The care and education offered by S. Anselm's Foundation Stage provision helps children to learn and develop by providing all the children with exciting and stimulating activities that are appropriate for their age and stage of development.
There are 6 areas of learning all with equal status these are,
§ Personal Social and Emotional Development
§ Communication, language and Literacy Development
§ Problem Solving Reasoning and Numeracy
§ Knowledge and Understanding of the world
§ Physical Development
§ Creative Development
For each area the practice guidance sets out the Early Learning Goals. These goals state what it is expected the children will know and be able to do by the end of the reception year of their education.
The practice guidance also sets out in “ Development Matters “ the likely stages of progress a child makes along their learning journey towards the Early Learning Goals. S. Anselm's has regard to these matters when we assess children and plan for their learning.
Personal Social and Emotional Development
We aim to support the children to develop;
§ Positive approaches to learning and finding out but the world around them
§ Confidence in themselves and their ability to do things, and valuing their own achievements;
§ Their ability to get on, work and make friendships with other people, both children and adults;
§ Their awareness of, and being able to keep to the rules which we all need to help us to look after ourselves, other people and our environment;
§ Their ability to dress and undress independently and look after their personal hygiene needs; and,
§ Their ability to expect to have their ways of doing things respected and to respect other people’s ways of doing things.
Communication, language and Literacy Development
We aim to support the children to develop;
§ Conversational skills with one other person, small groups and larger groups and listen to others;
§ Their vocabulary by learning the meaning of- and being able to use new words;
§ Their ability to use words to describe their experiences;
§ Their knowledge of the sounds and letters that make up the words we use;
§ Their ability to listen to, talk about, stories; knowledge of how to handle books and that they can be a source of stories and information;
§ Knowledge of the purpose for which we use writing; and
§ Making their own attempts at writing.
Problem Solving Reasoning and Numeracy
We aim to support the children to develop;
§ Understanding and ideas about how many, how much, how far, and how big
§ Understanding and ideas about patterns the shape of objects and parts of objects, and the amount of space taken up by objects;
§ Understanding that numbers help us to answer questions about how many, how much, how far, and how big;
§ Understanding and ideas about how to use counting to find out how many; and
§ Early ideas about the result of adding more or taking away from the amount we already have.
Knowledge and Understanding of the world
We aim to support the children to develop;
§ Knowledge about the natural world and how it works;
§ Knowledge about the man-made world and how it works;
§ Their learning and how to choose, and use, the right tool for a task;
§ Their learning about computers, how to use them and what they can do to help us to do;
§ Their skills on how to put together ideas about past and present and the links between them;
§ Their learning about their locality and it’s special features; and
§ Their learning about their own and other cultures.
Physical Development
We aim to support the children to develop;
§ Increasing control over large movements that they can make their arms, legs and bodies, so that they can run, jump, hop, skip, roll, climb and lift;
§ Increasing control over the small movements the can make with their arms, wrist, and so that they can pick up and use small objects, tools and materials; and
§ Their understanding about the importance of, and how to look after their bodies.
Creative Development
We aim to support the children to develop;
§ The use of paint, materials, music, dance, words and stories and role play to express their ideas and feelings; and
§ That interest in the way that paint, materials, music, dance, words and stories and role play can be used to express ideas and feelings.
S. Anselm's Foundation Stage approach to learning and development and assessment
Learning through play
Play helps young children to learn and develop through doing and talking, which research has shown to be the means by which young children learn to think. S. Anselms uses the EYFS Practice guidance to plan and provide a range of play based activities which help children to make progress I each of the 6 areas of learning and development. In some of these activities children decide how they will use the activity and in others an adult will take the lead in helping the children to take part in the activity.
Assessment
We assses how the children are learning and developing by observing them frequently. We use information gained from these observations, as well as fro photographs and collections of their “work” to document their progress. We believe that parents know their children best and ask them to contribute to assessment by sharing information about their children’s interests at home and how they as parents support their development
We make periodic assessment summaries of children’s achievements based on our on going development records. These are undertaken three times a year as well as at transition.
Record of Achievement
We keep a record of achievement for each child. This helps us celebrate with the parents the child’s achievement and work together to provide what she/ he needs to progress. Information is collected by the child’s key person on their interests, needs, activities, and achievements. This helps us identify the child’s next steps and to progress onto the next stage
Working together for the children.
S. Anselm's prides itself in maintaining small class/ group ratios and the foundation stage is no exception. This helps us to;
§ Give time and attention to each child;
§ Talk with the children about their interests and activities;
§ Help children to experience and benefit from the activities we provide; and
§ Allow the children to explore and be adventurous in safety.
Staff
Miss Sarah Aitken, B.A.(Hons), P.G.C.E.
Janice Robinson Nursery Assistant NVQ LEVEL 3
Lulu Caudwell Reception Class Teacher Montessori Dip.
Jennifer Moorewood Reception Class Teaching assistant NVQ LEVEL3
Sarah Rodgers Reception Class Teaching assistant NVQ LEVEL2
Key Person
At S. Anselms we believe that children settle best when they have a key person to relate to, who knows them and their parents well, and who can meet their individual needs. Research shows that a key person approach benefits the child, the parents, the staff and the Nursery/ School by providing secure relationships in which children thrive, parents have confidence, staff are committed and the Nursery /School is a happy and dedicated place to attend or work in.
We want children to feel safe, stimulated and happy in the Nursery/ School and to feel secure and comfortable with staff. We also want parents to have confidence in both their children's well-being and their role as active partners with the Nursery/ School.
We aim to make the Nursery /School a welcoming place where children settle quickly and easily because consideration has been given to the individual needs and circumstances of children and their families.
The key person role is set out in the Welfare Requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.
Each Nursery/ School must offer a key person for each child.
The procedures set out a model for developing a key person approach that promotes effective and positive relationships for children who are in the Nursery and School.
S. Anselm's Foundation Stage like the school prides itself in having a low teacher: child ratio, this enables the teachers (Nursery) Sarah Aitken and (Reception) Lulu Caudwell and their assistants to give the children a more individualised and personal approach to their learning. Our role is to support your child, ensuring they child reach his/ her full potential.
Because of the small numbers both Miss Aitken and Mrs Caudwell will work together in providing the “Key Person “role.
The nursery/ school timetable and routines
S. Anselm's believes that care and education are equally important in the experience which we offer children. The routines and activities that make up their day are provide in ways that:
§ Help each child to feel he/ she is a valued member of the nursery/ school
§ Ensure the safety of each child
§ Help children to gain from the social experience of being part of a group; and
§ Provide children with opportunities to learn and to help them value learning.
The day/ session
We organise our sessions/ day so that the children can take part in a variety of child chosen and adult led activities. We cater for children’s individual needs for rest and quiet activities during their time with us. Outdoor activities are available every day and the children are encouraged to take part in them.
Policies
Copies of the Foundation Stage Policies and procedures are available on request. The policies help us to make sure that the service we provide is a high quality one and that by being a pupil at the school is an enjoyable and beneficial experience for each individual child and family.
Policies are reviewed annually to ensure quality.