This policy sets out expectations based on requirements set out in the 2024 Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). This document also complies with our funding agreement and articles of association.

We aim to:

Provide a happy, safe, stimulating and challenging programme of learning and development for our children as they begin their journey at Co-op Academy Parkland.
Prioritise the development of communication and language in early years as this is fundamental to enabling children to access the rest of the curriculum.
Support children to become confident communicators who express their needs, their thoughts and experiences.
Support the development of early reading skills by providing a reading curriculum that aims for ‘every child to be a reader’ by the end of EYFS. This is prioritised by teachers and leaders across Co-op Academy Parkland who ensure consistent, rigorous delivery and fidelity to the Read Write Inc. (RWI) phonics programme.
Ensure that our teaching and provision provides opportunities for the children to learn, practise and embed the Characteristics of Effective Learning, which we recognise creates successful, lifelong learners.
Construct a curriculum that is ambitious and designed to give children, particularly the most disadvantaged, the knowledge, self-belief and cultural capital they need to succeed in life, ensuring a high quality experience for all children. Our curriculum is clearly linked to the whole school curriculum and provides our pupils the foundational knowledge to be successful as they continue through school.
Provide an inclusive learning environment that is sensitive to individual requirements of children and supports children with additional needs.
Build strong parent partnerships by developing excellent relationships with parents and carers and helping them to support their children at home.

2. Roles and Responsibilities

The Head of Academy has overall responsibility for the implementation of the Early Years Policy at Co-op Academy Parkland. The Head of Academy has overall responsibility for ensuring that the physical Early Years Policy, as written, does not discriminate on any grounds, including but not limited to: ethnicity/national origin, culture, religion, gender, disability or sexual orientation. The Academy itself has responsibility for handling complaints regarding this policy as outlined in the Academy’s complaints policy.

The EYFS Leads will be responsible for the day-to-day implementation and management of the Early Years Policy at Co-op Academy Parkland. Staff, including teachers, support staff and volunteers, will be responsible for following the Early Years Policy.

3.1 Welfare

“Children learn best when they are healthy, safe, secure, when their individual needs are met, and when they have positive relationships with the people caring for them.” Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage, 2024

Safety and security is of the highest priority at Co-op Academy Parkland and it is important that all children in our care are safe at all times. We follow the safeguarding and welfare requirements set out in the 2024 Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). The Early Years Leader completes frequent welfare checks alongside the Director of Early Years.

We understand that we are legally required to comply with the welfare requirements, as stated in the reformed Early Years Foundation Stage Statutory Framework (2024), and are required to:

Safeguard children
Ensure the adults who have contact with children are suitable
Promote good health
Support and understand behaviour
Maintain records, policies and procedures

3.2 Safeguarding

Safety is paramount at Co-op Academy Parkland and there is a robust and effective Safeguarding Policy to ensure the children in our care are protected. Rigorous procedures are used to identify anyone at risk or harm of radicalisation and set out clear procedures for reporting concerns.

3.3 Health and Safety

The following general Health and Safety safeguards are in place:

• A supply of fresh drinking water is available on the premises at all times.

• Children’s dietary needs are acted upon.

• A snack and drink is provided for all children daily. All children access a supervised snack time and this is led by staff, giving children the opportunity to serve their peers and practise safe and healthy eating routines.

• A paediatric first aid trained member of staff is in the EYFS setting at all times.

• Accidents are recorded on central google sheets. Parents are informed of any injuries through a letter. In the case of a head injury, parents are contacted by telephone.

• A fire and emergency evacuation procedure and policy are in place.

See also the following academy policies which can be read in conjunction with this policy.

4. Structure of EYFS

At Co-op Academy Parkland there are 24 places available for children aged three and above in Nursery. Our Nursery hours are Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday morning. Any pupils accessing 30 hours in Nursery, complete five full days. There are 30 places available for children in Reception. This is for children aged 4 and 5.

