Early Years Foundation Stage Policy

Policy details

• Date created - 06/03/2024
• Date reviewed -
• Date approved -
• Next review date - 31/01/2026
• Policy owner - Charlotte Shannon (Assistant Headteacher - Early Years)

“All children deserve the care and support they need to have the best start in life.

Children learn and develop at a faster rate from birth to five years old than at any

other time in their lives, so their experiences in early years have a major impact on

their future life chances. A secure, safe, and happy childhood is important in its

own right. Good parenting and high-quality early learning provide the foundation

children need to fulfil their potential.”

Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage, December 2023

Co-op Academy Portland’s Early Years Foundation Stage ensures that children learn and develop well, and are kept healthy and safe. It promotes teaching and learning to ensure children’s school readiness’ and gives children a broad range of knowledge, and skills that provide the right foundation for good future progress through school and life.

Children are encouraged to develop their independence, perseverance and creative thinking, and are challenged to deepen their understanding. A love of learning is embedded through inspiring enhancements within continuous provision, high quality interactions and wider opportunities to bring the curriculum to life!

Within our Early Years, talk opportunities are widely created for the successful promotion of oracy, social and communication skills and building relationships. Children have the freedom to explore their interests, and staff are well skilled in adaptive teaching, to follow these interests. Children feel valued and listened to, resulting in high levels of self-esteem and engagement.

Children are equipped with the fundamental skills needed in order to be successful readers, writers and mathematicians. Children have ample opportunities to delve deeper into their exploration of language and number, through a well planned and well resourced curriculum.

We celebrate the culturally diverse nature of our setting, developing children’s awareness of and respect for others. We offer a robust transition process, which includes a staggered start for all new pupils. Home visits or school visits are also part of this offer, in order to truly understand you and your child, ahead of them being in our care.

Our Values and The Four Ways of Being

At Co-op Academy Portland, we are proud to be a part of The Co-op Academies Trust. The Co-op was founded on a set of values that we embrace. These are:

• Equality
• Equity
• Solidarity
• Honesty
• Openness
• Caring for others
• Self-help
• Self-responsibility
• Social-responsibility
• Democracy

We also teach the children about The Four Ways of Being, referring to them whenever possible. They ensure that children develop a good understanding of the meaning, and implications of each one. These are:

• Be Yourself, Always
• Do What Matters Most
• Show You Care
• Succeed Together

What Our Early Years Foundation Stage Seeks to Provide:

Quality and Consistency, so that every child makes good, or better progress, with  no child being left behind.

A Secure Foundation, through learning and development opportunities, which are carefully planned around the specific needs of pupils, their interests and gaps in their learning. Daily assessments through interactions, and observations are made, which support staff in knowing how best to support each child next.

Partnership Working, between staff and our families.

Equality of Opportunity, and anti-discriminatory practice, ensuring that every child is included, and offered matched learning opportunities, to allow every child to be successful.

Early Years Principles:

• A Unique Child
• Positive Relationships
• Enabling Environments
• Learning and Development

Implementation:

1.0 A Unique Child

Co-op Academy Portland recognises that every child is unique, and that each child develops at their own pace, in different ways. We support every child in being the best version of themselves, growing in confidence and being proud of who they are. Children’s learning behaviours and dispositions to learning are influenced by feedback and the environment around them. Encouragement, praise, rewards and celebrations are well embedded within our curriculum, to provide children with a sense of belonging, and self-achievement.

1.1 Inclusion

At Co-op Academy Portland, we value the diversity of individuals, and do not discriminate against differences. All children are treated fairly and equally, regardless of race, religion, gender identity or ability. We value all children, and their families within our Academy. Careful planning and consideration of prior experiences are reflected upon, to expand our offer of opportunities for a wider understanding of the world in which we live.

In our Early Years Foundation Stage, a wide range of teaching and learning strategies are provided, with high expectations to motivate and challenge. Every child’s contribution is valued, within a safe and supportive learning environment. Co-op Academy Portland provides a well-resourced, talk-rich environment to promote talk opportunities to further develop communication and language skills.

Progress of all children is ongoing, with targeted support in place for areas of development. Where a specific need is identified, we liaise with our Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Lead, and seek support from outside agencies.

2.0 Safeguarding

Every child’s safety is important to us at Co-op Academy Portland, and we want children to both be safe, and feel safe. We aim to educate children on boundaries, rules, limits and safe risk taking to help them understand and recognise hazards. We provide children with choices to help them develop this important life skill. We aim to protect the physical and psychological wellbeing of all children - (see Academy Safeguarding Children Policy).

        2.1 Welfare

“Children learn best when they are healthy, safe and secure, when their individual needs are met and when they have positive relationships with the adults caring for them”.

Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage, January 2024

We understand that we are legally required to comply with certain welfare requirements, as stated in the reformed Early Years Foundation Stage Statutory Framework (December 2023), and are required to:

• Safeguard children
• Ensure the adults who have contact with children are suitable
• Promote good health
• Support and understand behaviour
• Maintain records, policies and procedures

We teach our children ways to promote good hygiene and health, to prevent the spread of infection. Behaviour is managed effectively to support co and self regulation, with staff being proactive, rather than reactive. All adults working within our setting are suitable to do so, and have had appropriate Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks. Daily environment checks are carried out, to ensure that the premises, furniture and equipment are safe and fit for purpose. Records are kept to maintain high levels of quality assurance, and procedures are well embedded to ensure a safe management of the Early Years setting, to meet the needs for all children.

3.0 Positive Relationships

At Co-op Academy Portland, we recognise that in order for children to flourish in all aspects of the curriculum, they need a strong foundation in the three prime areas: Communication and Language, Personal, Social and Emotional and Physical Development. These prime areas unlock access to the wider curriculum, and allow growth within the specific areas: Literacy, Mathematics, Understanding the World and Expressive Arts and Design.

Within our Early Years Foundation Stage, we teach and support the development of metacognition, resilience and self motivation, based around The Characteristics of Effective Learning. These encourage pupils to develop caring, respectful, supportive and kind relationships with others.

        3.1 Parents as Partners

We recognise the role that parents have played, and their future role, in educating their children. We value their contribution, and encourage them to be involved in their child’s learning and development, as they progress through the Academy. Many opportunities are available including:

• Home Visits
• Pre-School / Current Nursery Visits
• Transition Meeting
• Staggered Starts
• Stay and Play Sessions
• Parent Workshops
• Dojo Platform Communications
• Open Morning Events
• Community Workshops
• Mental Health Workshops
• SEND Workshops
• Parents Evenings
• End of Year Report

All staff working in the Early Years Foundation Stage aim to develop good relationships with all children and families, interacting positively with them and taking time to listen. All children are allocated a key person at the beginning of the year, who acts as the main linked contact between school and home, in addition to class teachers.

4.0 Enabling Environments and Curriculum

Co-op Academy Portland recognises that the learning environment plays a crucial role in supporting, and extending children’s development. Our curriculum rotates on a Cycle 1 / Cycle 2 basis, with an overarching theme for each half term. Each cycle offers a clear project focus, in both Understanding the World and Expressive Arts and Design (see our curriculum documentation). Class teacher’s will always take into consideration pupil interests, and therefore use the overviews as a weekly guide, with opportunities for flexibility, to respond directly to pupil voice.

Teaching and Learning within the Early Years Foundation Stage is purposeful, progressive and well-planned, taking into account regular assessments to ensure gaps identified are being addressed. There are many opportunities for child initiated, and child led learning, as well as those directed by an adult. Foundation Stage 1 and Foundation Stage 2 each have their own purpose built, enclosed outdoor learning environments. Learning outdoors offers the children further opportunities to explore, use their senses, develop language skills, creativity and problem solving, alongside their physical development. We plan activities both inside, and outside, enabling the children to develop in all areas of the curriculum.

As set out in the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (2024), there are seven areas of learning and development, which are interconnected in shaping our curriculum.

The prime areas include:

• Communication and Language
• Physical Development
• Personal, Social and Emotional

The specific areas include:

• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding the World
• Expressive Art and Design

Each area of learning is fundamental to their development, and underpin future learning higher through the school.

The Characteristics of Effective Learning:

• Playing and Exploring
• Active Listening
• Creating, and Thinking Critically

Each of these areas are highly promoted through reflection points within the school day. These support children to reflect on their own learning, and what they are proud of achieving. Staff model this skill at the beginning of the year, to allow children to take complete ownership of how they learn best.

We adhere to the following DfE Documentation:

• Early Years Foundation Stage Statutory Framework (December 2023)
• Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (2024)

        5.0 Monitoring and Assessment

At Co-op Academy Portland, we use galleries, learning journey displays and floor books, to evidence and showcase work. Learning journey displays provide highlights throughout the year, celebrating particular events and celebrations. Pupil galleries demonstrate progress over time, and allow staff to plan appropriately for their next steps, to move learning forward.

The Reception Baseline Assessment (RBA), became statutory in schools in September 2021. It is a short, task-based assessment of pupils’ starting points in Language, Communication and Literacy and Mathematics. It is not used to label or track individual pupils. Schools are required to carry out the assessment within the first six weeks of pupils starting Reception. Data will only be used at the end of Year 6, to form the school-level progress measure, however teachers will receive a series of short, narrative statements that tell them how their pupils performed in the assessment. These can be used to inform teaching within the first term.

Assessment in the Early Years Foundation Stage is led through observation and high quality interactions, leading to teacher judgement. At the end of each term, class teachers will assess each child against the seventeen areas of learning for that point in the academic year. Within the final term, we provide a written summary to families, reporting their child’s progress against the Early Learning Goals. We adhere to the most current statutory guidance for assessment and reporting arrangements (ARA), and moderate throughout the year to ensure accuracy and validity.