Foundation Phase Class
Class Teacher: Miss Kelly Jacob
Teaching Assistants: Mrs Angela Sainty, Mrs Rhiannydd Evans
The Foundation Phase is implemented within schools in Wales for children from ages 3-7 years old. The education which is offered within the Foundation Phase is totally committed to the child’s holistic development – the child is central to the learning.
The education and activities encompass the needs of the child, and this through the medium of play. By participating in structured play activities, the child nurtures various skills and unique, valuable experiences.
All these opportunities are crucial for the child as they contribute to the child’s development as a whole.
The 7 learning areas
There are seven individual learning areas which are included within the Foundation Phase framework, along with Religious Education as an additional subject.
The seven Areas of Learning are:
- Personal and Social Development, Well-Being and Cultural Diversity
- Language, Literacy and Communication Skills
- Mathematical Development
- Welsh Language Development
- Knowledge and Understanding of the World
- Physical Development
- Creative Development.
These areas are colligated into learning activities – they are not treated and taught individually. Learning opportunities are planned under a specific theme, and the 7 learning areas pleat naturally into one another.
The Welsh language
One of the learning areas is ‘Welsh Language development’. Ysgol Llangain operates through the medium of Welsh – we encourage every child to adopt and use the language. Our aim is to develop every pupil as a fully bilingual pupil. Without a doubt, the ability to speak both languages fluently is extremely beneficial.
Why is outdoor learning so important?
Learning in the outdoor environment is beneficial for various reasons;
- It’s exciting and motivates children’s learning
- The outdoors means that they use their 5 senses.
- It promotes independence
- It develops children’s natural curiosity to explore, and their empathy towards our natural environment
- The outdoors has a great effect on children’s wellbeing and their whole development: socially, physically, culturally, personally, whilst also developing their cognitive skills.