Early Years

Early Years at Chirton School

We have a bright and airy classroom with a fantastic enclosed and partially covered outside area to deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage 2 (EYFS2) curriculum.  We also use the school grounds frequently as well as our Forest space to develop skills in the outdoors.  Pupils are usually in a class with a number of Year 1  children and we have a separate room off the main classroom for smaller group teaching.

The curriculum is delivered with a careful balance between child initiated and adult led learning.  Opportunities are provided for both indoor and outdoor learning and children are also able to choose their own environment. Continuous observation and assessment, coupled with comprehensive record-keeping ensures that our provision is tailored to the needs of the individual child, each following their own unique learning journey.  We work closely with our on-site pre-school and other settings to enhance the transition process and with parents throughout the year to ensure their child has the most positive start possible to their school career.

The EYFS curriculum is organised into seven areas of learning. Three of these are defined as the PRIME areas: Personal, Social and Emotional (PSED); Communication & Language (CL) and Physical Development (PD).  The other three are SPECIFIC areas: Literacy (L), Maths (M), Understanding the World (UW) and Expressive Arts and Design (EAD).  Using descriptors from the document Development Matters, we assess pupils on entry and map their progress throughout the year towards the Early Learning Goals.  This is then reported to parents at the end of the first year at school.  Learning opportunities are meticulously planned throughout the year.

We are fortunate enough to have Mrs Sarah Jones who is the Forest School Leader at our onsite Preschool, Pips; she leads sessions alongside our EYFS children in our dedicated Forest site and also provides resources and ideas for using our immediate environment to its maximum potential.