EYFS

In the Early Years Foundation Stage at Richmond Academy we believe that the education and well-being of our pupils is paramount. A consistent approach to high quality teaching and learning will lead to a high quality education for all. We provide children with a safe and stimulating learning environment where children flourish.  

Learning should be fun and we strongly believe in providing the children with first hand experiences, valuing the importance of the outdoor environment to develop children’s thinking, problem solving skills and physical development.  

We believe that every child is unique and we respond to the children’s needs, curiosity and imagination when planning their learning and enhancing the continuous provision. The children are given the opportunity to investigate, explore and learn through play with the support of well-trained adults, who also support the development of social skills and self-esteem in children.  

Each day the children will learn as a whole class, in small groups and independently through play. We have time each day dedicated to the specific teaching of reading, writing and maths.  

We are committed to giving the children at Richmond the best possible start to their school life, teaching them the skills which will support their successes now and in the future. We enable children to become independent learners who value and love learning with and from others.

Communication and language is at the heart of everything which we do at Richmond:

“Our task is to help children communicate with the world using all their potential, strengths and languages, and to overcome any obstacle presented by our culture”

Loris Malaguzzi

In the Early Years Foundation Stage we provide well-organised, high quality, continuous provision that is differentiated to meet the needs of our pupils, from 2-5 years of age. 

Indoor Provision

Throughout the unit, in the indoor provision you will find key areas such as:

• Books and Puppets
• Small World
• Role Play
• Discovery and Investigation
• Construction
• Messy Play & Creative Areas
• Mark Making

Outdoor Provision

Outdoor provision is for activities that are not accessible within the classroom – Bigger, messier and nosier. It is not the indoors replicated outdoors.

At Richmond we have large outdoor spaces which are resourced with high quality provision. We encourage children to investigate and explore the world around them, find out why things happen, enjoy nature, take risks, try things out, think creatively and play imaginatively. The children have the space to be physically active in a range of ways, supporting their well-being. At Richmond, we believe that children should experience the magic of nature and have access to the outdoor provision in all weathers and all year through. We take part in the Wildlife Trust’s ’30 days wild’ initiative, and have extended this to 365 days wild.

Outdoor learning areas include:

• Water
• Construction (Crates Collection)
• Allotment and Gardening Area
• Den Making
• Mud Kitchen
• Role Play
• Natural Materials
• Sensory Garden and Nature area

Phonics

At Richmond Academy, we use The Harmony Trust Phonics Framework to support the teaching and learning of phonics.  We teach phonics every day. You can read about how to support your child with phonics in our parent guide to the Phonics Framework below.  You can ask the main office for a hard copy of the framework:

Working with you  

Parents are a child’s first educator and at Richmond we are committed to working co-operatively with you. As practitioners we build up a knowledge of how children learn within school, but we understand that this is only a small part of the evidence and our work with you ensures we have a wider picture of your child.

At Richmond, we have an open door policy and opportunities for talking often happen informally, these interactions often generate very useful information. If it is not always convenient to stay and chat with staff in the morning due to work, college or home commitments, staff will always ensure they create a time which is more convenient for you. 

Throughout the year, we hold regular parents meetings where you can book a convenient time slot to meet with your child’s teacher to discuss your child’s achievements and how to continue to support their learning at home.

Class teachers will share some of the amazing learning which takes place through class blogs via the online platform ‘Purple Mash’. Some teachers will also share some of the children’s learning via Twitter. We would love for you to interact through this technology or you may prefer to bring in photographs, objects or a ‘WOW’ slip to share some learning from home.

We look forward to welcoming your child and your family into our school community.

Please click on the following links to see further information about our chosen curriculum and the EYFS statutory framework.

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