Our Early Years Foundation Stage provision is split into four different rooms.
This room and outdoor area caters for 2 year olds. The staff to pupil ratio is 1:4 and the curriculum is specially designed to meet the early learning needs of this age group. The children usually stay for 15 hours a week (2.5 days) or parents may choose for them to attend full time, 30 hours a week.
The children move to this room and outdoor area when they are 3. Children can attend for 15 hours (2.5 days), 3 days or 5 days. The staff to pupil ratio is 1:8. The curriculum builds on the previous year and aims to make sure the children are ready for Nursery.
The September before the children are to begin Reception, the children move to this provision. Children can attend for 15 hours (2.5 days), 3 days or 5 days. They will now be in a bigger group with a staff to pupil ratio of 1:13. The curriculum is preparing them to begin school so they will be encouraged to become more independent and will take part in more small group teacher led learning.
Children move to Reception in September when they are 4 (and will turn five within the academic year). They are now in a room of up to 45 children with 2 teachers and a teaching assistant. They have access to a large outdoor area and the curriculum is designed to prepare them for more formal learning in Year 1.
The creative, stimulating environment in the indoor and outdoor learning areas encourage learning through play. The children engage in enquiry, discovery and reflection through a balance of ‘teacher-led’ input and ‘pupil-initiated’ learning.
Learning habits and routines are very important and we teach pupils how to look after and enjoy the resources around them.
We aim to make the learning relevant to children’s lives and we place the pupils’ individual interests and choices at the heart of the classroom so they feel safe, secure and ready to explore.
Children are encouraged to think and talk about what they are learning and how they are developing, using the language of learning. This is an early approach to ‘metacognition’, enabling the children to begin to see themselves as learners and build on their love of learning. We know that Rainbow children love learning, thrive on knowledge.
We nurture the children’s confidence in expressing their ideas, making independent choices, and exploring the world around them. It is here in EYFS that we set down the roots of our curriculum approach at Rainbow Forge Primary.
