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Foundation Stage

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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. Good parenting and high-quality early learning together provide the foundation children with the skills, attributes and confidence they will need to make the most of their abilities and talents as they grow up.

At The Sheffield Private School, we follow The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum which sets standards for the learning, development and care of children from birth to 5 years old. The EYFS Framework explains how and what children in EYFS will be learning to support their development. During classroom activities students are made aware of the important High Performance Learning skills and attributes that they need to use and develop to become successful learners.

The EYFS seeks to provide:

Quality and consistency in

 in all early years settings, so that every child makes good progress and no child gets left behind;

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;

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is based upon four principles:

A Unique Child:

 developing resilient, capable, confident and self-assured individuals.

Learning and developing: 

an acknowledgement that children learn in different ways and at different rates;

Enabling environments:

 where opportunities and experiences respond to the individual needs of the child by developing a strong partnership between practitioners, parents/carers and the child;

Positive relationships:

supporting the children in becoming strong and independent. We at TSPS use this framework and complete an EYFS profile for each child at the end of the academic year in which they reach five. During this stage children work towards ‘Early Learning Goals’. Most children will achieve or be well on their way to achieving the Early Learning Goals by the end of the Foundation Stage.

Play underpins the curriculum provision. Children have the opportunity to play indoors and outdoors on a daily basis. Children play spontaneously, although they will be given adult support when needed. It is through play that the children will develop intellectually, creatively, physically, socially and emotionally.

Our aim is to ensure that children enjoy their Early Years experiences in the care of well qualified and caring staff. We lay the foundations for the children’s future successes through a stimulating and ‘hands on’ curriculum that is divided into the following areas:

Prime Areas:

Physical Development

Communication & Language

Personal, Social & Emotional Development

Specific Areas:

Literacy

Mathematics

Understanding the World

Expressive Arts & Design

Planning and Assessment

We encourage a love for learning in the Foundation Stage, by teaching and planning activities around children’s interests and key stories and topics that stimulate curiosity, exploration and understanding. Each child’s growth and development is carefully taken into account when planning, so that individual needs are met. Progress is recorded in a profile that includes a range of anecdotal observations, photographs and samples of work. We highly value the input from parents/caregivers as well.

Enriching the Curriculum

First hand experiences are the best way to enrich learning and make it come alive. Our teachers plan such experiences carefully. It may be a visit to the museum, or the park, shopping mall or visit by a special visitor, such as an author, professional. Students actively participate in themed days, drop down mornings, charity drives and all other school events.

Recording Progress

We use an app called Tapestry which provides an online record of each child’s Learning Journey. This enables us to share with parents the learning of each child as they progress through the year. We focus on the process and sharing the steps the children take to achieving tasks and milestones.

The Learning Environment

The Foundation Stage learning environments are warm, bright and stimulating, encouraging learning through play and the use of focused groups both in and outdoors.

Aine Clarke

Vice Principal KG & Elementary

Ireland is where I grew up, always playing school and wanting to be a teacher. I attended the University of Galway and qualified as a Geography and Irish teacher in 2011. I loved my time in the classroom and when curiosity got the better of me, I returned to University of Maynooth, to complete my Masters in Educational Leadership. I began my first leadership position in a starter residential school in Co. Galway. Before joining the team in Britus International School, Bahrain, I worked in the United Arab Emirates as an Deputy Cluster Manager- Academic Advisor.

During my time in Dubai, I led on educational reform and change management as well as establishing, developing and improving teaching and learning. I implemented a nationwide e-learning collaborative practice during the Covid-19 Pandemic. I believe in lifelong learning and I will model my ethos for the students, teachers and parents of BISBH. I am excited about this new chapter in BISBH and it is an honor to be involved in this educational journey.