Our School
At Alderman Cogan CE Primary Academy we aim to provide a positive, happy, stimulating and secure environment which meets the learning and development needs of each child. We promote and nurture positive partnerships with parents and carers, ensuring our children become confident, independent and enthusiastic learners.
Intent
At Alderman Cogan’s, our Early Years Team is committed to providing the children in our care with a well rounded and fulfilling curriculum that ensures our children can develop holistically. We value each and every child in our team as an individual with unique needs and interests. Our aim is for children to leave the EYFS confident, engaged learners that are able to express their views and needs, manage conflicts and use a range of vocabulary. Our curriculum has been carefully designed and sequenced to ensure that by the end of the EYFS, children have the necessary skills and knowledge to enable them to successfully transition into KS1 and continue to flourish in their learning. Our intention is to ensure all children have opportunities to explore the RE curriculum and gain a good understanding of how to be part of a Christian community. We aim for the children in our school to acquire the appropriate knowledge to develop their skills and form positive beliefs, values and attitudes.
We prioritise the development of communication and language as we understand that developing the skills, knowledge and understanding of this prime area of learning is vitally important and underpins development in other areas of learning. It is important for our children to be listened to and we acknowledge that their views are valid and important, we all ensure that there is plenty of time and opportunity for children to speak to adults and peers through quality interactions that build social skills.
Our outdoor environment provides children with opportunities to develop the gross and fine motor skills needed to prepare them for writing, allows them to explore and make sense of the natural world and begin to think about how they can care for the environment. Our indoor environment ensures children have opportunities to develop their language skills through role play and small world play and revisit and refine their skills in art and design using malleable materials, paint and a wide range of other media. Physical development is a focus throughout our setting with opportunities to develop fine and gross motor skills, mark make and write embedded in our indoor and outdoor environments.
Implementation
Learning in the EYFS at Alderman Cogan looks like:-
- Daily Read, Write, Inc sessions in Reception – regular assessment to identify any intervention that is needed.
- A daily Maths lesson, plus opportunities to practice mathematical concepts within indoor and outdoor provision.
- Daily story sharing, linked to learning in the Read, Write, Inc sessions.
- Careful nurturing of children’s social and emotional development so that they feel safe and confident in the setting and are able to express and manage difficult feelings.
- A focus on communication and language development, with staff carefully introducing appropriate new vocabulary and helping children to practice using it within their play.
- Writing and mark making opportunities embedded throughout provision.
- Opportunities for children to develop the characteristics of effective learning through play based activities.
- A blend of adult and child interest led activities to ensure the curriculum content is covered and children are ready for KS1.
- Interventions based on assessments in RWI, SALT and PSED.
Impact
By the time children leave us at the end of their FS2 year, all children will have made good progress from their starting point on entry in FS1 or FS2. This progress will be evidenced on tapestry and shared with parents. We continuously assess the children in the foundation stage in all areas of development and this is flagged on Tapestry and evidenced in our floor books for Maths, Communication and Language, RE and Understanding of the World using the Development Matters document. All staff are trained and supported to ensure all observations are of new learning and include the child’s voice and adult impact where appropriate. We have regular moderation meetings to ensure accurate and rigorous assessment of all children. Staff also attend regular network meetings within the Ebor Academy Trust and Local Authority EYFS team; this ensures our judgements are the same as other settings. The children receive a smooth transition between FS1, 2 and beyond. Effective communication and collaboration ensures the children leave the foundation stage with solid foundations on which to build their knowledge and understanding on. Planning is based upon these rigorous assessments and our daily observations and understanding of the children’s developmental needs; this ensures our planning is effective and personalised to individual needs. We know that our children often need support with their Personal, Social and Emotional Development and Communication and Language skills; individuals and small group work ensures these children access interventions appropriate to their needs and gives them opportunities to gain confidence and keep up with their learning in all areas of development.
EYFS Progression Documents:
- PSED Sequencing
- Physical Knowledge Sequencing
- Expressive Arts and Design Knowledge Sequencing
- Literacy Knowledge Sequencing
- Communication and Language Knowledge Sequencing
- Understanding the World Knowledge Sequencing
Other EYFS documents
- EYFS Policy
- EYFS Parent Guide to the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework
- EYFS Parent Guide: What to expect
- Foundation stage 1 timetable of the day
- Foundation stage 2 timetable of the day
- EYFS Maths Curriculum
- MFL EYFS Building the foundations for Spanish
