Early Years Foundation Stage Policy

Legislation

This policy is based on requirements set out in the 2024 Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).

This document also complies with our funding agreement and articles of association.

Structure of the EYFS

At Co-op Academy Smithies Moor there are 26 places available for children aged three and above in Nursery. There are 30 places available for children in Reception. This is for children aged 4 and 5.

Our Foundation Stage provision reflects the four main principles of the EYFS:

• A unique child – developing resilient, capable, confident and self-assured individuals
• Positive relationships – supporting children in becoming strong and independent
• Enabling environments – where opportunities and experiences respond to the individual needs of the child by developing a strong partnership between practitioners, parents / carers and the child
• Learning and developing – an acknowledgement that children learn in different ways and at different rates

Intent

At Co-op Academy Smithies Moor we aim to work together on the common belief that all children deserve an education that provides not only purposeful acquisition of skills and knowledge, but also one that provides memorable experiences that allows their natural creativity and curiosity to flourish. Children only get one childhood, and it is our job as educators to ensure they feel safe, learn how to play and in turn learn through play and create happy memories of their first experiences of education.

Every child is unique and we want to provide children with experiences and opportunities that develop the whole child socially, emotionally, physically, intellectually and spiritually. Ensuring they receive a holistic curriculum will support them to build a lifelong love of learning that will help them succeed in adult life. It is essential that we take the time to really get to know the children as individuals; their interests, where they like to learn and how they learn. Learning should be meaningful to the children and provide them with opportunities that create awe and wonder, spark enthusiasm and inspire them to learn!  Our aim is to ensure progression and to provide a curriculum that gives children the dispositions and attitudes to succeed.

To ensure we provide effective early years teaching, we offer children meaningful opportunities that allow them to use what they have learned and apply it in new situations. Allowing them their autonomy and space to develop their own ideas provides vital opportunities for them to practise their learning behaviours and to support them to think critically and help themselves improve. Academic success is rooted in providing children with strong foundations that allow them to become active members of society.

Our Values and The Four Ways of Being

We are proud to be a part of The Co-op Academies Trust. The Co-op was founded on a set of values that we embrace. These are Equality, Equity, Solidarity, Honesty, Openness, Caring for others, Self-help, Self-responsibility, Social responsibility and Democracy.We also teach the children about the Four Ways of Being, referring to them whenever possible, to ensure that children develop a good understanding of the meaning and implications of each one.These are:

• Be yourself, always
• Do what matters most
• Show you care
• Succeed together

We aim to:

• Prioritise the development of communication and language in early years as this is fundamental to enabling children to access the rest of the curriculum.
• Support children to  become confident communicators who express their needs, their thoughts and experiences.
• Support the development of early reading skills by providing a reading curriculum that aims for  ‘Every child to be a reader’ by the end of EYFS. This is prioritised by teachers and leaders across Co-op Academy Smithies Moor who ensure consistent, rigorous delivery and fidelity to the Read, write, inc programme.
• Leaders within the academy construct a curriculum that is ambitious and designed to give children, particularly the most disadvantaged, the knowledge, self-belief and cultural capital they need to succeed in life, ensuring a high quality experience for all children.
• The Characteristics of Effective Learning are at the heart of our curriculum and pedagogy. We believe to learn well, children must approach opportunities with curiosity, energy and enthusiasm. These abilities and attitudes of strong learners will support them to learn well and make good progress in all the Areas of Learning and Development.
• Our curriculum supports children to learn across all seven areas of learning and development and these are interlinked within our continuous provision. These seven areas are;

• communication and language;
• physical development;
• personal, social and emotional development;
• Literacy;
• Mathematics;
• understanding the world;
• expressive arts and design.

Implementation

The curriculum is taught through sequenced plans, seasons, festivals and children’s interests which are enriched with classroom enhancements, trips and visitors. Interests are supported by quality key texts. These are chosen carefully to encourage children's speech, language and communication development.

Our EYFS curriculum is highly ambitious and based on a clear progression of knowledge and skills. In the early years, the curriculum is a knowledge engaged curriculum which is coherently planned, sequenced and vocabulary rich. We aim to provide all pupils with the knowledge and understanding that underpins and enables the application of skills. The curriculum should ensure that all children receive the education they deserve as well as meeting the requirements outlined in the Early Years Framework.

Effective practice in EYFS is a mix of different approaches. Children are encouraged to learn through play, by adults modelling, by observing each other and through adult-guided learning. Staff provide children with a balance of child-initiated and adult-led activities/resources that reflect the children’s experiences as well as support the delivery of the curriculum.  Challenges in the provision are carefully planned to provide opportunities for children to apply their learning. All activities planned are meaningful and supportive in addressing gaps and moving learning forward. Staff regularly refer to prior learning and build on this.

Children in EYFS learn by playing and exploring, being active and thinking critically and creatively and this takes place both indoors and in our outdoor area. Our outdoor area is open all year round and in all weather conditions. Children make their own decisions about where they learn best and teachers ensure that there are opportunities for all areas of learning both inside and outside.

