Now the curriculum content is negotiated with the children and planning is determined by the children's interests rather than rigidly set topics, exercises or worksheets.
The change, says Foundation Stage co-ordinator Lesley Harris, has resulted in a fundamental shift in control. 'Whereas before we were being controlled by the curriculum, now adults and children share control.' To achieve this, the day is structured around High/Scope's Plan-Do-Review routine. Early in the day, the children are told of resources available (some permanent, some stemming from the children's interests) and adults' plans (for example, 'I'm playing in the shop'). They are then allowed to choose what they would like to do and where (the learning environment incorporates the corridors and outdoors).
This level of control increases motivation, says Mrs Harris, leaving children eager to learn and willing to participate in all activities, including writing.
Achieving this way of working depends on the morning's all-important greeting time, when the children's discussions enable practitioners to gauge current interests and plan accordingly. For example, Christmas may be a distant memory for most of us, but the children at Causeway Green are still interested in the journeys in the Christmas story and have wanted to pursue their interest in travel. In response, the staff have planned for the children to set up a travel agent's, make a travel brochure and design their own magic carpet, to be used in the imaginative play area. 'Their news is where we go from,' says Mrs Harris.
Another change has been in recording. Here the school has replaced assessment by markers such as an awareness of colour, shape, numerals and words with High/Scope's developmentally appropriate recording system. 'The old system didn't really tell you anything about what the children understood or about the process of learning,' says Mrs Harris.
The change in approach has been 'radical', she concludes, but the end result is that the school has a 'highly motivated and committed early years team' - and 'our children absolutely love school.'
