Welcome to Penguin Class
We Believe…
At Ashton Vale children are at the centre of what we do and we believe that children learn best when they are interested, inquisitive and engaged. At this age and stage of development learning is best achieved through play.
At Ashton Vale children are at the centre of what we do and we believe that children learn best when they are interested, inquisitive and engaged. At this age and stage of development learning is best achieved through play.
Play gives children the opportunity to explore their own interests, enquire, plan and take risks. Play also allows children to use their creativity, develop their imagination, build on their dexterity and physical skills, whilst also supporting the development of cognitive and emotional strength. Play is crucial to healthy brain development. It is through play that children engage and interact in the world around them and make sense of objects, interactions, experiences and concepts. |
Delivery of the 'Early Years Foundation Stage' curriculum (EYFS)
Delivery of the 'Early Years Foundation Stage' curriculum (EYFS) involves a continuous cycle of three parts:
1. Observing
Look, listen and note what children are doing
What can they do and what do they know?
2. Assessing
Analyse the observations and decide what they tell us about the child.
What is their next step?
3. Planning
Decide what to do next considering experiences and opportunities, learning environment, resources, routines, practitioners’ role.
How are we going to teach their next step?
1. Observing
Look, listen and note what children are doing
What can they do and what do they know?
2. Assessing
Analyse the observations and decide what they tell us about the child.
What is their next step?
3. Planning
Decide what to do next considering experiences and opportunities, learning environment, resources, routines, practitioners’ role.
How are we going to teach their next step?
We respect children as individuals and understand that they all develop differently. We therefore felt that the ‘in the moment planning’approach would truly support this. What Is ‘In The Moment Planning’? By following 'in the moment planning', a model developed by Anna Ephgrave, rather than adults deciding what children will be learning ahead of time and calling children to the the adult to follow a pre determined outcome, we engage with the children through play that they have chosen and teach the children 'in the moment'. Therefore, through play, children have access to all aspects of the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum, all of the time, without limits, imposed outcomes or adult agenda. This means that we can meet the needs of individuals more effectively with them being highly engaged and motivated to do what they are doing
In The Moment Planning Approach Explained
Role of the Adult Practioner With this model of 'in the moment planning' the role of the adult looks a little different. The children have free-flow access to the provision, which means that the children can choose where their learning takes place. The adult will stand back and observe what the children are doing, assess what they know and could learn next and plan their teaching, waiting for a suitable teachable moment, which will be delivered there and then. This means that next steps for individual children are not something that are to be delivered at a point in the future, but right there 'in the moment'. This process will then be recorded retrospectively in the child’s learning diary, ILD. |
In summary; We have focus children not focus activities The adult goes to the child. The child is not called to come to the adult.
The adult will aim to enhance not interrupt play. Their teaching style will be based on wonderings, commenting, modelling skills, modelling language, encouraging, suggesting, discussing, showing, narrating, facilitating, suggesting challenge, explaining and demonstrating.
We work this way because research shows that high-level involvement and learning occurs in child-initiated activity. We have approximately 10% of the class as focus children each week, which means that these are the children with whom our observations will be focused upon. This means that three times a year every child will have the opportunity to be a focus child. This does not mean that the other children are not learning or getting adult interaction but rather that they are continuing with their own learning journeys without sole focus, whilst we ensure that each child has equal opportunity for quality teaching and learning. Non-focus children’s significant learning will also be documented. We continue to lead sessions for phonics and maths as well as 1:1 reading with children.
The adult will aim to enhance not interrupt play. Their teaching style will be based on wonderings, commenting, modelling skills, modelling language, encouraging, suggesting, discussing, showing, narrating, facilitating, suggesting challenge, explaining and demonstrating.
We work this way because research shows that high-level involvement and learning occurs in child-initiated activity. We have approximately 10% of the class as focus children each week, which means that these are the children with whom our observations will be focused upon. This means that three times a year every child will have the opportunity to be a focus child. This does not mean that the other children are not learning or getting adult interaction but rather that they are continuing with their own learning journeys without sole focus, whilst we ensure that each child has equal opportunity for quality teaching and learning. Non-focus children’s significant learning will also be documented. We continue to lead sessions for phonics and maths as well as 1:1 reading with children.
