Poplars Farm Primary

Aims and Ethos for learning, development and care in the Early Years Foundation Stage

Here at Poplars Farm we are passionate about the early years. We endeavour to provide the children with the best possible start so that they can all reach their full potential. At Poplars Farm, children are encouraged to become independent learners. Our Reggio Emilia approach to education values the child as a strong, capable and resilient learner. We nurture the deep curiosity that the children possess and use this to drive their interest and understanding of the world around them.

Aims

We believe that the Early Years are critical in children’s development and that the EYFS builds a firm basis for future learning, development and independence.

We aim to: Provide a happy and positive start to their school journey and to establish solid and secure foundations.

Inspire learning and deeper level thinking through our engaging learning environment.

Use the child’s interests to plan and deliver a high-quality level of education.

Support children in building relationships through social and personal development.

Provide a learning environment that promotes high expectations

Support choice, independence and self-confidence to ensure we are nurturing lifelong learners.

GROW values

Poplars Farm have embedded strong values into the school community. These values are reflected in the everyday running of the school and start from nursery all the way up to Year 6. These values help children grow and mature as sensible, independent leaners. We ensure that all children in the early years understand these values and use them in their day to day activities.

Our GROW values are:

Giving

Responsible                                                                                                      

Open-mindedness

Welcoming

The Environment.

Our environment is crucial to supporting the early years. We pride ourselves in providing the highest quality learning environment.

When you visit our Early Years, you will see:

The child’s voice: We capture the ideas and opinions of our children and ensure that these are consistently displayed throughout the environment. The child’s voice is at the heart of everything we do. The child’s voice will be clearly displayed in the form of photographs, speech bubbles (on displays) and independent work.

A calming and relaxing environment. Our simplistic décor ensures that children are not overwhelmed and that they are using naturals materials where possible. We use lamps to create mood and help children feel the sense of familiarly and safety.

ICT

Teachers use technology, such as interactive whiteboards and IPads to keep learning up to date and fun. Once the children are in Reception they will visit the computer suite weekly and work on basic computing skills.

Planning

Planning is based on the Childs interests. We will talk to children about their interests and ideas for learning we will then incorporate this into our curriculum and use it to motivate learning activities. We will take an idea or an interest and feed it through the environment and through the daily tasks. We encourage children to ask questions and we use this as a basis for exploration.

Assessment

Children have a learning profile. We take photographs and record dialogue around learning. We use IPads to ensure that children are consistently being observed and that learning is moving forward.