Our Early Years  

 We have two classes in our Early Years Foundation Stage at Ashmole: 

• Nursery (children aged 3–4 years)

• Reception (children aged 4–5 years)

Our aim in these important foundational years at Ashmole, is to provide a nurturing, safe and happy environment where children learn through play, exploration and meaningful experiences. We value children’s curiosity and independence, giving them time and space to take ownership of their learning through carefully supported free-choice play.

We aim to develop kind, confident learners who build positive relationships, communicate their ideas and make connections between their learning and everyday life. Working closely with parents and carers, we support every child to feel secure and valued, creating strong foundations for future learning.

The team work collaboratively to offer a wide and rich variety of playful learning experiences across all seven Areas of Learning and Development, with a strong focus on communication, wellbeing, personal growth and foundational skills.  

Children learn through play, exploration, creativity and hands on experiences, to help every child feel happy, confident, safe and excited about learning. We provide a nurturing environment where children can develop socially, emotionally, physically and academically at their own pace. 

The EYFS curriculum is designed around seven areas of learning and development.

 The Seven Areas of Learning 

The three Prime Areas of Learning form the foundations for all future learning. Communication and Language focuses on developing children's speaking, listening and understanding skills through stories, conversations, songs, role play and daily interactions. Personal, Social and Emotional Development helps children build confidence, form positive relationships, manage feelings, and develop independence and resilience within a safe and nurturing environment. Physical development supports children in developing coordination, balance, strength and fine motor skills through outdoor play, PE, climbing, creative activities, and practical experiences that prepare them for early writing.  

Along side the prime areas, children also develop skills within the four Specific Areas of Learning. In literacy, children begin their journey into reading and writing through daily phonics, storytelling, shared reading, mark making and writing opportunities across the classroom environment. In mathematics, children develop confidence with counting, number recognition, patterns, shapes, measures, and problem-solving through practical, hands-on activities and games.
Understanding the World encourages children to explore people, communities, technology, nature and different cultures and celebrations. Children are given opportunities to investigate and make sense of the world around them through exploration, outdoor learning, discussions, cooking, gardening and special events. Expressive Art and Design allows children to express themselves creatively though art, music dance, construction, storytelling, and imaginative role play.

At the heart of our EYFS curriculum is learning through play. We value the importance of children having opportunities to explore independently, practice new skills, solve problems and develop their own ideas in a stimulating and engaging environment. Through carefully planned experiences, children become active learners who are motivated, curious and enthusiastic about learning.

We also place great importance on building strong partnerships with parents and carers. By working closely together, sharing achievements and supporting learning both at school and at home, we can help every child thrive and achieve their full potential during these important early years.

Click> How to Prepare Your Child for Primary School

Phonics in EYFS

We use the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised phonics programme to support children in developing early reading and writing skills. Through daily phonics sessions, children are taught to recognise letters and sounds, blend sounds together to read words, and segment words to support spelling and writing. Lessons are carefully planned to be fun, engaging, and interactive, helping children to build confidence and develop a love of reading from the very beginning of their learning journey. Children are given regular opportunities to practise and apply their phonics skills through reading books matched to their phonics stage storytelling, games songs and classroom activities. We encourage parents and carers to support phonics learning at home by practising sounds regularly and reading together each day. 

For more information about the Little Wandle Programme, helpful videos, and guidance on pronunciation of sounds. please click the link below:

Little Wandle Support of Parents: https://www.littlewandle.org.uk/resources/for-parents/