EYFS Foundation Stage
Teaching and learning in the reception class is directed by the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework. It covers seven stages of learning which are:
- Communication and Language
- Physical Development
- Personal and Social Development
- Literacy
- Maths
- Understanding the World
- Expressive Arts and Design
In addition to addressing all seven areas of learning, our curriculum is designed to promote the Characteristics of Effective Learning which are:
- Playing and Exploring
- Active Learning
- Creating and Thinking Critically
At Uplands School we aim to strike a balance between adult directed learning and opportunities for children to explore and learn independently. In order to do this, we structure our day in the following way:
Morning Learning
Every day we have a phonics session, following the Letters and Sounds programme.
Afternoon Learning
In our afternoon sessions we take a topic-based approach to the wider curriculum. Our termly topics are:
- All About Me (Term 1 and 2)
- Brum Brum, Beep, Beep/ We Have Lift Off (Terms 3 and 4)
- Wonderful World (Terms 5 and 6)
During these sessions we ensure that the children have plenty of opportunity to explore ideas practically and to follow their own fascinations and interests.
Assessment
We use the online assessment tool Tapestry to record our observations and support teacher assessment. These are shared with parents and carers weekly. It is important to the staff at Uplands to build strong communication between home and school and we encourage parents to add their own observations of their children's progress where appropriate.
Transition to School
At Uplands Primary School we know that most children have an excellent pre-school or nursery experience before joining us. This means that many of them are 'school ready' by September and keen to start school. In response to this we have developed a transition timetable that enables children to get into a school routine as quickly as possible. We aim to have all children attending school full time from the third full week in September onwards.
September:
First Full Week of School Term
|
|
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
|
Morning Session |
Group A |
Group A |
Group A |
Group A |
Group A |
|
Afternoon Session |
Group B |
Group B |
Group B |
Group B |
Group B |
Second Full Week of School Term
|
|
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
|
Morning Session |
Group B |
Group B |
Group B |
Group A and B together plus lunch. Home at 1.00PM. |
Group A and B together all day. |
|
Afternoon Session |
Group A |
Group A |
Group A |