EYFS
"Nothing but joy!" Loris Malaguzzi
Intent
St William of York Catholic Primary School is committed to the highest possible quality of education and childcare in our Early Years Foundation Stage. We understand that all children learn and develop at different times. Our duty is to cater for children’s individual interests and needs; enabling every child to reach their full potential and to ensure lifelong learning.
We intend to:
- Create an environment that is irresistible, satisfying and provoking.
- Understand every child’s personal attributes and attitudes, enabling children to take their own learning further.
- Develop confidence, self esteem, self awareness and independence in all children.
- Provide a balance of child initiated and adult led activities.
- Establish a system of planning, assessment and reporting which involves all stakeholders, therefore informing learning and development within the Early Years Foundation Stage.
- Ensure the quality of our provision is constant and based on high expectations.
- Involve families and make links with the local community wherever possible.
- Encourage a love of reading and early mathematics.
- To promote a strong sense of health and well-being through skills and a supportive, nurturing environment.
Implementation
“Tell me and I’ll forget. Teach me and I’ll remember. Involve me and I’ll learn.” Benjamin Franklin
- Environment
“There are three teachers of children: adults, other children and the physical environment.” Loris Malaguzzi
The environments in our Nursery and Reception Class are designed to create a ‘home from home’ feeling. As soon as our children enter our setting, we are enabling them to be fully immersed in their own learning. Our environment offers the opportunity for children to be independent, whilst feeling safe and secure with an understanding that it is good to learn from and alongside each other. We offer a wide range of experiences; including open ended loose parts play, sensory activities for our youngest children, popular culture play and topic based activities. We provide these opportunities to allow children to develop their intrinsic motivation, self regulation and a desire to learn.
- Curriculum
“ Children have real understanding only of that which they invent themselves.” Jean Piaget
In St William of York Early Years Foundation Stage, we are committed to following the EYFS curriculum whilst following the interests of individual children and supporting their personal needs. We value the world in which we live and we are aware of how different cultures, faiths and beliefs make our world a more interesting place in which to live. This enables children to have a clearer understanding of ‘Cultural Capital’ as they progress through the school. Our children are introduced to staff through home visits and visits to our setting. The home visit is extremely valuable as it immediately makes vital links with school and home. Staff are able to meet the children in their own home environment, where they feel safe and secure. This enables children to be more confident when they come to visit, prior to starting. All children are different and we pride ourselves on how we work with families in order to provide the most positive experience for the individual child.
- Staff
Staff are keen to adopt new ways of learning according to recent research. There is a ‘have a go’ culture which permeates through every interaction between staff and children. We are passionate about getting to know our families and working closely with them to provide the most irresistible opportunities for our children. Our staff are driven by a strong belief in a supportive, inclusive and an enabling environment. All staff are highly qualified and experienced in child care and development.
Impact
“The best teachers are those who show you where to look, but don’t tell you what to see.” Alexandra K Trenfor
As a result of an ambitious, progressive and exciting Early Years curriculum , our children have a positive awareness of themselves and their role in their family and the wider community. We are committed to all children, including those who are disadvantaged or with special educational needs and disabilities, being able to succeed and to be prepared for their future. We are continuously assessing and reviewing our practice. We know that our practice will change depending on the cohort and individual children. We monitor the impact of our curriculum through regular audits, team meetings, Early Years staff meetings and the opportunities to develop our own personal development. Staff observe, watch and learn through close observations of children’s play and development, providing the information which will develop our ‘ in the moment’ planning. Subject Leadership is carried out by the Early Years Manager through discussions with staff and children, lesson observations and book monitoring. Pupil progress meetings with the Head teacher ensure that all children are monitored and provision is set to ensure that no child is left behind.
Reggio Emilia Education
The Reggio Emilia approach is an educational philosophy and approach to teaching that originated in Reggio Emilia, Italy. It is focused on the idea that children are capable of constructing their own learning and that they should be encouraged to do so through exploration and inquiry. At the heart of the Reggio Emilia approach is the belief that children are active participants in their own learning and should be given the opportunity to explore and learn through hands-on experiences. This approach is based on the principles of constructivism, which suggest that learning occurs through the active construction of knowledge by the learner.