Aims - connaughthouseschool.co.uk viewThere are dedicated reading, “messy play” art and construction areas with topic based activities laid out on the tables. Weekly Art and DT

EARLY YEARS POLICY

Aims

At CHS our aim is to make the step from Nursery school to Reception an enjoyable experience and to help our parents follow and support their child’s development during the year.Junior One is happy, stimulating, challenging and focused on the individual needs of each child. As the final part of the Early Years Foundation Stage, we ensure that the children reach their Early Learning Goals by the end of the year and, where appropriate, beyond these into Key Stage One targets.

Class GroupingThere are two classes of eight or nine children, with a balance of girls and boys in each group.Within the Junior One year group, and at the discretion of the form teachers, the children may be divided into ability groups for Literacy and Numeracy. This is to ensure that the children are able to work at their own pace and are provided with appropriate support or extension to their learning.

Setting

Junior One is situated in two large and airy adjoining classrooms on the First Floor, divided by sliding doors.

For core curriculum subjects, the classes are taught separately.

By closing the doors the children are taught in small groups in a quiet environment.

In the afternoon, the sliding doors are opened and the groups work together, offering free flow between the Early Years areas.

There are dedicated reading, “messy play” art and construction areas with topic based activities laid out on the tables.

Weekly Art and DT lessons are taught in the Dining Room. Music is taught in the Music Room on the first floor. The children go to Hyde Park every afternoon for games

activities. In the Summer term, the children go off-site for gymnastics and

football at the Little Venice Sports Centre. Miss Kate is a visiting ballet teacher who comes every Tuesday

morning.

Updated: Sept 2017 Review: Sept 2019

EARLY YEARS POLICY

Key StaffSuitable People

Please see whole school recruitment policy

Staff Qualification, training, support and skills are included in the whole school staff development plan.

At CHS our J1 class is divided into two groups, Yellow and Green. Each group has a full time teacher and shared assistant. Each teacher has between 8/9 pupils.

The teacher/child ratios in J1 are 1/6.

Our two J1 teachers team have QTS and the assistant is qualified in N.N.E.B and Paedriatic Nursing.

The form teachers are responsible for teaching Numeracy, Literacy, Communication and Language, PSED, Physical Development, Creative development and Understanding the world.

Communication and AppointmentsOur Junior One teachers are available to see parents during designated Parents Evenings. It is not possible for teachers to be available to see parents during the school day and it is very difficult for teachers to commit to appointments before school. We do not book appointments on Friday afternoons, unless there is a pressing concern or serious problem. In this case, parents are advised to contact the school office at once to arrange an appointment as soon as possible.

Coffee MorningsEach term Mrs. Victoria Hampton invites parents to a class coffee morning, held in the dining room on the Lower Ground Floor. This is an opportunity to meet other parents and to discuss upcoming events, such as the Christmas show or Carol Concert.


EARLY YEARS POLICY

Parent’s workshopsEach term we offer workshops to our parents by specialists, including an evening with an Educational Psychologist and IT support.

Literacy WorkshopOur teachers will organise a parents’ workshop during the spring term, once the class have progressed on to reading books. This is to ensure that both parents and teachers work together using the same reading techniques.

Before a pupil joins Junior One

At CHS we have developed close links with many of our feeder nursery schools. In the summer term, before entry, a member of our Junior One teaching team will endeavor to visit all the children in their nursery setting. This enables us to meet with the children’s key worker, go through their Early Years profiles and discuss the individual requirements of each child.We also invite the nursery teachers to visit CHS and ask them to complete a simple questionnaire about each new pupil to help us be best prepared to support your child.

ReportsParents receive two written reports in the year.

At the end of the first half term a Junior One report card is completed focusing on the Early Learning Goals and will describe each child’s level of ability in the 33 areas, as Emerging, Developing or Secure.

There are detailed reports at the end of the Autumn and the Summer Term.

Morning BreakAt 10:30 a.m. the children have break. They are offered a drink of water or milk, normally half-fat organic, a digestive biscuit and some fruit.

Afternoon Break

During the afternoon the children stop for a short snack break, this is normally raisins, fruit or brown bread and butter.Children should bring in a clearly named drinking bottle with fresh water. This is stored in the classroom for the children to drink from throughout the day.


EARLY YEARS POLICY

Section 1 – The learning and development requirements

Junior One CurriculumThe work children do within the school day, is planned in accordance with the framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).

This is distinct in its identity, caters for children from birth to five years and sets out guiding principles and good practice for Early Years’ teachers.

