Early Years Foundation Stage

Miss H Barlow

Miss Barlow - EYFS Lead/F2 class teacher

Miss Franklin - F1 class teacher

Miss Doyle - F2 class teacher

Miss Williamson - F2 class teacher

Miss Vos - F1 TA

Miss Wood - F1 TA

Mrs Ivory - F2 TA

Mrs Nilsen - F2 TA

Miss Beamish - F2 TA

Mrs Boyd - HLTA

We envisage that the environment, in which the children will learn through play, will be of a high quality both indoors and outdoors and it will lend itself easily to children learning through exploratory play, problem solving activities and risk-taking possibilities. 

The EYFS team will work together to ensure that consistency and continuity of approach is evident from F1 through to F2 and beyond into Key Stage 1 in relation to the enabling environments and planning for teaching and learning. We have adopted a Hygge and Curiosity approach which are embedded into our environments and planning and will continue to be built upon.

We will ensure that children are challenged at all times and encouraged to explore their environment with inquiring minds and imagination as individuals and that we as practitioners will embrace their diversity.

We will strive to ensure that all continuous provision areas, both indoors and outdoors, are always well stocked with high quality resources that are naturally made wherever possible and to allow their use to be open ended and to act as provocations to set the children’s imaginations free.

We will continue to make teaching of Phonics, Reading, Writing and Number a high priority daily and each area will be taught with a consistent approach and be regularly monitored, assessed and reviewed so that planning will be based on teacher led Next Steps as well around children’s interests. 

The Impact 

The EYFS will be an exciting, engaging, imaginative, play based, well planned, supportive and organised placed to learn.

Children will become confident, competent, curious, independent, risk taking individuals who will have a firm foundation on which to build on for their future learning and will be prepared for life with the understanding of how to be safe, happy, respectful and valued.

Heygarth Hippo’s rules of:

“Kind Hands, Kind Feet and Kind Words, Listening to Others, Sharing and Taking Turns and Telling a Grown-up When Upset or Unhappy”

will be excellent rules to prepare and take the children on their individual journey of lifelong learning.

Our Intent is our curriculum, our plan and what we are going to teach – a balance between child- initiated and adult – led, a hybrid educational approach; bringing together the best methodologies, with carefully planned Purposeful Provision and Enabling Environments that evolve to meet the needs of our cohort.

Our Implementation is our Pedagogy, what we do, how we teach and present our curriculum.

What we do in the every day to ensure the children make progress by providing:

• Communication friendly spaces

• Well-resourced Enabling Environments

• Purposeful Provision

• Enhancements

• Provocations and Invitations to Play

• High quality interactions during play

Our Impact is reviewing teaching and assessing learning – this shows that we make a difference and that the children make good progress from their starting point.

Impact is shown with our observations, formative and summative assessments for each child, discussing their next steps and following the children’s interests.

We usually welcome our youngest children into Heygarth the term after their 3rd birthday so some children - depending on their date of birth will spend 3 terms in Foundation 1 whilst others will spend 5 terms there.

In Foundation 1 most children will spend 15 hours per week in school unless parents are eligible for the working parents 30 hour code.

Children enter either:

September - if they are 3 before 31st August

or

January - if they are 3 between September 1st and December 31st

We offer the following sessions:

• Beginning of the week: Monday and Tuesday 8.45 am - 3.30 pm and Wednesday morning 8.45 am - 11.45 am

• End of the Week: Wednesday afternoon 12.30 pm - 3.30 pm and all day Thursday and Friday 8.45 am - 3.30 pm

• 30 hours: Monday to Friday 8.45 am - 3.30 pm each day.

  We do not offer any other combination of sessions as we do not have the capacity to do so.

• The Foundation 1 class is named “Acorns”

• There is a qualified teacher a three teaching assistants.

• When the class teacher takes her statutory Planning, Preparation and Assessment Time she is covered by Miss Barlow (EYFS Lead). This is usually taken 1 full day a fortnight.

• The legal adult to child ratio in F1 is - 1 : 13, (1:8 if a teacher is not present.)

  Foundation 1 are a self contained unit- they have their own entrance/exit, toilets, changing room, kitchen and outdoor area.

• The children each receive a free piece of fruit and carton of milk daily.

• We ask for a named water bottle containing plain water ONLY to be brought to school for the duration of your child’s week

• If your child is not yet toilet trained we will support you to train them but ask that you provide a weekly supply of nappies, wipes and nappy sacks.

• We ask all children in F1 to bring a spare named clothing bag containing named underwear and named uniform to school and that will remain in school and be sent home each half term.

• We ask for children to always be provided with the correct and named outdoor clothing for the weather as they spend most of their time in F1 outdoors.

• F1 attend a Forest School session every Wednesday and they need to come to school dressed for this session wearing trainers/ school shoes and carrying their named wellies in a named bag - all clothing must be named.

• If your child stays for lunch they MUST be provided with a named lunch box and drink containing a healthy balanced lunch

• Lunch box rules:

• Any grapes must be sliced lengthways

• Food must not contain NUTS

• No fizzy drinks or sweets

• No chocolate bars however a chocolate biscuit is acceptable

• Minimum of Level 3 TA and 2 Level 1 TAs supports the children during their 45 minute lunch break (ratios are dependent on numbers of children staying for lunch)

• They need to be provided with a named plate to eat their lunch from

• School Hot dinners will be offered in the Spring Term on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday for children who stay lunch on those days. These meals MUST BE PAID FOR IN ADVANCE.

• F1 DO NOT require a PE kit.

