Help! Timetable - Focus Activities

[Guest]

Hi Everyone,

 

Am currently adjusting our timetable (for what feels like the millionth time!) to include at least an hour of uninterrupted play and more child initiated planning. I think this will be good for the children but am really struggling to fit it all in as we will have 50 YR and 39 YN am/pm children.

 

Do you think it is enough that Reception children will have 2 daily large group sessions (up to 17 children), 1 in phonics and 1 in maths and then will access 3 small group focus activities per week e.g 1 guided reading, 1 guided write and 1 maths per week or do they need to complete a small group focus in both maths and english per day?

 

Children will also have access to either a large or small group focus activity for each of the 6 areas of learning per week.

 

Does this sound like enough do you think?

 

Am getting quite confused about expectations and what I need to give children access to.

 

Thanks for help

 

Caroline

[Guest]

Hi Caroline

I am in the process of sorting this out, with 32 YR and 20 Nursery children so far for each session, fitting in guided reading, etc and all the other stuff.

I think you have to timetable certain things like when you need to use IWB etc and it will be trial and error as to what to fit in and when, we still do the initial Durham baseline at our school.

It's also making sure that children can access all areas of learning, as well as fitting in SEAL which we are using across the school!

We plan on having mini-assemblies in the unit, to introduce SEAL themes, etc. and possible introducing children to well done assembly on a friday after a settling in period. I've probably gone off topic, but I think we all worry about fitting in everything and the coverage, but I know that Julia Graham and the early years team are offering free half day support to all FSU in County Durham, where you can iron out any concerns. If you have staff new to the FS then you can acces two half days support from the early years team for free.

[Guest]

Thanks for the reply Beckann. It is so hard to know whether i am on track or not with Foundation being so different to the rest of the school. Have asked Head but he does not really know either.

 

If anyone else out their would be willing to reply to my first post i would really appreciate it.

 

Thanks

[Guest]

maybe you could use the new ELFS document to develop your routine/activities so you will have less changes (if any) to make later.

 

[Marion]

Sorry ELFS? do you mean the EYFS or is there something Ive missed?

 

 

Caroline

 

Our children access 2 large group activities a day (one morning one afternoon) in literacy and numeracy these are usually followed by small group activities in literacy and numeracy and another small group activity from either KUoW or CD. We also have large group PSE activities on a daily basis and daily small or large group (depending on the focus) physical activities.

Like Backy we are incorporating the SEAL materials and will be having an introductory assembly to introduce each SEAL topic followed by focused activities over each half term.

Edited July 31, 2006 by Marion

[Susan]

Been away and catching up on this one now! One of the things I did in my school when I was FS coord was take out the traditional school playtime. With the extended morning session that this gave us it enabled a more joined up morning without all the stopping and starting!

We shared our outside facilities with the main school so had to clear that for their playtime but with a traditional playtime had had to have ours before or after them which was not good time management. It did cause some disquiet amongst the staff, who disliked the different break routine that evolved but was much better for the children. Unfortunately, we then had a new assembly routine established that we were obligated to attend (ARRH ) that completely messed things up so you cant win them all!

Good luck.

Id be interested to know how this works out for you.

[Marion]

We dont have a playtime as the children have free access to our own secure area at all times and we only attend certain assemblies meaning that our day has few interuptions where children can work through to completion (especially important with child initiated activities) We are also looking at not having to tidy away things the children are working with so they can return after lunch or even the next day