EYFS - Nursery & Reception - Gosford Park Primary School

EYFS - Nursery & Reception

At Gosford Park our inclusive Early Years curriculum is designed to look at children as individual learners engaging the children’s curiosity so learning happens naturally. Our curriculum will support children to become lifelong resilient learners with a positive attitude and the ability to work with others. We will work in partnership with our families to support our children as individuals and develop key skills such as independence and confidence. We will build on their enthusiasm to learn and each cohort’s diverse cultural experiences. We will have a clear focus on developing the breadth in language and communication and physical skills. We will ensure children can communicate in a number of different ways with confidence. Our Early Years family leave us for the next stage in their education with the skills they need to communicate and achieve.

Nursery

At Gosford Park our Nursery is integral to the school and included in many aspects of school life. We have one nursery class and offer 26 places. Children access three hour sessions daily, where our caring staff offer a range of activities to stimulate learning through exploration and play. We have light and airy purpose built nursery, with access to their own outdoor provision.

Nursery	Opening times	Closing times
Morning	8.45am	11.45am

Parents play an active part in our Nursery, we regularly have sessions which include parents, such as Teddy Bears Picnics, Library visits and sharing a book together or sometimes Rhyme time together. Our days and fun packed and energetic, learning, exploring and investigating together. Getting ready to move from Nursery to Reception is an exciting step for young children and their families. We aim to make this transition a happy one through home visits and building relationships with parents to ensure children feel secure and at home in their new setting.

Reception

In the Foundation Stage our aim is to provide the very best start in life for your child by developing the skills they need to become independent learners. We follow the statutory framework of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) which sets the standards for learning and development for all children up to the end of their Reception year.

Reception	Opening times	Closing times
Morning	8.45am	3.15pm

Our Reception classes provide 60 places for children to develop their love of learning. We offer inviting and spacious indoor and outdoor classrooms, in which children are given plenty of time to be explorers, problem solvers and independent learners during their school day. Learning through play underpins all of the EYFS and at Gosford Park we encourage children to become independent and curious learners and our environment is structured to reflect children’s varying interests and individual learning styles. We are also very fortunate to have access to a fantastic outdoor classroom. We place equal importance on the indoor and outdoor learning environments. Within our environment the children have access to numerous areas of learning: Role Play, Writing, Reading, Sand, Creative, Construction, Numeracy, Musical, ICT and Continuous Snack. In each area there are activities for the children to complete in order to consolidate and extend prior learning.

On-going formative assessment is at the heart of our practice. We observe children and document their responses, interests, successes and areas for development, this enables staff to plan experiences and learning opportunities through a highly structured environment in order to deepen children’s understanding and drive their learning forward to the next stage.

We plan the children’s learning from their interests and key events, this way we ensure they receive a broad and balanced curriculum. Alongside this the nurture and care they receive helps them to grow as individuals whilst understanding their own needs and the needs of others. We enrich their Early Years’ experience by providing a range of experiences such as visiting Mobile Farms, trips to local parks, Bangers and Bonfires in our grounds and the very popular Bedtime Story.

Throughout our Early Years provision we strive to work with parents, we want to ensure that children have the very best start to school life and strong foundations on which to continue their learning journey.

Early Years Foundation Stage – Our Curriculum

In the Early Years Foundation Stage we use a document called the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework – we call it the EYFS.

Children working within the EYFS curriculum learn by playing, exploring, being active and through creative and critical thinking. This takes place both indoors and outdoors, your child will learn new skills, acquire new knowledge and embed prior knowledge. They will demonstrate such skills and understanding through 7 areas of learning and development. These areas of learning are grouped into prime and specific areas.

Initial learning focuses on the 3 prime areas, each of these prime areas have several aspects for us to consider within them. These are:

Communication and Language (Aspects; listening and attention, understanding and speaking)

Physical Development (Aspects; moving and handling, health and self-care)

Personal, Social and Emotional Development (Aspects; Making relationships, self-confidence and self-awareness, managing feelings and behavior)

These prime areas are those most essential for your child’s healthy development and future learning. As children grow, the prime areas will help them to develop skills in 4 specific areas, these also have several aspects to consider within each area. These are:

Literacy (Aspects; reading & writing)

Mathematics (Aspects; numbers, shape, space and measure)

Understanding the World (Aspects; people and communities, the world and technology)

Expressive Arts and Design (Aspects; exploring and using media/materials & being imaginative)

These 7 areas are used to plan your child’s learning and activities, however we will also need parents input to support the learning process and keep us up to date with children’s fascinations, interests and family events. The professionals teaching and supporting your child will make sure that the activities planned are suited to your child’s unique needs to take their learning forward and often this will be based upon information shared by parents or the child. The EYFS is specifically designed for very young children and it encourages flexibility and creativity so that our staff can follow your child’s unique needs and interests.

At the end of the school year in Reception, each child will be assessed against the EYFS Early Learning Goals. For more guidance on the EYFS please search the link below.

Early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework

Email: enquiries@gosfordpark.coventry.sch.uk