At Tudor Grange Primary Academy Haselor, all children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are offered the maximum opportunity to develop intellectually, emotionally and socially within a safe environment that is both stimulating and caring. 

We believe that high level engagement develops high level attainment. We therefore provide an engaging curriculum that maximises opportunities for meaningful cross-curricular links and learning experiences, as well as promoting the unique child by offering extended periods of play and sustained thinking. 

By the end of the EYFS, our intent is to ensure that all children make at least good progress from their starting points and are equipped with the skills and knowledge to have a smooth transition into Year 1 and beyond. 

Teachers 

• Mrs de Leysin (Class Teacher) 
• Mrs Richardson (Teaching Assistant) 
• Miss Bagnall (Teaching Assistant) 
• Mrs Templeton (PPA teacher) 

The Early Years Foundation Stage 

The Foundation Stage covers our Nursery 1 (Age 3) our Nursery 2 (Age 4) and our Reception Class.  

Our early years setting follows the curriculum as outlined in the latest version of the EYFS Statutory Framework that applies from September 2021. 

The EYFS framework includes seven areas of learning and development that are equally important and inter-connected. However, three areas known as the prime areas are seen as particularly important for igniting curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, and for building children’s capacity to learn, form relationships and thrive. 

The prime areas are: 

• Communication and language 
• Physical development 
• Personal, social and emotional development 

The prime areas are strengthened and applied through 4 specific areas: 

• Literacy 
• Mathematics 
• Understanding the World 
• Expressive Arts and Design 

Despite there being several areas of learning, Tudor Grange Primary Academy haselor put a strong emphasis on the development of vocabulary communication and language development throughout each area of the curriculum. 

Additionally, the curriculum has been designed with professional judgement and consists of key experiences to aid the development of the children at Haselor.  band to the next. 

Our curriculum aim is to improve outcomes for all children, close the gaps of disadvantaged children and ensure all children are ready for the next stage of their education. 

The Importance of Reading 

We cannot stress enough how important it is that your child develops a love of books. In our Foundation Key Stage, we promote the love of reading through sharing our classroom library of books, weekly access to the school main library and getting children to immerse themselves in stories. 

During Reception, we will make sure every child gets off to a ‘flying start’ with their reading. Each child will read individually with an adult at least once a week. They will bring home a phonics reading book to read at home each week and also have access to 2 library ‘free-choice’ books to share at home for pleasure each week.  

As a parent, you can support this development by taking every opportunity to get alongside your child reading a book. This may be helping them with a school reading book, sharing a well-loved story together or browsing the shelves in your local library for something new and exciting to read. 

Phonics – Twinkl Phonics 

Twinkl Phonics is a complete systematic synthetic phonics programme (SSP) based on the original Letters and Sounds. 

In Nursery, we provide a balance of child-led and adult-led experiences for all children that meet the curriculum expectations for ‘Communication and Language’ and ‘Literacy’. These include: 

• Accessing Phase 1 of Twinkl phonics which concentrates of environmental sounds 
• sharing high-quality stories and poems 
• learning a range of nursery rhymes and action rhymes 
• activities that develop focused listening and attention, including oral blending 
• attention to high-quality language. 
• We ensure nursery children are well prepared to begin learning grapheme-phoneme correspondences (GPCs) and blending in Reception. 

In Nursery and Reception, we teach phonics for 30 minutes a day and any child who needs additional practice has daily keep-up support, taught by a fully trained adult.  

Keep-up lessons match the structure of class teaching, and use the same procedures, resources and mantras, but in smaller steps with more repetition, so that every child secures their learning.