PrinciplesThe principles are grouped into 4 themes, these are:

1. Every child is a unique child, who is constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident and self- assured.

2. Children learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships.

3. Children learn and develop well in enabling environments, in which their experiences respond to their individual needs and there is a strong partnership between practitioners and parents and/or carers.

4. Children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates.

Areas of LearningThere are seven areas of learning and development that shape the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum. 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. These three areas, are called the prime areas and are:

1. Communication and language.

2. Physical development.

3. Personal, social and emotional development.


EARLY YEARS POLICYAs Junior One is the final year of the EYFS curriculum the four specific areas of learning gradually take priority, they are:

1. Literacy.

2. Mathematics.

3. Understanding the world.

4. Expressive arts and design.

At CHS we teach the seven areas of learning through a structured timetable:

The children in Junior One will achieve the Early Learning Goals at different times. Those who exceed the required level of attainment before the end of the academic year will move forward to Key Stage 1 of the National Curriculum, on which the curriculum for Form One and Two is based.

1. Communication and Language: Children are encouraged to express themselves continuously, through a range of structured and non-structured activities including timetabled: Daily Circle & story times.Junior/whole school assemblies. Where the children are encourage to participate and to present in front of other classes.

Show and Tell.

2. Physical Development:Fine motor control is continuously developed through daily cross-curricular activities in literacy, mathematical development and Understanding of the world. Particular attention to developing fine motor control, dexterity and co- ordination is evident in all lessons. Mark making, cutting and sticking, creative arts and crafts, threading and sewing and manipulating various materials including plastercine and Play dough and a variety of tools such as tweezers and turkey baisters.Children are taught to understand the importance of physical activity, personal hygiene and healthy options.Within the classroom environment the children are taught how to use and manipulate tools correctly. Our teachers carefully plan activities to improve their dexterity and fine motor control.


EARLY YEARS POLICY

SportsPhysical activity is timetabled every day; weather permitting we normally visits Hyde Park for games in the afternoon.In addition in the Summer Term we visit Kensington Sports Centre for Football.Gross motor control is continuously developed through daily PD sessions in the park developing ball skills, throwing and catching, skipping, parachute games and team games including football.Ballet/drama and dance lesson are taught by a specialist teacher; Miss Kate – BA Hons in Dance and performing arts, DDI & DDe ISTD, who visits the school for two half hour sessions with J1.Every effort is made to educate the children on healthy eating, staying safe, making sensible choices and understanding how the body works. For example, our J1 children are encouraged to question and discuss the effects on our bodies when we run, eat, etc. Class rules focusing on staying safe in and outside school and understanding consequences to our decisions.

3. Personal Social and Emotional:Before children join J1 in September a member of the EYFS team visits them in their nursery setting. This crossing over period has enabled our EYFS teachers to develop close links with nursery practitioners and understand the children’s PSE needs earlier.Positive behavior, relationships and respect for themselves, others and their personal belongings are re-enforced from the minute they arrive.Daily Circle Time carefully resourced and timetables activities to be used during daily free play with F1, Busy learning and Role-play time.We feel that our high teacher child ration of 1/6 enables us to really support the individual PSE needs of each child.Strategies, including star charts (ladybird spots) personal targets, star of the day/week, gold stars that translate into house points and regular verbal feedback both highlighting positive.


EARLY YEARS POLICY

4. Literacy:In J1 and F1 we follow a structured phonics programme called Read Write Inc. by Ruth Miskin.

All J1 and F1 teachers have attended full RWI courses in teaching phonics and improving children writing skills.

This method ensures a very structured approach to teaching phonics, beginning with the teaching of individual sounds, moving onto sound blending and introducing children to multi letter sounds (e.g. ay, igh, ee). From here children learn to read and write words and sentences using their Phonetic knowledge.

Throughout the programme children work in ability groups and lessons move at a pace suitable for the children.

Children are assessed, by Victoria Hayward (Head of Early Years), every six weeks to ensure progress is being made and that they are reading books at a suitable level.

We have a variety of reading schemes for our children to read at home to support their understanding, including: ORT, ORT Songbirds, RWI ditties and stages, Follifoot Farm.

Gradually children read complete fiction and non-fiction texts from a range of classic and contemporary leading children’s authors and poets including Julia Donaldson.

Vocabulary is taught in the context of the stories. The Junior One teachers use interesting words and phrases from the books, and the children are encouraged to use them in discussions and in their writing.

Children are encouraged to read and spell non-phonic high frequency words (‘red words’) by sight. These ‘red words’ are displayed in the classroom.

