• Tel:(042) 37490768
  • info@phonicsacademia.edu.pk
  • 30-31, Main Boulevard, Block G Sabzazar, Lahore, 54000

Early Year Information Guide

Mission Statement

Phonics Academia offers an inspirational English language education for carefully selected students, caring for them in an organization committed to continuous improvement, and providing outstanding opportunities both in and out of the classroom. We recruit the finest teachers and staff, providing them with the resources to nurture outstanding students and exemplify the pioneering spirit and traditions of Phonics Academia School.

Principles & Objectives

The Early Years education we offer is based on the following principles:

  • It starts with the child and builds on what our children already know and can do
  • It makes the most of a child’s personal interests and enthusiasms
  • It is nurturing and nurtures high quality relationships
  • It offers a structure for learning through individual Learning Journeys
  • The content matches the needs of young children
  • It ensures opportunities for active learning both indoors and outdoors
  • It provides a rich and stimulating environment.

WELCOME FROM THE HEAD OF JUNIOR

Dear Parents,

I would like to extend a warm welcome to you and your family from the Early Years staff here at Phonics Academia. I would like to introduce myself to you; I am Head of the Junior School. I believe very much in developing the whole child academically, socially and emotionally through a creative curriculum approach; a happy confident child is a successful one. When you ask your child ‘What did you do at school today?’ the answer you may often get is “I played.” This is what we aim for children to say! We give them carefully-chosen play experiences and access to many high quality resources in which they learn the skills to develop in the core areas that make up the Early Years curriculum. On a daily basis we take the lead from children themselves, and plan our activities in response to their interests and ideas. We will give you lots of practical ideas of how to develop and support learning experiences with your child at home. Remember, you know your child best and you are still the most important teacher in his or her life. We can work together to ensure your child has rewarding and enriching educational experiences to develop a life-long love for learning. At Phonics Academia School we strive to promote and enrich positive relationships with our parents and the community. Every member of the Early Years staff is committed to working as a team; you will find us to be open and approachable. I am looking forward to getting to know you and supporting your child on their exciting learning journey through our Early Years at Phonics Academia and beyond. My very best wishes for your child’s every success.

About the Early Years Wing

Phonics Academia Early Years Department is set within the Pre-Prep building with its own specially-designed garden area. It caters for children aged 3-5 years, and children follow the Early Years curriculum for three years. We plan a learning environment both indoors and outdoors that encourages a positive and enthusiastic attitude to learning. We purchase high quality, carefully chosen materials and equipment that reflect the community that the children come from and the wider world. We encourage the children to make their own choices of the activities on offer and of the equipment as we believe that this encourages independent learning. We fully utilize the sensory and physical opportunities inside and outside, as this enhances the children’s learning. We regularly review our resources and maintain our equipment to ensure that we have a high regard to health and safety. Each class at EYC has a maximum of 22 children and these classes are supported by a class teacher. Furniture is age appropriate and has been chosen to meet the needs of the range of subjects and activities offered in the Early Years. Typical classrooms include such as interactive whiteboards, Activity Mats, Tunnels and Fiber slides within the classroom.

WHAT TO BRING

Every child should have a Phonics Academia backpack (small size) clearly marked with your child’s name to allow easy self-identification. And inside...

  • Please place emergency clothes in your child’s backpack every day (spare underwear, t-shirt, shorts) so we are prepared for accidents if these occur!
  • Water bottle - please provide a named bottle filled with water every day. We ask that only water is brought into school, not juice
  • A school book-bag so your child can carry their reading and library books
  • Please note that backpacks and book-bags can both be purchased from the School Shops

GETTING READY FOR THE BIG DAY

What you can do at home to help your child prepare for starting school. These activities will help your child to become more independent and give an easier induction into school life and expectations

Independence

  • Taking off and putting on socks and shoes
  • Self-toileting and correct washing of hands
  • Using a spoon and fork to eat (please do not feed your child!)
  • Getting themselves dressed – knowing the order in which to get dressed
  • Carrying their own backpack
  • Walking by themselves (not being carried) – walking up and down stairs independently
  • Tidying away their toys and putting them back where they belong
  • Drinking water from a water bottle

Speaking English (if your child is not a native English speaker)

Every child should have a Phonics Academia backpack (small size) clearly marked with your child’s name to allow easy self-identification. And inside...

  • Teach your child to say basic English phrases such as please, thank you, yes, no, toilet, drink, sit down, listen, stop, good morning, hello, goodbye.
  • Share a story book in English and sing some simple songs and rhymes, in English.

Sharing books

  • Read to your child every day – visit the library every week or take regular trips to the bookshop to encourage a love of books.
  • Encourage your child to share books with you and their siblings, grandparents, anyone!

