Foundation Stage
We treat each child as an individual and provide a happy, purposeful atmosphere and a rich, varied, and structured Early Years curriculum - perfect ingredients for the best possible start!Children are born ready, able, and eager to learn. At IPS Cascais, we maximise this zest for life and aptitude for learning, setting the foundation for your child’s educational journey.
Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum
At ages three to four, the emphasis is on play and enjoyment, learning through creative activities, physical education, and music. English immersion begins from day one. We take a holistic approach, which fits the school’s aim of treating each child as an individual who is listened to and supported.
We align our EYFS curriculum with the four main themes in the 'Development Matters' curriculum document:
- Every child is unique, constantly learning, and can be resilient, capable, confident, and self-assured
- Children learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships
- Children learn and develop well in enabling environments in which their experiences respond to their individual needs, and there is a strong partnership between practitioners and parents
- Children learn and develop in different ways
The characteristics of effective teaching and learning
In planning and guiding what children learn, we reflect on the different rates at which children are developing and adjust our practice appropriately.
In the EYFS, the three characteristics of effective teaching and learning that underpin our practice are:
- Playing and exploring – children investigate and experience things and ‘have a go’
- Active learning – children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties, and enjoy achievements
- Creating and thinking critically – children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things
Our practitioners
Our Early Years Foundation Stage staff provide a nurturing, respectful and playful environment. They build positive, warm, and loving relationships by being attuned to the young children in their care and supporting them academically and emotionally.