Early Years Foundation Stage

At Beechcroft St Paul’s we aim for all of our children to leave the Foundation Stage well prepared for the next stage in their education with firm foundations in our schools 7 core learning behaviours firmly in place. At Beechcroft we aim to be learners that are:

SUPPORTIVE

OPEN MINDED

AMBITIOUS

REFLECTIVE

INDEPENDENT

NEVER GIVE UP

GENEROUS

We build upon the foundations and skills of each individual child on entry to foundation stage and strive to ensure that all children make good progress regardless of starting points and needs.  We want our children to become competent, happy learners and to move to school with the skills, knowledge and understanding that will enable them to thrive. All staff have high expectations and the enhancement of skills for learning is achieved through a well-resourced, stimulating environment that allows children to repeat and consolidate their own learning through direct, enhanced and continuous provision.  We believe that every opportunity is a learning opportunity.  

We plan to deliver a broad and balanced curriculum, based on the seven areas of learnings and taking in to account the statutory guiding principles of the EYFS framework. Within FS1, we place a particular focus on the prime areas of learning. These are the areas in which children often arrive to us with gaps in their skills and knowledge. We place a particular focus on developing children’s ability to communicate effectively through improving their understanding and use of language, developing social skills to allow them to interact positively, building independence and developing physical and self-care skills. We believe that once these foundations of learning are embedded then other areas can be further developed on. 

Early reading is a priority within EYFS. We foster a love of books and place an importance on reading through all aspects of our teaching. We use a systematic approach to teaching phonics and early reading skills to ensure that children learn to read accurately and are ready for the next phase of school life.