Primary Strategies

[catma]

I'm curious how colleagues are linking the fundamentals of the Primary Strategies with their practice across the foundation stage. The guidance from the strategies is to develop the elements of the "hours" across the day, but essentially having e.g. in Literacy:Daily shared reading / writing, with guided groups in reading /writing and also phonics work(word level stuff). The same applies with the NNS guidance

 

So:

What are you doing?

How are you timetabling for this?

How are you recording progress in guided groups?

Do you split up the elements or go for the whole session?

How are you planning for strategies? Additional session plans or within your weekly plans?

How are you assessing progress within the NNS/NLS objectives? Do you link them to ELG's or what?

 

Is anyone in an ISP school? (Strategy based whole school action plan supprted by LEA, for schools seen as needing support) If so how are you tacking progress against the whole school targets set, within foundation stage? Especially how are you layering the targets?

 

Answers on a postcard or posting please!!!!

[hali]

i think we will need a lot more than a postcard

[Guest]

Hi Catma

 

I think that 'Excellence and Enjoyment' within Primary Strategy is going a long way to giving teachers a right to their professional judgement as to how and when to do things with pupils. A number of schools within our authority are now planning both Y1 and Y2 curriculum under the 6 areas of learning for Foundation Stage. Some children especially in Y1 are not ready for a more formal curriculum and we as an authority are trying to get staff to go back to the NC documents rather than QCA units of work in order to plan a relevant curriculum.

 

The Numeracy and Literacy Strategies are non- statutory but elements have to be planned in line with key objectives. Staff do have to begin to plan learning that includes key objectives but are more able to be flexible in teaching across the curriculum. In the last few years subjects have been taught in isolation - with no apparent connections to other curriculum areas. ISP is encouraging teachers to set curricular targets but within a more flexible curriculum.

 

We are having a big drive across our authority on cross-curricular planning to draw all of the objectives together and I will include exemplar planning in future posts when I have seen it working well.

 

I think that Foundation Stage practitioners need to remain positive because even with all the new elements that have been thrown at us over the past 4 years we do everything to ensure that early education is successful. We are getting essential information from the FS Profile that is telling us we need a bottom up approach and that the FS curriculum does not end just because children are in KS1. I am very positive that the curriculum for young children will develop in the coming years into one that is more enjoyable and accessible for young children.

 

Ange

[Susan]

I hope youre right Ange. Something needs to change, I for one have become very demoralised by attitudes of others outside teaching and the feeling that you are always fighting your corner.

It would be great to see your exemplar planning, when you can post it!

 

As QCA units are only suggested why have they become regarded as statutory?We certainly had that problem in my last school.

[Guest]

I think that a lot of people have lost faith in their ability to plan topics and schools began to use QCA units for ease. Unfortunately staff with little experience have begun to presume that all of these materials are statutory. Many people were shocked to find that the only statutory documents were the Foundation Stage Curriculum Guidance and the National Curriculum.

 

I find in visiting schools that exceptionally good teachers ask the question, 'Am I allowed to plan like this?' or 'Am I allowed to have workshop areas in KS1?' It is really sad that this has happened but certainly within our authority people are being more positive about the freedom to plan a broad and balanced curriculum without the need for all the QCA units of work.

 

Obviously some of the units of work are very helpful but I think that good teachers can plan a curriculum with closer links across curriculum areas if they have more freedom within school.

[Guest]

Hi Ange which authority do you work for? Sounds as though they are been very positive about the changes.

[Lorna]

Ange

 

I would be interested in hearing more about how the schools are palnning under the foundation stage headings... we have discussed it as a staff and I think its a good idea but we have some opposition from the KS1 teachers. We are a small school infants only 5 classes and 2 NQts so we have problems with curriculum coordination as it is... so would be interested to hera more.

 

Thanks

 

L