5. Values and Four Ways of Being

We are proud to be a part of Co-op Academies Trust. The Co-op was founded on a set of values that we embrace. These are Equality, Equity, Solidarity, Honesty, Openness, Caring for others, Self-help, Self-responsibility, Social responsibility and Democracy. We also teach the children about the Four Ways of Being, referring to them whenever possible, to ensure that children develop a good understanding of the meaning and implications of each one. These are:

Be yourself, always
Do what matters most
Show you care
Succeed together

6. Principles of the EYFS

Our Foundation Stage provision reflects the four main principles of the EYFS:

A unique child – developing resilient, capable, confident and self-assured individuals
Positive relationships – supporting children in becoming strong and independent
Enabling environments – where opportunities and experiences respond to the individual needs of the child by developing a strong partnership between practitioners, parents / carers and the child
Learning and development – an acknowledgement that children learn in different ways and at different rates

7. Intent

All children deserve the care and support they need to have the best start in life. Children learn and develop at a faster rate from birth to five years old than at any other time in their lives, so their experiences in early years have a major impact on their future life chances. A secure, safe, and happy childhood is important in its own right. Good parenting and high-quality early learning provide the foundation children need to fulfil their potential.

The EYFS sets the standards that all early years providers must meet to ensure that children learn and develop well and are kept healthy and safe. It promotes teaching and learning to ensure children’s ‘school readiness’ and gives children the right foundation for good future progress through school and life.

The EYFS seeks to provide:

Quality and consistency in all early years settings, so that every child makes good progress, and no child gets left behind.
A secure foundation through planning for the learning and development of each individual child and assessing and reviewing what they have learned regularly.
Partnership working between practitioners and with parents and/or carers.
Equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice, ensuring that every child is included and supported.

(Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage, DfE, 2024)

8.1 Implementation

Co-op Academy Parkland recognises that every child is unique, and that each child develops at their own pace, in different ways. We support every child in being the best version of themselves, growing in confidence and being proud of who they are. Children’s learning behaviours and dispositions to learning are influenced by feedback and the environment around them. Encouragement, praise, rewards and celebrations are well embedded within our curriculum, to provide children with a sense of belonging, and self-achievement. Children in Nursery and Reception follow the same reward system used in the rest of school and are awarded Parkland Points, recorded on ClassDojo.

8.2 Curriculum

The Statutory Framework of the Early Years Foundation Stage (2024) outlines the Characteristics of Effective Teaching and Learning (CoETL) and the 7 areas of learning and development. The CoETL are organised into three primary strands and are essential components towards children becoming self-regulated learners. These are:

Playing and exploring - children investigate and experience things, and ‘have a go’
Active learning - children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties, and enjoy achievements
Creating and thinking critically - children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things.

There are 17 aspect areas (early learning goals) within 7 curriculum areas of development. These are divided into Prime and Specific areas of learning as follows:

The “prime” areas of learning and development are:

Communication and language
Physical development
Personal, social and emotional development

Communication and language underpins all areas of learning within our early years curriculum and continues to be developed within our provision, teaching, learning and planning methods. The prime areas are seen as particularly important for igniting curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, and for building children’s capacity to learn, form relationships and thrive. Planned learning supports the progress and development of listening and speaking, enabling children to process information into thinking and understanding. Children practise their physical skills alongside developing social skills, which supports greater independence and higher levels of confidence.

The “specific” areas of learning and development are:

Literacy
Mathematics
Understanding of the world
Expressive arts and design

The 4 specific areas of learning provide a context for development and reflect cultural knowledge and accumulated understanding. They are dependent on learning in the Prime areas. Our continuous provision demonstrates a strong emphasis upon supporting children’s understanding of the world along with enabling them to express themselves imaginatively and creatively, using art and design. New learning and topics are adapted to reflect the needs of the children and their interests.

Our EYFS curriculum is a knowledge engaged curriculum which is coherently planned, sequenced and vocabulary rich. It aims to provide the pupils with the knowledge and understanding that underpins and enables the application of skills. We have given careful consideration to the sequence of teaching and learning, ensuring that our EYFS curriculum makes clear links to our whole school curriculum. This means that our pupils are fully prepared to meet the demands of our whole school curriculum and are set up to be as successful as possible.

Children’s development levels are assessed and as the year progresses, the balance will shift towards a more equal focus on all areas of learning, as the children grow in confidence and ability within the three prime areas. Learning and development is implemented through a mix of adult-led and child-initiated activity and play and is reactive to the child’s lead.

A key worker system operates within the EYFS allowing key workers to plan, observe and assess their key group of children regularly, to provide learning opportunities to meet their next steps.

