Welcome to Early Years at Franche
This is the start of a new and exciting journey for you and your child. We can't wait for you to join our Franche family.
Within this section of our website you will be able to find out about everything Early Years at Franche Community Primary School.
There are lots of useful links and downloads to give you more information about life in our Pre-school and Reception along with guidance to help you support your child at home.
It is in Early Years where we start our incredible journey into school life. At Franche Community Primary School, we work hard to ensure our children primarily have a love for learning whilst offering a nurturing environment for all children in our care. We offer a wide range of opportunities for children to develop in many different ways including an onsite Forest School and swimming pool! We build an inclusive, caring classroom culture, using our Franche Values: family, respect, aspiration, nurture, creativity, health and enjoyment.
Here at Franche, we pride ourselves on our rich, creative and sequential curriculum. All of our subjects are taught through engaging, purposeful topics and aim to immerse children in a wide range of opportunities. With a strong focus on vocabulary and key skills, pupils are involved in leading their own learning and as a result, pupils are enthused and motivated. We are firm believers that children learn best through play and ensure that our continuous provision is inviting and engaging to support their development.
Curriculum
Our Early Years setting follows the curriculum as outlined in the latest version of the EYFS statutory framework that applies from January 2024.
The EYFS framework includes seven areas of learning and development that are equally important and inter-connected. However, three areas, known as the Prime Areas, are seen as particularly important for igniting curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, and for building children’s capacity to learn, form relationships and thrive.
The Prime Areas are:
- Communication and language
- Physical development
- Personal, social and emotional development
The Prime Areas are strengthened and applied through four Specific Areas:
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Understanding the world
- Expressive arts and design
Our EYFS pedagogy and curriculum encompasses our ambitious, progressive long-term overview, the children’s interests and the use of the Franche Framework and Birth to Five matters; to focus on small developmental steps. Our long-term overview provides key themes and texts which will help expand the children’s knowledge and understanding of different topics. We also use Birth to five matters to consider the small, incremental steps needed for children to make progress in the 7 curriculum areas. Just as the role of the EYFS practitioner is pivotal in young children’s development, so too is the role of an enabling environment. Children across our EYFS will have access to a well-resourced, stimulating indoor and outdoor environment, which is organised to allow maximum independence but also to foster the characteristics of effective learning.
Speech and Language Development
We also recognise that language is central to all development, hence this is at the forefront of all our provision across the EYFS. This priority underpins our planning, teaching and interactions. Our progressive planning includes a well thought out variety of age appropriate texts, poetry, rhymes and topic based vocabulary. We include daily opportunities for stories, rhymes, phonics sessions, listening games, discussions, questioning and high quality interactions.
We have Early Years speech and language therapists on site who work closely with our staff to audit and develop our environments, embed universal approaches and train communication and language TAs to undertake interventions using Speech and language programmes.
Please speak to a member of the EYFS team to find out about our on site S & L drop in sessions with our Speech and Language therapists
Ofsted Inspection 2019
" Children get off to an excellent start in early years. Relationships between adults and children are strong. Children are well cared for and safe."
" The curriculum meets the needs of all children across the setting. Children enjoy exciting topics through which they can explore and investigate. Leaders ensure there is a focus on basic skills, for example communication, reading, writing and mathematics."
"Keeping children safe is a high priority for all staff."
"Pupils like coming to school. They describe it as a place where everyone is welcome. They feel safe and well cared for. "
"Staff have high expectations of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teachers understand the additional needs of pupils and ensure that activities are matched to their individual needs. Pupils with SEND are doing well."
Comments from parents
Nursery
"The care my child receives has been so lovely! He feels so comfortable with them and I feel comforted by how caring and good they are with him."
"My child is absolutely excelling. I am surprised myself at things she knows already at the age of 4. All thanks to the amazing staff."
"My child has learnt so much in Nursery. She is always talking about her key worker and what she has enjoyed at Nursery. We love the home learning opportunities we are given so we can be involved in learning too."
"I cannot thank you enough for helping my child settle into Nursery, he loves coming and feels so comfortable around all staff. It helps put my mind at ease dropping him off. Nothing is ever too much and communication is brilliant. He's definitely in good hands."
Reception
“My child has learnt so much in Reception despite him being one of the youngest. The dedication and commitment shown to him and us has resulted in him reading and writing and almost being where he should be. He has been given so many learning opportunities and has loved telling us about them at home. Thank you as always.”
“Her time in Reception has been amazing. Her confidence has grown so so much. We can’t thank the Reception team enough.”
“My child has loved being a part of Reception so far and is always inspired by the topics being taught. Thank you to the whole Reception team for instilling her passion for learning.”
" My child is really enjoying reception. I feel that he is constantly improving with his speech and understanding."
“We have been amazed by how quickly her reading and writing have progressed. We love the varied activities such as forest/swimming. Her teacher is doing an excellent job and our daughter loves her (and dojo points!!)”