In a time before Covid 19, I asked Mine Conkbayir to write a guest blog post for me from the point of view of the psychological impact that effective and not so effective transitions can have. In these now uncertain times when children will be returning to a very different ‘version’ of school life, it is more important than ever that effective transitions are at the forefront of our thinking. Whether children return before the Summer break or in the Autumn term, it is really crucial that (as much as is possible) the provision they return to is centred on their wellbeing . There will huge uncertainty for children and staff, but it is imperative that we avoid a ‘catch … Read More
Continuous Provision in Key Stage One Part 3 – Outcomes
I am really pleased that Jo from St John’s C of E Primary has agreed to write me a third blog post. You can find the others here and here. It is great to see a play based approach to learning having such a positive impact. My third blog leads to the subject I am most frequently asked about. A subject which I tend to avoid as it is often steered towards data, data, data…I like to ‘practise what I preach’; value the journey rather than the outcome’, but that is not to say that the children ‘s progress and ultimate end of Key Stage assessments are not too far from our minds as we plan the provision. Outcomes, in the … Read More
Continuous Provision in Year One at St John’s, Bradford – Curriculum Coverage
This is the second blog post from Jo at St Johns Church of England School in Bradford. After the first one here I got lots of questions about curriculum coverage and play. So, I asked Jo to write me another blog post to talk me through how they approach it. Over to you Jo…. One question I am repeatedly asked… ‘How do you ensure you teach all the aspects of the curriculum within a provision based setting?’ The response isn’t always the answer they expect… ‘We don’t!’ Well, when I say we don’t, what I actually mean is that we don’t ‘teach’ it all, in the usual sense of the word. Do we manage to manage to ‘cover’ the curriculum? The … Read More
Continuing an Early Years Approach into Key Stage One
In the first of three blog posts I have asked Joanna from her setting in Yorkshire to talk us through her school’s Early Years Approach to Key Stage One. Why she decided to do it, what she actually does and the all important impact on emotional as well as academic attainment. Over to you Joanna… Our journey started five years ago and we haven’t looked back since. Walking around our setting now, it is hard to believe that we ever worked any other way; the formal classroom layout replaced with quiet nooks, busy provision areas and thoughtful provocations. Children are everywhere… on the floor, on cushions, in pairs, in groups or sitting quietly on their own. Our Key Stage One … Read More