EYFS

Information

At Inspire Academy, our Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) staff are passionate about early childhood development and education. We know that early childhood education lays the foundation for lifelong learning and we strive for our pupils to have a positive start to their educational journey.

Our approach to delivering the statutory EYFS curriculum is to balance teacher led input with opportunities for pupils to extend and embed their learning through play, which we refer to as ‘independent learning’.

During teacher led sessions, children work with the adults in the classroom to complete activities set at an appropriate level for their ability. They may work 1-1 with an adult, in small groups with their peers or as a full class.

During independent learning time, children are encouraged to explore different learning areas both indoors and outdoors. This is an opportunity for the children to follow their own interests and select the resources they want to learn and play with.

Curriculum

The Early Years Foundation Stage Statutory Framework sets the standards that all early years providers must meet to ensure that children learn and develop well and are kept healthy and safe. It specifies that the following areas of learning must shape activities and experiences for children in EYFS:

• Communication and Language
• Physical Development
• Personal, Social and Emotional Development
• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding the World
• Expressive Arts and Design

The prime areas of Communication and Language, Physical Development, and Personal, Social and Emotional Development are embedded and developed in every part of school life including in the classroom, during assemblies, in the canteen and at break times. We believe that effective communication and language underpins success in all other areas of learning and developing these skills is a priority at our school. We are fortunate to have a qualified speech and language therapist working at Inspire on a weekly basis, who can support children, parents and staff with any communication concerns.

The specific areas of Literacy, Mathematics, Understanding the World and Expressive Arts and Design are taught through a combination of teacher led input and opportunities in independent learning time. In September, this starts with short teacher led sessions and builds up to longer sessions as the year progresses. Phonics is taught every day and when children are in Reception, parents are invited to a phonics workshop to learn more about how we teach reading at Inspire Academy.

Our EYFS is very much a part of the whole school and the children integrate with our older pupils on a daily basis, so that they are well prepared for transition into Key Stage 1.