Gilbert Colvin Primary School

At Gilbert Colvin Primary School we aim to give children the best start to their learning in school. This is reflected in our mission statement:

At Gilbert Colvin Primary School we believe that we can achieve an

ever- increasing potential by meeting challenges head on, working together, valuing our diversity and giving generously of ourselves.

As a result we will become lifelong learners fully prepared for an exciting future.

Every child deserves the best possible start in life and the support that enables them to fulfil their potential. Children develop quickly in the early years and a child’s experiences between birth and age five have a major impact on their future life chances. A secure, safe and happy childhood is important in its own right. Good parenting and high quality early learning together provide the foundation children need to make the most of their abilities and talents as they grow up. (DfE, 2017)

Starting school is an exciting time: a time of new experiences, new friends and new places. Here at Gilbert Colvin Primary School, our extensive grounds and stimulating classrooms, provide a secure and anxiety-free environment where your child can play, explore, experiment, investigate and learn.

Aims

We aim to make school an exciting place of learning where children feel happy and safe. We believe that every child is unique and is constantly learning. Through offering enabling environments that meet the needs of all learners, working closely with parents, valuing our diversity and developing positive relationships, we can set the foundations for a child’s future success.

Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum

Teaching and learning in the Early Years is carefully planned and structured to meet individual needs. We plan as a team to give the children a range of experiences and opportunities to make choices and decisions, to work individually or in groups to explore the learning environment.

We plan opportunities, both indoors and outdoors for the children to have a wide range of experiences that are challenging and that extend their language and communication and practice and build on ideas and concepts.

We plan for children to access the areas of learning through a mixture of direct whole class teaching, child initiated and adult led play activities and focussed group teaching. We build on what each child can do and provide opportunities for them to develop skills in all areas of the curriculum.

The Prime Areas

• Personal, Social and Emotional development
• Communication and Language
• Physical Development

The Specific Areas

• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding the World
• Expressive Arts and Design

Characteristics of Learning

All children engage with other people and their environment in different ways and these are characterised in four ways:

• Playing and exploring
• Active learning
• Creating and thinking critically

These underpin learning and development across all areas and support children to remain effective and motivated learners.