ARNSIDE NATIONAL CE PRIMARY SCHOOL
‘Aspire – Believe – Achieve’
EARLY YEARS FOUNDATION STAGE
Intent, Implementation & Impact
Intent:
Arnside National CE Primary School believes that all children deserve an education rich in memorable experiences that allows our children’s creativity and curiosity to grow, alongside the development of key skills and knowledge. We believe that offering our children a strong foundation and a love of learning gives children the best chance to become well-rounded, happy individuals, ready to succeed in an ever-changing world.
We recognise the importance of giving our children the best possible start to their education by planning and implementing teaching and learning opportunities that support them in reaching their full potential.
It is our intention to provide a stimulating learning environment where all children can work with adults and peers in a climate of mutual respect to develop confidence in their ability to learn. We aim to provide children with a well-structured, safe and active learning environment. This will enable our young learners to develop the skills, attitudes and understanding that support our children to become lifelong learners and encourage them to become active members of our ever-changing society.
Implementation:
We recognise that children will learn most effectively when they are healthy, safe and secure, when their individual needs are met and when they have positive relationships with the adults who care for them. We provide a setting that encompasses a safe and stimulating environment where children are able to enjoy learning and grow in confidence that helps them to achieve their potential.
In Early Years, we begin with a strong emphasis on our school values- fruits of the spirit and adult-led activities to build the foundation of the children’s learning skills, knowledge and understanding of the curriculum, so that they can apply this learning to child-initiated activities and continuous provision.
Our curriculum design effectively underpins the learning at Arnside National CE Primary School. The curriculum is planned and implemented using a pedagogical approach across the school using our own Curriculum Mapping system. This approach gives children the opportunities to apply learning from across the curriculum in a practical context. We provide a variety of opportunities which enable children to apply knowledge and skills they have learned within our local environment.
Each half term, children will cover several topics. These topics are introduced to our children in a creative way through - memorable experiences. Each topic is then delivered using a staged approach, incorporating an initial engagement stage, to capture the children’s imagination in their new topic or theme of learning. This learning is developed through a series of lessons that build skills, knowledge and understanding within that topic. At the end of each topic, children are given the opportunity to evaluate their learning and celebrate their achievements; this celebration is often shared with parents and carers and other family members.
Throughout Nursery and Reception, our children are assessed in relation to their progress towards Development Matters and the Early Learning Goals. These judgements are made on the basis of accumulative observations and in-depth knowledge of the children acquired through ongoing assessments. Next steps are taught in the moment during continuous provision and adult led activities to ensure children are challenged. End-of-year assessments are finalised during the summer term, summarising each child’s development at that point against the Early Learning Goals.
Impact:
Our children will be actively engaged in their learning, which will be apparent in their daily provision. All children will have experienced a curriculum that provides exciting, enjoyable and enriching learning experiences and opportunities for them to learn through our local area and people, educational visits and practical experiences.
Our young learners will be able to appreciate and understand the world around them by experiencing and learning about different and diverse cultures, celebrations, music, dance, art and history. Children will actively ask questions about the world around them and their learning experiences. They will be able to take risks as this is an opportunity to learn.
We also aim to help children to make sense of the world around them, through our school values of kindness, love, faithfulness and an understanding of their rights and the rights of others in an ever-changing world. Our Early Years children will be successful learners and fully prepared for the next stage of their education as they transition from Early Years Foundation Stage into Key Stage One.
We know that by the end of Foundation Stage at Arnside National CE Primary School, our children will have developed the essential knowledge and skills required for everyday life, and lifelong learning. As well as this being demonstrated within the children’s enthusiasm to learn, their progression, self-esteem, knowledge, and skills, it will also be evident in the children’s ‘good level of development’ evident in our baseline assessments, termly tracking systems and ongoing conversations with parents/carers. All of which contributes a well as our in-depth knowledge of each individual child and completed at the end of the child’s fantastic journey in our EYFS. We believe the children at Arnside National Primary CE School will be happy, inquisitive and successful learners who will develop the building blocks for a bright and successful futures.