Foundation Stage Curriculum
Personal Social and Emotional Development
Children are provided with experiences and support to help them develop their self-esteem, social skills, an awareness of their needs and a developing respect for their own culture and the needs and beliefs of others.
Communication, Language and Literacy
In Nursery we extend and support girls’ ability to communicate and listen. A range of opportunities are provided which develop reading and writing skills. In Reception, phonic awareness progresses, enabling girls to read, write and communicate with growing confidence.
Problem Solving, Reasoning and Numeracy
Children are supported in a wide range of contexts, where they explore, learn, practice and talk about their developing mathematical understanding. Our aim is provide a solid foundation in the concept of number.
Knowledge and Understanding of the World
We provide children with a variety of activities which help develop an awareness of the world around them. They encounter people, plants, objects and creatures in their natural environment and in real-life situations. Educational visits, the use of everyday technology, cooking/baking activities and practical ‘experiments’ stimulate natural curiosity, allowing girls to explore, question and observe.
Physical Development
Children need to have the opportunity to be active and improve their skills of coordination, control, manipulation and movement. They will be supported in beginning to understand the importance of eating healthy food and exercising. Twice a week children are taught by a specialist PE teacher.
Creative Development
Children are provided with opportunities to explore and share their thoughts, ideas and feelings, through art, design and technology, music, movement, dance and imaginative and role-play activities. In Reception these skills will be extended, encouraging the girls to observe carefully, giving further consideration to their creative tasks.
All parents of children in the Foundation Stage are invites to an annual curriculum meeting at the beginning of the autumn term, when the aims of the year’s curriculum, the topics that will be studies and the methods of delivering the curriculum through play, structured activities and outdoor activities will be briefly explained.
Indoor and outdoor activities are planned, but we work in such a way that child-initiated learning will cut across adult-led activities.