Our creative writing activities are linked to the storybooks that the children are reading as a class. They include many structured activities such as ‘Build a sentence’ to help the children become better writers.

Every day, children develop and share ideas through partner work. They think out loud before they write to help them hold more complex ideas and sentences.

Ten minutes each day is spent teaching new phonemes and spelling patterns, these cover the entire spelling requirements of the current


EARLY YEARS POLICYGrammar, punctuation and spelling test for.

Parents are encouraged to support the children’s literacy development with daily phonics homework.

From the spring term onwards, literacy homework is sent home on Fridays to be returned completed on Monday morning.

SpellingIn Junior One, spelling is taught in partnership with reading and creative writing using the RWI scheme, materials and workbooks. Once they have mastered the concept of letter formation, children are encouraged to attempt simple three letter phonic and familiar words. Of course, the first word a child must learn to spell is their name!

In Junior One, we use a phonic approach to spelling. For example ‘F’ for frog, not ‘Ph’ for photograph. Whilst we correct all spellings in the children’s written work we celebrate plausible phonic attempt.

Practicing new spellingsSpelling patterns are practiced using a variety of different materials including chalkboards, magnetic lowercase letters, magnetic high frequency words; sponge letters in the bath are all great ways to practice spelling patterns and sentence construction.

In the Summer term, the children will start weekly spelling tests, which include RWI words and the 45 High Frequency Words. We recommend the Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check system for learning the more complex, non phonic, sight words. Repetition is the key element for these tricky words. Attaching a mnemonic or a funny riddle may also help.


EARLY YEARS POLICY

Educational AppsWe have four I-pads in Junior One to support and extend the children’s learning in class. Time on the I-pad is monitored and observed closely by the teachers.

ABC pocket phonics, my spellings, My First App series, Interactive books and stories including The Wind in the Willows and Grimm’s Rapunzel

Useful websiteshttp://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/for-home/maths-owl/maths http://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/welcome/for-home/reading- owl/reading http://www.familylearning.org.uk/reading_printables.html

HandwritingFormal handwriting is taught from the beginning in Junior One in parallel with learning phonics. We encourage correct pencil grip and letter formation as early as possible and this is reinforced daily.

5. Mathematics

Our principle aim is to develop children’s knowledge, skills and understanding in mathematics following the EYFS and progressing on to targets from the National Curriculum for Year 1 by the end of the summer term. We do this through a daily lesson that has a high proportion of whole group (of 8 or 9 children) and individual teaching. During these lessons we encourage children to ask as well as answer mathematical questions. They have the opportunity to use a wide range of resources such as Numicon, number lines, number squares, digit cards and small apparatus to support their work. We also use NHM activity books recording early calculations, measuring and patterns amongst other activities.

Where it will enhance their learning, children use IT both in the form of I-pads and Interactive white boards, Bee-Bots in mathematics lessons to model ideas, methods and re- enforce the main learning objective.

We start by ensuring that children recognise numbers up to ten and then twenty - and can count both forwards and backwards. Once this is achieved, we start to teach the basics of addition and subtraction.

It is important that children are exposed to the language of number (more than / less than / the same as, etc.) and experience practical applications and problem solving, as well as working through pages of sums.


EARLY YEARS POLICYThe children will also work on the basic concepts of shape, measurement, time and money.

By the end of Junior One, the children should have a solid grasp of all aspects of number to ten, including odd and even numbers, doubles and halves, counting in two’s to ten and number bonds as well as a familiarity with numbers to at least twenty and beyond. The children are encouraged to work at their own pace, with plenty of extension work to progress forward or to reinforce concepts that they find tricky.

Time and dates:

Calendars are displayed in both classes, sequencing the months in the year, dates in the month and days of the week, along with clocks with recognisable numbers that the children can read numbered from 1 -12.

6. Understanding the WorldJunior One has set topics that are used to develop Science, History and Geography. Below is a list of seasonal topics that are often covered.

Autumn Terma. Weather and Climate - Hot and cold places; the seasons.b. What people wear in hot and cold countries; packing a suitcase

for a holiday.c. Ourselves including – Babies, growth, size and familiesd. Time – The Seasons; Months of the year; Birthdays and special

days (e.g.: November 5th); Christmas past and present.e. The five senses.


EARLY YEARS POLICY

Spring Term

f. People who help usg. How things move, slide, roll, bounce and slither.h. Making shadows.i. Environment – learning about London including old and new

buildings and identifying local landmarks and traditions.

j. Map of the World - Countries where children were born or where family members are.

