Guest Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 Hi all, We have recently been talking about changing our Nursery abd Reception classes into a Foundation Stage Unit. I was wondering if anyone has been through this already? And if there are any advantages/disadvantages you found when doing so. I look forward to hearing from anyone who has been involved in setting up or working in a Foundation Stage Unit. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elfy Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 We did this just over a year ago and have found in our situtation there are lots of advatages and haven't really found too many disadvatages. We take children into the nursery and the recetpion class every term and so we have found that the unit has reduced some of the upheaval each term. The transistion for the children going from nursery to recetpion has virtually been removed (other than lunch times). We feel we can spread the workload better accross the team and work to meet children's individual learning needs more effectively. I'm sure there are lots and lots more positives, but not quite with it this morning. Any specific questions feel free to ask or PM me Elfy x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helen Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 There are a couple of articles about FS units on this site. If you scroll through the members articles, and go back to 2005, you'll find them Hope they help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennim Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 We have a FSU and I agree about the positives in terms of transition. We also find that we are more able to cater for the range of learning needs - younger doesn't mean less able - the less mature do learn from the more mature! I have been in a FSU for 3 years now abd I can really see the benefits for both FS1 and FS2 children - there is less pressure on them because they are with us for up to 3 years! It is worth spending some time having a discussion involving all staff who will teach in the FSU, to make sure they are on board and work in the same way. Also make sure staff are mixed up in terms of the groups they work with - to make sure everyone thinks of children as FS1 or FS2 and see themselves as FSU practitioners and not 'Nursery' or 'Reception' staff. What sort of room layout(s) will you go for? Provision areas spread over 2 rooms or replicated in both? This is a crucial decision to make first - otherwise you could end up as 2 separate rooms by default! Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlettangel Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 Just be fully prepared before you make the move, IF you decide to go that way. I know of a nursery and reception who did merge into a unit and were not at all prepared!!!!!!!!!!!!! Needed + + + support from the powers that be to get it even vaguely right!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 20, 2008 Share Posted December 20, 2008 Hi all, Thank you for offering your ideas and advice so quickly. We are only at the stage where we have thought about it and now need to have alook at other FSU's and way up the advantages and disadvantages. I appreciate everyone taking the time to answer. We have a very large nursery that is effectively two rooms joined together and we also have a large shared Nursery/reception area so the idea would be to use those three rooms that are already linked and leave the reception class as a spare room that we could use for small group work. Our initial idea is that we would set the different areas of learning out between the three rooms and that the nursery and reception children would be intergrated. No doubt I will be back asking more questions as we continue to explore this idea further. Thanks again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 20, 2008 Share Posted December 20, 2008 I will be following this post with great interest - i think this is what we need to do with our Nursery and Reception classes in the near future - but as someone says it needs all staff and senior management to be on board for it to fully work! - Lets just say we are not quite at that stage yet!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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