Early Years
Welcome to Five Ways Early Years
At Five Ways, we are committed to ensuring that our approach to Early Years education, is in alignment with the most recent inspection framework developed by Ofsted. Our vision focuses on the intent, implementation, and impact of Early Years provision, ensuring that children in the Foundation Stage make excellent progress and develop a strong foundation for their future learning. We encourage our children to try their best and ‘Aim for Excellence.’
At Five Ways we are committed to providing a wide range of opportunities to inspire children that awaken new interests and celebrate individual talents. We make our learning fun and relevant by listening to the viewpoints and interests of the children as well as offering a broad and exciting curriculum that fosters a life-long love of learning.
Our Early Years setting integrates a natural environment theme, which lends itself to our indoor and outdoor areas. We believe that exposure to nature and the environment is not only beneficial to physical development but also enhances language skills, environmental awareness, and emotional well-being. Natural resources within the classroom environment, also encourages children to observe closely, use all of their senses, and make open-ended choices about their play.
Intent
Within our Early Years provision, the intent is to provide all children with a strong start in their educational journey, enabling them to develop the necessary knowledge, skills, and attitudes to thrive in both their personal and academic lives. This is achieved through:
1. A Broad and Balanced Curriculum
Our curriculum is carefully designed to ensure that all areas of learning and development are addressed, including the three prime areas (Communication and Language, Physical Development, and Personal, Social and Emotional Development) and the four specific areas (Literacy, Mathematics, Understanding the World, and Expressive Arts and Design). Our curriculum promotes exploration through play and child-initiated learning, allowing for creativity and individuality to flourish. At Five Ways, we follow the Fischer Family Trust ‘Success for All’ systematic synthetic phonics (SSP) programme. This SSP programme ensures an appropriate progression of vocabulary is in place from Nursery and that appropriate and ambitious vocabulary is taught from an early age.
2. High Expectations and Ambition
At Five Ways we have high expectations for all children. We recognise their unique capabilities and provide challenging activities that build their resilience and self-belief. We strive for ambitious outcomes, ensuring that all children reach their full potential.
3. Inclusive Practice
We recognise and value the diverse needs and backgrounds of all children. Our intent promotes inclusive practice, ensuring that all children - regardless of their background, language, or abilities - are fully supported, included, and encouraged to succeed. Our Early Years provision has a nurture room, known as Butterflies, which is aimed at supporting the diverse needs of our youngest children within school.
Implementation
The following information is used to ensure that the implementation of our Early Years provision is realised:
1. Knowledgeable and Skilled Staff
Our Early Years team consists of highly qualified and skilled teachers and practitioners who have a deep understanding of child development, age-appropriate pedagogy, and the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework. Their expertise enables them to effectively plan, deliver, and assess learning experiences that are tailored to the needs of individual children.
2. Continuous Professional Development
In order to maintain high expectations and standards within our Early Years setting, ongoing professional development is crucial for Early Years teachers and practitioners. At Five Ways we support and encourage staff to continually enhance their knowledge and skills through relevant training, workshops, and collaborative learning with colleagues. This ensures they stay informed about current best practices and pedagogical approaches.
3. Well-Resourced Learning Environment
Our provision is well-resourced and the learning environment is carefully arranged so that it promotes curiosity, independence, and engagement. Our environment is rich in stimulating learning materials, including books, manipulatives, sensory resources, and technology, all aimed at encouraging our children to explore, investigate, and make meaningful connections. Neutral and natural resources are used to help pupils with self-regulation, sensory enquiry, the ability to make choices, and to stimulate imagination through open-ended play opportunities.
4. Play-Based Learning and Child Initiated Activities
We recognise the importance of play in children's learning and development. At Five Ways we ensure that play-based learning provides ample opportunities for child-initiated activities, allowing children to drive their learning through curiosity, exploration, and problem-solving. Adults support and extend children's learning through meaningful interactions, helping them make connections and deepen their understanding.
5. Effective Assessment and Tracking
We make effective use of assessment and tracking systems to inform teaching and learning. Assessments are conducted regularly and informally, using a range of observational and formative assessment strategies. Data is used to identify children's strengths, areas for development, and to inform next steps for teaching, ensuring that every child receives targeted support tailored to their needs. Assessments include: Early Communication Screening, Reception Baseline Assessment, Fischer Family Trust Reading Assessment Programs, Ages and Stages profiles and Early Learning Goals.
6. Strong Partnership with Parents and Carers
We recognise that parents and carers play a vital role in supporting their child's learning and development. We actively encourage parental involvement through regular communication, workshops, and opportunities for parents to contribute their insights and perspectives. We use an online platform, Evidence Me, to effectively engage parents as partners in their child's educational journey. Through Evidence Me, school can capture moments of learning and share these with parents. Parents are encouraged to share photographs and statements about their child’s learning and achievements that have taken place out of school time. With permission from parents, we enjoy sharing these achievements back in school, during registration and small group work.
Our children will be:
- Safe and happy in their setting.
- Motivated because they are instrumental in shaping the curriculum which they are provided with, thus engaged in meaningful tasks that offer an appropriate level of challenge for all.
- Able to develop skills and confidence over time because of careful planning, focused delivery and opportunity to practice and hone previously taught skills.
- Able to explore and share their thoughts and feelings through back and forth conversations.
Impact
We are able to demonstrate a significant and sustained impact on the learning, development, and well-being of all of our Early Years children. This outcome is achieved through:
1. Exceptional Progress in Learning
Children make excellent progress across all areas of learning and development. They acquire and apply a wide range of skills, knowledge, and understanding, preparing them for the transition to Key Stage 1.
2. Positive Attitudes and Well-being
We nurture children's positive attitudes towards learning, fostering independence, resilience, and a love for discovery. Our ‘my Happy mind’ program helps to foster and promote positive well-being, supporting children's emotional, social, and physical development. At Five Ways, pupils are confident, happy children who have a strong sense of self, healthy relationships with peers and adults, and a high level of self-regulation.
3. Successful Transition between Nursery and Reception and also to Key Stage 1
Our Early Years provision ensures a successful transition between Nursery and Reception and from the Foundation Stage to Key Stage 1. We equip children with the necessary skills, knowledge, and confidence to adapt to new routines, expectations, and more formal learning.
In conclusion, Five Ways Early Years provision is built upon a clear intent, effective implementation, and demonstrable impact. This statement aims to provide a comprehensive outline of the key elements of our Early Years provision, which are in line with OFSTED's latest inspection framework, and ensures that children begin their educational journey with a strong foundation for future success.
4. Displays around the EYFS setting will show:
A varied and engaging curriculum has been followed and that skills and knowledge have been built upon over time. The EYFS journey is displayed in corridors and classrooms, acting as a visual reminder of all of the exciting topics that have been taught. Ambitious vocabulary is displayed alongside this learning journey, with the aim of our children reading it back and using it in their daily conversations.
