The Foundation Stage

The Foundation Stage begins when children reach the age of three, and lasts until the end of the Reception Year (the year in which they are five), when children will progress to the National Curriculum (NC) key stage 1 in Year 1.

The last year of the Foundation Stage is often referred to as the 'Reception Year', since most children are admitted to Reception class at Dawley Brook during the year in which they are 5 years old.

The Curriculum for the foundation stage is designed to meet the diverse needs of all children in the Foundation Stage in a range of settings. There are six areas of learning:

• personal, social and emotional development;
• communication, language and literacy;
• mathematical development;
• knowledge and understanding of the world;
• physical development;
• creative development.

Early learning goals
By the end of the Reception Year most children are expected to achieve a set of goals in each area of learning; the term used for these is the early learning goals. By the end of Reception some children will have exceeded these goals. Others will be working towards some or all of the goals - particularly the younger children, those with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language.

The goals for mathematical development and communication, language and literacy are consistent with the key objectives for the Reception Year in the National Literacy Strategy and National Numeracy Strategy. The National Curriculum at Key Stage 1 then builds on the early learning goals.

The Foundation Stage Profile

The observation and assessment of children is a key principle that underpins effective teaching and learning in the Foundation Stage.

The Foundation Stage Profile is the statutory assessment for children in the final year of the foundation stage.

The word 'profile' has been carefully chosen - it reflects a particular approach to assessment. The Foundation Stage Profile is a picture of what a child has achieved, knows and can do. It is based on the early learning goals and the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage. There are no tests, no tasks as the profile is built up over the year.  

Click here for further information.

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