Parents welcome new early learning project

Parents and teachers have welcomed a new innovative early years learning project which has seen dramatic results in a year.

The youngest pupils at Bere Alston Primary School are making huge progress, after combining nursery school and new starters into a single unit.

A year ago headteacher Gareth Bemister made the strategic decision to restructure his early years provision by combining nursery and school starters into a single early years unit for children aged two to five.

He said: “This is a major success story that has transformed early childhood education here.”

He said the experiment had not only seen fast development in reading and writing and creative thinking, but had also enabled the new starters to make a productive transition into school life and integrate by mixing with older children.

One parent said: “My child has flourished in early years and if it wasn’t for the caring, professional and persistent work of the teachers my child would not manage in a mainstream setting. The school is like an extended family setting and all children benefit greatly from their approach and dedication. I wouldn’t consider a different setting for my children."

A second parent said: "Robin has loved being in Sharman class This year he has made amazing progress and we are blown away by the standard of his writing and how fluent he is reading. He is always sharing maths facts and what he’s learned."

Gareth added: “For the first time in years, every single child leaving our Early Years Unit this term has achieved ‘good levels of development’ across the early learning goals.

“The strategy has allowed us to create an incredibly concentrated reception class of just nine children this year, with ten currently enrolled for next year.

“While many local children start school in classes of 30 or more, our restructure means Bere Alston pupils receive unprecedented, targeted time with their class teacher, Emma Senior.

“Supported by a vastly experienced early years team, this restructured model has delivered staggering results for our families and offers a unique educational model within the Bere Alston community.”

The older reception/new intake children regularly have maths sessions, formal school assemblies and independent preparation for PE and ‘forest school’.

Nursery teacher Sophie Follett said: “Our nursery pupils in the drawing club mix with reception and it helps their transition, while learning and making friends. My children also listen and learn how retell stories and join in the classes in phases and then they draw pictures linked to the story.

“They start off making marks in their books and it starts off as scribbles and evolves into more intricate drawings with the children able to tell us the meaning of the pictures.

“So, they are able to show their development by drawing something like a giraffe and include it in a sentence. They’re learning drawing, writing and literacy to a higher standard than previously at school and can start reception already writing sentences. They also get used to their teacher and will have older children as role models.”