• We ask that children DO wear the Heygarth Uniform.

• We use X (Twitter) as a platform for sharing what we do in Foundation 1 so make sure you follow us

• If you do not wish your child’s photograph to be displayed on Twitter you MUST make sure you identified this on the consent forms sent home in your child’s induction pack

• Children enter Foundation 2 the term after their 4th birthday and all children spend 3 terms in Foundation 2.

• There are two Foundation 2 classes and they are named “Apples” and “Cherries”.

• The classes have their own doors for entry and exit and their own carpet areas for registration, story times and directed teaching but share an indoor and outdoor environment in which we encourage free flow.

• There are 2 qualified teachers at all times and 1 Level 1 teaching assistant for most of the school day.

• The statutory adult / child ratio is 1:30.

• Class size never go over 30 pupils in Foundation 2.

• Children are expected in school by 8.50 am and are dismissed at 3.20 pm each day.

• Lunch time is 11.45 am - 12.45 pm.

• All children receive a UFSM (Universal Free School Meal).

• All children receive a free piece of fruit daily. This is cute safely in accordance with the guidance on safer eating.

• Children receive a free milk daily until the term they turn 5 and then it must be prepaid for through Cool Milk (unless you receive Free school meals).

• Children are expected to wear the Heygarth Uniform and plain black shoes or trainers (no other colour on them whatsoever).

• All children are given a free Heygarth water bottle, book bag and Heygarth cap during induction - these are the only water bottles and caps that are accepted for use in school.

• Children must bring their water bottle to school each Monday filled with plain water.

• The water bottle remains in school where it is emptied and washed daily until Friday when it is sent home for a deep clean.

• Children must have appropriate outer wear which is named at all times as they spend a large part of their day outdoors no matter the weather.

• All clothing, coats and shoes MUST be clearly named

• All children need to bring a named spare clothing bag to school containing named underwear and uniform which they leave on their peg until it is needed. This is sent home every half term for a wash if not used.

• Children in F2 will need to wear a PE kit on a Wednesday.

• Children in F2 have Forest school sessions every Tuesday and must come to school in appropriate named clothing wearing shoes or trainers and bringing their named wellies in a named bag.

• Children are taught RWInc phonics daily, in the morning.

• Children are taught four sessions of NCETM, mastering number, Mathematics a week. This is in the afternoon, after lunch.

• Children will have 2 weekly reading books after October Half Term which will be sent home once a week on a Friday.

• Reading Book bags must be brought to school each day and then will remain in school on a Thursday when they will be changed ready to go back out on a Friday.

• Book bags DO NOT need to be brought to school on a Forest School day.

• Staff will set Home learning Tasks via Tapestry - literacy/ mathematics or of a topical nature. Miss Barlow, EYFS and RWInc lead, will also send home RWInc videos, weekly, for your child to consolidate their sound knowledge.

• We use Tapestry as a platform for sharing what we do in Foundation 2. Please consent to this via Parent Pay to allow us to share observations of your child.

At Heygarth Primary School we have adopted a Hygge Approach to teaching and learning in EYFS. This is a Danish approach which encapsulates a feeling of warmth, familiarity, cosiness, safety and calm. We feel that if we can create an environment that reflects this then children will feel settled much more quickly.

We have changed our environment considerably over the last few years in order to create a Hyggely welcome.

• We no longer use the main overhead strip lights - instead we use lamps, fairy lights and jars of lights.

• We no longer use brightly coloured plastic resources - instead we aim to use natural open ended resources wherever possible.

• We no longer create colourful, over stimulating, teacher designed displays - instead we display children’s work instantly on neutral brown paper backgrounds.

• We no longer expect children to create identical pieces of art work - instead we encourage unique pieces of art work showcasing their skills.

• We no longer create role play areas such as post offices and restaurants - instead we have a constant home corner similar to the children’s own homes that we enhance throughout the year.

Our environment is now full of interesting, open ended, real and interesting resources that the children can use in a myriad of ways without the expectation of having to have completed an activity in a specific way.

The children have shown how creative and imaginative they are and take ownership of their learning. The environment and resources lend themselves well to incorporating a Curiosity Approach which enhances the children’s problem solving skills and techniques and allows staff to use “Planning in the Moment” so that child initiated lines of discovery and development can be explored freely. These lines of enquiry are supported effectively by staff and balanced with teacher led sessions where needed .

Our provision areas are purposeful and set up with core resources that are adapted and enhanced as and when required - the provision areas contain real life items wherever possible with a mixture of old and new such as mobile phones sat aside an original dial phone, a laptop next to a type writer, antique desks next to modern wooden tables etc..

We aim to be as purposeful, relevant and realistic as possible by:

• The children getting their milk directly from the fridge

• Using real crockery, glasses and cutlery in the home corner

• Using lighting and lamps that the children may find in their own homes

• Using real coins for mathematical activities such as paying for their own snack

• Having vases of fresh flowers and pot plants in the classroom

• Planting seeds in our outdoor area

• Using the snack area to make snacks with the children and also to cook for the homeless

• Bringing branches from the outdoor area indoors to create displays and lighting.

  We have found the impact has been extremely positive and:

  • Transition for children from home to school has been smoother as the environment is more like home than a classroom.

  • Children are calmer and more settled due to the low level lighting.

  • Creativity has increased with children using resources much more freely and with open ended outcomes.

  • Problem solving and risk taking skills have improved as children are freely exploring the indoor and outdoor environment and exploring the natural environment around them, this includes climbing trees and digging in the mud.