Planning

Curriculum Planning

The early learning goals provide a basis for our planning throughout the foundation stage and lay a foundation for future learning. Planning aims to build upon the child’s past experiences, skill and knowledge. It ensures a broad and balanced curriculum and gives a clear outline of what is to be taught and learnt in all areas of the “Foundation Stage Curriculum”. Account is taken of the way in which young children learn through both play and exploration as well as through directed teaching. The planning provides opportunities for evaluation, monitoring and review together with opportunities for assessment and record keeping.

We have two methods of planning:

• planning for the whole group experience – long term, medium term and short term
• planning for the individual child – using assessments.

Long term planning

The long term plans are formulated over a two year cycle and are divided into six half term experiences. The long term plans are a record of when and where children will have experience of all the “Early Learning Goals” for each area of learning. These plans also highlight the use of ICT as a tool to aid concept development in each area.

We use this document to plan for the medium term and set targets.

Medium term planning

The “Early Learning Goal” is broken down into weekly learning objectives (steps for learning, or stepping stones).

The curriculum area is then sequentially mapped out for each week on an individual subject planner. These give detail about what is to be covered in each area of the curriculum. For example, more detailed and specific learning objectives, activities to be pursued with the levels of differentiation, play opportunities and the required resources. These activities are planned to be developmental and progressive. The medium term planners are displayed in the appropriate curriculum area. At the end of each half term the work is evaluated using the weekly evaluation sheets, assessments are made to ascertain the percentage of children achieving the targets and this is then used to inform future planning.

Short term planning

The short-term plans for each area of learning are informed by the half-termly plans and also the needs of individuals and groups. The short term (daily) plan gives daily details of what is to be taught. The weekly objective sheet identifies the key language, knowledge and skills we want the children to acquire and questions to be asked. This provides an opportunity for evaluation. These sheets are displayed in the curriculum area and the evaluations are summarised and discussed at the weekly planning meetings. The evaluations inform the planning for the following week.

Planning for the individual child

For all children 0-5 years individual planning is linked to assessments and record keeping. The individual family support workers and teachers regularly make observations and close assessments of the children. These are recorded and used to inform planning. Each child's assessments are shared with the parents on a regular basis at parent/staff consultations and plans are made together for the child's progress. In addition, group needs are discussed, recorded and planned for at the regular pastoral care meetings on Wednesday.