Welcome to Foundation Class!

Early Years at Elworth Hall Primary School

Early childhood is the foundation on which children build the rest of their lives. At Elworth Hall Primary School we greatly value the important role that the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) plays in laying secure foundations for future learning and development, however we also believe early childhood is valid in itself, as part of life. We view our EYFS as preparation for life and not simply preparation for the next stage of education. Our Early Years Curriculum is designed to be the gateway to all learning journeys in our school, igniting all children’s aspiration towards their exceptional futures. We will take every opportunity to ensure that our bespoke curriculum provides the bedrock to support all children to acquire the confidence to take on new learning experiences, to link their prior knowledge and to become agents of their own learning, both in school and beyond as they grow into citizens of their community.

We will aim for the children to be:

Making choices about their learning and working both independently and collaboratively; Actively involved and engaged in their own learning journey; Investigators and explorers with their learning environments, developing new skills and acquiring and building knowledge; Proficient in acquiring and applying new learning and skills; Communicating what they have learned and communicating effectively with others; Thriving and making excellent progress from their starting points.

Our Curriculum Implementation for Early Years

Our Early Years curriculum is carefully structured to provide opportunities for children to learn through planned, purposeful learning activities in all areas of learning and development in the indoor and outdoor environment.  Some learning is led by adults and some by the children themselves. Appropriate intervention by specialist practitioners supports children to engage in the learning process and extend their knowledge and skills. Our curriculum enables children to learn and develop skills, attitudes and understanding in prime and specific areas of learning.

The Prime Areas: Communication and Language, Physical Development, Personal, social and Emotional Development

The Specific areas: Literacy,  Mathematics, Understanding the world, Expressive Arts and Design

Achievement of these prime and specific areas of learning is by: Playing and exploring, Active learning, Creating and thinking critically

The Learning Environment as a teacher

We recognise that the environment plays a key role in supporting and extending the children’s development and that the use of resources and the environment needs to be carefully planned. We are creating an attractive, welcoming and stimulating learning environment which encourages children to explore, investigate and learn through first-hand experience. Our aim is for our learning environment to be a place where children feel secure and confident, and are challenged to develop their independence. Children have the freedom to move between the indoor and outdoor learning environment throughout the school day.

The role of adults: Skilled adults will work as learning partner and learning provocateur with the children, moving children’s learning forward by listening, recording, observing and eliciting.

The children in Foundation have spent their first week exploring the classroom and outdoor environment. They spent time getting to know their new class mates and buddies from Year 6; who helped them settle into the school routines. We even managed to complete some maths and phonics activities! Brilliant first week back! :)

During Maths Week, Foundation have been looking at the work of artist Kandinsky. He used shapes such as triangles and circles to create abstract art. Foundation have been learning about 2d shapes and recreating his art work using oil pastels, printing and mixing colours and smudging using chalk. The children also took part in some problem solving activities using different shapes and learnt how to manipulate shapes and create patterns.

📚 Home Learning

Planners and books are checked and changed on Monday. 

🏃🏼 PE

PE day is Thursday. The children should wear their PE kits to school on these days. If your child attends an after school club, they must wear their school uniform to school and bring the required kit to change into at the end of the school day. 

💬 Communication
If you need to speak to Mrs Knott then you can do so at the end of the day, if it is a quick query or by making an appointment using the following email address. Communication can also be made using the planners, please ensure if a message has been written in the planner, that you leave the planner in the Red Tray at drop off, to ensure these are read. 

📧 admin@elworthhall.cheshire.sch.uk

Please note; This account is checked daily but responses may take up to 48 hours. 
 

Information for parents will be communicated via email so do ensure you add the above address to your contacts to avoid messages going to Spam / Junk.