acorns teaching team

Miss Abi Brown

Class Teacher and Federation Early Years Lead Teacher

 

Mrs Jude Holding

Class Teacher

 

Mrs Catherine Burgess

Teaching Assistant and Early Years Practitioner

 

Miss Emily Hitchings

Early Years Practitioner

 

Mrs Gina Hunter

Early Years Practitioner

 

Mrs Amanda Radmore

Teaching Assistant

 

Ms Maria Sowden

Teaching Assistant

 

WELCOME TO ACORNS

Welcome to Acorns Class – a Foundation Stage Unit for Nursery and Reception children. We currently welcome children aged 3-5 years. Our Nursery children are known as ‘Little Acorns’ and our Reception children are known as ‘Big Acorns’. We are ‘Busy Learners’ together, sharing our well-resourced indoor and outdoor areas.

Unit Times:

Big Acorns:

9am – 3.30pm

Little Acorns:

Morning:        9.00am – 12.00pm (option to add an additional hour for lunch 12.00-1.00pm)

Afternoon:     12.00pm – 3.30pm (including lunch time) If your child is only attending an afternoon session, they will need to bring a packed lunch.

All day:            9.00am – 3.30pm (including lunch time)

If you are interested in a place for your child, please contact our School Office.

Telephone 01392 860677

Email: silvertonadmin@exevalleyfederation.org.uk 

 

ACORNS LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

 

eyfs curriculum

We love learning both indoors and outdoors. We follow the curriculum guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage. We work on topics, themes and follow the children’s interests. This provides learning opportunities through lots of interesting activities and investigations.

EYFS Statutory Framework and Development Matters 

There are seven areas of learning and development within the EYFS framework. All areas are important and inter-connected. Our children’s learning experiences enable them to develop skills and competency in all areas, not just academically but also socially, emotionally and physically.

The seven areas are split into Prime and Specific areas. The three Prime areas which are particularly crucial for igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, and for building their capacity to learn, form relationships and have the language for learning are:

• Communication and Language
• Personal, Social and Emotional Development
• Physical Development

There are also four Specific areas, through which the three prime areas are further strengthened and applied:

• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding the World
• Expressive Arts and Design

Then, the Characteristics of Effective Teaching and Learning weave through all seven areas of learning:

• Playing and Exploring
• Active Learning
• Creating and Thinking Critically

Children in the early years are becoming more powerful learners and thinkers and the characteristics develop as they learn to do new things, acquire new skills, develop socially and emotionally, and become better communicators. Children deepen their understanding by playing, talking, observing, planning, questioning, experimenting, testing, repeating, reflecting and responding to adults and to each other.  

Have a look at our topic rolling programme. For more detail about each half term, look at our topic webs . Further information can be found under the Curriculum tab.

EYFS Rolling Programme 

Autumn 2 2024-5:

Let's Celebrate - Topic Web - Nursery Let's Celebrate - Topic Web - Reception 

 Autumn 1 2024-5:

All About Me - Topic Web - Nursery All About Me - Topic Web - Reception 

 Summer 2 2023-4:

Gardens - Topic Web - Nursery Gardens - Topic Web - Reception 

Summer 1 2023-4:

Monarchy - Topic Web - Nursery Monarchy - Topic Web - Reception 

  

Website links for more information to support all areas of the EYFS:

Website Links 

The 7 Areas of Learning in Acorns Class:

Communication and Language

Retelling stories to help us get more familiar with the text:

   

Learning new vocabulary and using it through the day (e.g. pestle and mortar, sieve, knead) 

        

Physical Development

Developing strength in our shoulders and arms and handwriting patterns with daily Wiggle and Squiggle:

Developing strength in our fingers with daily Dough Disco:

   

   

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

Learning how to be a safe pedestrian:

 

Handwashing:

      

Good oral hygiene with daily toothbrushing:

Our class agreement designed by everyone in Acorns Class:

Playing together with our friends:

Literacy

Nursery:

Little Wandle Nursery Rhyme Videos 

Reception:

Little Wandle Phonics Progression - Reception

Class Phonics Resources:

Tricky Word Mat - Reception 

Grapheme Mat - Reception 

Phonics Support for Home:

Pronunciation Guides:

Autumn 1 ReceptionAutumn 2 ReceptionSpring 1 Reception 

Tricky Word Guides:

Phase 2 Reception Phase 3 Reception Phase 4 Reception 

 Letter Formation Practice Sheets:

Autumn 1 ReceptionAutumn 2 Reception Spring 1 Reception

Capital Letter Formation  

Home Learning Sheets:

Reception Autumn 1 Reception Autumn 2 Reception Spring 1

Reception Spring 2  Reception Summer 1 

 

Little Wandle Support Videos for Parents

Parent Workshop Presentation - Reception Phase 2 

Parent Workshop Presentation - Reception Phase 3 

Phase 2 - Autumn 1 Sound Pronunciation Guide:

//player.vimeo.com/video/838275928?title=0&byline=0&loop=1#t=0.5

Phase 2 - Autumn 2 Sound Pronunciation Guide:

//player.vimeo.com/video/838282091?title=0&byline=0&loop=1#t=0.5

Phase 3 - Spring 1 Sound Pronunciation Guide:

//player.vimeo.com/video/838284266?title=0&byline=0&loop=1#t=0.5

How we teach blending:

//player.vimeo.com/video/838286613?title=0&byline=0&loop=1#t=0.5

 

Reading Support for Home:

Everybody Read Guide to Books Coming Home 

//player.vimeo.com/video/743027301?title=0&byline=0&loop=1#t=0.5

Mathematics

Sorting:

        

Creating sorting rules:

        

Comparing sizes, using vocabulary such as 'biggest' and 'smallest' or 'longest' and 'shortest':

        

Showing numbers to 3 through drawings in the style of Anno's Counting Book:

        

Understanding the World

Learning about our bodies, including new vocabulary such as 'skeleton' and 'skull':

        

Exploring current news stories from around the world through Picture News:

Learning about history using our timelines:

Expressive Arts and Design

 Exploring colour and colour mixing:

Exploring patterns and colours with Elmer:

         

Exploring texture with grains:

Learning about shapes and positioning with self-portraits:

        

Exploring pastels to make firework pictures in the style of the artist  James Rosenquist: