Why this is leading practice
Outstanding Teaching and Learning strategies in the Foundation Stage at Ryders Hayes School provide excellent opportunities for all children and practitioners to achieve their potential.
The school has been awarded Hub School Status within the Local Authority for implementing the Success for All programme which we teach in both Nursery and Reception classes. We also work with early years practitioners across the authority to raise standards in Foundation Stage teaching and learning to secure the implementation of good practice using the Success for All programme . Practitioners observe practice at Ryders Hayes school to support their professional development, and we also provide outreach work to support Schools in their settings. We regularly review and reflect on our practice and the practice of other schools to strive for continuous improvement. to benefit the learning, development and progress of children in our setting, within the Local Authority and nationally
The impact of our successful expertise in this iniative has led to the training and develoment of other practitioners to secure the strategy both locally, nationally and internationally so that all children benefit.
We are an inclusive school. Our innovative use of Makaton throughout the Early Years is supporting our most vunerable children and those with communication needs in accessing the curriculum.
External and Internal Moderators, Practitioners and Head teacher observations have all celebrated the teaching and learning opportunities which are evident within the Early Years at Ryders Hayes for all children.
Since implementing the Success for All strategy there has been a marked improvement in children's participation and engagement in their learning in our school. Their progress has also improved with 100% of children achieving 78+ in Early Years Profile scores at the end of 2009.
Impact to date
- Improved pupil progress, as demonstrated in Early Years Foundation Stage Profile data
- Lesson observations both internal and external consistently graded as good or outstanding
- Improved involvement of parents in their children's learning through provision of workshops, regular Success for All newsletters and provision of home resources
- Lead Teacher, through hub school status supporting other schools in LA to develop Early Years practice, leading increased percentage of schools in LA receiving outstanding OFSTED gradings for Early Years Foundation Stage.
Rationale / Start Point
The Success for All Programme was adopted by the school because our assessment of children's skills on entry demonstrated a decline in the general level of children's speaking and listening skills over time. Having researched the Success for All programme and received training, it was felt that this strategy would have a very positive impact upon early speaking, listening and communication skills.
Implementation began with staff training - the Head Teacher, Deputy Head Teacher, Literacy Co-ordinator and Foundation Stage Team were all trained in the SfA programme. We visited other schools to observe good practise and were supported by the Local Authority Early Years Consultants. It was decided to implement SfA in both Nursery and reception classes simultaneously.
This had led to a clear and consistent policy for teaching, learning and pedagogy in the Foundation Stage and raised standards in speaking and listening, and other areas of learning. There is evidence that children are making very good progress. Staff are highly trained effective and motivated, are confident in their role, and able to share their practice with practitioners from other schools.
In September 2009 we were asked to be a Hub school for the 'Success for All' Early Years curriculum for Walsall LA.
The Foundation stage team were determined to use this opportunity to build on the current practice which was graded to be good by OFSTED in 2007, and is now judged to be Outstanding by both the school and the Local Authority.
Key Strategies
- Training of whole workforce deployed in Early Years and support and commitment from HT and Governors have led to a confident, effective delivery of the programme by highly skilled adults resulting in
- highly motivated, confident, independent learners
- Success For All strategies are fully embedded in the Early Years policy and practice of the school
- Reflective practice by all members of the Early Years team leads to continuous improvments to provision
- Robust internal and external monitoring arrangements lead to secure assessments of pupil progress and judgements of quality of learning and teaching
- Commitment to actively supporting and involving parents in children's learning, e.g worshops, parents observations of learning beyond the school, Success For All newsletters.
- 'Spotlight' observations of individual children's learning support assessment of individual pupil's progress
- Emphasis on co-operative learning and partner work, fundamental to the Success For All programme, are integral to all learning and teaching in Early Years in the school
Sustainability and Further Development
- Ryders Hayes Primary are committed, with the support of the LA, to strengthening the existing arrangements to share practice and support schools in their priorities within Early Years, both locally, regionally and inrernationally
- Recent participation in the national Success For All Conference will facilitate further opportunties to develop practice of supporting schools
- The school is intending to utilise strategies from Success For All in KS1, to support transition, and also further utilise strategies from the programme in Maths into KS2