Welcome to Foundation Stage 2 Meeting for Parents and Carers.

Welcome to Foundation Stage 2 Meeting for Parents and Carers

The Staff

• OAK - Mrs Firth• MAPLE - Mrs Norris

• Mrs Kohn, Mrs Hastings, Miss Ahmed, Mrs Daukszewicz (Miss Kasia), Mrs Collins & Miss Hennessey (am)

• PPA cover Mrs Wade

What is the Early Years Foundation Stage?

• The Early Years Foundation Stage (E.Y.F.S.) is the stage of education for children from birth to the end of the Foundation 2 year (Reception)

• It is based on the recognition that children learn best through play and active learning

We look for and develop the characteristics of effective

learning

• Playing and exploring• Involvement and active learning• Creative and critical thinking

The E.Y.F.S. is based on 4 overarching themes

1 A Unique Child

2 Positive Relationships

3 Enabling Environments

4 Learning and Development

Within the theme of Learning and Development there are seven areas. All areas are connected to one another and

are equally important

1. Personal, Social and Emotional Development

2. Communication and Language Development

3. Physical Development

4. Literacy Development

5. Mathematical Development

6. Understanding the World

7. Expressive Arts and Design

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

The children will be learning to:

• Become self-confident

• Take an interest in things

• Know what their own needs are

• Begin to express an opinion

• Become independent

• Tell the difference between right and wrong

• Make friends and play with others

• Begin to manage their feelings appropriately

Communication and Language Development

The children will be learning to:• Talk confidently and clearly• Enjoy listening to and joining in with stories, songs and

poems• Be able to listen and ‘do’ and follow instructions• Ask questions and develop a rich vocabulary• Be confident to talk in a variety of situations• Develop their concentration and attention

Physical DevelopmentThe children will be learning to:• Move confidently in a variety of ways• Control their body and develop good core and fine motor

muscles• Handle equipment safely and confidently• Get dressed and undressed independently• Be able to manage going to the toilet independently• Hold a pencil using the ‘tripod‘ grip and form letters and

numbers, mostly correctly• Think about the importance of eating healthily and being active

Literacy Development

The children will be learning to:• Develop a love of listening to stories and rhymes• Explore a variety of texts• Link letters to sounds and begin their ‘reading journey’• See themselves as confident and capable writers• Develop the skills to ‘have a go’ at writing in a variety of

situations

Problem Solving, Reasoning and Numeracy

The children will be learning to:• Develop an understanding of maths through stories, songs,

games and imaginative play• Be confident using numbers to 20 and to be able to solve

simple problems using their number knowledge• Explore patterns, shapes, measurement, money and position

in lots of practical ways• Be confident with mathematical language

Understanding of the World

The children will:

• Find out about the world around them, asking questions and using their senses to explore their surroundings

• Look for patterns and changes and be confident to talk about their world

• Build with different materials, know about everyday technology and learn what it is used for

• Find out about past events in their lives and their families' lives

• Find out about and celebrate different cultures and beliefs and foster respect and sensitivity

Creative Development

The children will explore:• Making and listening to music, including playing the ocarinas • Using different tools safely• Making things using different materials and finding out how

to attach using staples, glue, split pins and tape• Role play • Representing their own ideas in dance, drama, painting,

music, stories and construction

A typical morning in FS 2…

• 8.45-9.45: Time for structured play both inside and out. Time to choose activities or work with an adult and friends

• 9.45-10.00: Tidy up and group time then get ready for snack• 10.00-10.15:Short playtime on the big playground• 10.15-10.40: Wash hands snack and a time to chat with

friends• 10.40-11.10: Letters and sounds and ‘talk for writing’• 11.10-11.35: Structured play and working with others• 11.40: Wash hands and then lunch

A typical afternoon in FS 2…

• 12.45: Line up and go inside for registration• 12.50-1.10: Register, time to talk about lunchtime, a rest

and lie down time• 1.15-2.25: Structured play and table activities and small

group ‘enrichment’ activities in Base 3• 2.25-2.35: Tidy up and short playtime on the big

playground• 2.45-3.15: Story, collective worship, songs or a religious

story• 3.15-3.20: Collect things, ready to go home or to Kidstime

after school club

• All the children have access to all the available areas in the unit and they work with all the staff

The first few weeks

•We get to know your child. We have been fortunate to visit many in their previous settings. If you have any information / learning journals we would love to see them then we will return them to you

•We will find out what your child already knows and can do and use this information to help us develop an individual learning programme for him / her

•We understand that times of change and transition can be stressful for everyone. We are used to tears and anxiety and we tend to find that most of the children settle quickly, with a few who may take a little longer

In Foundation 2• We are proud to be a Church of England school.

We promote different values each term and prepare our children to live in an exciting world where they should be respected and loved for the individuals they are

• We are able to offer bespoke support for speech and language needs, emotional support in the short and long term, gross and fine motor development

• We are fortunate that our team has a lot of knowledge of how children learn and how best to support them

• We monitor ’wellbeing‘ and ‘involvement’ to help the children develop a life long disposition to learning and we support them as necessary

Keeping in touch and being informed

• You will receive our school newsletter every Friday• Our weekly themes are available on the website and in each classroom• We send activities home each week. They are also available on the

website • There is a weekly poem book sent home on Thursday and this needs to be

returned on the following Thursday• We hold curriculum workshops to help you support your child• Formal opportunities to discuss your child’s progress are available every

long term and you will receive an interim report • We have a learning ladder which all the children are on. If their learning is

high and they have made good choices in the week they can join in our Friday treat

• We are in the process of developing a system to allow greater access to your child’s learning and achievements

• We value and welcome your support and partnership. It is extremely important for us all to be involved. Please keep us informed and discuss any concerns you may have

Medical Matters

•Attendance is extremely important for the children to achieve their full potential and we would like to win the attendance award! Please make sure that your child is at school every day unless they are really unwell. NO term time holidays will be authorised

•If your child is going to be absent for any reason, please call the school office as early as possible

•Any sickness and / or diarrhoea must be followed by 48 hrs at home

•If your child has asthma we must have a blue inhaler to keep in school for them

•Medicines can only be administered after you have filled in a form in the office. DO NOT leave medicines in your child’s reading folder or bag

•Please provide a water bottle for your child to have access to water during the day. We will send it home every Friday for a wash. PLEASE send it back on Monday. Bottles are available from the office for £1.00

•Head lice are common and nothing to be embarrassed about! Please check regularly and treat promptly. We can give advice on this

•If your child has an accident at school, he / she will come home with a red tag to signify a head bump or a slip informing you they have hurt themselves, unless it is very minor. We generally do very well but sometimes children are not confident to say, especially in the early days so please let us know if they tell you they have hurt themselves

House keeping• Uniform - please make sure everything is clearly named (and hasn’t

washed off)

• Book bags - should be checked and returned every day• Library - is on Mondays. Please keep the book in your child’s reading

folder• Guided Reading – please make sure you read the book with your

child, sign the yellow reading record and keep them in the reading folder

• Lunch – school meals are free and cooked freshly on site every day. If you choose to send your child with a packed lunch, don’t give too much, it can be rather overwhelming. Please talk to your child about likes and dislikes. You will receive additional information about lunches

• PE kits - are left in school and sent home at the end of term Please encourage your child to dress and undress themselves

And Finally…

• From time to time, we will invite you to come and join us for class activities. Please do try and come along

• Please get involved in our PTA activities, we really need your support.

• If you have any worries or concerns please come in and see us and we will do our best to help you

• There are two things we should give our children. One is ‘roots’, the other is ‘wings’.

Thank you for coming – any questions?