FOUNDATION STAGE
POLICY
Blackgates Primary School
Mission Statement
Our School Motto is “Celebrating Success”
‘Every Child Matters’
At Blackgates we are proud to be an inclusive school providing a high
quality, creative and challenging education within a secure, caring and
happy environment, where every child experiences a sense of enjoyment
and achieves full potential.
Aims
a. To create a happy, caring school with equal opportunities for all.
b. To develop lively, enquiring minds, enjoying the widest variety of lifelong learning experiences.
c. To develop a healthy lifestyle, where children are encouraged to make
informed choices.
d.
To achieve excellence with pupils having high expectations of
themselves and those around them in all aspects of school life.
e. To continue to develop our already highly skilled staff.
f. To provide a broad and balanced curriculum, using National Guidelines,
where every child’s needs are catered for.
g. To welcome and develop home/school relationships, providing high
quality information and good communication to overcome barriers to
learning.
h. To promote positive relationships, appropriate behaviour and good
manners at all times.
i. To develop personal, spiritual and moral values with respect for other
races, religions and cultures.
j. To enable children to understand the world in which they live and the
interdependence of individuals, groups and nations.
Blackgates Primary School is committed to safeguarding and protecting
the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects
all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
At Blackgates Primary School we will continuously strive to ensure that
everyone in our school is treated with respect and dignity and that the
culture and ethos of the school is one in which, whatever the heritage and
origins of the members of the school community, everyone is equally
valued. Each person in our school will be given fair and equal opportunities
to develop their full potential with positive regard to gender, ethnicity,
cultural and religious background, sexuality or disability.
BLACKGATES PRIMARY SCHOOL
FOUNDATION STAGE POLICY
1.
INTRODUCTION
Early years education is the foundation upon which children build
the rest of their lives, and is an education that encompasses all
learning. This policy outlines the purpose, nature and management
of early years education at our school.
The school policy reflects the consensus of opinion of the whole
teaching staff, and its implementation is the responsibility of all
members of staff.
2.
THE NATURE OF EARLY YEARS EDUCATION
In this policy the early years of education refers to children under
the age of 5 and to all children in the Reception year. In the
National Curriculum, the term ‘Foundation Stage’ is used to
describe the phase of education from the term after a child’s 3rd
birthday to the end of the reception year.
Early years education is concerned with the physical, social,
emotional, aesthetic and intellectual development of the individual
child, with no one area standing in isolation from the others.
3.
ENTITLEMENT
Nursery and Reception children follow the three prime and four
specific areas of learning, and the three learning characteristics
set out below:
The prime areas of learning:



Personal, Social and Emotional development
Communication and Language
Physical Development
The specific areas of learning:
 Literacy
 Mathematics
 Understanding the World
 Expressive Arts and Design
The learning characteristics:



Playing and exploring
Active learning
Creating and thinking critically
The children are working towards the Early Learning Goals. For
each ELG the Foundation Stage staff will judge whether the child
is meeting the level at the end of the Reception Year (expected),
exceeding this level (exceeding), or not yet reaching this level
(emerging). Staff will also assess the three key characteristics of
effective learning, which will provide important information about
each child’s approach to learning.
Each child is viewed as an individual with specific needs being met
in appropriate ways, and with individuality being encouraged.
Independence is fostered and each child is encouraged to reach
their full potential.
4.
IMPLEMENTATION
1) Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Children are enabled to participate as effective members of a
group and the whole class, as well as individuals. They are made
aware of behaviour, which is acceptable to others, see Behaviour
Policy in Blackgates Primary School Policy Handbook, and are
encouraged to share resources, ideas, thoughts and adult time.
Children are helped to consider the needs of others. A positive
self-image is reinforced.
Children are led increasingly to independence by being encouraged
to develop a sense of responsibility, and to take increasing control
of their own feelings by expressing them in acceptable ways.
Situations are provided where a range of emotions can be
experienced and explored.
2) Intellectual Development
Children have the opportunity to become involved in a wide range of
first hand experiences leading to the acquisition of knowledge,
skills and concepts.
Concentration and perseverance are
encouraged and a real interest in learning is fostered.
