Early Years Foundation Stage by brightongirls

BRIGHTON GIRLS

Early Years Foundation Stage

Welcome to Brighton Girls

Mee h h ng Staff

Specialist teachers

Miss Sparkes - PE

Mrs Woodcock - Music

Mrs Rose - French

Miss Lyons - Computing Specialist swimming teachers

To reach any of the staff listed above, please email prepenquiries@brightongirls. gdst.net who will be able to help you with your enquiry.

Ms Susa March EYFS L

Mrs Poppy Pointon Deputy Head (Pastoral) Prep

Mrs Helen Hausdoerfer Deputy DSL

s Jenny acker puty Head (Academic) Prep

Mrs Sarah Griffiths Head of Prep y Learning Support Assistant

It is such a welcoming, supportive environment.

Parent Communications

We will keep you regularly informed using our parent communication portal, Schoolpost.

A round-up of updates will be sent out at 4pm each school day to minimise the volume of emails you receive, if it is not urgent

In addition, Reception use Tapestry to keep parents up-to-date with what we have been doing during the week. You will be sent and activation email for Tapestry, please do activate your account when you receive this.

We also have a whole prep school weekly round up, to save duplication of emails and messages between school and families. This will include whole school items and events for the week ahead. This will come out to parents on a Friday after school.

A family of big and little sisters in the heart of the City

Contacting the School

Brighton Girls is a welcoming and friendly community and we want you to be involved in your child’s education. Teachers will always make time to meet with parents to work together to support your child.

If you need to contact a form teacher you should email prepenquiries@brightongirls.gdst.net and put an FAO in the subject line

If your enquiry is urgent please call the school office

Comms: all staff will send a reminder a week in advance for important information in a weekly 'round up ' email for their class This will go out on a Friday afternoon, ready for the week ahead!

Firefly and Tapestry

Our year group FireFly page can be found at: https://bhprep.fireflycloud.net/reception-1

You will find general information here regarding our curriculum.

Early Years will use Tapestry for communication about your children’s activities throughout the week.

All they need on the first day is a healthy snack, a bottle of water and a big smile (or a little one if that is easier!)

LEARNING WITHOUT LIMITS

Clubs, Squads and Activities

Example Timetable

Lunch

R-Y2

R-6 Ballet

Y3-6 Drama Queens

Y3-6 Netball Academy KS2 Choir1.00pm

Y4-6 Momentum SG KS1 Choir1 00pm

R-Y6 Gymnastics

Y5-6 Drama Queens Squad swimming R-Y3 Swimming

Y3-4

Y1-2 Netball (2nd half) Y1-3 Tennis (1st half)

R-Y2 Construction Club JB R-Y6 Karate

Y5-6

Y3-4 Netball

Y3-6 Yoga Y1-3 Tennis (1st half)

Y5-6 Python Coding Y3-6 Yoga

Y3-4 Time Travellers VK R-Y6 Karate

Y4-6 Skateboarding

Y5-6 Netbal LL/LT

R-Y6 Karate Y4-6 Skateboarding

R-Y2 Mindful Colouring ZM

R-Y2 Role Play/ Drama PP Y2-4 Coding JM R-Y3 Debutots

Y3-6 Boxing Y4-6 Tennis (6 weeks)

Y3-4 Sciene Club AB Y3-6 Debutkids

Y3/4 Fixtures Y2-4 Coding JM R-Y3 Debutots

Y5-6 Fixtures Y5-6 Book Club after Fixtures Y3-6 Debutkids

Y5-6 Football Y6 Salvage Sisters

Y3-6 Boxing Y4-6 Tennis (6 weeks)

Y4-6 Eco Club KR Y4-6 Tennis (6 weeks)

Have a go at putting on the uniform - it’s fun and it will help the clothes feel more comfortable on that first day.

EYFS Daily routines and timings

Arrive at school: Autumn 1 - 8.30am Pre-Prep gates

Autumn 2 and beyond - Reception pupils 8.15am - 8.30am main school entrance

Preschool arrive at 8.30am and are escorted straight to the EYFS classroom

Break play time: 10.10am - 10.30am (EYFS -Y2)

Lunch in the dining room: 12.00pm - 12.30pm

Lunch play time: 12.30pm - 1.00pm (EYFS - Y2)

Home time: 3.30pm Pre-Prep gates

After school clubs run from 3.45pm - 4.45pm

Wrap around care is available from 7.30am - 6pm

Days to remember:

Out and about Tuesdays - Forest, beach or trip day

PE Thursdays - arrive at school in PE kit, uniform in bag

Friday morning - arrive and remain in PE kit

Swimming - Friday afternoon (swimsuit, goggles, towel and hat in a bag)

Starting school is a big step for parents and children, please do pop in if you’d like to know a bit more about what they’re learning

Preschool Timetable

8.45am

9.10-9.20am

9.20am

The activities such as beach club, forest school and

swimming

lessons are a great basis for learning.

