At Anston Greenlands Primary School all of our classes are named after birds. We are known as Wrens, but we are also referred to as Foundation Stage 2 or the Reception class. Prior to starting with us, children attend a variety of Foundation Stage 1 settings (preschools, nurseries and childminders).
Intent
At Anston Greenlands Primary our whole school core intent is to develop a ‘Love of Learning’ . In EYFS our intent is also to ensure all children build on prior learning in a caring, nurturing environment which allows them to reach their full potential. Children learn by exploring, experiencing and working together to develop their skills and knowledge preparing them for their next steps in their learning.
Our school has a great outdoor learning environment and this is reflected within our curriculum. We take advantage of the opportunities our outside areas offer. We want our children to be fully involved in school, family and community life. We encourage our children to see themselves as a valued part of these and encourage them to begin contributing.
School Core Values
At Anston Greenlands we are all…
Creative
Resilient
Enthusiastic
Aspirational
Team Players
Expert
Implementation
The principles that guide our curriculum are taken from the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Framework . They are grouped into 4 themes:-
- A unique child
- Positive relationships
- Enabling Environments
- Learning and Development
The EYFS Curriculum consists of the seven areas of Learning and Development. There are three prime and four specific areas.
The three prime areas of learning are:
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development
- Communication and Language
- Physical Development
The four specific areas of learning are:
- Mathematics
- Literacy
- Understanding of the World
- Expressive Arts and Design
Each half term, EYFS staff introduce a new topic to provide inspiration for learning, whilst providing the flexibility for children to follow their own interests and ideas. Children learn through a balance of child-initiated and adult-directed activities.
The timetable is carefully structured so that children have directed teaching during the day. The timetable changes throughout the year to take into consideration the changing needs of the children. These sessions are followed by small focused group work. This means that the teacher/teaching assistant can systematically check for understanding, identify and respond to misconceptions quickly and provide real-time verbal feedback which results in a strong impact on the acquisition of new learning.
Children are provided with plenty of time to engage in ‘exploration’ throughout the variety of experiences carefully planned to engage and also challenge them in the provision. The curriculum is planned for the inside and outside environments, and equal importance is given to learning in both areas.
Early Reading
Supporting Your Child with Reading
Although your child will be taught to read at school, you can have a huge impact on their reading journey by continuing their practice at home. There are two types of reading book that your child may bring home:
A reading practice book. This will be at the correct phonic stage for your child. They should be able to read this fluently and independently.
A sharing book. (known as our reading spine books) Your child will not be able to read this on their own. This book is for you both to read and enjoy together.
Reading Practice Book
Children are allocated a school reading practice book. Children are encouraged to read at home at least three times a week and are listened to in school. Before Christmas this is 1-1, and this then develops into whole group guided reading sessions after Christmas or when children are able to sound-talk and blend some words. These sessions take place three times a week. The first session works on sound-talk and blending, the second session works on prosody and the final session works on comprehension. Children are given books that match their phonic knowledge in order for them to apply their learning with the aim of becoming successful, confident and fluent readers. This book has been carefully matched to your child’s current reading level. If your child is reading it with little help, please don’t worry that it’s too easy – your child needs to develop fluency and confidence in reading.
Listen to them read the book. Remember to give them lots of praise – celebrate their success! If they can’t read a word, read it to them. After they have finished, talk about the book together.
Sharing Book – (Reading Spine Books)
In order to encourage your child to become a lifelong reader, it is important that they learn to read for pleasure. The sharing book is a book they have chosen for you to enjoy together. In EYFS we have ’20 Reading Spine Books’. The aim is to expose children to a range of books that not only develop a love of reading, but have been chosen specifically to develop their oracy, vocabulary and comprehension. These books are also embedded in our provision, through activities, story sessions, placed on display for children to access independently and also sent home to share. Through this, children begin to internalise new vocabulary, language patterns and begin to retell stories.
Please remember that you shouldn’t expect your child to read this alone. Read it to or with them. Discuss the pictures, enjoy the story, predict what might happen next, use different voices for the characters, explore the facts in a non-fiction book. The main thing is that you have fun!
