Foundation Stage

Welcome to Early Years! 

Class Teacher: Miss Taylor

Teaching Assistants: Miss Day and Miss Lindley

   Welcome back! I hope you and your families have had a lovely October half term break. 

A very warm welcome to our Foundation Stage page.

At St Mary's Catholic Primary School, we take a holistic approach to education and encompasses all areas of learning and development. We believe that all children are entitled to the best possible start in their school life, intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually to enable them to develop their full potential. Children develop quickly in these early years, so we look to ensure that all children are provided with the highest quality early learning experiences,  as we understand that during their first years of education, children form attitudes about learning that will last a lifetime. Children who receive the right sort of support and encouragement during these years will be creative and adventurous learners throughout their lives. We strongly believe that children thrive in an environment where they feel safe, happy and respected. At St Mary's we achieve this through providing children with fun and engaging lessons, forming positive relationships with parents and listening and responding to each individual child’s need. 

Our new Topic this term is...

 'Wonder through Winter Wonderland'

This term, children will be learning about the changes that happen during Winter, including the different types of weather associated with the winter season. Children will be able to spot signs of winter and will explore environments that have snow all year around.

Information

Please check on Class Dojo, Facebook, Twitter and of course the school website, to see all the wonderful activities we have been up to. 

Notice Board

PE Days - In the Spring 1 term, PE will take place on a Friday afternoon - please bring an outdoor and an indoor kit if possible, as the weather starts to get colder.

Uniform - We have a beautiful uniform at St Mary's and we pride ourselves on our fantastic appearance. Please make sure you attend school in the correct uniform, always looking lovely and neat! Can you also remember to send your child to school with a coat that is fit for the weather and a spare set of clothes in their bag. 

Reading -  Reading is at the heart of all our learning at St Mary's. To support this at home, please could all children ensure that they read their school reading book every night and that the planner is signed by an adult. Alongside this, it is also key that all children select their own reading for pleasure book which they will also have opportunities to read and share with others in school. 

School times

• Nursery 30hrs and Reception: 8.45am - 3.20pm
• Nursery 15 hours: 8.45am - 11.45am

The Curriculum

In Early Years at St Mary's, we follow the EYFS statutory framework which is based upon four themes and principles which shapes the way in which we teach.

These are:

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

• Children learn to be strong and independent 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.

• Importance of learning and development. Children develop and learn at different rates. The framework covers the education and care of all children in early years provision, including children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)

Intent

At St Mary's Catholic Primary School, we believe that a good early education is fundamental for a child’s success. Through achieving the balance between play and adult led sessions, our early year’s curriculum is designed to provide children with the best possible start in life. The children’s interests are at the heart of our syllabus which enables us to deliver a high quality and child led learning. We strongly believe that children thrive in an environment where they feel safe, happy and respected. At St Mary's, we achieve this through providing children with fun and engaging lessons, forming positive relationships with parents and listening and responding to each individual child’s need.

Implementation

Each half term, we plan a topic which we feel will interest the children. This topic is then broken down into seven areas of learning which are: personal social and emotional development, communication and language, physical development, literacy. mathematics, expressive arts and design, and understanding the world. When delivering these sessions, children will participate in physical activities, discussion and role play activities to enable them to gain good knowledge and understanding of what is being taught. We strongly believe that children learn best through play therefore, anything which is taught is placed into the provision for children to explore in their own time either independently or with their peers. Communication and language is essential in ensuring that children are able to reach age expected levels (or higher), across all areas of learning. Communication and Language is broken down into three vital parts which are: listening and attention, understanding and speaking. At St Mary's, we provide the children with these skills through introducing a wide range of stories, poems and rhymes. We also ensure that children are exposed to high quality texts which build their vocabulary and promote questioning to develop their understanding further.   

Impact

Delivering an enriched curriculum in the early years will provide children with the foundations they need to reach their full potential. By the time the children leave the foundation stage unit, they have learnt skills which will enable them to be successful throughout their school life. Explicit modelling, promoting independence and providing ongoing assessments, promotes high levels of engagement in learning, and enables the children to make rapid progress throughout their early years.