Welcome to Bowerhill Primary School - Click Here
EYFS: A Guide For Parents - Click Here
Through Phenix's first year at Bowerhill Primary School (while in Reception), Phenix flourished and came on in leaps and bounds. At the heart of Phenix's successful year was his teachers. What has been apparent during this time is that Phenix had been understood and allowed to organically grow with regards to his temperament, passions and social behaviours. Considering the challenges that COVID presented to so many, we truly felt so lucky to have witnessed such great efforts during the online learning. The passion from each of the teachers here to consistently learn in the moment on how to best engage 29 children and include all the little minds in the digital room was a marvel to witness. A truly great foundation has been laid and we are forever grateful.
Mrs Amos
Dates for your diary about the induction process 2024.
Over the coming terms the reception teachers will be working closely with pre-schools to meet the children where possible and to build a picture of the children's academic and social development.
June 2024
A Parents Induction meeting will be held on Wednesday 26th June 2024 at 2pm in the school hall. At this meeting you will be given information about starting school and the year ahead. You will have the opportunity to meet the reception teachers, teaching assistants, headteacher and SENCo. At the meeting you will find out which class your child is in. This meeting is for adults only, if you do have to bring a child with you then there will be a creche available during this time.
July 2024
In July we will be inviting your child to a stay and play session at school where your child can come and meet their teachers, teaching assistant, new class mates and see their new classroom. These will take place on Thursday 18th July 2024 and Friday 19th July 2024 from 1.30-2.30. We will let you know which session your child needs to attend at a later date.
Autumn Term 2024
Week Beginning 2nd September 2024
We will invite you and your child into school for a personal appointment with your child's class teacher and teaching assistant. These appointments will last around 15 minutes. At this meeting your child will also have the opportunity to meet their Year 5 buddy, who help guide and support your child in their first year at school. We will send a letter out with your time slot on at the end of June.
Week Beginning 9th September 2024
The children will then have two full days in school to learn routines and settle. The class will be split into two groups for these sessions (half Monday/Tuesday and half Thursday/Friday). On these days the Year 5 buddies will accompany them into the dinner hall and at lunch play to support them and show them routines. We will let you know which session your child needs to attend at a later date.
Week Beginning 16th September 2024
On Monday 16th September 2024 all children will be in school full time unless otherwise agreed.
EYFS Curriculum:
Learning Through Play
In the Early Years, learning takes place through carefully planned, play-based learning opportunities, both inside the classroom and also in our specially designated outdoor area. The EYFS curriculum has been designed with seven areas of learning and development in mind. These seven areas of learning are grouped into two strands, ‘prime’ and ‘specific’.
The Three Prime Areas of Learning and Development:
These lay down the foundation for all children’s learning, ensuring that children are able to relate to others, communicate effectively, and engage with their environment. The prime areas are dependent on each other and are universal in that they occur within all cultures and social backgrounds.
- Personal, social and emotional development
- Physical development
- Communication and language
The Four Specific Areas of Learning and Development:
These can be introduced flexibly but cannot be developed alone; they build on the development gained through the prime areas. The specific areas reflect individual children’s life experiences, including their cultural and social background. Practitioners will be able to plan for children’s next steps in the specific areas through their observations and knowledge of children’s likes, dislikes, and through regular feedback and communication from families.
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Understanding the world
- Expressive arts and design
Alongside these seven areas of learning and development, the EYFS curriculum focuses on the way children learn. This is called The Characteristics of Effective Teaching and Learning. Roughly speaking, they tell us that children are learning when they are:
- Playing and Exploring: How engaged they are in an activity.
- Active Learning: How motivated they are.
- Creating and Thinking Critically: How they develop their thinking.
The essence of this curriculum will still be fundamental to your child’s learning, but the way in which staff prioritise each area will also reflect the way in which some children may have been impacted by the lockdown period and the rules of social distancing. There will be an even greater emphasis on the prime areas of learning, particularly personal, social and emotional development and well-being.
Play will still be a critical tool at this time to allow children to act out and make sense of what they have experienced over the last few months and how they have seen people’s behaviour change.
EY staff will be warm, responsive, and sensitive to what they observe in play and respond with appropriate talk and questioning. Even if there are distancing and resource limitation rules in place in September, settings will be able to provide calm, safe spaces for talk and reflection.
Of course, school is a different environment to the home. EY staff will skillfully help children readjust by gradually introducing routine and structure to the day as the term progresses.
If you have any questions, please continue to communicate with school through the links on this website.