Foundations@Brookfield provides a safe, secure and stimulating learning environment for all children. Our aim is to ensure every child has the best possible start in life and the support that enables them to reach their full potential. The Foundation Stage is an important period of children’s education as it develops an early love of learning. At Brookfield, we ensure all children are prepared for future challenges and successes. We ensure a smooth transition from home to school and then prepare the children to begin the National Curriculum in Key Stage 1.

Our Curriculum

Our creative and bespoke curriculum reflects our children and their community and provides our pupils with the knowledge and skills they need at each stage of the Early Years. It is an ambitious plan of everything they need to learn to be prepared for the next step of their school journey. The curriculum encourages children to; love reading, aim High and communicate effectively. 

We acknowledge that children learn at different rates and that each child is unique. Our curriculum supports this ethos and is flexible. We follow the children’s interests, alongside introducing them to new and engaging experiences.

 

Our curriculum supports pupils’ development in all 7 areas of learning (see below) and each area includes ‘Curriculum Goals’ for the children to achieve each term. You can view the Curriculum goals below in files under EYFS Brookfield Curriculum goals.

 3 Prime areas of learning:                                                              

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

4 specific areas of learning:                          

• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding the World
• Expressive Arts and Design

Throughout these areas, the children will also be developing the Characteristics of Effective Learning:

• Playing and Exploring
• Active Learning
• Creating and Thinking Critically

Communication and language is at the heart of our curriculum and underpins all areas of learning. High quality conversations and vocabulary development occur daily through play based learning, continuous provision, snack and chat and story time.

Books shared at story time have been carefully selected to ensure our pupils; learn new vocabulary, speak in clear sentences, develop their conversational skills, deepen their understanding and ask and answer questions. 

We screen all F2 children in September to identify any children who would benefit from a Language support prorgamme. We then implement the NELI speech and Language programme for these children. This is a daily small group intervention delivered by a Teaching assistant.

 

Speech Link is another programme that support our team to identify children who may need support in pronunciation. If needed children are provided with support within the provision by a Teaching assistant on a 1:1 basis.

 

WOW Moments 

We are is dedicated to providing children with experiences and opportunities to help them progress and achieve success. Each half term we plan engaging activities for our pupils to take part in that support them to be prepared for the next step of their learning and development. These include baking, planting, picnics, local walks, educational visits and caring for animals.  

Assessment 

Assessment is based primarily on practitioners’ knowledge of the children. This knowledge is gained predominantly from  observation and interaction in a range of daily activities and events. Embedded learning is identified by assessing what a child can do consistently and independently in a range of everyday situations We understand effective assessment presents a holistic view of a child’s learning and development and therefore staff take account of contributions from a range of perspectives including the child, their parents and other relevant adults when completing these.

Parents/Carer partnership

We pride ourselves in making strong relationships with our parents and carers. You are your child's first educator, and we like to ensure that we work together to ensure that our children get the best possible start to school life.

We invite parents in on a monthly basis for our Reading workshops. We welcome parents to share stories in class (Mystery Reader) We ensure that we have celebrations and performances which you are invited into throughout the year to share how wonderful your children are. These include, Harvest festival, Nativity, Easter Bonnet parade and FS1 end of celebration and FS2 Graduation.

We also offer parents workshops whereby you can join your child for a session to make something wonderful and creative.  

Throughout the year parents workshops in Phonics, Reading and Writing are offered to parents which give you the opportunity to see and hear how we teach these subjects in school and offer support and practical ideas to support your child at home. 

 

Displays/Learning Environment

In Foundations at Brookfield we take great pride in ensuring that the learning environment is bright and stimulating for our children. We feel that displaying the work which is produced in the classroom is extremely important in improving our children's confidence and self esteem!

If you have any questions regarding Foundation Stage or how to further support your children at home please do not hesitate to contact Miss Crook at lisa.crook@brookfieldjunioracademy.org (EYFS Lead)