Welcome to EYFS at Stanley St. Peter's!

We would like to send a warm welcome to those considering our wonderful Early Years Foundation Stage setting. We are fortunate enough to have a Foundation Stage unit where our children grow, develop and thrive. At Stanley St. Peter's, we value the importance of Early Years Education as the beginning of a child’s learning journey throughout school. Our mixed Nursery and Reception Foundation Stage Unit is made up of a morning nursery cohort and a 45 place Reception cohort.

Staff in our EYFS unit: 

Miss L Flood - EYFS Leader and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead

Miss C Schofield - SENDCO 

Mrs L Phillips - Reception Class Teacher

Mrs A Mcdonald - Reception Class Teacher

Mrs J Walton - Teaching Assistant 

Mrs M Hinchliffe-Burt - Teaching Assistant 

Mrs R Prescott - Teaching Assistant 

Our Learning Environment

At our school, we recognise that the environment is essential to facilitate learning within the early years. The environment plays a vital role in supporting a child's development, challenging and stimulating them. 

"Children learn and develop well in enabling environments, in which their experiences respond to their individual needs." (EYFS Statutory Framework)

Our classroom environment is welcoming and encourages the children to explore, investigate and take ownership of their own learning. We prioritise developing independence, therefore we recognise the importance of having an environment that feels safe and secure, where children can challenge themselves and thrive.

The unit has various provision areas for children to access independently, both indoors and outside. Each area has permanent resources for the children to continually access and develop their skills and learning. Enhancements are added weekly to reflect our projects and current learning interests. All learning areas are enhanced with books and writing materials to promote both reading and writing from the beginning of school. 

Our children love exploring the different provision areas and some of their favourite areas include: 

• The construction area where they build, construct and create.
• The home corner where they take on roles, develop imagination and make friendships.
• The painting easel where they mix colours, learn new techniques and develop artistic flare.
• Our newly developed outdoor area where they develop gross motor skills, learn to solve conflicts and develop their imagination and originality. 

We teach the children the importance of respect. As a part of this, the children are expected to take care and pride in our environment. They are encouraged to tidy throughout the day and look after the resources in our setting and we find that this has positively contributed to the personal, social and emotional development of the children. 

Our Curriculum:

At Stanley St Peter's, we have developed our curriculum to prepare the children for Key Stage 1, whilst ensuring they thrive in EYFS. We have carefully constructed learning opportunities, which are underpinned by The Early Years Framework. This, combined with our own knowledge of child development (enhanced by reference to the 'Development Matters' document) has helped us create a bespoke curriculum which is inclusive of all.

The three Prime Areas are – Communication and Language, Physical Development and Personal, Social and Emotional Development.

The four Specific Areas are – Literacy (Reading & Writing), Mathematics, Understanding the World and Expressive Arts and Design.

The three prime areas form the building blocks for development and underpin our curriculum across all areas. Good development in these areas is paramount for all other learning to take place. We pride ourselves on the promotion and development of PSED and Communication and Language so that children can go on through school to reach their full potential. We develop this through quality interactions in our provision. 

What do high quality interactions look like?

·        Back and forth interactions which allow children time to think and respond;

·        Join in with children's play, making comments and wondering aloud;

·        Echoing back what children say, introducing new vocabulary where appropriate;

·        The use of objects and pictures for non-verbal children;

·        Develop non-verbal ques such as positive body language, tone of voice and facial expressions;

·        Use of actions when needed;

·        Adapting language to meet the needs of individual children;

We provide a balanced curriculum which incorporates child-initiated learning through play, adult-led focus groups and whole class teaching. We promote independence, confidence and a love of learning as well as the necessary knowledge and skills which will prepare the children for moving up into Key Stage One. We have carefully designed topics that we base our learning around each half term, underpinned by books. Alongside this, we also teach discrete Phonics (Read, Write, Inc) and Power Maths sessions. 

A big part of the learning in EYFS is based around the children's interests. We work alongside parents to gain a holistic view of each child and ensure that this is reflected within their education. 

Assessment for learning is crucial in response to children’s developmental needs and interests. Practitioners in our setting are confident with the learning intentions each half term and make good use of formative assessment through interactions and observations on a day-to-day basis. We use our knowledge of child development (and make reference to the Development Matters document) to make accurate assessments and quickly implement interventions (completed daily through provision) to close gaps and ensure all children make good progress. 

The EYFS team regularly discuss the progress the children make across all areas of development, addressing gaps when they arise and to celebrate children’s learning through quality discussions.