LEARNING
The Early Years Curriculum
The Early Years section includes the following settings or classes:
· Buzzy Bees (children aged 2-3)
· Nursery (children aged 3-4)
· Reception (children aged 4-5)
The school day for this age group starts at 7.30 am and finishes at 12.00 pm.
Curriculum
Learning in this part of the School is based upon the UK Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum. This is an internationally recognised programme of education for the under-fives which is covers the following 7 areas:
PRIME AREAS: Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Communication and Language, Physical Development
SPECIFIC AREAS: Literacy, Mathematics, Expressive and Creative Development, Knowledge and Understanding of the World
Partnership with Parents
We believe it is crucial to work closely with the parents of our children and so we operate an ‘open door’ policy, encouraging our parents to come and discuss any issues or ask questions whenever they wish to. Sharing of information means that we are better able to meet the individual needs of each child. We also organise open evenings and activity mornings so parents can come into school to find out more about and share their child’s learning and experiences.
Spiritual life
Prayer is part of each day at GSIS. Teachers encourage spiritual growth through prayer, bible reading, and one on one interactions with students. Learning is within the context of Christianity.
EYFS covers 7 areas within it’s programme
Assessment
Children are assessed against Early Learning Goals which form part of the EYFS curriculum. Assessment information is used to plan learning for each child, enabling us to make sure that all our children make optimum progress. Assessment information is communicated to parents each term in reports and also in a termly consultation meeting. A unique ‘Learning Journey’ book is kept to record the progress of each child and this is also shared with parents, as is a weekly summary of each child’s week.
High Quality Staff
Our Early Years teachers are qualified and experienced in working with the under-five age group, so are able to plan and assess children in order to optimise their learning. Our teachers are assisted by a team of Early Years practitioner-assistants. All our Early Years staff undergo regular in-house training and development to ensure that their skills and understanding are of kept up-to-date in order to deliver the very best education to our youngest children.
