“The goal of early childhood education should be to activate the child’s own natural desire to learn.”  Maria   Montessori

Purpose

At Etruscan Primary School we believe the Foundation Stage is crucial in securing solid foundations that our children continue to build upon throughout their schooling. In our Early Years Foundation Stage, our curriculum provides all children with the knowledge, skills and understanding they need to be confident, inquisitive, curious, independent learners and influence their wider thinking across all areas of the curriculum. It is our intention to provide a stimulating, well-structured, safe and active indoor and outdoor 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 are committed to nurturing a lifelong love of learning alongside the aims of the EYFS statutory framework. We strive for high standards, consider the development of the whole child and seek to foster resilience and independence. By the end of the Reception year, our intent is to ensure that all children make at least good progress from their starting points are equipped with the skills and knowledge to have a smooth transition into Year 1.

Rationale

The principles of the Early Years Foundation Stage guide are to develop the unique child, providing care and support in a safe environment so that every child’s full potential is reached. Positive relationships ensure that children feel secure, whilst a stimulating and diverse learning environment allows children to discover the world around them and provides opportunities for challenge whilst remaining safe. Children require opportunities to develop independence, resilience and self-confidence in an environment where they feel valued, respected and cared for. All children develop at different rates and learn in different ways. Therefore, well planned experiences in all areas of learning and development are essential, with purposeful play underpinning the delivery of the Early Years education. Working in partnership with parents, carers and families is also a key part of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

Characteristics

At Etruscan Primary we provide inviting classroom environments, both indoors and out, to stimulate learners and engage them in developing the three ‘Characteristics of Effective Learning’ as set out within the EYFS.

Three characteristics of effective teaching and learning are:

• Playing and exploring - children investigate and experience things, and ‘have a go’
• Active learning - children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties, and enjoy achievements
• Creating and thinking critically - children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things

Our Nursery and Reception classes follow the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum and work towards the Early Learning Goals. The 7 areas of learning are:

• Personal, Social and Emotional Development
• Physical Development
• Communication and Language development
• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding the World
• Expressive Arts and Design

Inclusion

All staff set high expectations for every pupil. They plan challenging activities and provide quality interactions which enable all pupils to make good progress regardless of their academic ability or background. We expect all children to make good progress albeit from different starting points.