Early Years Foundation
Early Years Foundation Stage
At Mathilda Marks-Kennedy Jewish Primary School, we provide an Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) of the highest quality, rooted in our Orthodox Jewish ethos and reinforced through strong parental engagement. Our EYFS provision nurtures every child as an individual, supporting their personal, social, emotional, and academic development within a safe, secure, and stimulating environment.
We aim to ensure that all children develop confidence, independence, resilience, and a positive sense of self, enabling them to achieve their full potential across all areas of learning.
We recognise that every child is a capable and competent learner from birth, and that entry into the EYFS is a pivotal stage in their educational journey. Children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates, and our provision is carefully planned and differentiated to meet these diverse needs. Ongoing observation, assessment, and planning ensure that each child makes sustained progress and that learning opportunities are personalised to their next steps.
Our curriculum is broad, balanced, and play-based, designed to foster curiosity, creativity, critical thinking and a lifelong love of learning. Through a carefully structured combination of purposeful play, adult-led teaching, and exploration, children develop the essential knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed for future success. Jewish values are embedded throughout the curriculum, promoting good Middot, respect, kindness, and a strong sense of community alongside Malacha and Kavanah - spiritual and moral development.
“Every child is an individual to be respected and taught to the best of her or his ability.”
“Every child deserves the best possible start in life and support to their full potential. A child’s experience in the early years has a major impact on their future life chances. A secure safe and happy childhood is important in its own right, and it provides the foundation for children to make the most of their abilities and talents as they grow up. When parents choose to use early years services they want to know the provision will keep their children safe and help them to thrive. The Early Years Foundation Stage is the framework that provides that assurance.”
Learning and Development
The principles which guide the work of all the early years’ practitioners at Mathilda Marks-Kennedy are grouped into four themes:
- A Unique Child – every child is a competent learner from birth who can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured.
- Positive Relationships – children learn to be strong and independent from a base of loving and secure relationships with parents and/or a key person.
- Enabling Environments – the environment plays a key role in supporting and extending children’s development and learning.
- Learning and Development – children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates and all areas of Learning and Development are equally important and inter-connected.
Curriculum
The EYFS curriculum encompasses seven key areas of learning.
The three prime areas of learning are:
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development
- Communication and Language
- Physical Development
The four specific areas, through which the three prime areas are strengthened and applied, are:
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Knowledge of the world
- Expressive arts and design
In our school Jewish Studies forms an additional area of learning, ensuring it is an integral part of the children’s learning and development.
All staff involved with the EYFS aim to develop good relationships with all children, interacting positively with them and taking time to listen to them.
The Learning Environment
The Nursery and Reception classrooms are thoughtfully organised to provide a safe and secure environment where children can explore and learn. They include designated areas for active play, quiet time, and rest. The children are able to independently access equipment and resources covering all areas of learning. The Foundation Unit also benefits from its own enclosed outdoor area which has a positive impact on children’s development. Outdoor experiences offer additional opportunities for exploration, sensory engagement, language development and physical activity. Activities and resources are planned both indoors and outdoors, supporting children’s growth across all areas of learning.
Digital Literacy in the EYFS Curriculum
We introduce digital literacy in the Early Years Foundation Stage through purposeful, play-based learning. Our aim is to help children develop the skills and understanding they need to use technology safely, confidently and creatively.
Through guided exploration, children learn how technology can be used to support their learning, communication and problem-solving. They use age-appropriate digital tools—such as interactive whiteboards, tablets, and programmable toys—to explore ideas, develop fine motor skills and strengthen their understanding of the world around them.
We place a strong emphasis on teaching children how to use technology safely and responsibly, laying the foundations for positive digital habits that will support them throughout their school journey and beyond.
Co- Production - Working with Parents
We cultivate strong, collaborative relationships with parents, recognising them as essential partners in their child’s learning journey. We understand that parents are children’s first and most enduring educators, and we value the vital contributions they make. We acknowledge both the past and future roles parents play in their child’s education. We support this partnership through:
- Conversations with parents about their child prior to starting school.
- Inviting parents and children into the setting in the summer term before they start.
- Encouraging parents to communicate with their child’s teacher regarding any concerns.
- Regular updates in the form of photos, videos and notes about what the children are doing and learning on Seesaw – our online learning journal.
- Formal parent-teacher meetings in the Autumn and Spring terms to discuss individual progress, targets, and development.
- A formal report on each child’s attainment and progress at the end of the Foundation Stage.
Transition into the EYFS
We ensure a smooth transition into our Early Years Foundation Stage. Our Early Years staff receive reports and talk to the practitioners at the child’s previous setting. This ensures that we take the child’s learning on from this point. We hold open mornings for the children and parents to visit their new school. The children get to meet their new teachers, the other children coming into their class and experience their new classrooms. We also talk to the parents giving them important information about the school and the opportunity to meet the staff. For those Nurseries that are interested, we provide them with some MMK sweatshirts so that the children can role play in their new uniform.
For the first few days in the Nursery, the children are split into two groups, doing half a day each. This gives the children the opportunity to settle into their new setting and staff the chance to get to know the children. After the first few days, all the children stay for lunch the afternoon sessions are available to those children who stay.
For children transferring from our Nursery into Reception, the children spend time in the Reception class with their new teacher and have the opportunity to experience lessons and play in their new surroundings. In September, the children all start school on the same day. The Nursery and Reception teachers meet for a handover meeting along with members of the Senior Management Team.
Preparation for Key Stage 1
In the Summer Term of Reception, a programme of transition starts to prepare the children for KS1. This includes spending time in the Year 1 classroom, meeting the teacher and support staff, joining KS1 for afternoon play and Kabbalat Shabbat with KS1. Pupil progress meetings take place between the Reception and Year 1 teachers along with members of the Senior Leadership Team.