Play inside

  • Share domestic jobs – ask your child to help set the table, sort the laundry or makethe beds
  • Make a healthy snacks or meals - e.g. fruit salads, vegetable dishes
  • Look for shapes in your house – circles, triangles, rectangles, squares
  • Look for a toy beginning with different sounds
  • Write down your family names, can your child recognize their name?
  • Make a train track and count how many trains are on it
  • Build a castle out of empty boxes for a princess or a dragon
  • Play dress-up with some of mummy and daddy’s old clothes
  • Pretend to write down the shopping list

Skills to develop

  • Recognition of numbers, colors, shapes, their name, specific vocabulary, forexample transport, parts of the body
  • Listening to sounds around them at home, in the street or in the car
  • Fine motor skills – holding a pencil, cutting, coloring in pictures
  • Gross motor skills – running, jumping, balancing, hopping, holding a position,stopping
  • Separation – give your child some opportunities to be away from you and their care for short times (for example playing at a friend’s house, attending a play group, playing in the park with other children)

Play Outside

  • Kick a football, bounce a basketball, try throwing, catching and rolling a ball.
  • Look for insects and different kinds of trees and flowers.
  • Enjoy jumping, balancing, running and climbing at the park.
  • Please stick to the same routine every day with your child and don’t give into them asking for you to stay for one more hug
  • Please stick to the same routine every day with your child and don’t give into them asking for you to stay for one more hug
  • Make it clear what you will do and stick to it in our experience, it won’t be long until your child is not even turning to wave goodbye and you will forget the upset of the first few weeks!

IMPORTANT ROUTINES FOR SUCCESS AT SCHOOL

Please be on time for school every day. The school day begins at 7:50 am. The gates into the two Early Years gardens will be accessible for children and parents from 7.15 until 7:50am (‘soft start’). Please make sure you hand over your child to the teacher in the morning. Our online registration closes at 7.50am after which your child will be marked as being absent. Please remember to sign your child in at the main gate if you arrive after 8.00am.

The socializing that happens for your child at the beginning of the day is extremely important. Being at school on time for the start of the day is one of the most important things you can do to help your child to settle in quickly and happily. From 8.00am we begin our day with “Carpet Time” where we introduce the day’s learning, new vocabulary and have a morning routine of welcome songs and activities. If your child misses this vital start to the day, this may affect your child’s confidence during the following sessions.

At the end of the morning, FS1, FS2 & Kindergarten children are to be collected from the EY1 garden at12:00 pm. Please try to be on time so your child does not become distressed by being the “only child left”. Promptness is vital for your child’s success, it is your responsibility to deliver and collect your child on time

Lots of sleep and a good breakfast

The children will be coming home very tired in the first few weeks, so please make sure that your child gets enough sleep to give them the best possible start to every morning.We ask that you ensure your child has eaten a good breakfast before they come to school.

Toys from home

We have lots of resources in school and children are not encouraged to bring in toys from home on a regular basis due to the many problems of toys being broken, misplaced or not shared.

In Foundation Stage1 &2 if your child has something special that they would like to show they can bring it in their ‘Special Bag’ which will be sent home on a rotation basis in Term 2. In FS3 (Kindergarten), we have ‘Show and Tell’, your child can share their special news in this time. They will learn how to ask and answer questions.

Note: Please do not send in any violent toys into school such as toy guns or toyweapons.

INDUCTION WEEK - SAYING “GOODBYE”

We know this can be an upsetting time for both parent and child as you say goodbye in the classroom and your child spends each morning away from you and the home. If this is your eldest child then this will be a new experience for you, and we are very aware of how especially emotional you and your child may be feeling. Firstly, please accept that this is normal! We want to help to make the transition from home to classroom as easy as possible but to do this there are some things you can do to help

  • At home, please remain positive about what exciting adventures your son or daughter will have at school that day and remind your child of friends in the class and, of course, the teachers who care very much for them. In the classroom, be ready to say goodbye with a quick hug, kiss and reassurance that you will return to collect them and be prepared to leave
  • It’s inevitable that your child will be upset or cry, even try to hold onto you, please bear with them and us. Rest assured that the majority of children settle down within 3 to 4 minutes of your departure as we can easily distract them with an activity, read a story, give them a cuddle or just introduce a friend. This may occur every morning for a few weeks.
  • If your child really does struggle to be separated after the first half-term, then the teacher will discuss further strategies. We are here to support you and them in any way we can.

