Foundation Stage

Our youngest children are welcomed into an environment where they begin to learn the skills and attitudes that are necessary to live harmoniously with others and that they will use throughout a lifetime of learning.

Education is about nurturing the whole child and a holistic approach means that links are made between different aspects of a child’s development.

During this first year at school children follow the Foundation Stage curriculum which covers seven areas of learning:

Learning is introduced through all types of structured and imaginative play. Young children learn best through exploration and by participating in activities that they really enjoy both inside and outside the classroom. Activities are carefully planned to extend areas of knowledge, learn new skills and support developing understanding.

Continuous assessment through observation and questioning ensures that the next steps in learning are identified and carefully planned for to give the right balance of challenge and support to take the children forward, but at the same time maintaining their confidence. Parents are invited to contribute to this process and can comment on their child’s achievements including any changes they have noticed and progress that has been made; in fact anything that helps us paint a clear picture of each child.

The development of language skills is vital to enable each child to access the whole curriculum and so short focused times each day are dedicated to the teaching of speaking, listening, phonics, reading and early writing.

Our family atmosphere and the close links between home and school help the children to feel at ease from their very first day at Dovers Green.

Foundation Stage Curriculum