School’s out for Summer

It's the summer holidays before you get your very own class! It’s a really exciting time; thinking about your room, the layout, displays, and organisation. You’re probably feeling nervous and excited at the same time, unsure of what to expect, but still wanting to be ready.

My advice? Take it slow.

This is what I think is useful to do over the Summer break.

Familiarise yourself with your new setting

Take a look at your setting’s website and any social media they may have. Read policies, the aims, vision and values. All of this is important to know and it gives you a feel of the school, what the expectations are, and what the ethos is. Read some of the school newsletters, they are usually packed full of recent news and events, and watch the Welcome/ Tour video.

Read

If you’re in EYFS next year, you will probably already know there have been reforms which take effect in September of this year. I would recommend reading the Statutory Framework for the EYFS. This sets out the standards for learning, development and care for children from birth to five. Remember, this document is mandatory so it is very important you have read it.

Find out from your line manager if your setting is using any of the non-statutory documents to support their curriculum offer. Development Matters is the non-statutory curriculum guidance for the EYFS published by the DfE, and Birth to 5 Matters provides guidance for the EYFS developed by the Early Years Coalition. If they are using either of these, or something else, become familiar with them as it will give you a head start in September.

Another useful thing to find out about is which Phonics scheme your setting is using as there is a new validation process for phonics schemes so it is highly likely there will be changes in September.

Classroom

Hopefully you have already had a chance to visit your new setting, spend some time with your new children, and choose your display backing (very important!). You have probably got lots of ideas of how you want your classroom to be, look, feel, and be set up. Spend some time in your classroom over the summer if you wish, trying out different layouts until it feels right to you but don’t be too worried about making it ‘perfect’ or getting it ‘just right’. I change my classroom frequently to ensure it meets the needs of my class. It’s important to be a reflective practitioner and to evaluate the needs of your children. Their needs and interests change throughout the year so how your classroom started in September probably won’t be how it ends up in July. You may also find that something that looks good may not actually be workable once the children start. Have a think about your classroom, areas of learning and how you may set it up, but be mindful that this may need to be adapted once the children are in and are using it. You might find a space is not big enough, or two spaces don’t actually work well near to each other. But as I always say, try it, and see how it works!

Teacher Cupboard and Resources

If you’re lucky enough to have a teacher cupboard (yes, I’ve worked in a school where you couldn’t have any personal resources at school), you might want to sort, organise and clear out some items. By all means, see what is in there and organise it in a way which makes sense to you, but be mindful not to throw out any resources before checking with your line manager. Resources cost money and time, and they might relate to a topic or core text for example, so always check before throwing anything out.

Displays

As I’ve already mentioned, each school has different expectations of what classrooms need to look like to be September-ready. So again, ask lots of questions. Find out what frieze’s need to be displayed and if there is a school-way of displaying these. These could be phonics, number lines, ‘golden rules’ or school values. Is there a particular font to use, or a specific way to label pegs. Are there certain things that need to be on display when the children first come in in September or does your setting want completely blank display boards?

Ask Questions

By now you should have the contact details of your line manager, so don’t be afraid to use them. You might have a question about planning, or the structure for transition in September, you may have forgotten to ask them something and it’s just come back to you. Just ask. Even as an experienced practitioner, when starting a new school I ask lots of questions - I would rather that than spend my time doing something that you later find is not in-line with the school’s policy or ethos.

This is part one of a series of blogs for ECTs (and teachers starting a new school), so check back in soon for part 2!

As always, leave me a comment if you have any questions!

If you’d like to contribute to the next blog or perhaps write your own, send me a message here.