Our approach to all teaching across our school is described on the curriculum page of the website. Key aspects of this approach can be summarised as: Engage, Develop, Innovate and Express - all of which are described in more detail on the curriculum page.
This section explains how we teach in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS): i.e. children in Nursery and Reception.
At Portway, we actively promote the key principles set out by the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS):
The prime areas of learning
Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED)
Communication and Language and Literacy (CL)
Physical Development (PD)
The specific areas of learning
Literacy (L)
Mathematics (M)
Understanding of the World (KUW)
Expressive Arts and Design (EAD)
Children in the EYFS learn by playing and exploring, being active and through creative and critical thinking.
Working with parents, whilst important throughout primary school, is particularly important in the early years of education.
You can help your child thrive in the nursery and reception years by helping him/her both by supporting the prime/specific areas of learning at home, as well as supporting the development of positive behaviour and the building of independence.
Helping your child develop his/her understanding in the prime/specific areas of learning
From reception, children are set homework on a Thursday, to be handed in on Tuesday the following week. This is set to enable them to consolidate the week’s learning at school, and to get them used to the homework routine. Parents are requested to support homework by ensuring that their child has, as far as possible, a quiet place to work and the support of a parent/older sibling.
In addition to helping with the homework given at school, we encourage parents to support their children by:
Helping your child understand the expectations of behaviour at school
We have distilled our way of working together across our learning community into the ‘5 Cs’: courtesy, care, commitment, co-operation and consideration. These apply to all relationships, both in the classroom, around the school, outside school and with partner organisations.
Behaviour that reflects these values is rewarded and celebrated at school. At home, you can introduce your child to these behaviours by rewarding examples of appropriate behaviour. It is also essential that parents act as role models and try to demonstrate these behaviours in all interactions – children copy what they see.
Developing a set routine both in the morning as they get ready for school, and in the afternoon, is also beneficial: children find things easier when they know what to expect. Knowledge of a routine also enables them to build independence (see below).
For further details regarding our approach to behaviour, please go to the Behaviour page of our website. You can also speak to your child’s teacher at any time.
Helping your child develop his/her independence
At nursery and in reception classes, children who are better able to undertake the simple tasks that they are expected to perform independently are better able to learn and enjoy the school environment. Specifically, your child will benefit if you are able to help him/her develop independence in the following areas:
For further information about the revised EYFS framework, please visit the Foundation Years website and click on ‘EYFS for Parents’.