Foundation stage for early years children

The Foundation Stage is the curriculum all reception classes follow.

The Foundation Stage Curriculum has seven areas of learning.  There are three prime areas of learning:

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

These areas cover the knowledge and skills which are the foundations for children’s school readiness and future progress. They are applied and reinforced by the specific areas.

There are four specific areas of learning:

• Literacy
• Numeracy
• Understanding the world
• Expressive art and design

These cover essential skills and knowledge.

We strongly believe that children should learn through play, and engaging hand on activities, where they need to explore investigate and find out for themselves why things happen and why things work.

We provide many opportunities for the children to talk about what they are doing and to use their imagination. 

Our classrooms are lively, stimulating and well organised learning environments. We believe that children learn best through short mini topics which are meaningful to them and motivate them to become fully involved. The children experience direct teaching activities where they may work independently with a partner, in a group or as part of the whole class.  They also have time to use their own initiative and develop their independence, by planning their own activities (in Plan-do-review). 

Within the Foundation Stage there is a big emphasis on parents as partners.  You are the primary educators of your children and we value this.  By working in partnership your child will greatly benefit.