The Foundation Stage (Nursery & Reception)
The Early Years Curriculum establishes a happy
atmosphere; free and easy communication between child
and teacher, learning through play, and learning to
share are our priorities.
The Nursery Curriculum closely follows the ‘QCA
Foundation Stage’, encompassing the whole spectrum of
learning, and acknowledges the fact that young children
learn through play.
In Years 1 & 2 the National Curriculum provides the
framework around which teachers use their professional
expertise to meet the individual educational needs of
each child. Well aware that children at this age will
not all achieve the same levels of understanding at
exactly the same time.
Language and Literacy (Foundation Stage)
The children are introduced to sounds in Nursery
through ‘Jolly Phonics’. The aim is for them to be able
to recognise letter shapes and link each one with its
sound. Letters are taught in a specific order to allow
the children to develop word-building skills from the
beginning and to see that putting sounds together makes
words. They take individual sound cards home and
practice them.
In addition to the above, the children spend time in
school looking at books, retelling stories and
predicting the outcome of a story. They become aware
that we read from left to right and that pictures give
clues as to what the text might say. Books without words
are sent home so that the children may talk about them
as an aid to building this skill.
Children are also exposed to words that cannot be
sounded phonetically. These ‘look and say’ words will
prepare them for the next stage of reading. Playing with
groups of words that sound similar - for example, men,
pen, hen, teaches children to be aware of sound
patterns. Once a child is confident in the use of these
skills, words from the reading schemes are taught and
sent home for the children to practice.
It is vital to a child’s confidence that they are
familiar with the first words of the reading scheme, so
that their first experience of reading a book evokes a
feeling of success.
Key Stage 1 (Years 1 & 2)
Several reading schemes are used: This enables
teachers to give the children a breadth of reading
experience and bring variety to their reading matter.
Reading schemes are designed as teaching tools: children
are encouraged to read different kinds of books at home
to widen their interest in reading. Reading books are
sent home when a child has finished reading them with
their teacher. Some children are given extra pages to
read at home once they have achieved an appropriate
level of fluency – usually in Year 2.
The department has its own well-resourced library from
which they select books on a weekly basis.
Spelling: Year 1 and Year 2
children are given families of words to learn at home
and an informal test is given on a Friday. The words may
vary from class to class to cater for children’s
individual needs. This gives the children confidence
when writing their own stories. Reception children may
begin the above process during their Reception Year when
appropriate.
Handwriting: Nursery
children are given a variety of tasks to develop pencil
control such as colouring, cutting and tracing patterns.
We encourage them to hold a pencil correctly and show
them how to sit. At the appropriate time, they are
taught correct letter formation; a joined style of
handwriting is taught from the beginning. Initially it
is important to concentrate on lower case. Upper case is
usually introduced at the end of Reception or the
beginning of Year 1.
Home/School Reading Record:
This is sent home on a weekly basis and is a valuable
link between home and school.
Mathematics
Number skills are achieved through practical
activities and using and understanding language in the
development of mathematical ideas.
Foundation Stage (Nursery & Reception)
Mathematical language is introduced through the
experience of play. The children will work with the
numbers 1 – 5 for some time to give them a sound
comprehension of the concept of number before tackling 6
– 10. They will also begin to write the numerals to at
least 5.
The first term of Reception is spent reinforcing the
concepts taught in Nursery. The early stages of addition
are introduced through games and practical activities.
Addition and subtraction within 10 is taught at this
level. By the end of the year, many of the children will
be familiar with addition and subtraction to 10.
Recognition of numbers to 20 and an understanding of
place value are also taught.
Key Stage 1 (Year 1 & 2)
The children continue to develop their understanding
of mathematical concepts. Tens and units are introduced
and the children will be working to 20. Concepts covered
will at the Foundation Stage are presented in a wider
variety of different ways - for example, story, sums
etc. Shapes and measures are developed further but there
is still an emphasis on practical work. The 2, 5 and 10
Times Tables are introduced towards the end of Year 1.
By Year 2 most of the times tables are taught and
children encouraged to learn these. A certificate is
awarded when they can successfully complete a table.
Multiplication and Division are taught. All Key Stage 1
concepts previously covered are reinforced.
Within this overall framework some children will move
more quickly than others, and the teachers use their
professional judgement to ensure that each child
continues to be challenged.
Science
Science work is planned to provide continuity and
development of understanding. We aim to help children
develop their natural curiosity by:
- Providing opportunities to carry out simple
experiments;
- Encouraging a focus of attention and powers of
observation;
- Helping children to increase recording,
investigating and problem solving skills.
Most of the topics chosen have scientific areas to be
discovered by the children and are planned on a two-year
cycle to keep the content fresh and exciting for the
children. Topics usually last for half a term.
Religious Education
This is included in the weekly timetable and a broad
approach is used. We aim to teach the children the
nature of religion through the life of Christ, to
understand and respect traditional beliefs and how they
shape our culture, to understand and respect other
faiths and encourage social responsibility. There are
two formal school assemblies every week: one of these,
which includes a celebration of birthdays and the
distribution of certificates of achievement, takes place
in the School Chapel.
The Foundation Subjects
All children do these subjects, which are taught
using a cross-curricular model through the use of
Topics, as part of our schemes of work. They include
Art, Music, PE, History, Geography and Information and
Communication Technology (ICT). These areas of the
curriculum are most obvious as they are recorded on
displays around the School and are indicated by the
various activities of each class during the year.
TOPICS 2004
- 2005 |