Reception Timetable

8 30am Registration Registration Registration Registration Registration

8 45am Assembly Formtime Singing Celebration Assembly

9 40am Literacy Literacy Reading (ST) Choir (ST)

10 10am Break Break Break Break

10 30am Maths Maths Computing (ST) Reading (ST)

11 00am Phonics Phonics Phonics Maths (ST)

9 10am Fine Motor Out and about Fine motor Maths (ST) PE (ST)

11.30am Reading (ST) Reading PE (ST) Phonics

12.00pm Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch

12.30am Break Break Break Break

1.00pm EAD (ST) French (ST) Literacy Swimming

1.30pm Music (ST) Literacy (ST) Exploring Swimming

2.00pm Music (ST) PSED (ST) UTW / Topic Exploring (ST) Swimming

2 30pm EAD PSED (ST) PSED Exploring (ST) Swimming

3 00pm EAD Story and song Story and song Story and song Story and song

3 30pm Dismissal Dismissal Dismissal Dismissal Dismissal

*ST - Specialist Teacher

The welcoming environment has been formative for her and her positive relationships with peers.

Uniform

All uniform sales can be accessed online. All uniform lists and associated info can be found on School Blazer

Preschool uniform

School P.E top

Green school branded jumper

Leggings/shorts of your choice

Comfy shoes of your choice

Prep uniform

Summer uniform can be worn until October half term

Please label everything

Plain style black shoes, with laces or strap over the instep

Plain trainers for PE

Socks/tights: green for winter, white socks for summer (length optional)

Coat should be worn in the autumn term

Forest and Beach school will require wellies and green all in one suit.

Curriculum

Preschool focus

In Reception our curriculum is very flexible and creative and we try and follow the children’s interests as much as we can, whilst introducing them to new experiences and ideas.

Literacy learning will be delivered through our Power of Reading texts and we follow Bug Club phonics. We will follow the children’s interests in our learning environment, with our flexible space evolving around their learning and interests

Me and my school

In and out of this worldspace and the sea

Our world - looking after others Autumn 2 Spring 2 Summer 2

My community

Our world - the environment

Our world - exploring continents

Curriculum

Preschool focus

Playing and exploring - children investigate and experience things, and ‘have a go ’

Active learning - children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties, and enjoy achievements.

Creating and thinking critically - children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things.

Exploring my new environment Traditional tales Superheroes

Rhythm and rhyme

The natural world

My wonderful imagination

Can they go to the toilet, put on their shoes and do up their coats independently? Encouraging them to achieve these goals will make starting school and enjoying break / lunch times so much easier.

Curriculum

The curriculum guidance for the EYFS cover the 7 main areas of learning

Communication & Language; Personal, Social and Emotional Development; Physical Development; Literacy; Maths; Understanding the World; Expressive Arts and Design. and our curriculum reflects these.

We place an emphasis on strengthening language & vocabulary and a deeper understanding of mathematics to build strong foundations for progress.

The focus on learning through experimentation has also been engaging and inspiring.

Curriculum - Literacy

Through the Power of Reading, quality whole texts are read, digested and enjoyed. Throughout the year, pupils in Reception will focus on developing empathy with characters and fostering a love of books

It may take us a while to read a short book but please do not be tempted to read it at home unless specifically asked. No spoilers!

In addition pupils will listen to and discuss a large variety of stories every week

In Reception, pupils will read at school one to one with an adult at least 3 times a week. We will visit the school library to choose a book and, they will bring home level appropriate books to read with an adult.

Books we focus on:

Autumn 1

Hello friend!/ All Are Welcome

Autumn 2

Stanley’s Stick/ What the Ladybird Heard

Spring 1

Astro Girl/ Surprising Sharks

Spring 2

10 things I can do to Help My World/ Eco Girl

Summer 1

Lulu gets a Cat/ Emily Brown and the Thing

Summer 2

The Leaopards Drum/ Anna and the Hibiscus Song

Curriculum - Maths

Through White Rose we deliver maths sessions with a focus on developing a deep understanding of number Maths learning extends into the continuous provision of our learning environment and encourages pupils to think and talk using mathematical language through play

Maths topics include:

‘Match, Sort, Compare!’

