Early Years Foundation Stage

Brackenfield SEND School takes pupils from age 3. However, due to the cognitive needs of our pupils many pupils experience an EYFS based curriculum regardless of their age. The Teaching Learning Curriculum and Assessment Policy sets out our curriculum and approach for all pupils (for specific guidance see TCA, reading, numeracy and subject rationale policies).

Brackenfield SEND School meets the requirements of the EYFS Statutory Framework by:

  • Providing a secure foundation through learning and development opportunities which are planned around the needs and interests of each individual child and are assessed and reviewed regularly
  • Partnership working between practitioners and with parents and/or carers
  • Equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice, ensuring that every child is included and supported

We ensure we are meeting these requirements by:

  • Having clear EYFS guidelines that all staff follow across the school with an embedded approached which will be checked through quality assurance cycles
  • Teaching through bespoke curriculum and play based learning opportunities ensuring teachable moments are being captured and utilised
  • Working openly with other professionals and parents and information sharing where possible. This included offering training, support and advice to parents to enhance development for the children
  • Ensuring inclusion is at the core of our practice by offering an open and accessible education to anyone from any race, gender, disability or religion.

What Does This Look Like

At Brackenfield SEND School our EYFS pupils learn though our informal or semi-formal curriculum approach. Our curriculum is designed to support pupils from their starting point all the way through to preparing them for adulthood.

This encapsulates the 7 areas of learning from the EYFS framework.

There are three areas are the prime areas:

Communication and Language

Physical Development

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

Children are also supported through the four specific areas, through which the three prime areas are strengthened and applied.

The specific areas are:

Literacy

Mathematics

Understanding the World

Expressive Arts and Design

Each pupil is considered as a unique child and therefore has a person-centred planning (PCP) document outlining current needs, likes, dislikes, engagement and learning intentions. For more on our PCP please see the T&L policy

Play is the fundamental way in which children learn, it is important that these opportunities are given indoors and outdoors.

 

Transitions into Brackenfield at EYFS

Transitions are robust to ensure information is gained from families, other settings and any agencies involved. As part of the transition process a member of staff will visit the child at their current setting (where applicable) to observe and talk to the key worker. The Pastoral Care Team will arrange to visit the family at home to offer support and to get to know the family. The pupil will be offered stay and play sessions at Brackenfield prior to starting at school, as well as pictures sent home informing for the child to look at of their new school and class team. The previous setting (where applicable) will be asked to complete a document to baseline the child against our Brackenfield levels and complete the person centred planning to inform the new personalised learning intentions.