Early Years Foundation Stage

In Blanche Nevile Foundation Stage we follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum, which is the statutory guidance published in 2014. The EYFS is based on four main principles which underpin everything else we do:

• Every child is a unique child, who is constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured
• Children learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships
• Children learn and develop well in enabling environments, in which their experiences respond to their individual needs and there is a strong partnership between practitioners and parents and /or carers
• Children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates

There are seven areas of learning and development (three prime areas and four specific areas) and underpinning them are the Characteristics of Effective Learning, which include the skills children need to fully access the EYFS.

The Characteristics of Effective Learning

Playing and exploring

• Finding out and exploring
• Playing with what the know
• Being willing to ‘have a go’

Active learning

• Being involved and concentrating
• Keep trying
• Enjoying achieving what they set out to do

Creating and critical thinking

• Having their own ideas
• Making links
• Choosing ways to do things

Areas of Learning and Development

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

The Personal, Social and Emotional Development of our children is central to everything we do at Blanche Nevile, and the children are able to learn and grow in an engaging, nurturing and safe environment. Children learn to play cooperatively and take turns, forming positive relationships with adults and other children. They have the opportunity to mix with both deaf and hearing peers, and learn how to interact and communicate confidently, developing a positive image of themselves as a deaf person.

Communication and Language

At Blanche Nevile we provide children with a rich linguistic environment and plenty of opportunity to learn and extend their spoken English and British Sign Language Skills. Sign Supported English is used at all times of the day and the children develop their joint attention and listening skills by learning to look between the speaker and the activity. There is a heavy focus on role play and experiential learning, which allows children to use new vocabulary in meaningful situations.

Physical development

We offer lots of opportunities for children to develop their fine and gross motor skills. Large-scale movement are developed on the climbing frame and obstacle courses we have in the playground, during focus PE sessions and during Forest School visits to Highgate Woods, where children learn how to climb and scramble safely over fallen trees and logs. We get children ‘writing ready’ by developing arm and hand muscles during Dough Gym sessions, and they work on a good pencil grip by using tweezers, tongs, scissors and other one-handed tools. The children are encouraged to think about what is needed to stay healthy and safe, such as eating well and using scissors and other equipment carefully, and are encouraged to become more independent in managing their own personal hygiene.

Literacy

We use a system called Visual Phonics to help the children learn about how and where letter sounds are produced. They practice phonics everyday and have lots of opportunities to apply their skills in reading and writing activities. The children learn about writing in meaningful ways, for instance by creating a shopping list that they then use during a visit to the local shop. They learn to write simple words and sentences using their knowledge of letter sounds are introduced to some ‘tricky’ words, such as ‘the’ and ‘to’. Storytelling and reading are central to our work here, and the children have time everyday to read and retell stories using puppets and role play.

Numeracy

Maths skills are developed in all areas of the room; from paying for items in our role play shop, to exploring capacity at the water tray. The children learn to count reliably from 1-20, carefully counting out objects as well as unmovable items such as claps or steps. They practice ordering numbers to 20 and finding 1 more and 1 less.  They learn to add and take away practical situations using up to 10 objects and solve simple problems. They learn to name and describe shapes and make models and pictures using flat and solid shapes.

Understanding the World

Our children are involved in many activities that allow them to explore the natural world, from visits to Highgate Wood to bug hunts in the Peace Garden. They investigate changes by playing with ice and other natural materials, taking part in lots of cooking activities and observing what happens when seeds are planted. Every years, we look after a clutch of duck eggs and the children help care for them once they have hatched.

The children have the opportunity to use digital cameras and play with games on the Interactive White Board. We use an online program called Orbit to share photos of the children at school with their families. Orbit also allows families to upload photos to the activities their child does at home.

Expressive arts and design

At Blanche Nevile, the children have free access to painting and creative modelling activities every day. They undertake projects to learn new skills, such as college, marbling paper or mixing colours, but also have the chance to create their own drawings and models too.

The children take part in a music program called A Musical Journey, where they use a selection of percussion instruments to explore loud, quiet, fast and slow sounds and practice creating and copying simple rhythms.

Please see our Early Years Foundation Stage Policy below:

Early Years Foundation Stage Policy