Starting School - The Early Years Foundation Stage
The School Day -
The majority of learning in the Early Years is through ‘PLAY’. It is through these play activities that your child will gain the experiences that will prepare them for their continuing
learning journey. We observe your children in their play to ensure we take their learning forward.
Throughout the day your child will have opportunities for self-initiated play, adult-directed tasks, whole class activities and small group work.
Fruit and Snacks - Every child gets a piece of fruit at playtime. They may also help themselves to water throughout the day. Your child may bring an additional healthy snack for playtime such as a cereal bar, fruit or raisins etc.
Indoor and Outdoor Play -
Playing outside is an integral part of the school day in Early Years Foundation Stage. Throughout the day your child will have opportunities to play inside and outside the classroom. Outside play enables your child to play with bigger scale construction, develop their physical skills, explore the environment and develop their social skills.
Reading -
We introduce reading through group activities. Your child will also get opportunities for sharing a book with an adult. We encourage you to borrow books from school to read regularly at home with your child. Your child will have a home/school diary where you can comment on how your child is getting on with their reading at home.
Writing -
There are lots of opportunities for writing in and outside the classroom, encouraging you child to become a confident writer. We encourage the children’s writing through firstly ‘emergent’ writing, where they will begin making marks on paper which make sense to them and
then gradually linking sounds to the letter shapes they write. During the Autumn term we will also introduce the Ruth Miskin’ Literacy Programme, Read Write Inc where you child will work in small groups developing their literacy skills. We always
teach the children the letter sounds first and to write in lowercase letters, eventually developing a cursive script in Year 1.
Helping Your Child Learn -
Before your child starts school you can help them to prepare by encouraging them as ‘independent learners’. Let your child practice getting dressed independently, teach them to use a knife and fork and encourage them to take responsibility for their belongings.
School Times - The school day begins at 8.45am. Please make sure your child is ‘In the line by quarter to nine’. It really helps your child to settle into the school routine if they are lined up and ready to enter the school with the rest of the class. We ask parents to say goodbye to their children in the playground and not come into the classroom as this encourages the children to be independent and results in them settling quickly for the start of the school day.
The day ends at 3.30pm Please wait for your child outside the classroom on the playground. If your child is getting the bus an adult will accompany them on and off the bus.