Welcome to Reception, where learning has no limits!

Our Aims

As a school, we place great importance on ensuring that every child has a happy and positive start to their learning journey at Old Town Infant School. We work hard to create a fully inclusive, stimulating and nurturing learning environment where we all work together, play together, learn together.  

We follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework which is mandatory for all Early Years providers. The ethos of the EYFS is that ‘Every child deserves the best possible start in life and the support that enables them to fulfil their potential’. 

More information can be found here:  

https://www.foundationyears.org.uk/files/2017/03/EYFS_STATUTORY_FRAMEWORK_2017.pdf 

https://www.gov.uk/early-years-foundation-stage 

Our Curriculum 

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum has three prime and four specific areas of learning and development. All seven areas are equally important and interconnected. 

The prime areas are particularly crucial for igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, and for building their capacity to learn, form relationships and thrive. The three prime areas, are communication and language, physical development and personal, social and emotional development. 

We also support children in four specific areas, through which the three prime areas are strengthened and applied. The specific areas are literacy, mathematics, understanding the world and expressive arts and design. 

In the Prime Areas children will learn to: 

• Share, take turns and develop respect for each other. 
• Make friends and become confident independent learners. 
• Behave appropriately when playing with others. 
• Listen to others and understand spoken language. 
• Learn new words rapidly and use them in conversations. 

• Join in conversations with adults and children. 
• Develop control of their bodies using both large scale movements such as running and jumping, and small-scale movements such as holding pencils and using scissors.  

In the Specific Areas children will: 

• Enjoy sharing books and stories with adults and friends. 
• Read words and simple sentences. 
• Draw, make marks and write letters and words. 
• Count accurately, groups of objects and recognise numerals. 
• Add, subtract and problem solve during practical activities. 
• Use everyday language to talk about size, weight, capacity, distance, time and money. 
• Look closely at how things work, why things happen, living things and the natural world. 
• Use ICT equipment, e.g. programmable toys and computers. 
• Be imaginative, sing songs, dance and create fantastic models, drawings and paintings.

Within all of these areas we also ensure we provide opportunities for children to demonstrate the characteristics of effective learning.  These are defined as:

Playing and exploring- engagement

Finding out and exploring

Playing with what they know

Being willing to 'have a go'

Active learning- motivation

Being involved and concentrating

Keeping trying

Enjoying achieving what they set  out to do

Creating and thinking critically- thinking

Having their own ideas

Making links

Choosing ways to do things

More information can be found here: 

https://www.foundationyears.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Development-Matters-FINAL-PRINT-AMENDED.pdf 

https://www.foundationyears.org.uk/files/2015/09/4Children_ParentsGuide_Sept_2015v4WEB1.pdf 
 
Our Learning Environment 
Our large, shared base is a bright, colourful and stimulating learning environment. It is divided into different areas for the children to explore and themes are changed regularly to make it an exciting and interesting place to learn. Our day consists of a balance of child-initiated learning and adult led activities. We believe that play underpins the delivery of the EYFS and that children learn best through practical, hands-on experiences and interactions with their environment.  Play provides children with opportunities to consolidate and extend skills and concepts learned and to build the skills needed to become successful lifelong learners. The outdoor area is an essential teaching and learning area and we love to get outside...whatever the weather! 
 
Our curriculum is delivered through both broad topics which link to the calendar, e.g. seasonal changes and festivals, and by following the children’s current interests in line with their individual needs. Through this creative curriculum the children are encouraged to become active learners and creative thinkers ready to move forward to the next stage of their learning. 
 
As a team, we bring a variety of knowledge, experience and expertise to the setting and we work closely together to promote a calm, supportive environment within which all children can learn and succeed. Through our high expectations and mutual respect, we encourage a ‘can do’ attitude and our in-depth  knowledge of the children and their needs, enables them to develop into robust, independent and confident learners.