The Foundation Stage teachers use structured play where the
learning objectives have been clearly identified.
3) Physical Development
Children use large and small apparatus to promote confidence and
competence, and work with a wide range of materials to develop
manipulative skills. Developing understanding of what constitutes a
healthy life style is a focus of this area.
4) Creative Development
Children are helped to foster a sense of beauty and wonder, and to
explore their own creativity.
The curriculum balances experiences in these areas of
development.
Children are taught in groups, with a trained early years
teacher/practitioner and teaching assistants.
Activities within the classroom are planned to encourage full and
active participation of all children whatever their ability, ensuring
that individual potential is met.
Children will be given opportunities to use the tape recorder to
listen to stories, music and sounds around them. The children will
be given the opportunity to use the computer on a regular basis.
Boys and girls are given equal access to, and encouraged to take
part in all activities. Children are given opportunities to explore
and enjoy stories, poetry, music, art and play materials from a wide
range of cultures.
The Foundation Unit is situated in the school building, with a
fenced in play area at the rear.
Safe use of equipment is taught, and the idea of a safe
environment is promoted.
5.
ROLE OF PARENTS
Parents are encouraged to help in school on a regular basis, and to
become involved in their child’s education.
The Headteacher and the Foundation Stage teachers/practitioners
will hold a meeting with the parents of pre-school children in the
term before admission. At this meeting the school’s Foundation
Stage policy and the way in which the school day is structured will
be explained.
Parents of pre-school children will receive copies of both the
school and Foundation Stage prospectus at the meeting.
6.
ADMISSION
All Reception children are admitted during the first 2/3 weeks of
the school year, and there is a staggered admission system.
Nursery children will receive a home visit from two members of the
Foundation Stage Unit.
7. ASSESSMENT
Children are assessed regularly throughout their stay in the
Foundation Unit using a range of means including discussion with
parents, discussion with the child, observation, listening and
questioning, as well as evaluation of the children’s work.
These assessments inform the planning of an appropriate
curriculum.
The Nursery and Reception use profiles throughout the year and
summative reports at the end of the year. They also assess the
children throughout their period in Foundation using ‘Development
Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage. The results are
collated, and any discrepancies between the levels recorded at the
end of the Nursery period and the beginning of the Reception year,
will be discussed and re-assessed. Parents will be kept informed of
the results of these assessments, and where necessary their
assistance requested. Throughout Nursery and Reception, parents
will be kept fully informed of their children’s progress, successes,
and any related problems.
8.
THE ROLE OF THE FOUNDATION STAGE CO-ORDINATOR
(This involves co-ordinating the work of the Nursery and Reception
children)
1. To co-ordinate the curriculum and assessment.
2. To co-ordinate resources.
3. To manage the implementation of the Foundation Stage
curriculum.
4. To overview the production of any specialised Foundation
Stage policies, including the admission and transition policy.
5. To keep up to date, in the field of early years education, and
to keep other staff informed.
6. To help to establish and maintain good parental links.
7. To help to establish and maintain good links with other
nurseries, pre-school providers and Year 1 teachers.
8. To advise and assist other staff in planning, and to monitor
its quality.
9. Lead staff meetings and training sessions on Foundation
Stage issues.
9.
SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS
Throughout the Foundation Stage we follow the school’s policy for
special needs (see Blackgates Primary School Policy Handbook). If
there are concerns about a child, we take appropriate action, after
discussion. Parents or carers will be involved and consulted at all
stages. If the concern persists, we then involve the Inclusion
Manager, and if necessary the child will be entered onto the
Special Needs register. Outside specialist help will be enlisted, if
required.
10. EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
The Foundation Stage staff follow the school policy for equal
opportunities, whether it be gender, special needs or cultural
and/or religious areas (see Blackgates Primary School Policy
Handbook). We aim to promote equal opportunities in a positive
manner, and to encourage a caring, understanding responsibility
towards others, in the children, and to develop their respect for
the rights and feelings of others.
This Foundation Stage policy was formally adopted by Blackgates Primary
School on –
Date ________________________________________
Review Date __________________________________
Headteacher __________________________________
Governing Body ________________________________