1 Early Years Handbook ARK PRIMARY SCHOOLS EARLY YEARS HANDBOOK Inspire Excellence Date of last review: November 2014 Review period: 1 year Date of next review: November 2015 Owner: Headteacher School LGB or Board LGB Type of policy: approval: ARK Conway Primary Academy: Early Years Handbook 2 Early Years Handbook CONTENTS:  Early Years Policy  Teaching and Learning in the Foundation Years  Engagement and Partnership with Parents  Induction  Audits of provision o Literacy o Mathematics o Monitoring and Evaluation the EYFS  Early Years Curriculum – Planning Observation and Assessment Cycle o Long Term Overview o Medium Term Planning o Short Term Planning Proformas  Assessment o Observation for Assessment o On entry baseline o Tracking progress ARK Conway Primary Academy: Early Years Handbook 3 Early Years Handbook Early Years Policy- ARK Primary Schools “A child is not a vase to be filled, but a candle to be lit” – Francois Rabelais Our vision Our vision is to create a group of outstanding schools that radically improve our pupils’ life chances. We want every pupil at an ARK academy to do well enough by age 18 to have real options: to go to university or to follow the career path of their choice. Introduction The earliest years in a child’s life are absolutely critical. There is overwhelming evidence that children’s experiences in their early years strongly influence their outcomes in later life. A strong start in learning and development is an essential foundation for progress through life. Central to our ethos at ARK is recognising early childhood as this pivotal stage of life; important in itself, and also as providing the essential foundation for improving lifelong learning. The philosophy of ARK upholds the principles of the Early Years Foundation Stage and ensures that they permeate our school’s aims and vision based on: 1. Inspiring Excellence through a. Perseverance b. Honesty c. Happiness d. Aspirations e. Respect At ARK Conway Primary Academy we aim to provide effective practice throughout the Early Years Foundation Stage based on the principles and commitments of the “Early Years Foundation Stage Framework – May 2008, revised 2011”. Aims We aim to meet each child's needs by:  caring for the whole child, their health, both physical and mental, their feelings, thinking and spiritual development  respecting each child and their family  ensuring each child has the opportunity to develop the skills knowledge and understanding to achieve success within the EYFS and to build a thirst for life long learning  providing a stimulating environment, indoors and out, providing many opportunities of first hand experiences to encourage our children to be curious, ask questions and to be eager to discover and learn  providing a thorough and well planned curriculum to meet the statutory requirements of the EYFS Framework and assessment procedures and the ARK principles  providing a secure, happy, safe and relaxed environment with adequate spaces; inside and outside, busy and quiet, independent and structured, for children to develop as learners  planning for purposeful play, focussed learning and creating opportunities for children to talk and listen  providing opportunities and time for children to pursue their own interests  providing opportunities and time for children to receive direct instruction  providing opportunities for children to interact and share with others ARK Conway Primary Academy: Early Years Handbook 4 Early Years Handbook  valuing and respecting each child as an individual encouraging them to gain self- confidence and a sense of self worth  providing opportunities for each child to make choices and decisions to develop their independence  providing multi-cultural experiences including resources and stories which reflect different cultures and values  fostering a partnership with parents and the community The Learning Environment The learning environment is particularly important to the early years and when planned skilfully can provide additional support to children’s learning and development. In the early year’s environment our children need:  adults who will foster children’s personal, social and emotional development  adults who know how to interact and respond to children’s actions and thinking  well planned spaces - indoors and out  learning opportunities - indoors and out  quiet areas and noisy areas  resources which will foster literacy, mathematical thinking, knowledge of the world, physical development and creative discovery,  a strong focus on early literacy and numeracy  opportunities and resources to encourage communication and language  opportunities for independent learning  daily structured teaching sessions  time to complete tasks, ask questions and to follow through their thoughts and actions The early years environment - inside and outside needs to be viewed as a whole providing different resources, materials and activities which are freely and easily accessible including: :  a role play area  a wide range of good quality books  a wide range of good quality numeracy resources  a wide range of opportunities to draw write and communicate  investigation area linked to our world  construction area  small world area  music area  creative area  malleable area  ICT area  sand/water areas Resources Resources need to be readily available and of a good quality. The resources within each environment/classroom area need to be evaluated regularly and then added to/renewed as necessary through the findings of audits. It is important to remember within early years that less is often more and we believe in quality rather than quantity. As far as possible we aim to provide resources which emphasise the natural materials of our environment and allow the greatest flexibility. The Curriculum The EYFS Framework covers the development and learning of children from birth to the end of their reception year in school. For us that means that children will arrive into our school having already experienced and ARK Conway Primary Academy: Early Years Handbook 5 Early Years Handbook developed through many aspects of the Framework. Therefore we aim to build on our children’s previous experiences as they enter our school to ensure a happy and fulfilling reception year resulting in our children being ready for key stage 1 and beyond. Our nursery and reception curriculum based on ARK’s principles has been devised to specifically