Every child is a different kind of flower and together they make this world a beautiful garden.

In our Foundation Stage we have three practitioners during the morning sessions, Mrs Firth who is the teacher, Mrs Taylor, our nursery nurse, and Mrs Swallow, our teaching assistant. In an afternoon there are two practitioners with extra volunteers joining us through the year.  Mrs Firth is currently on maternity leave and the new Foundation Stage teacher is Miss Nelson.

On entry to our Foundation Stage Unit, we work first and foremost on the personal, social and emotional well being of the children. This is fundamental in a child becoming ready to be a learner.  As part of our inclusive environment, we strive for all the children to work as a team and discover the individual qualities in each other. It is our ethos to nurture children’s independence and belief in themselves and their abilities. 

In Foundation Stage, we begin working towards our 'Investors in Pupils' targets by introducing individual achievable targets. Through circle time discussions we create golden rules which are then displayed in our setting and children are encouraged to follow. The reinforcement of our golden rules and expectations are managed using positive behaviour management strategies and rewards.  To nurture responsibility, children take responsibility for an area of the provision to look after and sort at tidy up time.

The classroom is designed carefully using the Early Years curriculum.  It is a hive of activity with areas set up to enable children to self select their learning whilst still accessing the Early Years Curriculum. Mark making and number opportunities are visible in all provision areas and invite exploration from the children. As the academic year progresses, so do the challenges offered in provision areas. Creativity is extended in the wet area of the classroom to support the children’s growing curiosity, exploration and play. We strive to meet the needs of all our learners in the setting.  Provision areas are set up to be self accessible by all children using clear labels and photographs.  Children are taught to use the high quality resources appropriately and respectfully.

As part of the Early Years curriculum, hygiene, healthy eating and exercise are promoted in the setting and during focused physical development sessions. Milk and fruit are available during the mornings, with water accessible at all times. The children are always encouraged and celebrated if they try new foods for example during Chinese New Year we offer opportunities to sample foods.

Educational visitors are welcomed into the setting such as nurses, firemen, Zoolab and many more. Opportunities for visits in our locality are also used such as walks to the local farm and the Yorkshire Sculpture Park.

We are passionate about the opportunities being outdoors offers to our children and the curriculum, so we offer a free flow timetable in all weathers. Wet weather clothing is available and children are once again encouraged to access this independently. The Foundation Stage unit was proud to be part of an outdoor project where staff were trained to seek learning through the environment. During this project our outdoor area was revamped and many new wonderful open ended resources were purchased including construction kits, den and camping and water sets.

We believe parents are a vital resource and we actively encourage conversation and celebrating successes with them. Home school communication books are sent home weekly with a newsletter detailing the learning through the week and optional homework activities. During the summer term homework becomes more important for Upper Foundation Stage children to begin the transition into Key Stage 1. Library books are available at all times for parents and children to borrow and share. When the children are ready reading books are sent home with reading records for parents and carers to sign.

Teacher: Mrs E Firth (Miss H Nelson)

Nursery nurse: Mrs T Taylor

Teaching Assistant: Mrs L Swallow