Early Years Foundation Stage
Welcome to Wigmore Primary School
On behalf of all the children, teachers and governors we would like to thank you for choosing our school. On this page you will find everything you needĀ to prepare your child for starting school in September.
If there is anything we have missed or you have any questions specific to your family, please do not hesitate in contacting the school.
This can be done by calling the school office on 01582 616101 or emailing
Useful information for Parents with children starting school in September
Transition to Wigmore Primary School
May Ā – you will receive a letter from the school confirming your place at the school and asking you to complete the ‘Data collection sheet (found further down this page). Please complete this information as soon as possible.Ā During this time leaders in the EYFS will be contacting and meeting with all feeder preschools to discuss the children starting in September.
June/July – Ā Parents Transition Meeting.Ā This is information evening will give you chance to meet the class teachers and Senior Leadership Team.
July –Ā Each parent will receive a phone call appointment where we can talk about starting school and how to best support your child in their transition.
Areas of learning
The EYFS statutory Framework exists to support all professionals working in Early Years. It was developed by a number of experts and parents to ensure that children develop and learn while being kept healthy and safe. It provides children with a broad range of knowledge and skills that are the foundation for childrenās progress through school life. There are 7 main areas of learning and development which are used to shape our EYFS curriculum. Children should develop the 3 following prime areas first:
1. Communication and language
2. Physical development
3. Personal social and emotional development
These prime areas are those most essential for your childās healthy development and future learning. As children grow, the prime areas will help children to develop skills in the following specific areas:
4. Literacy
5. Mathematics
6. Understanding the World
7. Expressive art and design
These 7 areas are used to plan your childās learning and activities. For more information on the EYFS statutory framework please see below:
Statutory-Framework-for-the-Early-Years-Foundation-Stage
Learning through play
āPlay is the highest form of researchā Albert Einstein
At Wigmore Primary School we believe that young children learn best when they are active, engaged and able to follow their own interests. We plan and implement purposeful play with a mix of adult led and child-initiated opportunities to teach the 7 areas of learning. We understand the importance of fostering an environment (both indoors and outdoors) that encourages children to play and explore and we provide elements of ambiguity and open-endedness, where resources are open to interpretation and exploration depending on who is holding them.
Children need to be given the opportunity let their independence grow and follow their own interests. Our professional staff know how to support childrenās learning through effective teaching and learning opportunities, scaffolded where appropriate, to support each childās progress and development. Open ended and effective questioning is used in high quality adult and child interactions to push childrenās learning forward.
Our curriculum is built around the context of our pupils and what is significant to them and our locality. We have identified 7 curriculum ambitions for our cohort of children and outlined how these will be achieved, along with how this will be built upon going into Year 1.
Preparing for starting School
Starting school can be an anxious time for both child and parent and at Wigmore we aim to make the transition as smooth as possible for everyone.Ā If your child has previously attended a pre-school or nursery, then the set-up of the environment and routines throughout the day will hopefully be similar.
The partnership between school and home is vital in ensuring a childās well-being, therefore, teachers will be available at the start and end of each day to talk to parents/carers.Ā Parents/Carers can also arrange to meet with their childās class teacher at other times in school day if necessary.
It is important to talk to your child about starting school and we would recommend completing some simple but effective strategies:
- Firstly, look at the photos on this page. Ensure your child can recognise their class teacher(s) and have an idea of what the classroom will look like.
- Take a walk to the school gates over the summer. This will support with the first few days and establishing a new routine for September.
- Support your child in some basic self-help skills to develop their independence ā toileting, zipping up coats and changing.
For further information on starting school check out the Flying Start website which has a useful video and further resources to support with starting school.
The Flying Start website can be found here –Ā Ā https://www.flyingstartluton.com/transition/parent-transition-resources/
Additional Needs
If your child has any specific needs (medical or SEND) that we need to be aware of then please get in contact with the school office who will be able to arrange for you to speak to the most appropriate person in school.
Long term overview
