We love learning in Early Years! In Foundation we work from the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum. The children develop through playing and exploring, active learning, creating and thinking critically.

During the day, your child will take part in a range of activities in both the indoor and outdoor areas including:

• small and large group teaching sessions
• whole class direct teaching sessions
• time to plan their own learning and choose their own activities inside and outside
• story time.

Learning is planned in a cross-curricular way ensuring that children can make connections between English and other areas of the curriculum. Lessons are designed to challenge all pupils with many opportunities for teachers and pupils to assess the learning taking place.

Each term Foundation focus on a topic and focus learning across this topic.

Our progressive and developmentally appropriate curriculum builds on the previous experiences of our children and covers 7 Areas of Learning:

Communication and Language

Children are provided with opportunities to experience a rich language environment in order to develop their confidence and skills in expressing themselves and listening in a wide range of activities. A lot of time is spent developing their vocabulary.

Physical Development 

In both the indoor and outdoor areas, children are encouraged to be active and to improve their skills of coordination, control and movement within their fine and gross motor skills. 

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

Children are provided with experiences and support to help them develop a positive sense of themselves and others, to form positive relationships and develop respect. Children learn how to manage their feelings, to understand appropriate behaviour in groups and to have confidence in their own abilities.

Literacy

Children are encouraged to link sounds and letters and to begin to read and write. Children are given access to a wide range of exciting reading materials to ignite their interest.

Here is a video detailing childrens first steps into Phonics, the way that we teach and also ideas of how you can help at home. 

Mathematics

Children are provided with opportunities to develop and improve their skills in counting, understanding and using numbers and calculating simple addition and subtraction problems. They are also developing their knowledge of shapes and measuring.

Understanding the World

Children are naturally curious. We offer a wide range of experiences that encourage them to ask and find answers to questions about the world around them.

Expressive Arts and Design

We encourage our children to express their thoughts, ideas and feelings in a variety of ways, e.g. through art, music, movement and role play.

Assessment

At the end of the academic year all Foundation Stage children will be assesed against the National Foundation Stage Early Learning goals. All results will be reported to parents within their child's individual annual reports. 

Physical Education

We will be having PE lessons on a weekly basis. To support the children with their changing, please encourage independence at home.

PE lessons will be held on:

Monday for Ash Class 

Tuesday for Beech Class 

Friday for Birch Class

Please ensure your child's PE kit remains in school everyday. Trainers are not required during the Autumn and Winter terms but will be required once the weather inproves. We will inform you in the summer term when to bring in a pair of trainers. 

Home Learning

Foundation homework expectations are as follows: 

• regular practice of sounds and word cards, including recognising 'tricky words
• reading - once children are ready to take home reading books, daily home reading should take place and recorded in a home/school message books
• practising formation of letters using the Kinetic letters sheet will be sent home once covered in school.

Tesco Stronger Starts Programme

We are delighted to say that our Early Years Outdoor Classroom has been selected by Tesco for the Stronger Starts programme. This means that from 30th September until the beginning of January, every time you shop at one of the following stores, you will be given a token which you can then use in-store to vote for us. Please support us if you shop with Tesco at one of these locations:

Kingsley Park, Northampton Link Rd, Buckton Fields, Spinney Hill, Weston Favell, Limehurst Square Duston and Duston Alsace Park.

During January the votes will be counted and money will be provided towards improving our Early Years Outdoor Area.

Check out our video from Jessica Ennis-Hill and help Brixworth Primary School secure the top fund from Tesco Stronger Starts by voting with a blue token in Tesco from 30th September. Every blue token helps!

Websites to try at home

Click to visit the PhonicsPlay Website 

Click to visit the CBeebies Website

Click to visit the ICT Games Website

If you need anymore information about the Foundation Stage, please do not hesitate to make an appointment to see Mrs Steph Nourish, our Foundation Stage phase leader.