‘Talk About Measure and Pattern’

‘It’s Me 123!'

‘To 20 and Beyond’ ‘How Many Now?’ ‘Manipulate, Compose and Decompose’ Autumn 2

‘Circles and Triangles’ ‘1,2,3,4,5’

‘Alive in 5' ‘Mass and Capacity’ ‘Growing 6,7,8'

‘Length, height and time’ ‘Building 9 and 10'

‘Sharing and grouping’ ‘Visualise, build and map ’

Outdoor Learning

Children visit the forest or beach every Tuesday and spend the day exploring the natural world around them and developing their practical, emotional, intellectual and communication skills.

The children take part in varied, seasonal activities which directly benefit their development in all the EYFS learning areas. Activities are developed to positively impact development of fine and gross motor skills We learn through structured activities such as scavenger hunts, maths challenges, mark making, sculpting, foraging, mandalas, building sandcastles, making shelters and kites and climbing trees. Children will also take part in imagination games, storytelling and role play. Linking to our topics, children learn about the tides and the Moon, seasons changing and shoreline and forest habitats Children lead their learning & develop communication & confidence skills at the same time; whether that’s through cooking on a fire, den building, using tools or rockpooling at the beach. Lots of fun is had at the same time.

Trips, workshops and events

Central to our Early Years curriculum are our ‘Out and About’ opportunities Most weeks will see us getting out to explore the world around us Later in the year, trips can be included that reflect the children’s interests.

The first half of the Autumn term will find us:

At forest school

At beach school

At the ‘pick your own ’ Roundstone Farm

In our local neighbourhood

These trips are integral to developing our ‘understanding the world’ curriculum

We will take a packed lunch to Forest school and on trip days - either supplied by the school or, if you prefer, by you. A School packed lunch contains: sandwich, crisps, fruit and a biscuit. Sandwich choices - jam, cheese, marmite, ham, ham and cheese, tunaor a mixture of the above

Visit Us

Open Mornings and Weekly Wednesday Tours

We invite all Pre-Prep and Prep parents to visit your daughter’s classroom regularly to share the learning that has been taking place. These visits will be a chance for you to informally visit the school between 8:15 and 8:40 on your allocated date, look through books, enjoy artwork and talk to your daughter about her learning. These dates will be shared on the school calendar.

Stay and Plays

We run stay & play events throughout the year before your child joins us. This gives them a taste of our Forest School, coding, art and drama curriculum, as well as being an opportunity to meet peers & key adults at the school Children join the school feeling happy, settled & safe in their environment.

Curriculum Evenings

These are evening events when staff will share with you different aspects of how we teach Each evening will be specific to the year group and will cover a crucial aspect of the curriculum, e.g. phonics in KS1, early writing in Reception, the start of algebra in Y6.

They will last for about an hour and we plan to follow them with refreshments and nibbles and a chance to chat to staff

Report cards and Parents’ Evenings

We keep you regularly updated through our Tapestry platform, which allows you to see and read about educational milestones your child is reaching

Parents’ Evenings also take place in the Autumn and Spring terms. Dates are on the calendar.

You will receive a full EYFS profile report at the end of the Summer term

Essential Information/ FAQs

E-safety: we work with National Online Safety, which is an organisation that provides training for staff, support and advice for parents, and lesson materials for pupils All pupils are taught about how to use technology safely through PSHE and Computing lessons. No pupil other than those in Y6 should be bringing phones to school and all Y6 pupils who do are asked to leave them in the office.

Coats: all pupils should have the school waterproof coat with the fleece liner All pupils should have school hat and gloves (grey). Please ensure that you have these ready for when it gets cold! Please send your daughter in with her coat even if you come to school by car or it looks like a nice day- we go out to play time even in light rain. Once it starts to be tights weather, please send your daughter in wearing green tights

Lunches and snacks: Lunch is delicious and there are always lots of options. There is a salad bar, variety of puddings and water. Please let us know if you have any concerns about lunches. The kitchen always ensures there is a glutenfree and dairy-free option available as well Menus can be found on Firefly and the school website. Please send your daughter in with a healthy snack; fresh fruit, veggies and whole foods only please. No crisps/chocs/sweets. Rice cakes/crackers/basic popcorn/Rivitas etc are all fine.