The Early Years Foundation Stage

The Early Years Foundation Stage department comprises the Assessment Nursery and up to three Reception classes. There are two nursery classes, admitting children from the age of two years six months until statutory school age. Following multidisciplinary assessment children either remain at Severndale, or move to a range of mainstream placements. If not already in place, the Statutory Assessment is initiated at around the age of four years, in order that a Statement of Special Educational Need can be completed before school admission, if necessary.

As in all schools, both the Nursery and the Reception classes follow the EYFS framework which works towards the Early Learning Goals. We also use a High/Scope model of active learning through motivating, exciting activities. We encourage children to make choices, solve problems, develop independence and have fun!.
 All children benefit from regular input from the speech and language therapist, and children receive physiotherapy and hydrotherapy when appropriate.

All groups within the department use the facilities available in school - pool, interactive room, sensory garden and soft play room. Outdoor activities are an important part of our curriculum, acknowledging the link between physical development and thinking skills in young children. We have a wide range of resources to use outdoors, which are planned on a rolling programme, to develop exploration, investigation, knowledge and understanding of the world, as well as physical skills.

We value highly the good relationships we have with parents and carers. During attendance at the nursery, multidisciplinary meetings are held every six months to report on children’s progress, culminating in a review to determine school placement. In the Reception classes an informal meeting is held with parents during the first term, in addition to the Annual review of each child's Statement, and the end of year parents evening. Open afternoons are held each half term within the department, and a programme of Parents Workshops focusses on issues such as development of communication skills; feeding issues; the EYFS framework and Makaton signing.