At Hatfield Woodhouse Primary School, we provide a secure and stimulating environment, where our children are nurtured into becoming happy and confident members of our academy. We offer an exciting curriculum, which enables children to make progress by developing a range of knowledge and skills. This prepares them for the next step in their journey.
Our curriculum
The EYFS curriculum meets the requirements set out in the revised National Curriculum at Foundation Stage. The curriculum focusses on Early Learning Goals (ELG) and Ages and Stages.
During the 3 weeks of the Autumn Term, the teacher will make a baseline assessment, to record the skills of each child on entry to school. After this the teacher will use individual and group assessments, to develop and implement necessary provisions.
Our curriculum follows the guidance set out in the revised Development Matters document. We actively use ‘The Characteristics of Effective Learning’ to support our observations and teaching. We recognise that we want to create independent and inquisitive learners who use their own initiative to problem solve and find creative solutions to complex problems.
Our curriculum in EYFS is enhanced with a Reading enhanced curriculum, Talk 4 Writing and Launchpad for Literacy Strategies.
Pedagogy and Environment
The Foundation Stage Unit environment is stimulating and engaging and meets the needs of the children. Children have lots of opportunities to facilitate their own learning through carefully resourced provision and skilled adults, who support children through high quality interactions and effective questioning. Children are given lots of opportunities to put into practise the skills they have learnt and extend their own learning. We aim to support the children’s development and inspire a love of learning. Our recently developed outdoor area is an extension of our indoor classroom. This is important to us, as we offer all children the same opportunities to develop their learning. Children are actively encouraged to access the outdoor area throughout the school day.
We prioritise having a ‘language rich’ environment in EYFS where stories, rhymes, poems and songs provide our children with experiences. Through quality interactions with adults our children gain confidence to be confident communicators.
At Hatfield Woodhouse Primary School, we strongly focus on the development of learning through inspirational teaching and learning. All practitioners teach skills through offering children the opportunity to play. Practitioners follow the interests of the children and enhance learning provisions in line with this. This provides children with the opportunity, not only acquire enthusiasm for learning, but to enhance their communication and language development. Practitioners intervene and develop the children’s play in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum.
We have recently undergone a huge transformation our outdoor learning environment. The outdoor area now offers the children with a large all weather open space which meets the needs of the child’s extended play through carefully planned activities and provision areas. The children develop all their skills from PSE to maths in this area, through their play. The environment is enhanced based on the needs of the children daily and predominantly with natural resources.
Phonics
What is ELS?
Essential Letters and Sounds (ELS) is our chosen validated phonics programme. It teaches children to read by identifying the phonemes (smallest unit of sound) and graphemes (written version of the sound) within words and using these to read words. Children experience the joy of books and language whilst rapidly acquiring the skills they need to become fluent independent readers and writers.
How do we teach phonics?
• We use a simple, consistent approach to teaching phonics.
• Your child will experience the same classroom routines within each lesson which reduces cognitive load and maximises the chances of success.
• All children are supported within the lesson to use their new phonic knowledge independently.
• In every single ELS lesson, your child will make the direct application to reading.
• Daily Phonics sessions- these start from the beginning of Reception
• Phonics throughout the day to review new sounds & graphemes taught
• Lots of opportunities for oral blending- c/oa/t
• Opportunities for writing- new grapheme, words and sentences.
Launch Pad for Literacy
We use Launch Pad for Literacy from Nursery, so that children have the best start to the early reading and literacy journey. The skills based approach identifies what children can do and their development areas, which sets next steps for communication and language development.
This is not an intervention based approach and is not an ‘off the shelf’ intervention, but an approach which through assessment, provides practitioners with the knowledge they need to weave specific skills development into quality first teaching.
Class dojo.
Class dojo is an online, learning journal where practitioners and parents can work collaboratively to highlight the progress, development and personal milestones achieved by children. Practitioners will upload observations of the children at school based on the learning taking place. The observations are then linked to the statements and ages expectations and celebrated with parents at the same time. Parents have the ability to view these observations and have a dialogue with practitioners via the app. We feel this important, as it strengthens the communication between school and home. We also encourage parents to upload their own milestones of their children, which can be celebrated in school.
We also use Class dojo effectively to communicate with parents and carers about all aspects of your child and share whole class information and celebrations through our ‘class story’.
Parents
From the beginning of EYFS we believe in creating strong relationships with parents, warm and positive relationships between staff and children and consistent routines. We share our children’s learning through Class dojo and Twitter and always welcome parental contributions towards children’s learning.
What does our unit look like?
Outdoor Provision
