Misterton

Primary School

Welcome to our

school

This booklet gives you information

about our Foundation Stage Unit.

The Foundation Team

Foundation Stage 1 Teacher – Mrs Kerri Blessed

Foundation Stage 2 Teacher – Miss Lindsey Brunt

Teaching Assistant – Miss Humphrey

Teaching Assistant – Mrs Johnson

Teaching Assistant – Mrs Warner

Senior Teaching Assistant- Miss Soulsby

The Foundation Unit

Misterton Primary School Foundation Unit encompasses both Foundation

Stage 1 and Foundation Stage 2 children into the same setting.

FS1 morning sessions are from 8.50am to 11.50am.

FS2 sessions are from 8.45am to 3.30pm. Monday to Friday. In the

afternoons FS2 children work with Miss Brunt, Miss Humphries and Miss

Soulsby.

The aims of our Foundation Unit

To provide a happy, stable environment in which the children develop

physically, intellectually, emotionally and socially.

To enable the children to develop the ability to communicate, both

verbally and non-verbally, clearly and confidently, with both adults and

peers.

To draw upon the children’s previous experiences, building on them and

providing opportunities for the further acquisition of knowledge, skills

and attitudes.

To develop lively, enquiring minds through encouraging children to

explore, experiment, observe and discover while taking part in a range of

planned and spontaneous activities.

To enable the children to develop a high self esteem by encouraging them

to make decisions and solve problems for themselves.

To encourage appropriate behaviour and develop appropriate attitudes

and values, including respect of other’s needs and points of view.

What is the Foundation Stage?

Children between the ages of 3 and 5 have access to the Foundation

Stage curriculum. The Foundation Stage begins in FS1 (age 3) and

continues until the children reach the end of reception year in

FS2 (age 5).

The Foundation Stage is so called because it provides the foundations of

learning. It is classed as a distinct stage of the curriculum where play,

exploration and practical activities are undertaken to promote a

curriculum, which is based on the seven ‘Areas of Learning’.

These are:

Prime Areas – Communication and Language

Physical Development

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

Specific Areas - Literacy

Mathematics

Knowledge of the World

Expressive Arts and Design

Foundation Unit staff ensure activities in the Unit are varied and fun and

are carefully planned to include a wide range of opportunities so that all

seven areas of learning are covered over time. For example we offer: sand

and water play, play dough, junk modelling, painting and collage, drawing,

imaginative play, construction, sharing books, playing games and puzzles.

Equally we plan to make the most of our outdoor environment extending

the children’s experiences socially, emotionally, physically and

intellectually.

The children will be given daily opportunities to work in one to one

situations, small groups and as a whole class.

The staff role is to support and extend the child’s learning in a

stimulating and secure environment. We play with the children, act as role

models and give the children time and space to listen and talk.

A copy of the timetables for both FS1 and FS2 are displayed next to our

planning board.

Monitoring and Reporting Progress

When you bring your child into the Foundation Unit in the morning you are

most welcome to chat to staff, view the activities that are set up for the

day and look at the children’s work on our walls.

To help us monitor the children’s progress each child has their own

‘Special Book’. This book includes photographs, observation notes,

examples of the children’s work and the objectives they have met. This

will be available to parents/carers to look at during Parent’s Evenings and

on request.

Parents will also be invited to add any comments into their child’s book if

they have noticed any particular development in the home environment. In

the Foundation Stage we view parents/carers as ‘partners’ and any

comments or observations you have will be greatly valued.

Reports will be handed to parents at the end of every academic year.

Parental Involvement

We welcome parental help so if you would like to spend some time joining

in activities with us please let us know.

There are many ways you can help us – playing with children, sharing

books, preparing resources, baking, helping with swimming etc. To help in

the Foundation Unit you need to complete a CRB check, please ask Mrs

Blessed or Miss Brunt for details).

Half-termly newsletters are written by staff. These will have topic

information on them and will often include ideas for activities linked to

our work in the Unit.

We really appreciate it when you take the time to read these letters and

talk to your children about what we are doing.

It would be helpful if you could collect any of the following items for use

in our creative and junk modelling areas: boxes, clean food packaging,

cardboard tubes (but not toilet rolls), corks, shells, pine cones, ribbon,

wool, old cards, bottle tops and so on.

Clothing

We encourage independence in the children so please can you dress your

child in clothes they can manage when they go to the toilet.

Please make sure all children’s clothes are named. Children should not

wear jewellery for safety reasons and if their ears are pierced we ask

that stud earrings are worn. Members of school staff are not allowed to

remove earrings.

All items of school uniform, including book bags, can now be bought from

Tesco’s Uniform Embroidery Service. Simply log on to www.tesco.com/ues

and find our school. You can then choose the items you require, pay by

credit or debit card, and they are delivered free of charge.

In winter can you please dress your child in suitable warm clothes for

playing outside.

Snack

All children are entitled to free milk (until their 5th birthday) and fruit

for snack time. To receive milk children must be registered with ‘Cool

Milk’ – Please ring 0800 3213248 to register your child.

Friday is our ‘cookie day’. Biscuits or flapjack are baked for us by the

school canteen. The cost of this is £1.50 per half term. Children are

should bring in a named water bottle that they will have access to

throughout the session. We ask that you only put plain water in these.

General Information

Please ensure that a responsible adult brings your child to school and is

there to collect them promptly at the end of the session. Please inform us

in advance of any change in who will be dropping off, or collecting your

child.

If your child is ill and can not come to the Unit please let us know by

ringing school on 01427 890284.

Please discuss with the Foundation Stage staff any special circumstances

which may affect your child’s happiness, security and progress. It helps

us to support them if we know how they are feeling. Please be assured

that anything you tell us will be confidential unless it affects

safeguarding.

We do not allow toys, jewellery, phones, valuables etc from home to be

brought into school. These can cause arguments and may get broken.

Above all, we do hope that life in our Foundation Unit will be enjoyable for

both you and your child.