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Early Years, Foundation Stage News
On 6th December 2005 the Education Minister Angela Smith announced the Government’s plans for improving education in Northern Ireland. These reforms include a new “Foundation Stage” curriculum for years 1 & 2 of the Primary School.
More details of this press release can be found on the Department of Education website – www.deni.gov.uk
The Primary Curriculum will include the following stages:
Foundation Stage – Years 1 and 2
Key Stage 1 - Years 3 and 4
Key Stage 2 - Years 5, 6, and 7.
What is the Foundation Stage?
The Foundation Stage curriculum will build on the good practice that has been trialled, refined and evaluated through the Enriched Curriculum Pilot Project which has been operating in a variety of primary schools throughout Northern Ireland for the last four or five years.
The Foundation Stage curriculum should make the transition from pre-school to primary school easier for the children and encourage the children o be active learners.
The aim of the Foundation Stage is
“to provide children with an appropriate programme of learning which builds on previous(Ref. Revised Northern Ireland Primary Curriculum January 2006)
learning is challenging, develops their dispositions to learn and provides them with skills
and competences they will need to succeed in school and in future life.”
Learning Areas of the Foundation Stage
The Foundation Stage Curriculum will include the following areas;
The Arts
Language and Literacy
Mathematics and Numeracy
Personal Development
Physical Development and Movement
The World Around Us
In the classroom the children will have opportunities to be involved in play based learning sessions, oral language tasks, shared and guided reading, phonological awareness activities, practical and mental maths sessions. Circle time will allow the children to develop self-esteem. Physical skills will be enhanced by sessions of indoor and outdoor play. Creative and musical activities will also be frequently available to the children.
More detailed information regarding the content of the Foundation Stage can be found on the CCEA website www.ccea.org.uk
When will the Foundation Stage be Implemented?
Leading Learning conferences have been taking place throughout the NEELB area during January and February 2006. Principals and senior staff from all primary schools attended one of these conferences to raise their awareness of the Revised Curriculum and to help them prepare for the introduction of the Revised Curriculum within their own school.
Teachers from year 1 will have training for the introduction of the Foundation Stage in January 2007. They will not have to implement this new curriculum until September 2007. During the year when the Foundation Stage is being implemented in year 1 it is anticipated that follow-up training will be arranged to further develop and enhance individual teacher’s knowledge and skills.
Teachers from Year 2 will have training for the Foundation Stage during the school year 2007/2008. They will not have to implement this new curriculum until September 2008. Again it is anticipated that during the year of implementation follow-up training will be arranged to further develop each teacher’s Knowledge and skills.
Details on statutory implementation and training programmes can be found on website; www.pmbni.org.uk
Guidance Materials
CCEA is currently working on a variety of resources which will assist teachers in the delivery of the Foundation Stage Curriculum, much of which will be disseminated through the teacher training programme.
Guidance on Shape and Space and Measures
Learning Outdoors
Literacy DVD
Foundation Stage Guidance
Personal DevelopmentPhysical Development
More information about these resources can be found on CCEA web site – www.ccea.org.uk
