Implementing continuous provision in Key Stage 1 classrooms at Ashby Hill Top Primary School
This article has been published as part of the Rethinking Curriculum project, kindly funded by The Helen Hamlyn Trust.
SYLVIE NEWMAN, EXECUTIVE HEADTEACHER, ASHBY HILL TOP PRIMARY SCHOOL, UK
Background
Ashby Hill Top Primary School is a larger-than-average primary school, with 307 children on roll. Our school serves the community of the North West Leicestershire market town, Ashby-de-la-Zouch. Ashby is a growing town, with lots of new houses and amenities. The school has grown in size over the last eight years and our admission number has increased to 45. It is for this reason that pupils from Year 1 upwards are taught in mixed-year-group classes.
At Ashby Hill Top Primary School, we offer the children the ‘brightest of beginnings’ in order to lay strong foundations for a successful future. We want the lives of all who leave our school to have been enhanced by their experience of attending Ashby Hill Top. Over the past few years, the school has been focused on building on our success in Early Years by adopting innovative teaching strategies to further enhance the learning experiences of our Key Stage 1 pupils (ages five to seven).
Evidence
In England, children start formal schooling at the age of four. Education experts widely advocate for an extension of informal, play-based provision and a delay to the start of formal ‘schooling’ in England until the age of seven (Whitebread, 2013). This would bring England in line with several other countries, who currently have higher levels of academic achievement and child wellbeing.
Play is crucial for children’s learning and development. Children who engage in imaginative, physical and social play develop better skills in thinking, problem-solving and emotional control (Whitebread et al., 2017). Studies also indicate that play-based preschool programmes lead to better academic performance, motivation and overall wellbeing (Whitebread et al., 2017).
Essentially, at Ashby Hill Top, we believe that play is crucial for healthy child development and should be prioritised in early education. We know our children well and believe that they are better suited to learning through continuous provision right through Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and into Key Stage 1.
Our approach
We have found in the past that transition from the EYFS to Key Stage 1 can be challenging for young learners, as it usually involves a shift from play-based learning to more formal teaching.
At Ashby Hill Top, we have embedded continuous provision in order to bridge the gap between EYFS and Key Stage 1, by maintaining the focus on play-based learning while meeting the curriculum objectives of Key Stage 1. This approach supports the development of independence, critical thinking and engagement through child-initiated activities. It involves setting up an environment where children can independently explore and learn through hands-on activities and resources that are always available. This allows children to engage in self-directed learning, promoting autonomy, creativity and critical thinking skills.
Through this approach, our aims are to:
- enhance pupil engagement and motivation
- support meeting the needs to learners by catering to a variety of learning stylesTheories relating to the idea that individuals learn best in different ways and teaching should be tailored to their learning styles – these have been widely debunked by research and abilities
- encourage independent learning and problem-solving skills
- facilitate smooth transition from EYFS to Key Stage 1.
Our approach has evolved over time and has very much been driven by our passionate teaching team, who strive to ensure that every element of provision is tailored to meet the needs of the pupils in the class. Our Early Years team have been instrumental in setting the standard for carefully crafted and purposeful learning opportunities for learners within their large open-plan base. Throughout the EYFS, we celebrate the ‘unique child’, and adults respond to the individual needs and interests of their children. Staff have the highest expectations of all. They begin building routines for learning so that children know exactly what to do as they get involved with activities across the base independently. By the time that the children reach the end of the year, they have acquired the relevant skills and knowledge needed to transition smoothly into Key Stage 1. Children achieve well above national levels of development.
Key principles
The key principles of embedding continuous provision in Key Stage 1 remain the same as those in EYFS:
- Start with the child – what are they interested in? What will they naturally want to do? Are there key areas of learning that need strengthening or revisiting?
- Prioritise areas of provision according to the space available and how effectively it can be resourced
- Create clearly defined spaces for each area of continuous provision
- Make sure that the resources you provide earn their place by providing lots of possibilities for learning
- Organise resources carefully and make them accessible to the children
- Consider the way in which you group, display and label the resources to provide opportunities for incidental learning.