Play is central to learning and development in the EYFS and we therefore do not make a distinction between work and play. A challenge system is planned for in Reception based on the children’s interests and next steps. Staff plan challenges carefully, ensuring that they provide the opportunity for children to practise and embed the knowledge and skills they acquire through our curriculum. The challenge system promotes independence and resilience, and ensures that all pupils have a good balance of adult directed and child led learning.

Our planning is informed by the latest, most accurate and up to date assessments of the children and is linked to children’s interests to achieve high engagement.

8.3 Teaching and Learning in EYFS

Early Years practice demonstrates a balance between play and more formal teaching guided by an adult.

Each area of learning and development is implemented through planned, purposeful play, and through a mix of adult-led and child-initiated activities. As children grow older, and as their development allows, the balance gradually shifts towards more adult-led activities, to help children prepare for more formal learning, ready for year 1.

Staff interactions with children during planned and child-initiated play, provides rich opportunities for communicating and modelling language, showing, explaining, demonstrating, exploring ideas, encouraging, questioning, recalling, providing a narrative for what they are doing, facilitating and setting challenges.

Staff understand that play is about much more than content, but helps to build flexible minds and an enquiring spirit. Staff respond to each child’s emerging needs and interests, guiding their development through warm, positive and nurturing interactions. They take into account the equipment provided and the attention to the physical environment as well as the structure and routines of the day that establish expectations.

Staff understand that teaching is in every activity provided within all of the learning environments. There are no activities that occur in the setting which adults do not consider to be opportunities for teaching. While staff do not always know where these opportunities will present themselves, it is the skill of the adults that enable them to readily recognise the ‘teachable moments’ when they arise and respond to them appropriately. Staff are aware of pupils’ next steps and ensure that these always guide our interactions with them. Staff are skilled at providing challenge for all pupils and use interactions to move learning on at every opportunity.

8.4 Positive Relationships

At Co-op Academy Parkland, we recognise that in order for children to flourish in all aspects of the curriculum, they need a strong foundation in the three prime areas: Communication and Language, Personal, Social and Emotional and Physical Development. These prime areas unlock access to the wider curriculum, and allow growth within the specific areas: Literacy, Mathematics, Understanding the World and Expressive Arts and Design.

Within our Early Years Foundation Stage, we teach and support the development of metacognition, resilience and self motivation, based around the Characteristics of Effective Teaching and Learning. These encourage pupils to develop caring, respectful, supportive and kind relationships with others. Adults promote positive relationships at all times and sensitively interact with children to enable them to develop successful relationships with peers and staff.

8.5 Parent and Carer Partnerships

The Early Years Foundation Setting cannot function without the enduring support of parents and carers. We recognise that as parent, you are the child’s primary educator and we recognise this important role through regular engagement including:

Home visits for all children new to setting
Staggered starts
ClassDojo platform communications
Regular parent consultation appointments
Parents stay and play workshops
A robust and detailed transition process which values the information received from parents/carers to support children settling into nursery/reception.
Asking parents to sign permission slips for visits out of school, use of photographs of their child for display/assessment purposes and using the internet at school.
Having an open door policy to enable parents to come and speak with teachers, should they have any concerns.
Events and activities throughout the year which bring together children, parents and the school.
Parental access to ClassDojo, our online learning journal.
Annual written report to parents in the summer term.

8.6 Enabling Environments

The classroom is organised in such a way that children can explore and learn in a safe, secure and stimulating environment. Equipment and resources are labelled and easily accessible and can be located and used independently by children. The enclosed outdoor area is valued equally to the indoor learning environment and provides opportunities for children to learn in a different way in a safe and secure space. Activities are planned throughout both learning environments to help the children develop in all areas of learning.

9.1 Impact

Regular and ongoing assessment and professional dialogue between staff enables children to meet high expectations and show consistent high rates of accelerated progress from their starting points. Children develop at their own pace and impact is evident across all areas of learning. There are robust assessment procedures outlined below to measure impact.

9.2 Assessment

Ongoing assessment is an integral part of the learning and development processes within the early years. Staff observe pupils to identify their level of achievement, interests and learning styles. These observations are used to shape future planning. Assessments do not entail prolonged breaks from interaction with children. When assessing an individual child’s level of development, practitioners draw on their knowledge of the child and their own expert professional judgement. Practitioners also take into account observations shared by parents and/or carers.