As already mentioned we are planning is ‘in the moment’ and therefore this is documented retrospectively. We use ILD to document learning and use this as a tool to reflect on what is going well and where we can go next and respond to this as soon as possible. Phonics and Maths planning inputs are recorded separately. We plan sessions, which are practical, engaging and active, giving the children knowledge they can use when accessing the environment independently. |
An Enabling Environment We have a workshop style environment both indoors and outside. We do not ‘set out’ activities for the children, but rather support the child ren to choose their own interests. The children are supported to select what they want to do (based on their learning and development needs) in each area. The principal is that resources are accessible to the children and they are varied, open-ended and high quality. Our learning environment consists of three areas, the main classroom, the shelter and outdoors. Each area is equally important and provides children with a range of resources and equipment to enable them to learn, working towards both the ‘Characteristics of Effective Learning’ and the ‘EYFS’ framework |
Within the classroom itself, children have access to:
Heurisitc area (opportunities for maths based play)
Construction area (opportunities for maths based play)
Literacy area (opportunities for writing at table and chair based play)
Cosy area (opportunities for reading, conversation and snack based play)
Play area (opportunities for writing, communication and imaginative based play)
Malleable area (opportunities for physical and exploring media and materials based play)
Creative area (opportunities for physical and exploring materials and media based play)
Investigation area (opportunities for observation and understanding the world based play)
Additionally child’s family photo access, phonic sounds, words and numberline displayed
Heurisitc area (opportunities for maths based play)
Construction area (opportunities for maths based play)
Literacy area (opportunities for writing at table and chair based play)
Cosy area (opportunities for reading, conversation and snack based play)
Play area (opportunities for writing, communication and imaginative based play)
Malleable area (opportunities for physical and exploring media and materials based play)
Creative area (opportunities for physical and exploring materials and media based play)
Investigation area (opportunities for observation and understanding the world based play)
Additionally child’s family photo access, phonic sounds, words and numberline displayed
Outdoors children can expect to find:
Sand experiences
Water experiences
Mud kitchen and digging area for possible texture experiences
Music area for possible sensory experiences
Growing area for possible understanding the world experiences
Stage area for possible imaginative performance experiences
Role play area for possible imaginative and communication experiences
Large construction area for possible physical and critical thinking experiences
Physical area (tyres, balance trail, bridge, climbing pyramid, climbing tree) for possible gross motor and health experiences
Bike, trikes and scooters for possible gross motor experiences
Additionally phonic sounds, words and numberline displayed
Sand experiences
Water experiences
Mud kitchen and digging area for possible texture experiences
Music area for possible sensory experiences
Growing area for possible understanding the world experiences
Stage area for possible imaginative performance experiences
Role play area for possible imaginative and communication experiences
Large construction area for possible physical and critical thinking experiences
Physical area (tyres, balance trail, bridge, climbing pyramid, climbing tree) for possible gross motor and health experiences
Bike, trikes and scooters for possible gross motor experiences
Additionally phonic sounds, words and numberline displayed
In the shelter children can expect to find:
Changing area for possible self care opportunities
Reading den for possible literacy opportunities
Exploration area- tuff tray for possible modeling or observation experiences
Physical play trolley for possible gross motor challenges
Additional self selection resources for a range of curriculum areas opportunities
Additionally phonic sounds, words and numberline displayed
Changing area for possible self care opportunities
Reading den for possible literacy opportunities
Exploration area- tuff tray for possible modeling or observation experiences
Physical play trolley for possible gross motor challenges
Additional self selection resources for a range of curriculum areas opportunities
Additionally phonic sounds, words and numberline displayed
Literacy and Maths is additionally enhanced across each learning environment with phonic sounds, words and number lines on display in each of the three areas of the learning environment. Portable literacy and maths boxes are available, filled with resources are also available in each area of the learning environment. Children can transport these wherever they desire
Development and Achievement We believe that children will benefit greatly from this teaching style going forward in their school and life journey. Research shows that this teaching approach is developmentally appropriate for children and they will begin their school journey having been supported to nurture skills crucial to their lifelong learning:
Independence
Confidence
Inquisitiveness
Risk taking
Resilience
Curiousity
Self-motivation
Observation
Will be thinkers
Will be doers
Confidence
Inquisitiveness
Risk taking
Resilience
Curiousity
Self-motivation
Observation
Will be thinkers
Will be doers
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to speak to a member of staff, we are always happy to talk.
Further Reasons We Work This Way
“Young children are experiencing and learning in the here and now, not storing up their questions until tomorrow or next week. It is in these moments of curiosity, puzzlement, effort or interest" -the ‘teachable moments’ –that the skilful adult makes a difference. By using this cycle on a moment-by-moment basis, the adult will be always alert to individual children (observation), always thinking about what it tells us about the child’s thinking (assessment), and always ready to respond by using appropriate strategies at the right moment to support children’s well-being and learning (planning for the next moment).”
From National Strategies document Learning, Playing and Interacting P.22 - 23
‘’Teaching is all those different things that you do as adults to help young children learn... communicating, modelling language, working with children as they initiate their own play and activities, being ready to intervene on the moment, demonstrating how to do something, explaining why something is as it is, showing children something, exploring ideas with them, encouraging them, questioning them, checking what it is they are understanding, helping them to record something that they did so that they get the structure and sequence of events, providing a narrative for what they are doing, facilitating what they are doing, setting challenges, all those sorts of things are the sorts of things we mean when we talk about teaching.’’
Jane Wotherspoon
–
Lead HMI for Early Years.
‘’Practitioners must consider the individual needs, interests and stage of development of each child in their care, and must use this information to plan a challenging and enjoyable experience for each child in all areas of learning and development."
“Young children are experiencing and learning in the here and now, not storing up their questions until tomorrow or next week. It is in these moments of curiosity, puzzlement, effort or interest" -the ‘teachable moments’ –that the skilful adult makes a difference. By using this cycle on a moment-by-moment basis, the adult will be always alert to individual children (observation), always thinking about what it tells us about the child’s thinking (assessment), and always ready to respond by using appropriate strategies at the right moment to support children’s well-being and learning (planning for the next moment).”
From National Strategies document Learning, Playing and Interacting P.22 - 23
‘’Teaching is all those different things that you do as adults to help young children learn... communicating, modelling language, working with children as they initiate their own play and activities, being ready to intervene on the moment, demonstrating how to do something, explaining why something is as it is, showing children something, exploring ideas with them, encouraging them, questioning them, checking what it is they are understanding, helping them to record something that they did so that they get the structure and sequence of events, providing a narrative for what they are doing, facilitating what they are doing, setting challenges, all those sorts of things are the sorts of things we mean when we talk about teaching.’’
Jane Wotherspoon
–
Lead HMI for Early Years.
‘’Practitioners must consider the individual needs, interests and stage of development of each child in their care, and must use this information to plan a challenging and enjoyable experience for each child in all areas of learning and development."