EYFS at Perry Hall
Early Years Aims
Our aim is to have happy, engaged, independent and active learners, who feel supported and confident to follow their own interests within a safe learning environment. The adults encourage and nurture our children’s innate curiosity; playing alongside them and challenging them to explore and discover things for themselves to enable them to reach their full potential.
At Perry Hall Primary, we have a Two’s provision, Morning and Afternoon Nursery for children age 3-4 years old (including 30 hours provision) and two Reception classes. Our learning takes place in engaging, interesting classrooms and exploring our outdoor learning areas across our Early Years Foundation Stage.
Our EYFS Team
Our Twos Team
Mrs Dodd – EYFS Lead
Mrs Ferguson – Twos Practitioner
Ms Davies – Twos Practitioner
Ms French – Twos Practitioner
Miss Samuels – Twos Practitioner
Our Nursery Team
Mrs Dodd – EYFS Lead
Miss Scott – Nursery Teacher
Miss Platow – Nursery Teaching Assistant
Miss Kite – Nursery Teaching Assistant
Our Reception Team
Mrs Dodd – EYFS Lead
Mrs Russell – Reception Teacher
Miss Lockley – Reception Teacher
Mrs Peake – Reception Teacher
Mrs WIlliams – Reception Teaching Assistant
Miss Silk – Reception Teaching Assistant
Our Twos Timetable
Morning Twos
Starts: 8.30am
Finishes: 11.30am
Afternoon Twos
Starts: 12.15pm
Finishes: 3.15pm
Our Nursery Timetable
Morning Nursery
Starts: 8.30am
Finishes: 11.30am
Afternoon Nursery
Starts: 12.15pm
Finishes: 3.15pm
Our Reception Timetable
Monday – Thursday
Doors open: 8.25am – 8.40am
Reception ends: 3.25pm
Friday
Doors open: 8.25am – 8.40am
Reception ends: 1.15pm (unless staying for provision provided for children of working parents until 3.15pm)
Children arrive and self-register, then head into free learning- choosing where they would like to play within the provision.
Carpet time: the whole group take part in a physical activity followed by our nursery rhyme of the week. We then move into…
Circle time: children work with an adult, where we develop communication and language as well as listening skills. Children then move onto our activities within the provision where we offer a broad range of curriculum stimuli.
Children engage in a balance of child initiated and adult led learning within the indoor and outdoor environment.
Children have opportunities to sing songs, listen to and learn stories through Talk for Writing as well as engage in social snack time where adults facilitate discussions and follow our children’s interests on topics.
Children in Twos participate in whole school special days including Number day, world book day, science week, Diwali etc.
Children arrive and self-register, then head into free learning- choosing where they would like to play within the Nursery.
Carpet time: the whole group take part in a physical activity followed by our nursery rhyme, song or story of the week. We then move into…
Family groups: children work in small groups with key worker, where we develop communication and language as well as listening skills. Children then move in to the provision where they have access to a broad range of activities, inclusive of cooking, crafts, maths, emergent writing activities etc.
Children engage in a balance of child initiated and adult led learning within the indoor and outdoor environment.
Children have opportunities to sing songs, listen to and learn stories through Talk for Writing as well as engage in social snack time where adults facilitate discussions and follow our children’s interests on topics.
Children in Nursery participate in whole school special days including Number day, world book day, science week, Diwali etc. and take part in weekly physical development lessons.
Children arrive and complete start of day activities, such as name writing.
The day begins with phonics. The Read Write Inc programme is followed. Children complete both literacy and mathematics during the day. We follow the Talk for Writing and White Rose Maths programmes which is also supplemented by the NCTEM Number Mastery Programme. Additionally, children receive direct teaching for handwriting where the Kinetic Letters Programme is followed.
Children have a daily social snack time where there is a choice of milk, water and fruit.
Children access a broad range of activities within the direct classroom environment, which is extended to our outdoor provision where children can explore through awe and wonder.
