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Foundation
Stage
"The flowers of all our
tomorrows are in the seeds of today"
Chinese Proverb
This is the earliest stage of a child's
education at school, and covers the Nursery and Reception classes. It
is called the Foundation Stage because it gives the children secure
foundations for later learning.
The Foundation Stage provides a secure
and supportive environment where children can:
-
settle into school life
-
learn to work and play as a member of
a group
-
develop good relationships with other
children and adults in the class
-
grow in self confidence
-
develop a positive attitude to
learning
At John of Gaunt Infant and Nursery
School we work as a team to ensure that the children's first
experiences of schooling are as happy and stress free as possible.
Children are encouraged to select their own activities
as well as join in activities with adults. These activities
cover a broad range of learning, making the most of the indoor and
outdoor environments.
The Foundation Stage Curriculum covers
six areas of learning, these are
Communication, Language and Literacy
Through a variety of activities the children's ability to listen
attentively, communicate and develop an interest in stories and
books is supported and extended. A rich variety of books, puppets,
story sacks and other resources are used to make stories come alive. Problem Solving,
Reasoning and Numeracy
This area of learning includes counting, sorting, matching, seeking
patterns, making connections, recognising relationships and working
with numbers, shapes, space and measures. The children participate
in counting songs, stories, rhymes, games and imaginative play, so
that the children enjoy using and experimenting with numbers. Knowledge and
Understanding of the World
The children are given opportunities to observe, predict, explore,
investigate, discuss and make decisions and to extend vocabulary.
The children carry out topic based activities. These experiences form
the basis of their learning in Science, Design and Technology,
History, Geography and ICT (Information, Communication and
Technology)
 Creative
Development
This area of learning includes art, music,
dance, role-play and imaginative play. Through creative activities
the children handle a range of materials, experiencing texture,
colour and form. The children have the opportunity to experiment and
create freely and participate in organised activities. There are
also plenty of opportunities to explore sound, make music, play
musical instruments and join in with new and familiar songs.
Physical
Development
The children participate in activities
that develop their control and co-ordination and their awareness of
space and others. Their fine manipulative skills are increased by
using a variety of tools, within a range of creative activities and
small construction play. They use a range of small and large
equipment and balancing and climbing apparatus both inside and
outside.
Personal, Social
and Emotional Development The children learn to work, to play and co-operate with each other.
We provide a warm, secure environment where children are valued,
feel happy and confident. There are opportunities for children to
work alone and in small and large groups. Role-play is particularly
encouraged both indoors and outdoors. |