However, the decisions made also need to reflect the expectations that we have for our children by the end of the year and the key stage. What skills and knowledge do we want them to master, and therefore what equipment and opportunities must we provide? This is key to ensuring in-year progression and to creating an environment that supports all teaching and learning. Continuous provision in Years 1 and 2 is not just an add-on, not just another thing to fit in alongside the curriculum; it is the curriculum.
Classrooms in Key Stage 1 are organised to create defined areas for different types of activities, such as a reading corner, art station, construction area, science exploration area, maths area, phonics area and calm space. Resources are carefully selected to be open-ended, allowing for various uses and encouraging creativity. Examples include blocks, art materials, role-play costumes and natural materials like sand and water. Children are well used to this method of learning, due to the excellent start that they receive in Early Years. Key Stage 1 teachers align continuous provision activities not only to the interests of children but also to the demands of the National Curriculum, so that they can provide increasingly challenging and valuable learning opportunities throughout both Year 1 and Year 2, enabling children to revisit and embed skills and knowledge while continuing to strengthen the effective learning behaviours acquired in EYFS. Learning intentions are clearly defined, but activities are flexible to allow for child-led exploration.
At the start of each year, continuous provision is introduced gradually, starting with a few areas to evaluate effectiveness. Teachers observe pupil interactions and engagement levels to inform planning and make any adjustments needed. They maintain observational notes to understand individual learning pathways, and adapt resources in each area accordingly.
Summary
The implementation of continuous provision in Key Stage 1 at Ashby Hill Top Primary School has successfully enhanced student engagement and supported differentiated learning. Teachers have noted that continuous provision allows them to tailor learning experiences to individual needs more effectively. They appreciate the ability to observe children within provision, gaining insights into their interests and learning styles. Teachers collaborate to share resources and ideas, reducing the burden of individual classrooms needing a vast array of materials. During observations, children can be seen engaged within the provision: they actively participate in discussions with peers and spend focused time on-task. Learning in provision is celebrated in pupils’ books, which show high standards when children are working independently – children love learning in this way! We also encourage children to reflect at key points during the day: ‘How focused was I during the lesson?’ or ‘Did I participate actively today?’ Children can also be seen responding to adult questions with depth and quality reasoning during classroom discussions, demonstrating developed critical thinking skills and independence, which are essential for their future educational journeys. Over the course of the academic year, assessment data indicates improvement in literacy and numeracy skills, with children demonstrating a deeper understanding of concepts through practical application.
Four tips for school leaders when setting up continuous provision in Key Stage 1
- Ensure that everyone understands the purpose and benefits of continuous provision; you need to bring staff (and parents) with you!
- Invest in CPD (continuing professional development) for staff to deepen their understanding. Training should cover classroom management, observation and assessment techniques, setting up purposeful areas and balancing adult-led and child-initiated learning. Encourage visits to other schools who are successfully implementing this approach.
- Start small; begin with a few key areas and gradually expand as staff become more confident and comfortable with the approach. Encourage a reflective culture where teachers feel comfortable to adjust and improve their practice.
- Ensure that there are adequate resources (Facebook Marketplace is your friend for free bits!) and sufficient time for staff to plan, prepare and reflect on the effectiveness of the continuous provision areas, adjusting as needed.
Good luck!
References
Whitebread D (2013) School starting age: The evidence. University of Cambridge. Available at: www.cam.ac.uk/research/discussion/school-starting-age-the-evidence (accessed 17 September 2024).
Whitebread D, Neale D, Jensen H et al. (2017) White paper: The role of play in children’s development: A review of the evidence. The LEGO Foundation. Available at: https://cms.learningthroughplay.com/media/esriqz2x/role-of-play-in-childrens-development-review_web.pdf (accessed 17 September 2024).
