Nursery World - EYFS best practice in schools

Preparing for September’s Year 1 starters, many of whom have had Reception curtailed, is changing the way some schools approach their curriculum. Charlotte Goddard reports

Children need to feel emotionally as well as physically safe on their return

When primary schools open their doors in September, it will be to a cohort of Year 1 children who have had very different experiences over the past six months. While some attended school throughout lockdown, as key-worker or vulnerable children, and others returned in June, a significant number will not have been in a classroom since early spring. Many children will have been plucked out of Reception in March and dropped straight into Year 1 in September, with no transition period to ease the way.

The move from EYFS-based Reception to Year 1 and the National Curriculum can be challenging for children at the best of times. Children returning to school this September will need even more support to help them make this transition. However, the support they need will vary from child to child. Some will have enjoyed extended periods of learning through play and been able to build close bonds with their families. Others may have suffered bereavement, or be anxious about parents losing their jobs or working in risky environments. All will have experienced losses of some sort, whether that is not being able to see loved family members or being unable to access the parks, playgrounds and shops that are part of their usual routine.

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