Bumblebees

The Bumblebee class is an EYFS ( Reception Classroom) 

Staff recognise early childhood as a very important stage of life with its own particular needs, and our aim is to give young children the best possible start to their school life.  Our curriculum is tailored to suit the needs of children across the age group.

We use the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Teaching Programme to teach Phonics, with phonetically matched books in our reading scheme.

Learning in the Bumblebees class is never dull! We learn through practical, hands-on experiences and enjoy exploring the environment around us. 

The school OFSTED report (2016) states that, in the Foundation Stage:

'Good-quality and interesting resources are used to help children make good progress and enjoy their learning.'

'The early years classroom has a very positive and happy atmosphere where children are valued'

EYFS guide for parents 

Children develop more rapidly during the first five years of their lives than at any other time. 

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) has its own stand-alone curriculum for Pre-School and Reception children in primary settings.  From September 2021 the EYFS curriculum is changing for all settings in England

Early Years Foundation Stage  Framework 2021

The EYFS curriculum is split into Prime and Specific areas.  The prime areas are important because they lay the foundations for children’s success in all other areas of learning and of life.  The specific areas provide the range of experiences and opportunities for children to broaden their knowledge and skills:

The Prime Areas of learning are:

• Personal, Social and Emotional Development;
• Communication and Language;
• Physical Development.

The Specific Areas of learning are:

• Literacy;
• Mathematics;
• Understanding the World;
• Expressive Arts and Design.

At the end of the Reception year, pupils are benchmarked against the Early Learning Goals for each area.  Attainment is described as either: emerging (working below the expected level) or expected (working at the expected level) and these are reported to parents in the end-of-year written report.  This is a change from previous years as, under the new  framework, exceeding (working above the expected level) has been removed.