The overreaching aim of the EYFS is to help pupils achieve their full potential by delivering work through 4 distinct but complementary themes:
A unique child
Positive relationships
Enabling environment
Learning and developing
Children in EYFS will be learning skills, acquiring new knowledge, and demonstrating their understanding through 7 areas of learning and development. The three prime areas underpin the basic building blocks for development. These are:
Communication and language
Physical development
Personal, social and emotional development
These prime areas are those most essential for your child’s healthy development and future learning.
As children grow, the prime areas will help them to develop skills in 4 specific areas. These are:
Literacy
Mathematics
Understanding the world
Expressive arts and design
These 7 areas are used to plan each child’s learning and all activities will be suited to each child’s unique needs and interests. Children will work towards achieving Early learning Goals within these 7 areas.
Intent
We tailor our curriculum to the needs of our children. We adopt a flexible approach that is driven by the characteristics of effective learning. These closely link with our whole school values- motivation, perseverance, collaboration, communication and respect (Our Methley Magic 5!)
Our Early Years curriculum has a huge emphasis on personal, social and emotional development, physical development and communication, literacy and language (Prime areas). We tailor our curriculum to meet the needs of our children, through a careful balance of child led and adult directed activities so that our children are fit and ready for their school journey. Through our curriculum we aim to give our children an awareness of the wider world. It is carefully designed, implemented and regularly reviewed.
In Early Years children embark on a journey of discovery and exploration to promote a sense of wonder about the world in which they live. We create a happy and caring environment where all children feel valued and safe and where they will have the opportunity to develop positive relationships with all the adults and children within our setting.
Implementation
The Early Years Foundation Stage is a unique curriculum where children often initiate their own learning through play as well as engaging in planned topic led learning. Throughout the school day in Methley Primary School children will take part in whole class, small group and adult directed activities as well as having lots of time to access the provision independently.
Each child belongs to a small key worker group led by each adult in the Foundation Stage. The children have the opportunity to meet in their key worker groups throughout the day with a huge emphasis on developing PSED skills and building a strong relationship with each other and their familiar adult.
We have a team of highly skilled practitioners who support children's learning and development and allow children to continually revisit, rehearse and deepen their knowledge and skills through a well-planned curriculum which is tailored to our children's needs.
Our curriculum is a 3-11 curriculum. What we do in early years prepares the children for the rest of their school life. We therefore work closely with leaders across all subject areas to ensure that we are providing our children with the foundations for future success.
Leadership
Methley Primary School’s Early Years environment-
Our Outdoor Classroom
We believe that children learn best when outdoors. We have researched into this way of learning and know that through learning outdoors the children can develop their physical skills as well as their ability to problem solve, think critically and gives them the confidence to take risks.
Our vast outdoor classroom operates as an Early Years Unit on an afternoon. This means that children in Nursery (Foundation 1) and Reception (Foundation 2) can freely access all areas of the outdoor classroom including our wildlife area, climbing area, construction and den building, wheeled vehicles, water play area as well as our mini- woodland and sports areas.
Child-led projects
During our outdoor afternoon sessions, children are given the opportunity to take part in a variety of project led learning. Research shows that the impact of collaborative approaches on learning is consistently positive. We plan our projects through close observations of our children’s interests which means our children are motivated and engaged. Project work is a well explored pedagogical method to learn about the world around them, widen their cultural capital and develop ways to express themselves.These learning opportunities also support the development of our children’s language acquisition whilst promoting independence and responsibility for their own learning.
Our Indoor Classrooms
We have one Foundation 1(Nursery) classroom and two Foundation 2 (Reception) classrooms. The children do not mix between the year groups when inside. Each area of learning within the indoor classrooms will have a provocation, adult enhanced provision and materials to extend their learning, all running alongside our continuous provision.
Within each area of learning children will be exposed to curriculum-based skills through play. As we teach children independence and structure our timetable will adapt across the year. Carpet inputs will get slightly longer and group sizes will get bigger, to help prepare children for Year 1.
Parent communication
Parental and family relationships are fundamental to us in Early years. Our parents and carers are involved in their children’s learning and development in a variety of ways to ensure we develop and maintain positive relationships.
Key worker system
Through running a key worker system all our parents are encouraged to develop relationships with their child’s key worker. They have an opportunity to talk to the key worker or a member of early years staff each morning and at the end of the day.
Half termly learning
We provide parents and carers with a half termly pacing sheet and knowledge organiser at the beginning of each half term to give them an overview of what may be happening within the half term and to share any dates for their diaries.
Website/Dojo/Arbor
We share information through the early years section on our whole school website. Weekly reminders and information is shared through Class Dojo. Parents/carers are able to communicate with the class teacher through this private messaging system. Parentmail is also used to regularly and instantly to inform parents of any key happenings within the school.
New parents meeting
Before any child enters our early years setting we invite parents and carers to attend a new parents meeting. Key information is shared, parents have the opportunity to ask questions, home and school visits are arranged and positive relationships are formed.
Jump up days
Before any child stars in our Early years setting we offer a ‘taster’ session where children can visit us without their parent/carer.
Curriculum evening and open weeks
We run a curriculum evening in the autumn term to let parents know how they can support their child at home. We invite parents to join in with their child’s learning and development through our termly open weeks. This is where parents can come and experience a session alongside their child.
Parent consultation meetings
We hold parent consultation meetings throughout the year to discuss the children’s learning and development.
If you would like any further information please contact:
Lisa Ashby Nursery (F1 Teacher), Early Years Leader, Assistant Head
Email contact:mpsfsu@brigshawtrust.com
Application timetable
The below timetable applies to applications made to Leeds City Council. If you apply to another local authority, they may have different dates
