Foundation 2023 - 2024
Mrs Edney
Mrs Stone
Mrs Jeffries
Welcome to Foundation Stage
Teacher contact emails:
chestnut@malpasalportpri.cheshire.sch.uk
holly@malpasalportpri.cheshire.sch.uk
Welcome to our fantastic Foundation Stage. We have 42 enthusiastic, caring and fun-loving children split between two classes, Chestnut and Holly. We celebrate when other class mates have achieved their goals. We use beautiful manners and are kind to one another.
We learn through play both inside and outdoors, whatever the weather! We love to explore and investigate and try to persevere when things are tricky. During the year we learn through different themes. These are based on the children's ideas as well as current themes and interests.
Our Early Years teachers are Mrs Edney and Mrs Stone in Chestnut class and Mrs Jeffries and Mrs Edney in Holly class. Our class is supported by Mrs Jones, Miss Lumb and Mrs Closel. Both classrooms provide the same mirrored continuous provision and the children have shared access to the outdoor area.
Each day the children access a daily phonics lesson taught through the Read Write Inc. scheme. Maths is taught through a mixture of practical activities and lessons from Mastering Number. Each half term, we have planned texts that we will be using with the children, linked to Pathways. Our learning this half term is based around the story 'Gigantosaurus' by Jonny Duddle. We immerse ourselves in this text, both through Literacy learning and within the learning environment.
Drawing Club
All children are part of 'Drawing Club' twice a week, which they are always so excited about! This is based on a story, traditional tale or animation and the chuildren draw either a character or setting. We make the drawings come to life through magical codes linked to our current literacy and maths. We are so impressed by the children's imaginations.
Language-rich Environment
We understand the importance of developing children's language and vocabulary, and that this underpins all 7 areas of learning in the EYFS. Our aim is to enhance children's language by introducing new words daily, exploring words read in books and talking about the meanings through actions and in sentences. We use Concept Cat which introduces a video story using different concept words, such as 'over' and 'back'. We encourage children to these in their play and for adults to model these. We also use the Word Aware rap, which helps to teach our word of the day with a rap which the children really enjoy. In Drawing Club sessions we introduce new ambitious vocabulary and provide actions for these, to help the children to remember them. We have daily nursery rhyme and poem time, and we read two stories each day to the children, through a book vote. Some of these stories are repeated a few times, as we understand that this repetition is greatly beneficial to children in acquiring new vocabulary. We provide small-group story time for children that require more exposure to stories and language. We work with EAL children to support their acquisition of English language, through the use of visual cards, stories and playing with them in 'adventure time' (provision time). Adults play with children in 'adventure time', modelling correct grammar and vocabulary, asking open and closed questions, rephrasing and extending what children say and explaining why things happen.
We keep you informed of our learning each week through emailing and uploading weekly letters onto this page every Friday, as well as adding photos to Twitter, so that you can be involved in your child's learning alongside us!
For more information about the Early Years Foundation Stage and about our EYFS Curriculum (Progression of Knowledge and Skills) please see the EYFS tab on the home page of our website.
Our Daily Routines:
8.30- Door open for funky finger challenges
8.50- Handwriting
9.00- Word aware/Literacy input
9.20- Adventure time (children in provision)
10.20- Review of adventure time learning
10.30-Whole class snack/rhyme and poem of the week
10.45- RWI Phonics
11.20- Maths
11.45- Lunchtime
12.45- Happy breathing/first story time
1.00- Themed curriculum planning
1.15- Adventure time (children in provision)
2.20- Review of adventure time learning
2.30- Dough Disco
2.40- Whole class snack
3.00- Second story time
3.15- Home time
Some days our timetable will differ.
P.E will be on a Wednesday.
Homework
Summer term- Your child will be sent home with a 'beautiful' picture book every Tuesday. This is for you to read and share with your child. Your child will also come home with a sound book, linked to what they have been learning to read and write in their RWI phonics group. We 'strive for five' reads each week and at this stage of your child's reading journey, we ask that you listen to your child read and/or share a book with your child everyday. When your child is ready, they will come home with some 'ditty' sheets to read at home, or a sound blending book to practise reading words using 'Fred Talk' or they will come home with a coloured reading book linked to their phonics book. Each Friday we email our class newsletter to let you know what we have been doing in class that week and inform you of any upcoming learning and how you can help at home.
PE
We do PE every Wednesday. Please come dressed in PE kits on this day. Just a reminder that our PE kit is a white t-shirt, black shorts/leggings/jogging bottoms and black trainers.