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The Orchard School

Early Years Foundation Stage

At The Orchard School, children are taught in three Reception classes. The three classes share an indoor communal area (that we call Yellow Bay) which is where a lot of very creative magic happens. Paint and glue are our friends in Yellow Bay. They also have a vast, exciting and creative outdoor environment (that we call the Learning Zone) where the children can explore and play together in the mud kitchen, carry out all sorts of investigations in the water and sand trays, ride on balance bikes, build with large construction, perform in our music and drama staged area, explore and plant in the nature garden, as well as many more things. We provide opportunities to develop their literacy and writing throughout the outdoor environment.

The three main classrooms are organised so that children can choose and access a range of resources and activities as well. These include a role play area, a maths and writing area, a construction area, a tuff tray with themed activities that support the weekly learning, fine motor skill activities, as well as ipads and a large touch screen for interactive digital play.

The Statutory Framework for EYFS

The Foundation Stage begins when children enter pre-school provision. This includes Child-minders, Nursery, Pre-school and Playgroups. The last year of the Foundation Stage is often referred to as Reception year.

EYFS Policy

EYFS Statutory Framework

We plan school trips and workshops to enhance the science curriculum such as Hobbledown and our Fossil workshop. We also go on virtual reality trip into space and get to watch baby ducklings hatch and care for them.


reception curriculum overview with development matters.pdf

At The Orchard School we believe that children learn best when they are absorbed, interested and active. Our EYFS curriculum has an underlying ethos of learning through play and hands on, practical experiences. Our indoor and outdoor environments support high quality continuous provision for all children in our three Reception classes. We call this ‘Choosing Time’. This is carefully planned to enable children to follow their own interests and fascinations, develop independence and lead their learning. 

During 'Choosing Time’, children are skilfully supported by adults to take on new challenges, extend their ideas and consolidate their learning. Adults join the children as partners in their play, modelling language and building confidence so that children can flourish. Positive and supportive relationships between staff, children and their families are at the heart of our Foundation Stage practice. We recognise that these strong relationships provide the foundation for learning and enable children to feel safe and secure and reach their full potential.

Resources are provided to enable open ended play, so learning is not limited. We encourage the children to gather their own resources and plan how they want to use them. These approaches enable children to develop independence, perseverance, confidence and respect for others and the world around them.

We have a weekly 'Rainbow Challenge' which encourages children to engage with a variety of different learning experiences.

Teaching in Reception is predominantly delivered through joining children in their play and enhancing play with new ideas and resources. Directed teaching is also delivered to the whole class, small groups or individual children when appropriate. We have daily whole class carpet sessions for literacy, phonics, story & rhyme time and Maths and the children have weekly PSHE & RSE, music, RE, computing and indoor PE sessions. Children also read in small groups with an adult regularly across the week.

The Foundation Stage curriculum consists of seven learning areas:

Prime Areas

1.       Personal, Social and Emotional Development

2.       Physical Development

3.       Communication and Language

Specific Areas

4.       Literacy

5.       Mathematics

6.       Understanding the World

7.       Expressive Arts and Design

All seven areas of learning are equally important and inter-connected. In the Summer term of the Reception year, children are assessed against 17 Early Learning Goals. These assessments provide parents and carers with a well-rounded picture of a child’s knowledge, understanding and abilities. These assessments are also shared with Year 1 teachers which supports a smooth and successful transition.

early learning goals 2.pdf

Reception