Summer Term

k. Life and Living – plants and animalsl. How heat and cold affect thingsm. Minibeasts

Our children are encouraged to be aware of life around them: We ask them plenty of questions: What day is it today? What is going to happen and what do you need for school today?

Museums & outings

To support the curriculum we arrange visits to local museums including: Bockett’s Farm, Capel Manor and the Look Out Education CentreIn the Autumn we visit a Forest school at a local nursery where the children have the opportunity to build a campfire, climb trees, dig in the mud and paint with water.

Parent visitsOur parents regularly contribute to the children’s learning programme. These talks are often quite brief and teachers enjoy them just as much as the children. Recent talks have included countries of origin, jobs and seasonal festival being celebrated, such as Chinese New Year. In all cases, we kindly asks our parents to remember that we have children with a variety of allergies, and we will not give any food or sweets to the children that have not been catered by the school. Therefore, we ask parents not bring in any “treat” to share with the class. This includes wrapped sweets and chocolates.


EARLY YEARS POLICY

Bertie and Bobby BearJunior One has two form bears; that are invited to spend a weekend with each child from the Spring Term.

Encouraging independenceChildren should be able to put on and take off their top clothes, they should be able to manage their underwear when visiting the lavatory; they need to be able to go to the loo efficiently and remember to wash their hands. They should be able to cut their food and eat by holding a knife and fork correctly.

7. Expressive arts and design

Daily cross-curricular links in Mathematics and particularly in Literacy ensure that our children manipulate a wide variety of media and materials. Our children are encouraged to explore instruments, experiment with sound and role-play different scenarios during free play and scheduled Busy learning/role-play times. Drama sessions are planned to support communication and language activities and develop early comprehension skills in literacy.

Ballet and DanceMiss Kate – BA Hons in Dance and performing arts, DDI & DDe ISTD, visits the school every Tuesday morning for two half hour sessions with J1.

MusicPhilip Ashworth, the CHS head of music, takes the children for weekly half hour music lessons and the J1 classes participate in the junior Choir.

Art & DTArt & design is taught through many areas of the curriculum. In addition there is a weekly lesson, where the children are introduced to a wider range of materials and skills.

Activities include:

a. Drawing using a variety of materials such as pencils,


EARLY YEARS POLICYcharcoal, pastel, crayons ink, stencils and rulers.

b. Painting with brushes of varying size, sponges, rollers, hands, fingers – developing a sense of expressive colour

c. Simple printing, hands, feet, fingers, sponge, potato, cotton reels, leaves, vegetable and leaf and coin rubbings

d. Modeling to develop confidence with 3D work using play dough, plastercine, clay and salt dough.

e. Paint, water paints, poster paints, acrylic paint, PVA glue, ink and marbling ink.

Projects include:

1. Ourselves2. Growing3. The world4. Continents5. London6. Transport7. People who help us8. Mini beasts9. Shape Artists:10. Vassily Kandinsky11. Joan Miro12. Henri Matisse13. Eric Carle

MarkingTo provide consistency and continuity in marking throughout key stages and where possible the school so that children have a clear understanding of teacher expectations

1. Use the marking system as a tool for formative on going assessment, and to provide information for reports.

2. To help other teachers when pupils move between classes

3. To help parents see how their children are progressing. Ideally work is marked with the child, once they have completed the activity. In Junior One we use two stamps, a star and a wand, which highlights two positives to be praised and identifies the next stages of learning for the child. As the children are being taught to spell using a phonic approach, only spelling patterns that they have learnt or are age appropriate high frequency words will be


EARLY YEARS POLICYcorrected in the children first attempts at writing. As they progress and become more confident spellers, misspelt words will be underlined, corrected and practiced at the bottom of the page of work.

Marking keysWS = with supportGR = group work PR = paired workIL = independent learningA dot may indicate a section of work that needs checking, especially in maths (crosses are rarely used)

PlayIn an ideal scenario we would have more opportunities to have child lead play. However, with the pressures for our children, particularly our boys, sitting exams from as young as 6 years old, we have had to think creatively around play. The children do have daily playtime with F1 for half an hour after lunch. They also have a “Busy learning/role play time scheduled on Friday afternoons. Other than these times, “play” happens in the park after PD sessions and directed play to support core curricular lessons.

Learning is planned through different ways, majority through active learning and creating and thinking critically but care is taken to include playing and exploring,

Our J1 class is divided equally between two full –time qualified teachers and a full time shared assistant.

New parents visit the school the preceding summer term to meet their teachers and to be guided through the Junior One Parent pack.

