we can be and our achievements.

Implementation

Learning takes place through adult led learning and the careful scaffolding and support of child-initiated learning as well as personal and shared interests, including: 

• The direct teaching of reading, writing and maths everyday
• The direct teaching and practising of social communication skills with specialist staff and therapists.
• Daily opportunities for children to practise and consolidate their growing knowledge through high quality provision that promotes independent learning through specialist strategies alongside key practices in Early Years Foundation Stage Teaching and Learning.

Impact

For our pupils to become: 

• Unique individuals who form positive relationships with adults and peers 
• Independent, curious learners who explore and ask meaningful questions 
• Confident learners who are ready for the next stage in their learning journey
• Happy and proud of their unique skillset and personal achievements at their individual rate and level of progress

Classroom Practice

At Laleham Gap we have a balanced approach to curriculum learning and personal skills. This is central to our strength as a Communication and Interaction Specialist placement with high expectations for all and a highly individualised approach to teaching learning and developing relationships with our whole community and wider world. 

Children’s Statutory Provision Plans are central to our planning and provision alongside the Early Years Foundation Stage Statutory Framework and Non-Statutory Development Matters Guidelines. It is essential to take into consideration, address and challenge individual challenges to enable pupils to become independent, confident learners and social invdividuals. This is specifically planned and assessed for throughout the academic year as part of our classroom practise and EHCP review cycle.

As part of our Classroom Practice the following are ‘Essential Elements’:

• Direct Teaching
• Specific group and individual interventions dependent on need and Provision Plans
• Daily Maths Teaching
• Daily Phonics teaching using the Little Wandle scheme. All children taking part in a 20-30 minute session daily with full use of the scheme’s catch up/keep up programmes and SEN specific planning and resources.
• Specific Reading and Language Levels Interventions
• Active Play and Learning Outside the Classroom
• Purposeful Planned Provision to support development and progression across the Prime and Specific Areas of EYFS.
• Cornerstones Curriculum Projects
• Characteristics of Effective Learning
• Progression towards individual targets (Development Matters/Early Learning Goals/Provision Plan Targets)
• Vocabulary and language specific interventions (SALT, Language Through Colour, Active Listening Skills, Philosophy Thinking Moves etc)

Through these ‘Essential Elements’ EYFS at Laleham Gap provides

• Quality and consistency so that every child makes good progress, specific individualised teaching and learning takes place to reinforce our ‘no child gets left behind’ policy
• A secure foundation through planning for the learning and development of each individual child by fully accounting for the complex nature of our pupils and utilising staff’s specialist skills available at Laleham Gap. Central to this is also the practice of assessing and reviewing what they have learned regularly
• Partnership working between practitioners and with parents and/or carers to support and develop the academic and personal life skills of our pupils.
• Equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice, ensuring that every child is included and supported

The impact of our approach, which mirrors the four guiding principles from the Statutory Framework, ensures that pupils are given the opportunity to learn different ways within an enabling environment. 

These four guiding principles are as follows:

• Every child is a unique child, who is constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured

• Children learn to be strong, independent and develop their communication skills through positive relationships

• Children learn and develop well in enabling environments with teaching and support from adults, who respond to their individual interests and needs and help them to build their learning over time. Children benefit from a strong partnership between practitioners and parents and/or carers.

• High importance of learning and development. Children develop and learn at different rates.

Assessment, Progression and Sequencing

Pupils are observed and assessed continually on a daily basis and formally assessed on four occasions throughout the academic year against the Statutory Early Years Framework Early Learning Goals and Non-Statutory Development Matters Framework. This is shared and discussed with parents in a collaborative manner – this is separate to Parents Evening Meetings. Pupils EHCP Provision Plans are also reviewed shared and discussed three times throughout the academic year as part of our whole school EHCP Review Cycle.

Our EYFS curriculum has been developed in-line with the rest of the school and follows the use of Cornerstones for each topic.

This approach allows us to ensure that all individual targets and the Early Learning Goals are deliberately planned for and opportunities are offered within direct teaching and purposeful provision. 

This also ensures that learning over time is sequenced effectively and there is progression; within the Reception year and then on into Year 1.  

Further information on EYFS and it’s principles can be found here: 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/development-matters--2

And in the attachment below