Christ Church CE Primary School
'Let your light shine' Matthew 5:16
At Christ Church, our main aim is to give children the best possible start to their school learning journey and inspire an excitement for life-long learning. In the Early Years Foundation Stage, we strive to give children a strong foundation to grow, explore and succeed as learners. We want the children to feel secure, safe and happy, in an enabling environment where every individual is respected and valued. We aim to provide ambitious learning opportunities to develop key knowledge and understanding along with promoting determination, resilience and perseverance to support them throughout the educational journey.
We are committed to developing positive relationships where children’s well-being is paramount. We want children to have a voice and develop a sense of belonging, both within school and the wider community. We also value Parents and Carers voice by working in partnership with families who know their child the best. In EYFS, we ensure that the opportunities and learning we provide are inclusive for all. We have high aspirations for children and believe that every child has the right to achieve their full potential.
We believe that the provision we deliver should provide meaningful learning experiences that are exciting, curious and creative and that these should allow children to question, problem solve, collaborate and imagine. The continuous provision offered to the children in their learning environment is engaging, interesting and provides children with the opportunities to develop their communication skills as well as consolidating their understanding in all areas of learning.
Play is central to learning and alongside first hand experiences, the school day is focused around a balance of structured and child-initiated learning, alongside high-quality adult interactions to support effective scaffolding and teaching.
Opportunities for outdoor learning are woven through the day and children are encouraged to explore and connect with the natural environment. For example, we take part in the RSPB Big School Bird Watch and visit local points of interests (Library, Museum and Weston Beach).
We plan and deliver learning opportunities using the EYFS Framework. This covers the seven areas of learning and development:
Prime Areas
Specific Areas
Phonics and Reading
At Christ Church, we follow Unlocking Letters and Sound to teach Phonics. This underpins how the children identify sounds and begin to decode words. Phonics is taught daily in school and supported by the regular reading to an adult.
Alongside the daily Phonics, opportunities to practise the sounds through writing and reading will be available through the continuous provision in the learning environment. This includes; a book corner, a writing area, sound mats, inviting writing equipment and a range of structured learning provisions to develop their writing and reading.
For more information on phonics, please visit our whole school Reading page. At the start of Reception, a parent/carer workshop will be available to demonstrate how we teach phonics in school and how to support your child at home.
To support your child, exposing your child to a range of vocabulary through reading will benefit their creativity and their understanding of texts. Encourage your child to segment (sound out) and blend (put the sounds together) their school reading books. We ask that your child reads 4 or more times at home.