Early Years (EYFS)
At The Roche School, we follow the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework (EYFS). This work uses skills from all areas of learning, developing the written, mathematical, investigative and creative skills of the children.
Literacy involves encouraging children to link sounds and letters and to begin to read and write. At The Roche School we follow a sound-based system. The children are initially encouraged to develop their listening skills. They play listening games for the first, middle and end sound in a sequence. This is developed into recognising the component sounds of a word. Later they learn the letters that represent these sounds and learn to blend them into words.
When the children are really confident with the letter sounds and can confidently break down the words into their sound ‘segments’ we will lead them to reading. Picture books are valuable in encouraging children to talk about ‘what is going on in the story’ and what might happen next.
Core concepts within Mathematics are presented to the children with a great deal of ‘hands on’ experience. These are solidified with practice using a variety of multi-sensory approaches. In the first term, the focus is on number quantities and the symbols for 1-20. We also explore 2D and 3D Shape and Patterns. We then move onto addition and subtraction, non-uniform measurements and begin work on Time. In the third term, the children develop their adding and subtracting skills and develop their understanding of Time. They start to count in 2’s, 5’s and 10’s.
Through Topic Work, the children gain an in-sight into the Humanities and Science, and begin to appreciate and learn about the world around them. Through ‘Understanding the World’, children learn about their local environment as well as the wider world including Travel, Transport and Holidays. Sub topics include: All About Me, Shape, Colour and Light, People Who Help Us, Animals, Growing and Mini-beasts.
Children are guided to make sense of their physical world and their community through opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places, technology and the environment.
