Early Years Foundation Stage
Welcome to our Early Years, where every child is nurtured, valued, and encouraged to be the very best that they can be.
We are very proud of our Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) at Alverthorpe St. Paul’s School and the early education it provides for our children.
Our EYFS is led by Mrs Leeming and she is supported by a wonderful team of practitioners.
Our EYFS children are able to join us in Nursery from the age of 3. We have an onsite, teacher-led 26 place nursery, offering flexible hours and wraparound care from 7.30am until 6pm. This feeds into our 36 place Reception class.
The EYFS provides vital foundations for future educational and social development. It is important in its own right and in preparing children for future schooling. At Alverthorpe St. Paul’s School, we aim to provide the highest quality care and education through a wide and varied range of learning activities. Children take part in adult-led activities as well as having the time to take their learning into their own hands, exploring the provision during Discovery Time. We provide a safe and happy environment where enjoyable learning experiences fuel a love for learning. Children build their confidence and independence.
We value all our children and celebrate and respect their individuality. Positive relationships with families are crucial to enable the best for each child, we work alongside parents, carers and the wider community to meet each child’s needs and help them reach their full potential.
Assessment in the Early Years
Upon entry to the reception year, children undergo a ‘National Baseline Assessment’ to gage their current understanding of key areas of the Early Years curriculum on entry into school. Throughout the year EYFS staff will then monitor children’s achievements in all areas of the EYFS curriculum to identify any areas for development. This means noticing what children can do and what they know. Practitioners will use their knowledge of child development to assess effectively. At the end of the Reception year, children are assessed against the Early Learning Goals and this is reported to parents.
Parental Engagement
“It is important for parents and early years settings to have a strong and respectful partnership. This sets the scene for children to thrive in the early years.”
-Development Matters
Parental relationships are at the heart of our learning culture at Alverthorpe St. Paul’s. Throughout the Early Years, our parents engage in all aspects of a child’s development. From the start of the year, we welcome parents in weekly for, ‘Class Gathers’, where learning is shared, some examples of teaching are modelled, and ways to support children at home are shared. We use Parent Hub and Tapestry to communicate with parents. This creates a platform to share class learning and celebrate achievements of individual children. We value sharing our teaching process with parents and carers, therefore we send half-termly newsletters to show what is coming up in children’s learning. Throughout the year there are different opportunities for parents to come into school, such as art sessions, story sessions and worship led by the children.
Most importantly, class teachers are always available each morning and afternoon to discuss any queries or concerns you may have and will do all that they can to ensure children are happy, safe, and enjoying school life.