Here are the Key workers in Wrens reading their favourite stories.
Mrs Briggs (Nursery Nurse)- loves the story ‘Farmer Duck’
Mrs Marriott (FS2 Class Teacher) – loves the story ‘Rumble in the Jungle’
Phonics
We follow the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds systematic synthetic phonics programme to ensure consistency across the school. In Reception, Phase1 continues for the first couple of weeks of school, but then children are introduced to Phase 2 and 3 where they learn GPC’s and learn how to segment and blend words. During the summer term, children move on to Phase 4 if they are ready.
We use Little Wandle phonics resources to support children during literacy and phonics lessons, as well as when they are independently accessing continuous provision. These resources are also shared with parents and carers to support learning at home.
We use the Little Wandle grapheme information sheets to help children and families pronounce each letter sound correctly. However, we do not use the letter-formation guidance within these resources, as handwriting is taught through the Penpals handwriting programme.
Literacy
Our Literacy curriculum is planned using the Drawing Club approach, which supports children’s early language, storytelling, creativity and writing development through engaging texts, drawing and imaginative play.
Drawing Club uses the “Three Ms” to support children’s early literacy development:
How do we deliver Drawing Club?
| Mini moment 1 – Character | Get Up, Stand Up’ sharing rich vocabulary everyday introduced in a contextual way | ‘Story Sharing – a blend of books, tales and animation | Modelling drawing of the character, setting and adventure time ideas through the 3M’s. Modelling writing through a ‘password’. See progression below. Reading developed by adding keywords. A ‘passcode’ is added linked to Maths. What number will you do? Show examples – Write 8 and draw two windows with a total of eight – ‘Ohhh look, double four’ | Drawing Club groups of up to eight children exploring story through drawing and writing using the 3M’s and taking stories on an adventure. The role of the teacher is building confidence in pace with each child so that they are emotionally connected to what they’re doing |
| Mini moment 2 – Setting | ‘Get Up, Stand Up’ sharing rich vocabulary everyday introduced in a contextual way. | ‘Story Sharing – a blend of books, tales and animation | Modelling drawing of the setting and ideas through the 3M’s. | Drawing Club groups of up to eight children exploring story through drawing and writing using the 3M’s and taking stories on an adventure. The role of the teacher is building confidence in pace with each child so that they are emotionally connected to what they’re doing |
| Mini moment 3 – Adventure | ‘Get Up, Stand Up’ sharing rich vocabulary everyday introduced in a contextual way. | Modelling drawing adventure time ideas through the 3M’s. | Drawing Club groups of up to eight children exploring story through drawing and writing using the 3M’s and taking stories on an adventure. The role of the teacher is building confidence in pace with each child so that they are emotionally connected to what they’re doing |
| Writing passwords are modelled and across the year build on progressive steps toward the end outcome of writing sentences |
| Autumn: Mark making symbols/ Identified letters from phonics/ CVC words |
| Spring: CEW’s / Captions/ simple sentences |
| Summer: Simple Sentences/ sentences including ‘and’ |
Then one day each week, children complete a short dictated writing activity linked to the Drawing Club focus book. The task is carefully matched to each child’s stage of development and may involve writing a letter, word, caption or sentence.
At our school we use the Penpals scheme for teaching handwriting starting in Reception through to Year 6. The Foundation content is in line with the EYFS Framework
The scheme provides us with a consistent approach and a clear progression through five developmental stages:
- Physical preparation for handwriting
- Securing correct letter formation
- Beginning to create joins between letters
- Securing joins and practicing speed and fluency
- Developing a personal style.
Handwriting is taught separately from Literacy lessons in EYFS. Initially, children focus on developing the fine- and gross-motor skills needed for effective handwriting. They practise a range of pre-writing patterns, including dots, waves and zigzags, to build control and prepare for letter formation.
Children then progress to letter formation using the Penpals handwriting programme. Letters are taught in four letter families, grouped by similar shapes and movements, to support consistent formation. Information and activities linked to each letter family are also shared with parents and carers as part of home learning.
For further information, please see the link below.