Children also join in daily reading and story time as well as rhyme time. Both activities are valued and enjoyed by children and staff.
Children eat their lunch in the hall, then play outside with their peers supported by members of staff. They have the opportunity to engage in open ended play using a variety of equipment
Children also receive daily topic sessions where we follow the PKC curriculum with direct teaching and adult directed activities relating to the current theme.
What is the Early Years Foundation Stage?
The Foundation Stage for children covers seven areas of learning – all areas of learning and development are important and inter-connected.
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
- Building Relationships
- Managing Self
- Self-regulation
Communication and Language
- Listening, Attention and Understanding
- Speaking
Physical Development
- Gross Motor Skill
- Fine Motor Skills
These three areas are particularly crucial for igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, and for building their capacity to learn, form relationships and thrive.
They lay the foundations for children’s success in all other areas of learning and of life.
Literacy
- Comprehension
- Word reading
- Writing
Mathematics
- Number
- Numerical Patterns
Knowledge of the World
- Past and Present
- People, culture and Communities
- The Natural World
Expressive Art and Design
- Creating with Materials
- Being Imaginative and Expressive
The Foundation Stage for children covers seven areas of learning – all areas of learning and development are important and inter-connected.
Characteristics of Effective Learning
The Characteristics of Effective Learning describe behaviours children use in order to learn.
To learn well, children must approach opportunities with curiosity, energy and enthusiasm. Effective learning must be meaningful to a child, so that they are able to use what they have learned and apply it in new situations. These abilities and attitudes of strong learners will support them to learn well and make good progress in all the Areas of Learning and Development.
Playing and Exploring (engagement)
- Finding out and exploring
- Playing with what they know
- Being willing to have ago
Creating and Thinking Critically (thinking)
- Having their own ideas
- Choosing ways to do things
- Making links
Active Learning (motivation)
- Being Involved and Concentrating
- Keep on trying
- Enjoy achieving what they set out to do
Reading and Phonics
Reading is a developmental process and part of life-long learning.
Early reading at Perry Hall Primary School starts with phonics, comprehension and reading for pleasure, and our practise reflects the importance of all three of these core areas in ensuring children become confident, fluent and competent readers. Before our children are able to read independently, talk and reading for pleasure is the foundation of reading.
To develop a broad vocabulary and an enjoyment and comprehension of stories, children need to be given the opportunity to listen to and talk about them from the earliest stages.
At Dunstall Hill Primary School, our children’s reading journey commences through Read, Write Inc Phonics.
We start this journey in Nursery, where children begin to explore initial sounds. In Reception, children start the more formal RWI programme.
Pupils are encouraged to read for pleasure both inside and outside of school. All children in EYFS access the school library to access books for reading for pleasure.
Understanding Phonics for Parents
How to say sounds
How to blend sounds
Please follow the link to a useful page which will explain how RWI phonics is taught RWI Phonics | Perry Hall MAT
Handwriting
Handwriting is a fundamental life skill which brings together both gross and fine motor skills to develop writing automactity. At Perry Hall, this is achieved through the teaching of the physical and cognitive components following the Kinetic Letters handwriting programme.
Through routine practise, we enable our pupils to make their handwriting automatic so that all of their attention can be given to the content of their writing.
Children in Early Years focus on building strength in their core muscles and arms to promote writing stamina alongside learning actions and rhymes for each letter formation.
Please follow the link to a useful page which will demonstrate this further
Useful EYFS Curriculum Links
Development matters (Development Matters – Non-statutory curriculum guidance for the early years foundation stage) We use this document to support planning and monitor the progress of our children.
Birth to Five Matters (Birthto5Matters-download.pdf) We use this document to support planning and monitor the progress of our children.
Reception baseline assessment is used every year Link to Reception baseline assessment parent leaflet – Reception baseline assessment: information for parents – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) We use this to support our understanding of the children when they start reception.
Please click on the link below to view our EYFS Curriculum overview:
2024-2025 – Sequential curriculum design overview – EYFS