The Early Learning Goals

As all our children are in their final year in EYFS we focus largely on developing the Specific areas of learning.However, we continue to monitor and develop the Prime areas daily.

Assessment

Assessment, progress and attainment are closely monitored by teachers during informal observations and directed group activities. This enables them to set targets for individuals or for small groups of children in specific areas of their learning and development.Individual profiles


EARLY YEARS POLICYThis is a journey of their learning through the year, which contains samples of work, photos and observations made on each child on the iPad using the software 2Build a Profile. This provides evidence that helps teachers assess which Early Learning Goals each child has achieved and shows clearly where each child is on their learning journey.Everyone involved with the children’s learning and development takes part in supplying evidence for the profiles, including the parents and the children themselves.

At the end of each term, the children are assessed according to the Early Learning Goals. Their progress is recorded throughout the year and their individual teaching goals are moderated accordingly.

Miss Hayward, assess the children’s phonics and reading development every six weeks, throughout the first two years at CHS. This will ensure that the children are reading appropriate books for their ability.

Speech and language screeningEach year, a speech and language specialist visits the school to screen every new child, primarily to check their hearing but sight will also be checked.

Additional speech and language screening may be required for children who speak more than one language.

All children joining CHS have sight and earning tests in the first half of the Autumn Term with a visiting specialist SALT for early identification of need.

We request copies of children’s profiles from early years settings and continue. We also send out EY report cards to complete in the summer term by the nursery. To ensure that the progression from nursery to school has been positive, we also complete the same EY report card at the end of the first half of term. (Please see framework for recording in J1 report card).

Designated “focused child weeks” are scheduled throughout the term. Ensuring that each child has at least five focused weeks during the J1 year. During these weeks we take regular observations to support formative assessment of the child against the EYFS goals.

Many of our children are EAL. However, they are assessed to ensure that their level of spoken English and comprehension is of a sufficient standard before being offered a place at CHS. Our high teacher child ratio of 1/6 in J1 ensures that children with EAL are more then adequately supported and when necessary specialist EAL tutors are involved in school.

We have created our own progress check to be sent to the feeder nursery schools the summer before entry. This is largely based on the criteria for


EARLY YEARS POLICY30-50 months and working towards the 40-60 months

The J1 teachers plan towards achieving the 17 ELG by the end of J1. Ongoing individual profiles will be completed on class iPads using the 2Simple app and software. Our children are judged from a variety of assessments, observation, work scrutiny, and photographic evidence as: Emerging, Expected or exceeding the ELG by the end of their Junior One year.

Parents will receive two full written reports, a progress report at the end of the autumn term and end of year report in the summer term. A settling in picture report card is completed at the end of the first half term.

Assessment at the end of the EYFS at CHSBy half term during the summer term, the children ‘s EYFS profile is completed and compiled into a report grading the children against the 17ELG and given points ‘Assessment ratings’ counted as “emerging” ‘expected’ or exceeding’EYFS assessment ratings

Rating: 1 Indicates a child who is at the emerging level working below or within the 22-36 month age related expectations.

Rating: 1.1 Indicates a child who is at the emerging level working within the 30-50 month age related expectations.

Rating: 1.1 Indicates a child who is at the emerging level working within the 40-60 month age related expectations.

Rating: 2 Indicates a child who is at expected level at the end of EYFS.

Rating: 3.1C Indicates a child who is at the exceeding level at the end of EYFS and in agreement with year 1 is working within the National Curriculum at level 1C.

Rating: 3.1B Indicates a child who is at the exceeding level at the end of EYFS and in agreement with year 1 is working within the National Curriculum at level 1B.


EARLY YEARS POLICY

Safe Guarding in J1

J1 are included in the CHS whole school Safe Guarding policy 2015. DSL Ms. L Burke and Mrs S Larke.

Child ProtectionThe child in J1 are only allowed to be photographed using the school camera, or under pass code on the class ipad. These items are allowed out of the school only on school outings. Photographs are removed from the camera regularly in case the camera is lost or stolen on a trip.

Under no circumstances are teachers allowed to use mobile phone cameras to photograph the children either at school or on an outing.

Health

Please see CHS medical policies, including food and drink and accident and injury

Managing behaviorPlease see CHS behavior management policy

Risk AssessmentPlease see risk assessment policy. Risk Assessment officer: Mrs. S Larke

Special Educational Needs

Please see whole school SEN policy.


Documents

Aims - connaughthouseschool.co.uk viewThere are dedicated reading, “messy play” art and construction areas with topic based activities laid out on the tables. Weekly Art and DT