Penpals Information for Parents
Mathematics
In Reception, we follow the White Rose Maths Scheme of work. High quality learning environments and meaningful interactions with adults, support children in developing mathematical thinking and discussion. Pupils learn through games and tasks using concrete manipulatives and pictorial structures and representations which are then rehearsed applied and recorded within their own child-led exploration. They are then asked to solve problems where they only have the abstract i.e. numbers or other symbols, when ready. Building these steps across our lessons helps children understand the relationship between numbers and the real world, and therefore helps secure their understanding of the mathematical concept they are learning.
The Wider Curriculum
Our wider curriculum is taught through the learning areas; ‘Understanding of the World’ and ‘Expressive Arts and Design.’ EYFS staff have a good understanding of how ELG’s feed into the National Curriculum through our robust planning and CPD opportunities. In reverse, colleagues throughout the school are also aware of the key ELG’s that link to each foundation subject and the progression of the subject.
Exciting, purposeful and contextual activities are planned to build on children’s natural curiosity. For example, building a bridge for the ‘Three Billy Goats Gruff’ to cross enables them to think like a ‘Scientist’ and ‘Engineer’ as they explore a range of materials and test out their own ideas.
Building further on our oracy focus, children will be encouraged to employ subject specific language and terminology in foundation subjects, and such vocabulary will be modelled, both verbally and orally, by supporting practitioners.
Our inclusive approach means that all children learn together, but we have a range of additional intervention and support for children who may not be reaching their potential, or are showing a greater depth of understanding and need further challenge. This includes, for example, sessions for developing fine motor skills, phonics, and mathematics.
Impact
With a thorough knowledge of our curriculum, the Early Learning Goals and the children in our EYFS setting, we assess the children through discussion and questioning, observation, and direct teaching sessions. A record of their learning is made, noting their progress and planning for the next steps in their learning. We have class floor books for Knowledge and Understanding of the World and Personal Social and Emotional. Then each child has a physical learning journal and we use the EMAG to track and record children’s progression. These are then used to identify areas for development. This is shared with parents/carers at our parent’s evenings, and contributions from parents and carers are welcomed through WOW slips. CLICK HERE .
Our provision and the delivery of our curriculum is regularly monitored, reviewed and revisited to ensure our aims are met and the children’s knowledge and learning is secure.
Baseline
Before children start school, staff gather information to build a clear picture of each child’s needs, interests and stage of development. This may include home visits, conversations with parents and carers, liaison with previous settings, and reviewing any existing learning journeys.
During the first few weeks of Reception, practitioners carry out ongoing observations and assessments to identify each child’s starting points across all areas of learning. This information is used to plan meaningful experiences and support every child to make progress.
In addition, children complete the statutory Reception Baseline Assessment (RBA). This short assessment focuses on early language, communication and literacy skills, as well as mathematics. Further information can be found using the link below.
RBA (Statutory Baseline Assessment) – Information for Parents
Ongoing Observation
In the Early Years, practitioners use brief observations from adult-led activities and children’s independent play in continuous provision to guide weekly planning and identify appropriate next steps for learning.
Assessment is an ongoing part of daily practice and is completed without taking staff away from the children for extended periods or creating unnecessary paperwork. Practitioners use their detailed knowledge of each child, supported by professional discussions with colleagues and conversations with parents and carers, to make informed judgements about children’s progress.
Evidence of learning may include photographs, children’s writing and other examples of their work, such as drawings, models or other creations. A selection of these may be included in individual learning journeys or shared on the school website.
Assessment
Phonic assessments are carried out after five weeks to quickly identify pupils that are not making expected progress. Our aim is for children to ‘keep up’ rather than ‘catch up’ where possible. In Summer Term 2, the EYFSP is completed where teacher judge whether the child has met each of the 17 ELG’s. They will be assessed as either ‘emerging’ or ‘expected.’
At the end of their year in Foundation Stage 2, we believe that our children will be confident, enthusiastic learners; they will have developed a wide range of skills and knowledge, including in writing, reading and maths, and will be ready for the next stage of their learning in Key Stage I. We believe that they will have had plenty of memorable experiences and that they will feel a sense of belonging to the Anston Greenlands family.
