Early Years at Birchfield

Nursery - full time and part time children - situated on the main drive into school Pre-School Academy - full and part-time nursery-aged children - based in Trinity House Reception Classes - 3 classes (R1, R2, R3) each with 30 children - within new block main school Our Nursery and Pre-School Academy form one part of the Foundation Stage (Foundation Stage 1). Children in Nursery and Pre-School share a curriculum and facilities. Reception classes form the second part of the Foundation Stage (Foundation Stage 2). These three settings constitute the Early Years. At Birchfield Community School we are committed to providing a dynamic and creative Learning Journey through fun and exciting learning opportunities.

AREAS OF LEARNING
There are seven areas of learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS):

PRIME AREAS Personal, Social & Emotional Development Physical Development Communication & Language SPECIFIC AREAS Literacy Mathematics Understanding the World Expressive Art and Design
These areas are rigorously planned for and are delivered both indoors and outdoors on a daily basis. Children learn and explore through focused as well as child-initiated activities.

We differentiate the learning according to the individual needs of the child and adopt a holistic approach where each child is valued and respected. The childs attitude to learning - the choosing to be a part of our Great Learning Journey is fostered and nurtured in each of our settings. Developing the childs attitude to learning is a crucial part of the Early Years Learning Journey, and is one that will affect them throughout their Lifelong Learning. Familiar and established routines and procedures support the learning environment as we aim for our children to develop as confident, enthusiastic and effective learners. The practitioners (teachers and assistants) recognise the individual childs learning strengths and areas for development - assessment of the individual child is part of daily planning. Having embedded flexibility in our learning experiences, the curriculum programme aims to challenge our childrens thinking and range of experience. Our nursery gained an award for the quality of our provision and we have completed the third year of the Effective Early Learning (EEL) programmemaintining our green ratingwhich is the highest rating possible. 36