SHAPE OF THE DAY

Shape of the day Foundation Stage 1 & 2 After the induction period, the shape of the day for FS1 & 2 is as follows:

7.30AM - 8.00AM Soft start’. Arrive at school through the EY1 garden. Go to the classroom and unpack bag. Morning routine, introduction to today’s learning
8.00AM – 10.30AM Attendance time.
Active Learning Time - Child initiated and adult directed learning inside and outside,
Specialist lessons: English, Urdu, Mathematics
10:30AM – 11:00AM Eat lunch
11:00AM-11:55AM Story Time, Arts, Music, Brainstorming games, Library, Islamic education, world knowledge & Physical Education (Sports)
12:00PM Home Time. Please collect your child from the garden at 12:00AM

SECURITY AND SITE ACCESS

Phonics School takes the matter of security seriously and we require your full co-operation with our security procedures which are for the benefit of the whole of our community. Please make sure all your family and staff understand the School’s security procedures that are outlined in the Parent Handbook, including:

LATE DROP OFF-EARLY PICK UP

Parents must inform the school in advance of any requirement to collect their children before the normal finish of the school day. For urgent cases parents should telephone the School Reception. Children must be collected by an adult approved by the parent. Children cannot exit the school early without an approved Exit Permit. Exit Permits are available from Reception on the day. Parents need to have the form signed by the section coordinator, then brought to the administration floor for approval. Please refer to the Parent Handbook for the detailed procedure.

Shape of the day FS3 (kindergarten)

Shape of the day Foundation Stage 3 (kindergarten) After the induction period, the shape of the day for FS 3 is as follows

7.30AM - 8.00AM Soft start’. Arrive at school through the Early year garden. Go to the classroom and unpack bag. Morning routine, introduction to today’s learning
8.00AM – 10.30AM Attendance time.
Active Learning Time - Child initiated and adult directed learning inside and outside,
Specialist lessons: English, Urdu, Math, Science, Computer, world history & technology
10:30AM – 11:00AM Eat lunch
11:00AM-11:55AM Story Time, Arts, Music, Brainstorming games, Library, Islamic education, world knowledge, Museum activity & Physical Education (Sports)
12:00PM Home Time. Please collect your child from the garden at 12:00AM

GETTING TO / FROM SCHOOL

No matter what mode of transport you choose to travel to school, all early years’ children must be escorted all the way into the school site by an adult. For those arriving by car, please park in a designated parking space before escorting your child to class. Alternatively, if you have a driver, the driver may drop both the child and the accompanying adult at one of the “Drop off and Go” zones next to the flag pole gate but may not wait there.

Traffic on Main Boulevard Sabzazar and in the school locality can be heavy in the mornings from 7.20am to 8am - especially if it is raining. Traffic on the first day of each term is also very busy. Always allow good time for your journey so that your children are relaxed in advance of the start of the school day.

Parents can avoid delay by considering alternative means of transport, including the school bus or uber services. Details are provided on the school website or in the Parent Handbook.

SUPERVISION

It takes place in the Pre-Prep Learning Zone and children will be supervised in there from 12:00pm-1.30pm. (Supervision is not available for EY1 children). Supervision is intended to be used only where a sibling has an zero period activity (or Parent: Teacher Consultation) so that parents may collect all children at the same time.

If your child requires supervision, please inform the Class Teacher by writing a note in the communication book that day.

7 Area of Learning

SPECIFIC AREAS

MATHS
Includes matching, counting, sorting, seeking patterns, making connections, recognizing relationships and working with numbers, shapes and measures. Mathematical understanding will be developed through stories, songs, games and imaginative play so that children enjoy using and experimenting with counting and numbers 		UNDERSTAND-ING THE WORLD
Where children will begin to develop the crucial knowledge, skills and understanding to help them comprehend the world around them. This forms the foundation for subjects of Science, Geography, History, Design Technology and ICT (computer skills) 		EXPRESSIVE
ARTS & DESIGN Children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates. All areas of learning and development are equally important and interconnected. 		LITERACY
Children will be exposed to a wide range of books, introduced to letter sounds and begin emergent writing.

PRIME AREAS

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
Developing coordination, control, manipulation and movement. Improving physical skills has two other important aspects; it helps children develop confidence in what they can do and enables them to feel the benefits of being healthy and active as wells as creating a positive sense of wellbeing. Develop self-help skills and independence at managing their personal hygiene. 		PERSONAL, SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT:
Developing emotional well-being. Becoming more confident and self-assured and forming friendships. Learning how to share and take turns. Discovering how to manage their feelings and behavior. 		COMMUNICATION & LANGUAGE:
Developing listening skills so they can understand what is being said and can learn how to pay attention. Developing speaking skills so that they can improves their vocabulary and fluency when they communicate with others.

Specialist Lessons

Music

Our specialist Early Years Music teacher visits each class every week. The session allows hands-on experiences of percussion instruments, singing and movements which encourage children to be sensitive to beat and rhythm.

Physical Education

PE lessons are based on the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum and children have daily opportunities for physical exercise. Skills include Golf, Cricket, Football, running., Athletics. EY children learn basic movement skills to develop hand-eye coordination, foot-eye coordination, balance, body and space awareness and moving with control. In EY we have space in our garden for physical activities. EY 1, 2 & 3 have specialist PE lessons twice a week and class teachers also provide regular class activity time using the equipment’s in the garden, music studio and garden spaces.

