Early Years Foundation Stage

 

 

Access our new home learning page during the shutdown here.

 

Our Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is an integral part of Firs Primary School. Our aim is to provide an environment where each child feels happy, safe and secure.  The Foundation Stage unit includes all children in Foundation Stage 1 and Foundation Stage 2 . Foundation 1 (FS1) is sometimes called ‘nursery and Foundation 2 (FS2) is also known as ‘reception’.

 

Themes and Principles of the EYFS

 

At Firs Primary School we take guidance from Development Matters in the EYFS (a non-statutory guidance to help us to teach the statutory guidance). Set out in this document are the themes and principles that underlie our practice in the Foundation Stage.

 

 

Areas of Learning and Development

 

The Early years Foundation Curriculum is based on ongoing observation and assessment in three prime and four specific areas of learning and the three learning characteristics, which are set out below:

 

 

The Prime Areas of Learning

The Specific Areas of Learning

 

The Learning Characteristics

 

 

 

Click on the link below to download a copy of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage:

EYFS Statutory Framework

 

If you would like further information about our curriculum and how to break it down, you may wish to look at –  What to expect, when?

 

 

Meet the Team

This year our team has changed. We have now mixed our Nursery and Reception children together.

 

Miss R Marley – EYFS team leader/teacher

Miss F Gilder – EYFS teacher

Mrs A Ottewell – EYFS teaching assistant

Mrs L Capewell – EYFS teaching assistant

 

 

Our EYFS unit

 

                                                                       

 

                                                                         

 

                                                                                

School Council Members

 

Each class has one child who represents their class on the school council. The school council allows the children to voice their opinions and to improve their school.

 

 

Class Dojo Masters

 

Each class has a Dojo Master. Their job is to make sure everyone is following the Firsy values; Fascinated, Independent, Respectful, Sociable and having a You can do it attitude. They also get the opportunity to greet visitors who come to visit the class.

 

 

Gold Book

 

Every week, pupils from each class are chosen to go into the school Gold Book, this may be either for following our ‘Firsy Five’ school values or to be recognised for an achievement. The children will receive a certificate and sticker in assembly.

 

Autumn Term 1

Week 1 –                                                               Week 2 –                                                         Week 3 –

Week 4 –                                                     Week 5 –                                                                 Week 6 –

Week 7 –

Autumn 2

Week 1 –                                           Week 2 –                                           Week 3 –                                        Week 4 –

Week 5 –                                         Week 6 –

Spring 1

Week 1                                                      Week 2                                                        Week 3

Week 4                                                    Week 5

 

 

Quality texts

 

Quality stories we are reading in Literacy this year.

As well as the quality texts during our topics, we will also be sharing books for pleasure. Some of these books include;

Nursery books

Reception books

Topics

 

We’re really excited to cover the following topics this year!

Autumn 1 & 2- Will you read me a story?

Spring 1-  Are we there yet?

Spring 2-  Why do Zebras have stripes?

Summer 1- Are carrots orange?

Summer 2- What is a reflection?/ What’s that sound?

 

Curriculum Overview

Here is our curriculum overview for this year. EYFS Curriculum overview

 

 

 

What are we learning this half term?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spring 2

 

 

This half term the children will be learning all about animals, environments and cultures. We are reading ‘Dear Zoo’ for our key text which we will innovate and make our own. The children will learn about the continent Africa and all about the Serengeti and the animals that live there. We will be creating art work and musical instruments from what we have learned. Our final piece of work will put all our knowledge together to create a new coat for a chosen animal. We are very excited to visit the zoo too, for our school trip.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Memorable experience

On our first day back some boxes arrived at school. The problem was, they were not addressed to anyone. We had to read the labels and find out who they belonged to. The children worked together to follow the clues and predict what was inside to see if it was safe to open.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We then thought that it would be a good idea to make found posters to see who the animals belonged to. The children did a fantastic job and we are now waiting to see if they are claimed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spring 1

 

 

 

In Spring the children will be learning all about transport, journeys and holidays. We will be reading ‘Mr Gumpy’s outing’ and creating our own version of the story. The children will learn about transport from the past and about how they have changed. We will even begin to write facts about the different transport. The children will explore floating and sinking as well as ramps. All this knowledge will help us to design and make our own ‘Super vehicles’ at the end of the topic.

 

 

 

 

 

Memorable Experience

 

To start off our topic, we went for a walk, to observe the different types of transport. The children had a sheet with the different types that they could record their tally marks on. We were amazed at how busy the road was and how many we could find. The children were very excited when they even saw a helicopter fly overhead.

 

Autumn Term

 

 

 

 

In Autumn our topic was called ‘Will you read me a story?’ We learned all about Fairytales and how they differ in settings, characters and events as well as the countries they come from. The children learned to orally retell the stories and innovate them by changing the setting, characters or events. The children also begin to write captions, recounts of events and their own stories.

 

Memorable experience

 

Look at what the children discovered at school! Someone had broken one of our chairs and someone had eaten Miss Marley’s porridge!!

 

The children were very excited to go and tell Miss Gilder and Mrs Ottewell outside. The children thought that it might be Goldilocks. They decided to go searching for her.

After the October half term we came back to school to find footprints in the classroom!

The children had lots of ideas of who could have left the footprints. They even thought the 3 bears had been to visit!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Learning at home

 

Reception

Your child will be given a reading book to take home. We would encourage you to read with your child everyday. We will hear your child read their reading book once a week and in addition they will have daily reading practice during our Read Write Inc sessions. We will change your child’s reading book weekly.

 

                                       

 

 

 

Home Learning Book

This will be sent home weekly on a Friday. Please help your child but we would like them to be as independent as possible. We do not send home anything for the children that we have not covered in class or spoken about. Please return the home learning book by the following Wednesday.

Homework for Friday 28th February is;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PE days

Reception will have the opportunity to have a teacher led PE session on a Tuesday. Please encourage your  child to dress themselves independently at home at every opportunity.

 

On the odd occasion our PE day might change due to other experiences at school. Please can your children bring their PE kit in at the beginning of each half term and take it home at the end to wash.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Important dates

 

Spring 2 term begins – Tuesday 25th February

Parents afternoons – Monday 2nd March and Wednesday 4th March

World Book Day – Thursday 5th March

School trip – Wednesday 11th March

Sports relief disco – Friday 13th March

End of term – Friday 3rd April at 3:30pm