In our Foundation Stage Unit our FS1 (Nursery) and FS2 (Reception) children work alongside each other. We split across two carpets areas for our morning prayer, disco dough, and welcome song.  We have our phoic sessions in our classes where FS1 focus on Phase 1 phonics, and FS2 move through phase 2, 3 and 4.  In the EYFS we focus on learning through play.  

The EYFS framework is was first made statutory in September 2012.   This has been revised and the new EYFS Framework became statutory in September 2021.  As a school, we have used the Birth to 5 and The Development Matters documents, as well as our vast experience in the EYFS to produce our own curriculum of expectations and progression from entering nursery, all the way through reception where they will then be assessed against the statutory Early Learning Goals from the EYFS framework.   We believe this curriculum will best prepare the children to achieving the ELG at the end of the EYFS. Our timetable is a balance of adult led and Child Initiated activities covering all 7 areas of development;

• Personal Social and Emotional Development

• Communication and Language
• Physical Development
• Literacy, Mathematics
• Understanding of the World
• Expressive Arts and Design 

In FS1 we have our daily routine of things we do each day.  These include:

• Our ‘Daily Mile’ which is a great way to keep us fit and healthy
• ‘Disco Dough’ / ‘Squiggle while you Wiggle’ / ‘Pen Disco’ to help develop our fine motor skills
• Daily ‘Collective/Child Led Worship’ were we listen to stories from the bible, and celebrate God with some worship songs 
• Planned ‘Adult focus’ and ‘Independent’ group activities
• ‘Snack time’  We encourage the children to access their healthy snack and sit together while they eat focusing on our manors, having conversations with each other and valuing time to sit and eat. 
• ‘Child Initiated Learning’ where the children have time to select resources independently and embed all the learning they have been doing.
• Daily Phonics.  This is a big part of EYFS and we mainly cover Phase 1 phonics in FS1. This concentrates on developing the children’s listening skills.  The aspects covered are:
  • Aspect 1 – General sound discrimination – environmental
  • Aspect 2 – General sound discrimination – instrumental sounds
  • Aspect 3 – General sound discrimination – body percussion
  • Aspect 4 – Rhythm and rhyme
  • Aspect 5 – Alliteration
  • Aspect 6 – Voice sounds
  • Aspect 7 – Oral blending and segmenting  
• Story and song time 
• Daily Maths and number time 

Topics

Our half termly topics are linked to the interests of the children in our class and often will focus on a book or books around that theme.  It also changes based on incidental opportunities that arise such as having some snow!  Although we try to plan some topics in to the curriculum in advance, these may not always be followed, so the EYFS Newsletter is the best way to keep up to date with current topics.

The topics planned so far are:

Autumn Term 

• Marvellous Me, Autumn, Celebrations and Traditions, 
• Stories will include – ‘Its ok to be different’, ‘Our class, our family’, ‘God made me this way’, ‘leaf man’, ‘Dear Santa’, ‘Nativity’ 

RE Topics

• Myself, Welcome (Baptism), Birthdays (Christmas)

Spring Term

• Winter, people who help us, animals and new life (incl. Spring) and Easter 
• Stories will include –  ‘Supertato’, ’10 little Superheroes’ ‘Ten tiny tadpoles’

RE Topics

• Celebrating, Gathering, Growing

Summer Term 

• once upon a time and travels 
• Stories will include – Gingerbread man, Three little pigs, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Paddington Bear   

RE Topics

• Good News, Friends, Our World

These may change as the year goes on and as the children show interests in different areas.

Below you can find a link to our yearly overview for EYFS and our basic learning that we will cover over the year