Library

Our main aim within the library is to encourage a love of books from a very early age. The library is designed to be fun and inviting for EY children, and we have a vast range of picture books, easy non-fiction, and books in other languages.

ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

Key Points

  • It takes a long time to acquire an additional language.
  • The school provides plenty of practice and instruction in English.
  • Maintaining mother tongue at home helps development of English.
  • Playing with English speakers is the best way to help develop English outside ofschool.
  • Reading and talking about books in English or mother tongue with your child helpsdevelop English.

Your child may be starting school with limited English proficiency. This is perfectly okay. In fact, at this age even native speakers of English have only just begun to really explore the language and develop their vocabulary for use outside the home.

The Early Years program is designed to provide high quality learning experiences that encourage language acquisition and development in all our children, from the moment they begin their first day at school.The process of acquiring a language takes time and you should not be worried if for the first few weeks or even months your child appears not to be speaking much or any English. This “silent phase” is perfectly normal, and you can be reassured that your child will be observing, listening and taking in the English around him or her until the moment that he or she feels ready to start using it.

It is also important to know that the time it takes for a learner of English to go from no English to full academic fluency can be as long as seven years. Throughout that time your child’s teachers will be providing the right environment to make this lengthy process as rich as possible.


However, there are things you can do at home to help your child during this time.

It is important to value your child’s mother tongue. Your child will have plenty of exposure to English at school. Research tells us that by maintaining mother tongue while learning an additional language, both are strengthened. Children who are proficient speakers of Urdu, Punjabi and so on become proficient speakers of English more readily.

If you speak English, you can be a good role model for your child by using it where appropriate. This does not mean speaking English artificially, when your mother tongue would be the most efficient way to communicate, but to show your child that when English is needed (when you are talking to English-speaking parents in the playground, members of the school staff, visitors to Pakistan etc.) you use English confidently. This gives them something to aspire to.

Reading is also an important activity that helps to develop your child’s language. In the early stages, before your child is reading formally, it is important to share stories with them in your child’s mother tongue as appropriate. This helps develop a love of books, and to show him or her that you value reading yourself. Your child’s love of books in his or her mother tongue will then more readily transfer to their relationship with English books. As your child begins to bring home books from school, listen to him or her read then discuss what you have read in your child’s mother tongue. If he or she can discuss an English story in his or her own language, we can be confident of deep understanding and rich language ability.

Each student who enrolled into EAL program class is visited by a qualified English teacher in their learning environment from Monday to Thursday every week. The aim of the EAL program is to give children a thorough immersion into the English language through stories, singing, hands-on activities, rhymes, a variety of games, role-play and some formal letter recognition and vocabulary work. Children are not only learning English, but are also being immersed in the richness of British culture through celebrating.

Parent in Partnership

There are many different ways in which we communicate and work with parents about their child’s learning and progress, these include:

  • Initial EY parent questionnaire about their child’s personality and interests.
  • Daily communication through the home-school book as required.
  • Meeting and greeting child and parent / career at the beginning and end of each day.
  • Playing with English speakers is the best way to help develop English outside ofschool.
  • Parent-Teacher Conferences to share child’s learning and next step

In addition, parents will receive information via:

Your child’s Interactive Learning Diary (ILD)

  • Daily Diary detail will be upload on the school portal
  • Opportunity to join Phonics Academia Parents Association.
  • Parents are always welcome to make formal appointments to meet with Class Teacher, subject teacher, activity teacher & section coordinator.

HEALTH MATTERS

Children’s health and safety is our top priority. Please encourage your child to get into good hygiene habits by going to the toilet independently, washing their own hands with soap and drying hands properly. Drinking lots of water is also encouraged during the day. If your child has not been well, we ask parents to not bring them into school until they are fully recovered and are no longer at risk of spreading their illness to other children.

  • If your child has vomited or has diarrhea
  • If your child exhibits symptoms of Hand Foot & Mouth Disease. This disease is common and easily spread at this age, please look out for sores or blisters in the mouth, on the palms of hands or on the soles of feet. If your child has a confirmed case of Hand, Foot & Mouth Disease, they are not to return to school until at least 7 days since the date of confirmed diagnosis, or later, if advised by medical professionals. For further information about health matters, please refer to the school health policy guide.

Allergies

Many children have serious allergies, to dairy, wheat or nuts. For the safety of these children we do not allow any unacceptable food to be brought into school from home (except lunch) On birthdays, please liaise with the class teacher if you would like to bring in a cake for your child. Please do not hand over food or eat snacks in the garden or play areas to any child – you may not know if they are allergic to it.

Our school is a nut-free environment. Health and safety is our main priority and if your child has an allergy to nuts, dairy, wheat or an illness like diabetes, please be reassured that we will monitor everything your child eats.