Ash Class
Ash class is our Early Years Foundation Stage Reception Class
Children are aged 4-5 years old
Teacher: Mrs Burns
Supported by: Mrs Smith and Mrs Hayward-Bradley
On joining our Reception Class your child will be in the final year of the ‘Early Years Foundation Stage’ (EYFS). They will be working towards the Early Learning Goals which is the government's expectation for all children to meet. We use the Development Matters statements to assist in planning objectives for the children to make steps towards achieving the Goals.
We have a focus on phonics throughout the school using 'Little Wandle Letters and Sounds'. Our Maths is taught using 'White Rose' and the 'Maths Mastery' approach.
Other significant learning includes weekly teaching of RE, PE, music and a focus on PSHE. The children also have the experience of cooking activities and using the whole school grounds for physical activities.
Planning in the Moment
Through careful observation 'next steps' are identifeid for groups of children and each individual and these determine the areas of learning we need to focus on. Seasonal events such as harvest time or Bonfire night are regular topics we cover. However, children’s interests and fascinations need to be responded to quickly to gain the full value of their curiosity and engagement at the time and our approach to planning allows us to do just that. It is the children themselves who dictate the majority of the topics we cover in Reception.
Personalised Planning
To facilitate this further, each week we select a ‘focus child’ for the following week. These children are given a consultation sheet for their parents to fill in and photographs are uploaded to Tapestry. On the return to school on Monday, the children share their photos with the rest of the class and these act as a springboard for ideas of activities the children might like to try. For example, one pupil was very interested in baking and it was her 5th birthday so we decided as a class to organise a birthday party. The children wrote birthday invitations, made decorations, created a recipe and designed and baked a birthday cake. The learning opportunites grow easily out of these activities and the children are even more engaged in the learning because it is meaningful to them.
Parents of the focus child are given the opportunity to raise any questions they might have about their child’s learning and development and we can then agree on possible areas for focus in the future and how we can all help with these.