A Guide to the Foundation Stage

2. A Guide to the Foundation Stage

3. What we Believe: • It is crucial to their future success that children’s earliest experiences help to build a secure foundation for learning throughout their school years and beyond. • Practitioners must be sensitive to the individual development of each child to ensure that the activities they undertakeare suitable for the stage that they have reached.

4. Our Goal: In the Foundation Stage at sir James Henderson we strive to ensure that all children learn in a safe and stimulating environment in which they can develop their independence and reach their full potential.

5. Our Day: 8.45 am – Bell Rings, All children line up in the playground. (Wet day alternative Nursery children are to go to room 33 and Reception children to the dining room. (children never enter the classroom unaccompanied.) 8.50 am – Welcome from Miss Dean 8.55 am – children enter the setting and must organise their belongings (coats/packed lunches/book bags) before finding their name to self -register and enter the class. 9.00am – children wait on the carpet for Register, calendar and Daily Routine. 10.20am – Snack Time 11.50am – Lunch time 2.55 pm – End of Day Story and Songs 3.10 pm – Home Time Preparation 3.20 pm – Dismissal from the small play park or to buses (Any changes in normal dismissal procedures require notification to the school.)

6. Water and Snack: • For those children who are school dinners both water and a mid-morning snack are provided. • For those children who are packed lunches, a mid-morning snack and a bottle of water must be provided. • Snacks should be in small portions and healthy. • No glass containers allowed. • No nuts/nut spread or sweets should be sent to school.

7. Foundation Essentials: • ALL clothing must be labelled clearly including shoes. This is particularly important for PE kits. • Sun hats, a waterproof coat and waterproof boots must be provided and kept at school as we venture out in all weathers. • A spare change of clothes must be provided and kept at school. • Children must wear clothes they can manage themselves i.e. no belts, tight jeans, difficult buttons or shoe laces. (Please do not send children in expensive clothing. In nursery we need hard wearing clothes that will stand up to robust and messy play.) • Bags must be big enough for a library book but not too large for the children to handle themselves.

8. Our Curriculum Prime Areas : Personal, Social and Emotional Development: -Making Relationships, -Self-Confidence and Self-Awareness, -Managing Feelings and Behaviour

9. Our Curriculum Prime Areas : Communication and Language: -Listening and Attention -Understanding -Speaking

10. Our Curriculum Prime Areas : Physical Development: -Moving and Handling -Health and Self-Care

11. Our Curriculum Secondary Areas : Literacy: -Reading -Writing

12. Our Curriculum Secondary Areas : Mathematics: -Numbers -Shape, Space and Measures

13. Our Curriculum Secondary Areas : Understanding the World: -People and Communities -The World -Technology

14. Our Curriculum Secondary Areas : Expressive Arts and Design: -Exploring and Using Media and Materials -Being Imaginative

15. In addition to class activities we also have specialist lessons: PE , Music, Guided Reading, ICT and Library

16. Music – with Mrs Maranzano, twice a week in the music room. P.E. - with Mr Reilly and Mrs Webber, twice a week in the gym or outside. Children will change themselves for P.E and must be independent in this area. Library - once a week – children may take one book at a time and must return this book before being allowed to take another. Guided Reading and ICT take place within the classroom.

17. We supplement our curriculum with external visits and special activities. • Explore • Learn • Achieve

18. Outdoor Play • Opportunities for : • Climbing • Exploring textures • Role play • Growing plants • Water and sand play • Physical development • Counting, Reading and Writing

19. Outdoor Play : • All Weather –Sun, Rain and Snow

20. Welcome to Foundation Stage!