At Buckland we aim to make every child’s first experience of school happy, enjoyable and rewarding. We achieve this by valuing all the different personalities, talents, experiences and interests each one of us brings.

What will my child do all day?

We believe that pupils in the Early Years Foundation Stage (which includes Reception) learn best through play-based activities and first-hand experiences that are both enjoyable and challenging. We aim for them to become self-motivated, independent learners through a balance of child initiated (where children decide what they want to do) and adult led experiences.

We provide, and are continually developing, a high-quality curriculum in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage guidance. The curriculum is wide and varied, and builds on your child’s existing knowledge, skills and experiences.

If at the end of a day your child tells you that they have “just played”, rest assured that your child’s day will have been well planned and purposeful. Our curriculum encompasses seven areas of learning and development. All areas of learning and development are important and inter-connected. Three areas are particularly important for building a foundation for igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, forming relationships, and thriving.

These are called the Prime Areas:

• Communication and Language
• Physical Development
• Personal, Social, and Emotional Development

Four areas help children to strengthen and apply the Prime Areas. These are called the specific areas:

• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding the world
• Expressive arts and design

In addition, weaved throughout the EYFS curriculum are three Characteristics of Effective Learning:

• 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

These elements underpin how we reflect on each child’s development and adjust our practice accordingly. Supporting children in their individual learning behaviour and observing the context of children’s play is essential

How will I know how my child is doing?

Assessment in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) takes place through observations of what the pupils can do and what they say. During the first few weeks of school, we will be assessing the knowledge, skills and understanding of your child using a wide range of tasks covering the EYFS curriculum. This provides the teaching staff with a valuable insight into the pre-school experiences of each child and helps to mould the educational programme or provision for each individual. The results of these informal assessments will be shared during Parent Consultations, which will be held in November during the Autumn Term and then again in the Spring Term.  Tracking each child’s progress – sharing their Learning Journey

Each child will have their own individual ‘Learning Journey’ file which we use to record significant moments for your child’s progress in school. We will also ask you to tell us about your child’s achievements at home through weekly ‘Proud clouds’, enabling us to build as complete and rounded a picture of your child as possible. These are shared during our weekly celebration assembly and give the children an opportunity to share their successes with their peers. As a school we also use the MarvellousMe App which enables us to tell you about your child’s learning and success, you will receive a letter with details of how to sign up from the school office.