1. Welcome to St John the Baptist drop-in 18 th October 2012

2. What is the Early Years Foundation Stage? The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is the stage of education for children from birth to the end of the Reception year. It is based on the recognition that children learn best through playing and exploring, active learning & creating, and thinking critically. This is a very important stage as it helps your child get ready for school as well as preparing them for their future learning and successes. From when your child is born up until the age of 5, their early years experience should be happy, active, exciting, fun and secure; and support their development, care and learning needs.

3. The EYFS The EYFS Framework exists to support all professionals working in the EYFS to help your child, and was developed with a number of early years experts and parents. In 2012 the framework was revised to make it clearer and easier to use, with more focus on the things that matter most. This new framework also has a greater emphasis on your role in helping your child develop. You can find a copy of this document at www.education.gov.uk or by typing ‘Development Matters 2012’ into Google. www.education.gov.uk

4. The EYFS has 4 themes. These are: 1 A Unique Child 2 Positive Relationships 3 Enabling Environments 4Learning and Development These four themes underpin all of the guidance. If you get the balance of the first 3 correct, then the Learning and Development will follow.

7. The Prime areas begin to develop quickly in response to relationships and experiences, and run through and support learning in all other areas. The prime areas continue to be fundamental throughout the EYFS Your child will be learning skills, acquiring new knowledge and demonstrating their understanding through 7 areas of Learning and Development. The Prime areas are: 1.Personal, Social and Emotional Development 2.Communication and Language 3.Physical Development

8. The Specific areas include essential skills and knowledge. They grow out of the prime areas, and provide important contexts for learning. The Specific areas are: 1. Literacy 2. Mathematics 3. Understanding the World 4. Expressive Arts and Design.

9. Personal, Social and Emotional Development become self-confident; have awareness of their own feelings and feelings of others; take an interest in things; become independent; tell the difference between right and wrong. The children will be learning to:

10. Communication and Language talk confidently and clearly; show awareness of the listener; enjoy listening to stories, songs and poems, showing good attention; follow instructions; answer questions about stories. The children will be learning to:

11. Physical Development move confidently; control their body; handle equipment; manage their own basic hygiene and personal needs including dressing and undressing independently. The children will be learning to:

12. Literacy hear and say phonemes (sounds), and link them to the grapheme (letter) begin to read and write familiar words and sentences by segmenting and blending; enjoy an increasing range of books and be able to talk about them; learn to use a pencil effectively. The children will be learning to :

13. Mathematics The children will be learning to: develop an understanding of maths through stories, songs, games and imaginative play; become comfortable with numbers by ordering, writing, recognising and counting objects with 1:1 correspondence. Children will also begin to know 1 more and 1 less than a given number; begin to practically add and subtract using objects, and be able to talk about what they are doing using appropriate language. understand ideas such as 'heavier than' or 'bigger’; be aware of shapes and their properties.

14. Understanding the World explore and find out about the world around them, asking questions about it; build with different materials, know about everyday technology and learn what it is used for; find out about past events in their lives and their families' lives; find out about different cultures and beliefs. The children will:

15. Expressive Arts and Design colours and shapes; making things; role play; making music and singing songs The children will explore:

16. Monitoring Progress Each of the 7 areas of learning has its own set of Early Learning Goals’ which determine what most children are expected to achieve by the end of the Reception year. We use Development matters to identify the developing knowledge, skills, understanding and attitudes that children will need if they are to achieve the early learning goals by the end of the EYFS. By observing the children in their independent learning we make judgements about their development and acquisition of skills, where they are achieving and where they may need support.

17. “Adults who help children to play, are adults who help children to learn.” ‘a skilled adult who interacts with children in particular ways to enhance their learning is a crucial ingredient in children making good progress’

18. It is important that parents and the Reception staff caring for your child work together. We want you to feel comfortable about exchanging information and discussing things that will benefit your child. All the Reception staff have day to day contact with each child as we run our setting as a ‘unit’. The children will rotate in colour groups between the 2 teachers enabling all the staff to develop meaningful relationships with the children, as well as the children getting to know new friends. Your child’s ‘key person’ is the teacher they currently register with. How you can find out how your child is getting on?

19. Learning Journeys We keep a record of significant observations, conversations and examples of work for each child. All adults in the setting contribute to these documents called Learning Journeys. The Learning Journey informs us as teachers what your child can do, and what your child needs to do next. The observations and photographs are taken from mainly child-initiated learning, which is a true indication of what your child can do.

20. Learning Journeys It is important that the evidence in the Learning Journey is child-initiated rather than adult-led. We try to plan topics and experiences that will excite and motivate your child to want to find things out, explore and investigate, and show us what they can do as well as what they have learnt. Recording things in their own way allows children to describe and explain their thoughts and thought processes, as well as showing their creativity. Learning Journeys are shared at Parent’s Evening (which are the week beginning 12 th November) and during ‘pop-ins’. We would value any contributions you would like to make in helping us get to know your child’s interests and any significant.

21. Reading Books Children will start off with a sharing book from the book box. Once they are able to blend and segment, they will be given a de- codable phonics reading book. Along with their pink phonics book, it must be brought to school every day as children won’t have a set day for their reading. Please do not put water bottles in with your child’s sharing/reading book.

22. Reminders! Please ensure that your child’s name is in all items of clothing, including shoes! P.E kit must be kept in school, so that it is available every day. It can be taken home half termly to be washed. Your child will be taking part in lots of interesting and sometimes messy experiences, so may come home dirty! It is all part of the fun! If your child has had sickness or diarrhoea please keep them off school for 48 hours. Please pack lunch boxes sensibly. We are a Healthy Eating School so discourage sweets or chocolate at lunch time. We do allow 1 chocolate coated bar, such as a kit kat. We also do not allow peanuts, or other nuts, as we have children with severe allergies.

23. Please remember…. If you have any concerns or questions, we will be happy to help you. Miss L Abbott – Phase Leader & Reception Teacher Miss M Lee-Rawlings - Reception Teacher Mrs C Rangeley - Teaching Assistant Mrs S Louth - Teaching Assistant