The Reception Baseline Assessment (RBA), became statutory in schools in September 2021. It is a short, task-based assessment of pupils’ starting points in Language, Communication and Literacy and Mathematics. It is not used to label or track individual pupils. Schools are required to carry out the assessment within the first six weeks of pupils starting Reception. Data will only be used at the end of Year 6, to form the school-level progress measure, however teachers will receive a series of short, narrative statements that tell them how their pupils performed in the assessment. These can be used to inform teaching within the first term.

Assessment in EYFS takes the following forms;

Baseline assessment (RBA) in the first 4 weeks of the autumn term of Reception.
Observations of children in continuous provision and records of adult-led
activities to form the child’s learning journey.
RWI assessments to support tracking of sound knowledge and word reading.
Wellcomm assessments to support development of communication and language.
Summative judgements against progression documents via the Arbor assessment system.
End of year EYFS Profile judgements at the end of Reception, which summarise pupils’ progress against the Early Learning Goals.

9.3 Moderation

Moderation takes place throughout the year at academy, trust and local authority level, to ensure accuracy and validity. We recognise the importance of moderation, ensuring that assessments and judgments are accurate and valid. To this end, we carry out the following:

Regular meetings to discuss observations and judgments
Effective use of the exemplification materials, including the Co-op Sense Check
Attendance at whole school moderation meetings
Attendance at Trust moderation meetings
Complying with LEA moderation visits
Shared observations within the setting
Shared observations with Nursery/Reception/Year 1 teachers

9.4 Evidence Gathering

At Co-op Academy Parkland, we use floorbooks to evidence and showcase the work that the children undertake. These floorbooks contain examples of work, photographs and pupil voice, ensuring that they are accessible for both staff and pupils to review and revisit prior learning. In addition to these, children have individual phonics and writing books. Wow moments are also recorded on ClassDojo and are shared with parents through this platform. We believe that the gathering of evidence is a collaborative process and welcome parents and carers sharing Wow moments from home.

10. Transition

Leaders at Co-op Academy Parkland understand that transitions are landmark events for children that impact on their emotional and academic development. Transition can be an exciting time of change and new opportunity for children. However, we also recognise that they can be times of uncertainty where surroundings, expectations and procedures are different. Leaders place importance on getting transition right for every child and work hard to ensure this is a process that involves children, practitioners and parents together.

On entry to EYFS, our team works tirelessly to ensure that children are surrounded by a kind, caring and happy environment which helps them develop the skills needed for their journey through school. Using the Ways of Being and characteristics of effective learning, staff ensure school is a positive place where resilience, perseverance and successes are celebrated and every child feels valued and respected.

Towards the end of Reception, children are encouraged to become more independent in recording their work as appropriate to ensure they are well prepared for the move to Year 1. We also ensure that the pedagogy in Year 1 reflects the independent learning skills children have gained in EYFS working together as teams to develop expertise and confidence in all teaching staff. Pupils take part in whole school transition, having the opportunity to spend time in their new classroom with the adults they will be working with. Parents and carers are also invited into school to meet the Year One team, ensuring that any questions or concerns they may have are answered.

The following process is in place to ensure children’s successful transition to Reception class:

Parents are invited to an induction meeting in June to learn about school procedures and allocation of classes, and to ask any questions they may have.
Reception staff conduct home visits to all children new to setting. A postcard invitation is given to children inviting them to two visits to their new class. The number of meetings/visits will depend on the child’s needs and how much information gathering is required in order to support the child’s transition.
Reception staff will also contact the current nursery setting of any pupils who are new to our setting. We will speak with the child’s key worker and aim to gain a good understanding of each child’s individual strengths, needs and interests before they start with us. If it is deemed a setting visit would benefit the pupil, the Reception teacher will visit in the summer term.
Reception host two new intake class visits during the final summer term. The first visit is with parents, allowing the children to feel secure in their new environment. During this visit, they are also invited to stay for lunch with parents, visiting the dining hall and eating a meal provided by the school kitchen. During the second visit the children are encouraged to visit the setting without the support of parents.
In the admissions pack, parents are asked to complete an 'All About Me' information sheet prior to their child starting school in September. A road to school map is also included to help parents to support their child to be 'school ready' during the summer.
A staggered start operates in the first week of the autumn term to allow the children to settle into their new class and feel secure in their key worker group prior to full time schooling from the second week.

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