Early Years Foundation Stage

Our EYFS consists of:

A morning Two-Year-Old provision (10 places)
- 08:40 - 11:40

Two Nursery classes; a morning and an afternoon class (26 places in each session)
- 08:30 - 11:30
- 12:30 - 15:30

Two Reception classes (60 places)
- 08:50 - 15:20

At Elmhurst School, we believe that language is the key to success for all of our children. Interactions are valued and relationships build upon the uniqueness of every child. Our nature-based learning is holistic. It provides them with the stepping stones to academic accomplishment. Our Hygge approach encompasses the acquisition of knowledge, skills, values, attitudes and behaviours meaning that every child leaves Reception as a well-rounded individual, ready for the next stage of their education.

Elmhurst School provides the children in Early Years with a nurturing, enabling environment in which to thrive. Adults know the importance of building positive relationships with children, and their parents and this positively impacts on each child’s development. The relationships with our pupils is one built on trust and respect. As a result, children develop into keen learners who are willing to take on a challenge.

At Elmhurst, we have high expectations for every learner. Our Early Years practitioners value every child as unique, have a strong awareness of individual strengths and abilities and can use their knowledge of the children to facilitate accelerated progress.

Our Early Years curriculum is designed to allow children to develop the knowledge, skills and learning behaviours that they need to grow into well-rounded pupils, ready to succeed in life. Children’s learning is led through a balance of discrete, adult-led sessions and carefully planned continuous provision where children can investigate and apply their learning using our stimulating indoor and outdoor environments.

Our learning environments encourage children to become creative thinkers and independent learners. We do this by ensuring we have high quality, open-ended resources of which are easily accessible to children. Our provision is well planned, enthusiastically engages children in a range of learning activities and provides opportunities to build on their own interests.

Our Early Years Foundation Stage is made up of four cohorts; Two-Year-Olds, Nursery (N1 and N2) and Reception.

If you’d like your child to join us in our 2-Year-Old Room or Nursery, we’d love to hear from you! Please contact our School Office to check current availability or to add your child’s name to our waiting list.

We look forward to welcoming new families into our Elmhurst community.

Our 2 Year Old room caters for funded two-year olds. Children can join the term after they turn two once families establish if they are eligible for funding.

Admissions into our 2YO room and Nursery are organised through the school office.

In our Nursery, we have 26 spaces in the morning session and 26 spaces in the afternoon session. These are for children entitled to the 15 hours of free funding. Children can join the term after they turn three.

Admissions into our 2YO room and Nursery are organised through the school office.

Our Reception consists of two classes, each with 30 pupils. Children start when they are 4.

Admission into our Reception class is controlled through the Local Authority.

At Elmhurst, we are committed to the values and principles that underpin the Early Years Foundation Stage and Every Child Matters, and ensure all children receive their entitlement to an EYFS curriculum.

The Characteristics of Effective Teaching and Learning run through all aspects of our planning, provision and interactions and the ways in which children learn are strongly reflected in each child’s individual end of year report.

We have carefully planned our curriculum so that it is progressive, prioritises communication and language and enables children to embed their skills, knowledge and understanding through a nature based learning approach. We aspire for our children to be active learners, creative thinkers and curious explorers in all areas of their development and believe our curriculum enables all children to reach their full potential.

To read the full Early Years Framework and Every Child Matters, please follow these links:

Communication and Language, Personal, Social and Emotional Development and Physical Development are the prime areas within the Early Years framework and underpin all that we do. We understand that without developing these key skills, progress amongst the Specific Areas is limited.

We place high importance on developing children’s Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Physical Development and Communication and Language and have devised a curriculum that reflects this.

Our practitioners develop these skills discretely during all interactions with children and during targeted adult focus work (for example, during PALS and Speech and Language interventions).

At Elmhurst, we adopt the Hygge Wanderlust approach, aimed at providing children with real-life experiences and opportunities to learn through the natural world.

Loose parts, natural resources and nature-based learning promote independent and creative thinking, enabling children to develop their own ideas and learning experiences.

Timetabled Awe and Wonder walks encourage children to notice detailed features of their natural environment and promote discussions of how we can become considerate individuals, confident to care for the world around us.

Our environments are warm, welcoming and stimulating. Recent developments to the indoor and outdoor areas have created a brand new outdoor learning environment for Reception, a sensory room for all classes to carry out small group work and targeted interventions and an outdoor playground and natural garden area.

Furniture in all classes allow teachers to create clearly defined learning zones and cosy, quiet areas and children are supported to develop confidence in following their own interests across all areas of the classroom.

We aim to develop children’s independence and creative thinking by providing high-quality, open-ended resources which are easily accessible to all children and have a wide range of quality resources which are used by all classes.

Environments are further enhanced with well planned activities which link to focus group times or children’s interests, aimed at meeting specific learning objectives and target identified gaps in learning. These are set up by the class teachers and supported by the Learning Support Assistants.

We pride ourselves on working in close partnership with our parents and aim to establish these early on. Below is a list of regular opportunities we offer to parents to engage in their child’s learning in school and ways to support their child’s learning at home. We ensure parents are provided with sufficient notice for these.

Please note, additional opportunities often arise throughout the year and this list is not extensive.

Two-Year-Olds and Nursery

Transition sessions and home visits for identified families (prior to children starting)
'Share a Story' sessions - termly
'Stay and Play' sessions - Autumn and Spring terms
Winter Arts and Crafts and/or Sing Along - Autumn term
'Awe and Wonder Walk Bird Hunt' - Spring term
Sports Day and Art Gallery - Summer term
Wordless Book Workshop - Summer term (Nursery parents only)

Reception

Visits to pre-schools, transition sessions and home visits for identified families (prior to the children starting)
Phonics Workshop and 'Share a Story' session - termly
'Meet the Teacher' and 'Stay and Play' session - Autumn term
Parent/Carers Evenings - Autumn and Spring term
Winter Performance - Autumn term
Work Showcase - Spring term
Summer Festival - Summer term
Sports Day - Summer term