Welcome to Foundation Stage 2

Welcome to FS2. We are four form entry and have three classes in this year group.

Our classes are named using the Year Group followed by the Class Teacher’s initials. Our classes are FS2MH/EC, FS2SB & FS2JS.

The FS2 staff team are:

Michelle Howes FS2 Lead (2)
Joringe Sukaitiene FS2 Class Teacher
Liz Chown FS2 Teacher
Sarah Bristow FS2 Class Teacher

Michelle Howes FS2 Lead

Joringe Sukaitiene

FS2 Class Teacher

Liz Chown

FS2 Class Teacher

Sarah Bristow

FS2 Class Teacher

Janice Rodgers FS2 Teaching Assistant
Karlene Levins FS2 Teaching Assistant
Wendy Jackson FS2 Teaching Assistant
Karli Murray FS2 Teaching Assistant

 Janice Rodgers

FS2 Teaching Assistant

Karlene Levins

FS2 Teaching Assistant

Wendy Jackson

FS2 Teaching Assistant

Karli Murray

FS2 Teaching Assistant

Please click on this video to see what we have on offer in our provision

In FS2 we plan our learning and teaching using the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum (EYFS). This is a statutory document and will be a continuation of your child’s learning if they attended a nursery setting. The framework sets the standards that all early year’s providers must meet to ensure that children learn and develop well, ensures children are kept healthy and safe and ensures that children have the knowledge and skills they need to start formal education.

Within the EYFS, children learn skills, acquire new knowledge and demonstrate their understanding through 7 areas of learning and development. Three of these areas are known as ‘prime areas’:

  • Communication and language
  • Physical development
  • Personal, social and emotional development

The four ‘specific’ areas, build on the early foundations in the prime areas and are:

  • Literacy
  • Mathematics
  • Understanding the world
  • Expressive arts and design

Learning through play

Play is a natural activity for children, and in the EYFS, most activities are based on play. Situations and equipment are presented to the children to stimulate learning through play and introduce new areas for exploration and discovery. Creative and critical thinking is encouraged, both indoors and outdoors. We appreciate that every child is unique and the curriculum has flexibility so that we can meet each child’s individual needs and follow his or her own interests.  At the same time we ensure that the next steps in their development are taught in an appropriate way. Care is taken to note the stage each child has reached to ensure progression in learning.

The staff in our FS2 classes, plan the children’s learning and activities using the 7 areas of learning and development. Whilst there are still many opportunities to learn through play, the children also experience more structured periods, where the teachers will teach particular skills and concepts. This is an optimum time in their development to learn phonics on a daily basis, as well as reading and writing. At Woodnewton a learning community, we the Letters and Sounds scheme to systematically introduce the letter sounds, beginning to put those sounds together to read and write words.

Assessing and reporting children’s progress

Staff observe children closely, and record observations of the child’s learning and development in each child’s individual ‘Learning Journey’ folder. These folders are always available to parents and carers, as well as to the children themselves. There are daily informal opportunities for parents and carers to discuss their child’s needs with members of staff. There are also parents’ consultation meetings arranged during the course of the year. We encourage any parent/carer who has concerns to discuss these with their child’s teacher or a member of the Senior Leadership Team as soon as possible. We will also provide opportunities for parents to attend weekly sessions to find out more about how their children learn phonics and how to read so they can support their child at home.

Parents/carers will receive a written report about their child’s progress at the end of every academic year. At the end of their year in FS2, this report will include a summary of the child’s progress against the Early Learning Goals, which are the standards most children are expected to meet by the end of the EYFS.

Working with parents and carers

Staff are always keen to involve parents and carers in their child’s education. We believe that parents and teachers need to work together in order to enable children to reach their full potential, and we value parents’ knowledge of their own child.

We are keen to build strong links between home and school. Therefore, we offer home visits, stay and play sessions, and an ‘open door’ policy at drop off and pick up times. We encourage parents and carers to share ‘news from home’ with staff too. Parents/carers will also receive regular newsletters from FS2 that will give information about the topic and ideas to do at home.

Home Learning

Home Learning is given weekly and is set to enhance your child’s learning and to work on skills and knowledge they have learnt that week. Home Learning tasks cover the following areas of learning:

  • English
  • Reading
  • Spellings
  • Maths questions

Useful Links

Below are some recommended links that will enhance your child’s learning further:

www.phonicsplay.co.uk

https://www.teachyourmonstertoread.com/

www.topmarks.co.uk

https://www.bbc.com/bitesize/levels/z3g4d2p

www.crickweb.co.uk