Early Years Offer

At Northern Counties School we recognise that the Early Years is a key period for development of the child’s whole personality. Every child develops uniquely and we aim to provide learning opportunities based on their individual interests and needs. Our whole school key drivers; Communication, Functionality and Independence and Wellbeing are embedded within the ethos of the Early Years foundation Stage (EYFS). These drivers ensure pupils are learning in a safe, secure environment and have access to a curriculum which develops key characteristics on which they can build on in later years. Parents play an essential role in the early years and we aim to work collaboratively alongside parents, drawing on their wealth of knowledge and expertise. A transdisciplinary team provides a child centred approach to learning ensuring that therapy is fully integrated within the daily routine.

We follow a Development Matters ethos and are able to provide an Early Years setting for children from all our populations. Pupils are aged between 3 and 5 years old, however due to their complex presentations, are working below their chronological age. Pupils may work within the EYFS framework for longer allowing us to respond to their developmental needs, whilst also incorporating age appropriate activities.

We recognise that assessment is at the heart of promoting children’s learning and is therefore a continuous process to inform the next steps for each child. We work in collaboration with parents and other professionals to ensure that the child’s needs are fully met and there is a consistent approach between home and school.

Aims

Within the EYFS we aim to:

• To provide child led high quality learning experiences for all pupil sin EYFS.
• Learning will be through practical and play activities, which are structured, balanced and relevant to the child and related to the real world.
• To provide a curriculum which takes account of, and responds to, the children’s developmental needs and allows them to make progress related to their differing abilities.
• To ensure the children have positive experiences of success at their own levels in order to give them confidence and motivation for learning in the future.
• To provide a challenging and enjoyable curriculum which promotes the ‘Early Learning Goals’ which summarise the knowledge, skills and understanding that all young children be working towards
• To provide a curriculum which provides equal learning and development opportunities for all the children and responds to their individual needs with a focus on the seven areas of learning and development – communication and language, physical development, personal, social and emotional development, literacy, mathematics, understanding the world, expressive arts and design
• To create a partnership with parents to support and enhance the development of the children.
• Every child is a unique child, who is constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured
• Children learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships
• Children learn and develop well in enabling environments, in which their experiences respond to their individual needs and there is a strong partnership between practitioners and parents and/or carers
• Children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates