Accessibility Tools

Foundation Stage

Welcome to Foundation Stage. Children here are taught by Miss Cumberpatch in RKC and Miss Cullingford (Mrs Freund) in RJC assisted by Miss McGill, Mrs Asenso, Miss Green and Miss Cook.

At Upton Meadows, we have a very strong Early Years ethos and follow the four main principles of good early years practice.

  1. We believe that every child is a unique child, who is constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured.
  2. Children learn to be strong and independent through developing positive relationships.
  3. Our children learn and develop well in enabling environments, in which their experiences respond to individual needs and there is a strong partnership between our practitioners and parent/carers.
  4. Our children embrace learning and development in different ways and at different rates. We support the education of all children at Upton Meadows through our inclusive practice.

We teach the children through the seven areas of learning and development in the EYFS. These are grouped into two categories – prime areas and specific areas. The prime areas are important because they the foundations for children’s success in all other areas of learning and of life:

  • Personal, Social and Emotional Development
  • Physical Development
  • Communication and Language

The specific areas provide the range of experiences and opportunities for children to broaden their knowledge and skills:

  • Literacy
  • Mathematics
  • Understanding of the World
  • Expressive Arts and Design

As practitioners we observe and respond to each child in our care on an on-going basis. We take a flexible approach, responding to each child as an individual learner and give them a wide range of creative learning experiences. For examples we have had trips in our mini bus to Salcey Forest to find Stickman, Tesco to explore where our food comes from. Visits from the fire brigade, the police, paramedics, Northampton Saints and Northampton Town FC. A Superhero breakfast, pirate picnic and a tiger who came to tea. And our ‘It’s good to be me’ afternoons when we invite parents in to work with their children. We also enjoy Forest Schools that offer ALL learners regular opportunities to achieve and develop confidence and self-esteem through hands-on learning experiences in our Forest School site.

You can keep track of your child’s development with a secure parent’s login to our online Learning Journal Tapestry. You will be supported to set this up and more information can be found in the side panel.

Home Learning

  • Share books with your child every day. Read to them, ask them to retell the story using the pictures and when they are ready listen to them read the words in their reading book.
  • Practise counting anything and everything – steps to the door, stairs to bed, chocolates in a box, books on the shelf.
  • Practise writing your name in Kinetic Letters.
  • Practise putting your coat on all by yourself.
  • Practise getting dressed and undressed all by yourself – we need to do this for PE so it is very important.
  •  Make use of Teach your Monster to Read and Numbots as much as possible – this is a fun and interactive way for children to practise essential skills.

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