EYFS at Joydens Wood

The EYFS classrooms are organised to allow children to explore and learn securely, safely and independently. There are spaces where the children can be active and areas where they can be quiet. The classrooms are set up to enable children to independently find and locate equipment and resources to aid their learning in whichever way possible.

We have each of the three classrooms set up as a specialist area which include:

The Studio – The children can access lots of different media and materials in our Studio, such as clay, pastels, charcoal and model making materials.  We teach them how to mix their own colours and shades, and they can even alter the consistency of their paint depending on what techniques they are using!

The Imaginary Room – The children can role play in our large role play house, using a mixture of ‘real objects’ that they would find at home and dressing up items to enhance their play.  There are also lots of different size blocks and loose parts in this room to support construction and small world play.

The Explorers Room – This space allows the children to explore storytelling through the use of books and puppets, find out about different cultures and traditions from real photographs and objects sent in from others, and learn to sew using our selection of fabric and felt!

Open ended Maths and Literacy resources are spread throughout the provision which enable children to use skills learnt during group times in real, purposeful contexts.

Outside learning is as important as the learning that takes place indoors.  Being outdoors offers opportunities for doing things in different ways and on different scales than when indoors, and we are lucky to have a large garden featuring both open space and a wooded area.  Our garden offers the children opportunity to explore, use their senses and be physically active and exuberant in our natural surroundings.  We provide resources and opportunities for the children to access outdoors that help the children to develop in all seven areas of learning.

EYFS

Our highly skilled team in EYFS carefully support and extend our children through a range of exciting and awe inspiring learning opportunities. Our learning environments are rich and stimulating, offering an open ended child-led approach that encompasses both the Prime and Specific Areas. In our setting, children free flow between our three rooms; The Art Studio, The Explorers Den and The Imagination Room. All the rooms are set up with specific resources that enhance all 7 areas of learning in the EYFS curriculum. Our team add daily enhancements that follow the children’s interests and challenge their thinking as they understand how children learn best (Characteristics of Effective Learning). Our EYFS team embrace and bring alive our school’s ethos by investing in the development of the ‘whole child’ through physical, social and holistic development with awe and wonder at the heart.

Characteristics of Effective Learning

Prime Areas

Specific Areas