Children start Foundation One in the September after their third birthday. The Early Years Foundation Stage is a two-year phase.
There are 3 classes in Foundation One and Foundation Two. Each year group has its own base where classes surround a well equipped and spacious shared activity area.
Class size does not exceed 22, where possible. Teaching assistants support the class teachers in the delivery of the curriculum and specialist teachers deliver the programme for music, ICT and PE.
The learning environments are well resourced and maintained providing the pupils with a range of multi sensory activities. There is a full time teaching assistant in Foundation One central area who adds valuable support to a wide range of activities including group work and language development through role play. Display is valued and celebrates the children’s work across all curriculum areas. All class rooms have interactive white boards to support the children's learning; these offer ways to support and consolidate day to day skills and allow access to the world outside through interactive websites.
The pupils have a dedicated play area featuring a range of activities, including wheeled vehicles, keeping them fully occupied at break times! As well as the permanant playground features the staff provide a range of changing outdoor activities such as water, sand, mark making and small world play. Specialist teaching rooms for ICT, Music, library and PE complete the department facilities. Children in Foundation love visiting the library each week, our youngest children enjoy cycling around the school grounds to get there!
The school day begins at 7.40 am when pupils are welcomed into class in preparation for a 7.50am start.
Foundation One has one half-hour break, with Foundation Two children having two breaks of half an hour each. The children get the opportunity to play outdoors and eat their packed lunch indoors. Foundation children spend an increased amount of time outdoors during the cooler months with art, physical, creative, mathematical and language tasks and resources available outside!
Foundation One children finish at 12.00 noon. Foundation Two children finish at 2.00pm and parents are invited to collect their children from the classroom.
Curriculum
Children follow the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum, based around six areas of learning. The emphasis throughout the Foundation Stage is on engaging the children in first-hand learning experiences with a very strong emphasis on play and early communication skills. 'Developing the children's independance throughout all aspects of the curriculum'. Role play is used as a way of developing the children's expressive language skills; role play areas change regularly in class rooms and central areas. Subject specialists deliver music, PE and ICT.
Parents are provided with a comprehensive curriculum summary which outlines the expectations in all areas of learning. Parents are actively encouraged to support their children's development through reading and home/school linked phonic and letter formation activities.
Opportunities to enrich the curriculum area developed through trips and visitors. For example, Foundation Two visit Mushrif Park as part of their study of houses and homes. Parents are invited into school to see an annual school production that is appropriate to the children's age. The children have great fun preparing for this through songs, actions, dancing and some speaking parts.
Similarly, visitors with special skills and experience are invited into class.
Meet the Teams:
Foundation 1
Left to right: Nirva Bohdjalian, Maria Fleming, Reem Al Ghusein, Sandra Stow, Debbie Spiga, Kim Mclean
Foundation 2