meet the needs of young children, the statutory requirements. At ARK our mathematics curriculum has been tailored to adhere to the EYFS statutory framework. For phonics and reading we follow use the Read, Write, Inc. programme.. Reading is further developed through a wide range of reading books. The Curriculum is divided into seven areas of learning; three of which are prime: Personal, social and emotional development; Communication and Language and Physical Development. These prime areas of learning are integrally connected and are respected as transcending cultural differences, reflect the beginnings of child development, are critical for influencing later success in learning and emerge as an outcome of early experience. The specific areas of learning are Literacy; Mathematics; Understanding the World and Expressive Arts and Design. The early years team’s approach to curriculum delivery is through planning teaching, activities and experiences in a way which facilitates progress in learning.  We aspire to ensure a breadth of balance in the curriculum through carefully planned adult input and sensitive interaction using the EYFS framework whilst also having regard for the skills, knowledge and attitudes the Key Stage 1 National Curriculum will demand. We prioritise enabling all pupils to meet and exceed expected national levels of progress in English and mathematics as the foundation for academic success.  Appropriate intervention can help children to become more involved in the learning process and provide opportunities for new learning and development, so that they can make progress. Early intervention is a feature of our teaching and learning practice.  Learning, in the Nursery, is predominately based on child initiated activities, with adult interaction introducing children to new skills, knowledge and understanding as well as extending their existing skills, knowledge and understanding. This approach continues into Reception but with a more formal approach to teaching and learning, in preparation for the beginning of Key Stage 1 in Year 1. This is especially so in the teaching and learning of mathematics and literacy. At the end of the reception year the statutory assessment against the seventeen early learning goals and the three characteristics of effective learners is collated for each child. Taking the curriculum outside: It is important to develop learning opportunities outside because outdoor learning provides the opportunities for:  the acquisition of gross motor skills  taking risks  fostering a love of nature and the environment  gardening  large play which is not possible indoors  learning experiences suited to the outdoor environment  physical fitness It is also important to take into consideration the social world we live in which can confine the opportunities which children have to play outside either from a safety point of view or lack of space. Some crucial aspects of learning can only take place outside e.g. play with large construction equipment, gardening, care of animals, some sand and water activities. It is possible for the child to be more actively involved outside without the restrictions of noise and space. We aim to provide an outdoor curriculum which is complimentary and is an extension of the indoor curriculum. It is ever changing as it reflects the children’s interests and needs. Health and Safety Outside ARK Conway Primary Academy: Early Years Handbook 6 Early Years Handbook At our school we take health and safety very seriously and Meher Fara (Site Superviser) is the named member of staff to check our early years outdoor area and to ensure that our equipment and resources are in good condition. A first aid box is situated in the area and a system is in place whereby if an incident occurs additional help can be accessed as soon as possible. Exploration and Play One of the three characteristics of effective learning is playing. Play provides opportunities for children to:  practise co-operation/ make friends  resolve conflicts  solve problems/ investigate  be aware of other people's feelings  enjoy themselves  be active  explore  have a go  choose ways to do things and find new ways  put into meaningful situations their own ideas  persevere  concentrate  develop speaking and listening skills  instigate and follow through their own learning  rehearse and put into practise their skills, knowledge and understanding  take risks within a safe environment Play provides a rich context for learning and teaching as stated in the EYFS Framework 2008/11. “Play and Exploration is one of the commitments key to Learning and Development. The explanation of the commitment includes learning through experience, adult involvement and plenty of space and time to play outdoors and indoors. Practitioners need to ensure effective practice and reflection, overcoming time constraints and balancing creative learning with planning for the group.” For play to be valuable it needs to be planned and purposeful. Children need time to develop their play. Adults’ interactions with play must be supportive of and responsive to the child's needs and potential. Planning Observation and Assessment Long term planning The long term plans breaks the year down into 6 half termly topics which cover all 7 areas of learning. They give an overview of the school year to ensure curriculum coverage and depth as well as highlighting specific events and activities. This long term overview allows forward planning for such things as school trips, specific specialist resources. The topics chosen have specific resonance and interest to nursery and reception aged children and may be adapted if necessary to take into consideration current events. Senior management monitor and evaluate the long term plans to ensure curriculum coverage, breadth and depth in line with the statutory framework. Medium term planning Our medium term thematic planners for each half term are working documents responsive to children’s specific learning needs and interest. They give a weekly breakdown for the half term for each area of learning to inform the short term planning. As such they can be likened to programmes of work used in key stage 1 and 2. ARK Conway Primary Academy: Early Years Handbook 7 Early Years Handbook Short term planning The weekly plans include learning intentions, differentiation and groupings, assessment and observation opportunities, the role of the