The academy follows the RWI programme for phonics. Every child has access to a phonics session every day with opportunities for additional practice to support learners who may be at risk of falling behind.  We use our environment to be the third teacher with enhancements and challenges that support phonics. We use the phonics session as well as the squiggle programme to support children’s fine motor development and to support development of  children’s expertise in handwriting. Parents are kept up to date with assessments and how they can support their children’s reading journey through parent information sessions, QR Codes and letters/information sent home.

If children are at risk of falling behind or not meeting age related milestones staff will plan focused interventions which will take place in an inclusive way that allow children to remain within the setting with their peers. Parents may also be contacted and offered support and advice on how they can further support their child at home.

We understand the importance of parental engagement and believe that our parents have a crucial role to play in their children's education. We work hard to create strong partnerships between home and school.  Parents receive a curriculum overview to inform them of what their child is learning each half term and to explain how they can support this at home. We understand the value of parents’/carers’ contributions to their child’s early learning. Home visits take place for all children new to early years (whether in nursery or reception). We have meetings with parents/carers of pupils transitioning into nursery or reception as well as planning a range of stay and play sessions throughout the year.

We provide children with opportunities which enhance their learning. We go on visits to support this, for example a trip to the farm or tropical world. We explore the local area and talk about the community that we live in, this includes trips to the postbox, cafe, postoffice, bird watching, nature reserve, library and supermarkets. We ensure that all of our visits are learning related and will provide the awe and wonder needed to further immerse children in the theme or project.

Transition

Leaders at Co-op academy Smithie Moor understand that transitions are landmark events for children that impact on their emotional and academic development. We understand that transition can be exciting times of change and new opportunities for some children. However we also recognise they can be times of uncertainty where surroundings, expectations and procedures are different. Leaders place importance on getting transition right for every child and work hard to ensure this is a process that involves children, practitioners and parents together.

On entry to EYFS, our team works tirelessly to ensure that children are surrounded by a kind, caring and happy environment which helps them develop the skills needed for their journey through school. Using the ways of being and characteristics of effective learning staff ensure school is a positive place where resilience, perseverance and successes are celebrated and every child feels valued and respected.

Towards the end of Reception children are encouraged to become more independent in recording their work as appropriate to ensure they are well prepared for the move to Year 1. We also ensure that the pedagogy in Year 1 reflects the independent learning skills children have gained in EYFS working together as teams to develop expertise and confidence in all teaching staff.

Impact / Assessment

Ongoing assessment is an integral part of the learning and development processes within the early years.  Staff observe pupils to identify their level of achievement, interests and learning styles. These observations are used to shape future planning. Assessments do not entail prolonged breaks from interaction with children. When assessing an individual child’s level of development, practitioners draw on their knowledge of the child and their own expert professional judgement. Practitioners also take into account observations shared by parents and/or carers.

The statutory Reception Baseline Assessment (RBA), is completed within the first four weeks of autumn term (or within that same time frame if a child starts at a later date within the reception year). It is a short, task-based assessment of pupils’ starting points in Language, Communication and Literacy and Mathematics. It is not used to label or track individual pupils. This, alongside an academy’s own baseline assessment information, can be used to inform teaching within the first term. Baseline assessment guidance is used to support practitioners to gain an accurate understanding of each child’s individual needs at their start point.

At the end of each term, EY practitioners will assess each child against the seventeen aspects within the prime and specific areas of learning for that point in the academic year.

At the end of the Reception year in EYFS, staff complete the EYFS profile (EYFSP) for each child. The arrangements for completing the EYFSP are informed by the statutory EYFSP Handbook. Pupils are assessed against the early learning goals, indicating whether they are:

Meeting expected levels of development (expected)

Not yet reaching expected levels (emerging)

The profile reflects ongoing observations and discussions with parents and/or carers. The results of the profile are then shared with parents/carers in July.

The EYFS team collect evidence of children’s learning through floor books, their Class Dojo portfolio, observations of ‘Wow Moments’. These are done through a range of notes, photos and videos which are shared with parents frequently alongside links to videos to support phonics.

Moderation

We recognise the importance of moderation, ensuring that assessments and judgments are accurate and valid. To this end, we carry out the following:

 Regular meetings to discuss observations and judgments

•  Effective use of the exemplification materials
•  Attendance at whole school moderation meetings
•  Attendance at Trust moderation meetings
•  Complying with LEA moderation visits
•  Shared observations within the setting
• Shared observations with Nursery/Reception/Year 1 teachers

Safeguarding and welfare procedures

Our safeguarding and welfare procedures are outlined in our Safeguarding and Child Protection policy. In addition to this we also have an intimate care policy and parents complete care plans if needed.

The Early Years Leader completes frequent welfare checks alongside the Director of Early Years.

Health conditions

In our setting we provide a range of healthy food and snacks throughout the day. We have joined the government’s National School Breakfast Programme (NSBP). As a NSBP School we can offer a healthy school breakfast for our pupils and the children receive a freshly cooked toast as they enter our setting. Throughout the morning fresh fruit and vegetables are available and cartons of milk. All Reception children are offered a nutritious free school lunch each day.

Throughout the day children are encouraged to use hand sanitiser/wash hands before snack and meal times and on entering the setting after being outdoors. To ensure we are promoting good oral hygiene we also send home a free toothbrush to each child to encourage tooth brushing at home.