The Foundation Stage

The Foundation Stage is the first stage of your child's school education.  At Avenue House the children enter the Nursery aged three and move into Reception prior to their 5th birthday.

The Foundation Stage Curriculum

 

The casual visitor to Foundation Stage classes may often dismiss many of the activities they observe as children 'just playing'. However young children do not usually make the distinction between work and play and the classrooms provide a rich learning environment which results from thoughtful and informed resourcing and organisation.  Learning through play is a cornerstone of early years education.

The Foundation Stage teachers, Mrs McKiernan and Mrs Utting aim to provide a structured environment for learning and the curriculum is carefully planned to provide opportunities for learning in the context of purposeful play in a meaningful situation.

The curriculum is divided into six areas of learning and is based on the DfEE document 'Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage'. The six areas are:

In addition, we follow a PE programme which involves both indoor and outdoor activities.

Computers are used in the classroom to support learning and the children have access to the interactive white board on a daily basis. Learning is topic-based and activities are planned by all staff to cover all areas of the curriculum with a new topic every half-term.

Throughout the Foundation Stage the children's progress is continually monitored and individual targets are set to help them improve. At the end of the Reception year, the children receive a Foundation Stage Profile Assessment in preparation for moving into Key Stage One.

Children's work is valued and displays of their work are prominent throughout the Nursery and Reception classrooms.

The children are encouraged to become independent learners, for example the day starts with self-registration.  Many of the activities are designed so that the children can do them with little adult assistance.  The timetable is also interspersed with focussed activities led by the teaching staff.

Visitors and trips are used to reinforce classroom learning for example visiting the local fire station.