What learning looks like in our Early Years Foundation Stage
We have a 2 form entry Reception and a part time Nursery class who attend full days on a Monday and Tuesday as well as a Wednesday morning. Both the environments are highly stimulating and engaging for all pupils and this supports learning with carefully planned lessons that incorporate all areas of learning. We treat every child as unique during their learning journey at James Watt, encouraging them to be curious, creative, confident learners. The EYFS environment both indoors and outdoors facilitates the development of positive relationships with adults and children. This enables children to become resilient, confident and independent learners developing important lifelong skills. We also welcome and encourage positive relationships with parents and careers in our friendly, nurturing environment.
Children are taught and learn through the implementation of challenging, purposeful and playful opportunities across the prime and specific areas of learning and development taken from the Development Matters document. We deliver the Curriculum in a local context. This is planned and implemented using a thematic approach focussing on essential skills, knowledge and language. Our curriculum is designed so that all children are equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to be able to succeed and thrive in our ever-changing society. This approach provides children with openings to apply learning from across the curriculum giving their work practical context and providing opportunities to apply knowledge and skills already learned. We understand as a school that our curriculum needs to be wider than the Early Learning Goals and therefore provide a variety of rich experiences crucial to our children’s development. The curriculum is planned to promote sustained thinking and active learning leading to deep understanding and knowledge across all areas of learning.
Pupils learn through a balance of child initiated and adult directed activities with challenges tailored to individual needs. Our weekly timetable is carefully structured to enable all children to have rigorous directed teaching in Literacy, Mathematics and Phonics. Together with this, all other areas of development are thoroughly taught through challenging and enjoyable experiences for each child in the most effective and meaningful way. In EYFS, we invest time in helping children to recognise their personal goals which allows them to reflect and aim high.
Nursery
Children can join our Nursery from the term after their third birthday. We have a colourful and vibrant environment with stimulating resources and displays throughout. It is an open plan classroom with a large role play area that is changed and often linked to our topic themes. The classroom is arranged so the children can independently access resources to support their learning through the seven areas of the Development Matters curriculum. Learning through play is high profile in Nursery; all activities are designed with this in mind. We have highly qualified teaching staff that are passionate and committed to providing high quality provision and care for all children. Learning is effectively planned to match individual children's ‘Characteristics of Learning’ to ensure all children achieve their potential and are safe and happy at Nursery.
Reception
We have 2 large stimulating and vibrant reception classrooms with extensively trained and experienced Early Years staff. Each class has a class teacher and a full time teaching assistant who are passionate about ensuring all of the children achieve their full potential in all the areas of learning. We follow the Development Matters objectives where children will be working at their appropriate level according to their individual needs. We will be supporting the children to develop their personal, social, and emotional skills as well as laying the foundation subjects in the specific areas of learning. Children will continue to learn in a playful environment as well as working in small groups with adults in the classroom. Children have opportunities to work both indoors and in our exciting and stimulating outdoor environment. We will be focusing on developing the whole child in all that we do.