adult, key language and questions. Personalisation Progression and Differentiation The principle of starting with what the child knows and can do provides the basis for personalisation, differentiation and progression. The process of observation is used to determine each child’s starting point and plans are made as to how to develop the child’s learning further. Weekly evaluations and assessments are noted on the weekly planning sheets and these are used to inform the following week’s planning; this will include any need to take an activity further and the needs of individual children. Observation and Assessment Assessment in the early years is based on ongoing observation and assessment which records the progress each child is making from a baseline on entry. The baseline on entry is focussed on early language and communication, personal, social emotional development, and physical development and the records from pre- schools. All staff contribute to the observations and an individual child profile is built up over the year which informs the EYFS Profile which is the statutory assessment at the end of the reception year. The EYFS Profile consists of 17 early learning goals across the 7 areas of learning and a judgement of a child’s progress against the 3 characteristics of effective learning. The profiles are shared with parents on a regular basis and parents are given the opportunity to add their own comments and observations. Special Educational Needs Due to the focus on the observation, assessment and planning for individual children any special needs are identified as early possible and shared with parents at the first opportunity. Full details of processes and procedures are found in the school’s special needs and inclusion policy. Parental Involvement We believe the partnership between parents and the school is vital at this stage in the child’s education. Home/ School links are developed in the following ways:  Active involvement of parents when settling their children into school  Curriculum information being shared with parents on a half termly and weekly basis via newsletters and the parent’s notice board.  Nursery and reception children taking home story books/ reading books and through reading diaries.  Class representative/ parent helpers/ parent workshops/talks  Termly parent’s evenings  Home School agreements  Clipboards to leave daily messages  Notice boards  Sharing days Community Links Visitors are invited into school on a regular basis, for example, school nurse, fire-fighter, optician, librarian, RSPCA, International visitors. . Induction It is important that children feel happy and secure when they start School. Therefore we have a planned induction programme consisting of home visits, induction sessions in small groups, parent information sessions and a staggered start over the fist day. We encourage parents to support their children during the early days to help them settle quickly. ARK Conway Primary Academy: Early Years Handbook 8 Early Years Handbook Prior to the child starting in the autumn term families are offered a parent/teacher sharing day. This provides an opportunity for parents to receive necessary information and exchange information with their child’s teacher. Conclusion Areas for development within Early Years are planned for in the School Development Plan. The Early Years policy will be reviewed annually as part of the school’s ongoing system of policy review and improvement. Observing practice To challenge and improve practice it is essential to observe both child-initiated play and focused learning both indoors and out. 1. Observation of learning, playing and interacting in the EYFS (Focused teaching) Teacher observed____________________Observer___________________ Date________________ Context______________Purpose__________________________ Possible prompts Observation notes Reflection: Impact on learning Close, caring and respectful relationships Encourage and support children to relate to others Support children to resolve conflicts through problem- ARK Conway Primary Academy: Early Years Handbook 9 Early Years Handbook solving Observe children as a natural part of all normal activity Interpret children’s actions and words to try to understand the child’s thinking and learning Scaffold children’s learning through talk, discuss strategies and ideas, suggest possibilities and model approaches Provide brief, well planned focused learning opportunities in response to observed interests, learning and development Use daily events within the routine to provide worthwhile real-life experiences Vary experiences, using fresh, creative and playful approaches Provide first-hand experiences to explore and discover Directly teach through demonstrating or explaining Support children to persevere through difficulties, to take risks, to ask questions and problem- solve Use the language of learning to focus children on themselves as learners Identify and support next steps in learning 2. Observation of learning, playing and interacting in the EYFS (child- initiated) Teacher observed____________________Observer___________________ Date______Context_____________________Purpose_________________________________ Possible prompts Observation notes Reflection: Impact on learning Close, caring and respectful relationships Encourage and support children to relate to others Support children to resolve ARK Conway Primary Academy: Early Years Handbook 10 Early Years Handbook conflicts through problem- solving Ensure sustained time to develop child-initiated activities Arrange, resource, and make time for children to freely use rich indoor and outdoor spaces Observe children as a natural part of all normal activity Interpret children’s actions and words to try to understand the child’s thinking and learning Use sensitivity when deciding when to interact Join in play and child-initiated activity following children’s agendas Scaffold children’s learning through talk, discuss strategies and ideas, suggest possibilities and model approaches Use daily events within the routine to provide worthwhile real-life experiences Directly teach, demonstrating or explaining Support children to persevere through difficulties, to take risks, to ask questions and problem-solve Use the language of learning to focus children on themselves as learners Identify and support next steps in learning ARK Conway Primary Academy: Early Years Handbook