Foundation Stage Units
227 topics in this forum
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Providing Enough For Everyone To Do
by Guest- 15 replies
- 3k views
In January we'll have 74 (32 Reception and 42 Nursery)children full time. I've been worrying about space and ratios (we have 6 staff most days some days /times only 4 and 6 toilets) but from what I can gather (PLEASE someone correct me if i'm wrong) in a school with over 4s this isn't a problem (down to the discretion of the head). Putting these worries to one side, my main concern at the moment is that we won't have enough for them to do. We have 3 large rooms and 2 'quiet' rooms where we retreat for group times. We have all the areas set up but I've just counted up how many children each area provides for and we're 10 places short!! This isn't a problem when we …
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Management Time
by Guest- 26 replies
- 4.5k views
Hello everyone, I'm new to the Foundation Stage Forum but very happy to be here. I need your advice and experience to help me. I'm finding it really difficult to complete all of my managment paper work in my half day management time a week. As a result I come home most evenings and complete it all then. For example: timetables, rotas, FSU action plans. Concerned that I will burn out soon though How much management time do other Foundation Stage Co-ordinators or Senior teachers get?
Last reply by AnonyMouse_73, -
Team Planning-bit Miffed
by Guest- 23 replies
- 4.3k views
:wacko: This is how I feel today! Do any of you out there have days like this? I could really do with some advice because I don't want to start letting the pressure of it all get to me. I love teaching this age group and don't mind being flexible but with one thing and another this week (too much to go into here but changes/short staff/having visitors etc) I could just tear my hair out. I like the fact that now we are a unit the Reception chn have more access to a quality learning environment and we are very lucky in many ways because we have lots of space and 6 members of staff 4 days a week for around 67 chn but with our current situation it just makes things hard…
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- 18 replies
- 4.4k views
Hi everyone, Great to see Foundation Stage Units featured so prominently on this site! I set up a Foundation Stage Unit in the early nineties- we called it an Early Years Unit then (it was way before the Foundation Stage even existed) Nursery and reception-age children were totally integrated, in an open-plan space, within a primary school. I now work as a freelance early years consultant, and among other things, I run a course at The Institute of Education (London) on developing Foundation stage Units. I'm considering putting together a book on the subject and would be interested to know what aspects you think it would be helpful to cover. Best wish…
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Morning Breaks
by Guest- 16 replies
- 3.2k views
I wonder how many of us working in units take a morning break. Has this been discussed anywhere else in the forum does anyone know? I've just mentioned it in my last (very long!) post but basically we still do have one although our LEA advisor tells us we shouldn't. I appreciate the chance to just take 10 'kid free' minutes and grab a drink-I feel like it re-charges my batteries but don't always take one as too much to do. If I was to start working somewhere else where they don't take breaks this would be fine by me because they can be slightlydisruptive to the organisation of the day. However, I am not willing to impose this on our support staff who feel that thy a…
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Fitting It All In
by Guest- 11 replies
- 2.5k views
Hi again! Just wondered how you all felt about paly based versus formal teaching and how you're coping working in a FS unit. Any bright ideas about how to cover things like phonics daily without stopping and starting the kids too much? Our weekly plans are fine but we don't seem to be managing to fit in the things I always used to do on a regular basis like letter of the day/handwriting practise. We stop for 3xs carpet sessions(CLL/Maths/+1 other) +milk and story time and this week each child will be getting 1 g/read ,1g/write, 1 maths focus and 1 creative focus+an extra CLL if we manage to get 'through them all' in the cafe twice (the maths focus is in there) do you…
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- 7 replies
- 11.2k views
Please help anyone I am starting my first early years placement as a second year student on Monday and have no idea what format to use to write a daily and weekly plan to cover the weekly play activities and early learning goals, can anyone help. Any advice would be appreciated as to what format I should use. Thanks
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Home Corner
by Guest- 5 replies
- 6.1k views
I want to turn my home corner into an opticians, does anyone have any good ideas apart from the obvious ones.
Last reply by AnonyMouse_2732, -
Planning In A Fs Unit
by Guest- 23 replies
- 5.6k views
I have just joined. I too would like to find out how others manage, especially the weekly planning. We have had a hybrid model for nearly 2 years (due mainly to low numbers) - 8 Reception in the morning & 24 Reception / Nursery in the afternoon, so I do plan specific Literacy & numeracy in the morning - not formal though -we do cooking, go shopping, PE, etc . We use Hamilton Codebreakers (phonics) while we have our milk & fruit - they love Boris the bat! It is THE best thing for our children!! We have such flexibility to cater for all children's needs. I was really worried about the new Nursery children coming as soon as they're 3 in with 5 year olds,…
Last reply by AnonyMouse_1208, -
Milk And Snacks 1 2
by Guest Cath- 36 replies
- 8.3k views
Just wondering what the most common practice for letting children have a snack is in most early years settings. I imagine most people have all children sitting down together (or separate groups if more children/staff) for milk and a biscuit or fruit as this is what I have mostly seen and up until now done myself. However, our LEA foundation stage advisors are very keen on milk bars/continuous provision of milk (I'm repeating here what I've said in another message but that one was tagged at the end of a phonics discussions so sorry if you've read me waffling on twice-I've just got a bee in my bonnet about milk!). So basically, the children in our unit can come and have…
