Welcome to Early Years Foundation Stage at Scholes Village Primary School!
Class Teachers: Miss Dearlove (Early Years Leader/Reception Teacher), Mrs Cleminson (Nursery Teacher) and Mrs Ogden (PPA Cover Teacher)
Support Staff: Mrs Hill (Reception ETA), Mrs Gray (Nursery Nurse)
Lunchtime Staff: Mrs Fleming (Reception), Miss Zyla, Mrs Shield and Mrs Cornforth (Nursery)
Our Link Governor: Rosemary Hartley
Important days in Nursery- Tuesday is PE or Forest, so children need warm clothes or PE clothes, Wednesday is Library day so children need their book bags.
Important days in Reception; Tuesday is PE or Forest, so children need warm clothes or PE Uniform. Children need their bookbags in school EVERYDAY.
- Children need to bring a named water bottle everyday.
Our Curriculum
In our Early Years Unit, we work together to develop the Prime Areas of Learning (Personal, Social and Emotional Development; Physcial Development; Communication and Language) and the Charatceristics of Effective Learning before anything else. We use 'themes' to manage the content of what is delivered in planned lessons as well as the enhancements we make to our continuous provision. These themes are based on the development of Personal, Social and Emotional Development. Where possible, we try to link the Literacy to these themes, and then alongside this we will explore Understanding of the World and Expressive Arts and Design through enhancements to the continous priovision and through focussed activities. Our Maths is taught with a Mastery approach using Number Sense and White Rose Maths as a guide. We plan our continuous provision carefully to ensure that children are able to grow and develop their skills through play, and we hope to identify any gaps or difficulties early and address them effectively. If you have any concerns about things like behaviour in the home, toiletting, general development or mental health, please see a member or staff.
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Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Personal, Social and Emotional Development Progression Map- Nursery
Personal, Social and Emotional Development Progression Map- Reception
Our developmental curriculum is designed around the skills and progression of personal, social and emotional skills. We believe that these are the fundamentals of life-long learning, and embed the characteristics of effective learning and the Scholes Values. We will focus on the developmental skills in each area, and in Reception, children access activities and lessons from the Kapow scheme, where appropriate.
Communication and Language
Communication and Language Progression Map- Nursery
Communication and Language Progression Map- Reception
We are committed to developing effective communication skills for all children. Our continuous provision is rich in opportunities to talk and intereact with others, and adults model speaking, listening and effective interactions at every posssible opportunity. We have a number of programs and interventions to support communication and language skills, and should we become concerned, we will speak to parents and arrange a referral where appropriate.
Please click here for more information about speech, langauge and communication, and expectations for different age groups.
Phonics
In Nursery, children practise oracy and speaking and listening skills through a variety of experiences and activities from their first half term. They then begin to use 'Foundations for Phonics' as part of the Little Wandle scheme to practice early reading skills. Children have group times each day where they might play games, listen to stories and sing nursery rhymes to support this.
In Reception, children begin Phase 2 of Little Wandle (a revised Letters and Sounds) and continue to Phase 4 throughout the year. Children have a daily phonics session as well as 3 reading group sessions each week. Reading books are changed weekly and sent home to practise with parents.
Please click here to see the Little Wandle Parents Page.
Physical Development
Physical Development Progression Map- Nursery
Physical Development Progression Map- Reception
We recognise that the fundamental movement skills need to be developed in order for children to progress in other areas, both fine and gross. In Nursery, children start the day with the days of the week song, where they move to music. In Reception, children start with a Morning Movement session. Outdoor play provision is available throughout the day as part of the continuous provision, and children have PE or Forest School sessions weekly. Children access fine motor skills daily in the continous provision, and in focused activities. Some children have access to extra movement sessions where we feel that there are gaps, or that they are struggling.
Literacy
Literacy Progression Map- Nursery
Literacy Progression Map- Reception
Often linking to our 'theme' for the half term, we have a selection of rich texts to immerse children in the love of reading. We use CLPE as a starting point to fully explore different texts, including fiction and non fiction. Children in Nursery will explore mark making, and become emergent writers. They will practise handling books, turning pages and discussing the illustrations. They will hear quality texts daily, and the staff will share with them their love of reading. In Reception, children will begin to make marks for different purposes and implement their phonics knowledge to begin writing words and sentences. They will also apply this knowlegde to blending sounds, where they will begin their journey as a reader.
Maths
Maths Progression Map- Nursery
Maths Progression Map- Reception
Number Sense Coverage Map- Reception
As a school, we are dedicated to teaching maths through a mastery approach. This involves looking at the number system, as well as shapes and measures, using very small steps in a very practical approach. Children will explore numbers in their environment within the continous provision, in the outdoor area, in the forest school and through taught carpet time sessions. We use Number Sense, White Rose Maths, the NCETM and Numberblocks as resources to support children in their mathematical journeys.
Understanding the World
Understanding the World Progression Map- Nursery
Understanding the World Progression Map- Reception
Children explore their world with plenty of first-hand experiences both in the unit and in our Forest School. We carefully select texts that encourage deeper thinking about our natural world, with opportunities for comparing different habitits as well as different parts of the world. We learn about different cultures and religions through celebrations. Children have access to sand, water, outdoor provision, loose parts and heuristic play everyday, and each half term, we enhance some of the provision.
Expressive Arts and Design
Expressive Arts and Design Progression Map- Nursery
Expressive Arts and Design Progression Map- Reception
As a school, we use the Kapow scheme to support our learning in this area. Foundation Stage use some of the projects from the Kapow curriculum to further enhance our offer for expressive arts and design, as well as offering weekly focused activities in our Artilier and access to a painting easel, a creative workshop, a home corner and a theme-based role play everyday. Children have a food technology session each week.
Nursery Places
We offer 15 and 30 hours places in Nursery, depending on eligibility and places available. We charge £1 per day for 30 hour places to cover costs for the extra half an hour in the day. If places are available, we will consider taking payment for children to access more hours than their entitlement, please speak to a member of staff for more information. We have 3 intakes throughout the year; September, January and April, when we have places available. Please visit or email the office for an application form, or download one here, and return it the term before your child turns 3. This is so the admissions panel can fill places depending on the criteria in our Nursery Admissions Policy, and so that we can invite you to our Stay and Play Sessions.
Reception Places
Places in Reception are allocated by Kirklees Admissions with an application deadline in January to start Reception the following September. If you require a place and miss the deadline for the online admissions form, please contact Kirklees Admissions, and not school. In the Summer Term, we hold a transition meeting for parents and children will be invited for a visit into school and sample a school dinner.
Please note, having a place in our school Nursery does not guarantee a place in Reception. Parents MUST use the Kirklees Admissions process to secure a place in Reception.
Class Dojo
We use Class Dojo as an online school and parent communication tool . All parents have access to this, and can see photographs of their children, read notices and key information about their learning. They can also share their own learning experiences at home and at the weekend to support the team to see our children's whole range of abilities. Children love to describe and explain their weekend adventures using Class Dojo to support their discussion. Please note that this is not constantly monitored and therefore is not the way to share messages with teachers or school. If children are ill or you need to speak to a member of staff, please contact the office.
Recommended Reads...
Ways to help at home...
- -Keep an eye on Class Dojo for tasks or activities linked to the learning, or special days.
- -Read every night with your child; a book rather than on a screen and Reception reading books at least three times a week.
- -Celebrate successes, however small they may feel.
- -Check-in everyday with your child, validate their feelings and listen to their ideas or worries.
- -Share important information with us.
- -Share any concerns with us regarding development, we will always try to help.