Reception

Welcome to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

Teacher: Miss Strawbridge
Teaching Assistant: Mrs Gorrie

Early Years at Millbrook

Our mission, within the Early Years, is to create a happy and caring environment that enables children to succeed as unique individuals, to their highest potential. We provide a safe and secure surrounding, where the children are stimulated and inspired to develop their love of learning for. We have high expectations and aspirations for all our children, with a genuine commitment to ensure that our children get the best possible start to their learning journey.

At Millbrook we use the phonics resource – Letters and Sounds. It aims to build children’s speaking and listening skills in their own right as well as to prepare children for learning to read, by developing their phonic knowledge and skills.

• Nursery/Reception
  During their time in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)  your child will be learning skills, acquiring new knowledge and demonstrating their understanding through 7 areas of learning and development as set out in the Statuary Framework for EYFS 2014.  Children develop the 3 prime areas first.

These are:

• Communication and language
• Physical Development
• Personal, social and emotional development

These prime areas are most essential for your child’s healthy development and future learning. As your child grows, the prime areas will help him/her to develop skills in 4 specific areas.

These are:

• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding the world
• Expressive arts and design

Children in the EYFS learn by playing and exploring, being active, and through creative and critical thinking which takes place both indoors and outside and the 7 areas are used to plan your child’s learning and activities
 

Development Matters

Development Matters is used for daily observation, assessment and planning and is used to make best-fit summative judgements about your child’s development. These judgements are shared with parents throughout the year.  Development Matters sheets can be viewed here Prime and Specific areas 30-50 months  / Prime and Specific areas 40-60 months   /  EYFS Downloadable guidance

The EYFS Profile

The EYFS requires that all children are assessed in the summer term of their Reception year.  This assessment is called the EYFS Profile.  The profile contains 17 Early Learning Goals (ELG).  Each of 3 prime areas and 4 specific areas are divided into sections and at the end of each section there is an ELG.

Nursery/Reception Activities

The emphasis in the EYFS is learning through play so each day is carefully planned to provide activities both inside and outside which motivate, stimulate and challenge the children in a fun and practical way.  The 7 areas of learning are planned for through themed weeks; the themes have been carefully chosen in order to build a firm foundation for your child’s future learning.

If you are interested to find out more about our curriculum then please speak to the class teacher.

Clothing/belongings

Please make sure that your child’s belongings are clearly marked so that they can be easily recognised. 

Snack time/Water bottles

The snack table is set up at around 10:00am; the children are then able to help themselves to fruit, milk and water throughout the morning session.  During the afternoon session the children are encouraged to have a drink from their own water bottle – please ensure that these are sent in daily.

Home Learning

Children will be given activities to complete at home every Friday. These should be returned to school by the following Wednesday at the latest. The children are also given a reading book each week, this should be kept in their school bags so that teachers can read with the children and change the books as required.

Reading Books

When your child is ready he/she will be given a reading book, please look at these at home with your child. We expect parents/carers to contribute to their child’s reading record, working in partnership with us. A short comment will suffice eg… for example ‘Sam read up to page 5 with a little help to sound out the words’. 

Physical Development

Physical development is part of our daily routine, however we do have an allocated time slot in which the children participate in an additional physical educational activity. This will usually be on a Wednesday but sometimes the day changes or extra sessions are planned for. Children may be required to remove shoes and socks for some activities and PE kit will be required in the summer term. If your child wears earrings they need to be able to remove them or cover them with tape.

Tapestry Online Learning Journals:

Your child’s Learning Journal celebrates his or her experiences. Over time it will tell a story about your child – his or her learning, friends, and the experiences he or she enjoys sharing with others. We watch and notice each child at play because it helps us to understand and support their individual well-being and development. We really get to know the children as unique people with special skills, interests and ideas. The more we understand about your child, the better we can support them in the way that is right for them. Though the journal is mainly added to at school it belongs to you and your child and we think that it is important for them to take the Learning Journal home so that you can share in your child’s learning.   You are welcome to add photographs and notes about the things your child does at home, when you tell us about your child a clearer picture unfolds and together we can plan more effectively to help your child’s learning and development. Each child’s journal has a unique ID for parents/carers to login.  Tapestry Online Journal

Rewards:

Housepoints are awarded for positive behaviour and good work. The EYFS also use a more visual reward system where by children work hard to be Super Stars each day.

For further information please contact:

Miss Holly Strawbridge