Phoenix Early Years Department

Phoenix Early Years Department

Welcome to Phoenix International School’s Early Years Department

At Phoenix International School our objective is to provide a fun filled, warm, and safe environment which is based around each child’s individual learning and developmental needs.  We want children to become competent learners who are able to gain confidence and independence.  In order to achieve this, the Early Years Department has adapted a play-based philosophy in which children are able to freely explore learning activities, toys and equipment.

Phoenix International School aims to provide a high standard of quality education which utilises the UK’s Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum.  Using the EYFS curriculum gives us the opportunity to meet your child’s individual needs and provide an exciting start to their education.

Our Curriculum

Phoenix International School uses a variety of observation and assessment methods to plan and prepare activities which are designed according to your child’s needs and interests.  Our team carefully examines how your child learns through play, exploration, classroom activities, group discussions and social circles.  From these observations, the Early Years Department carefully plans activities which ensure that your child can develop their existing knowledge and gain new skills through the 7 areas of learning and development in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum.

All of these observations and assessments are included with your child’s work – a learning journey for your child.  We use an online assessment platform called ‘Tapestry’.  

Tapestry builds a very special record of a child’s experiences, development and learning journey through their early years’ education. Using photos, videos, and diary entries, our teachers, along with the child’s parents or carers, and the child themselves if they’re ready, ‘weaves’ the story of the child and how they are growing and developing. The Tapestry platform enables these memories to be kept as a permanent record of each child’s unique journey. All information held in the platform is stored securely and can be downloaded and shared as and when required. Parents or carers are able to view their child’s progress, the activities provided for them, and how much fun they’re having, whilst also uploading their own comments. Tapestry enables thorough communication between staff and parents, which helps build a shared understanding of how every child can reach their full potential.

Prime Areas

Specific Areas

Our learning environment

Our learning environment

Our Early Years classroom is designed to be a learning resource for the children to enhance independent learning as well as their cognitive and social development.   

Our classroom has

  • an explorative and creative area which allows the children to freely choose a variety of craft and mark making activities.
  • a book corner which offers a comfortable area with a wide selection of stories that children can browse at their leisure.  We also share story time together using story bags and props.
  • a role play area which our team carefully changes regularly to give children a variety of different role play scenarios.
  • construction materials, small world toys and natural objects which are readily available for the children to build with and to use their imaginary skills.

Through play, our Early Years Team expands on your child’s play experiences and introduces numeracy, phonics, literacy, understanding of the world, culture, expressive arts, music and dance.  

In preparation for Primary Maths, the children learn to count, order and write numbers, and gain the concept of one more and one less.  

In preparation for Primary English, the children learn to write the letters, begin to learn their early phonics and start to blend basic reading sounds.  

Spanish lessons are started in the Early Years which gives the children the opportunity to learn basic vocabulary and listening skills which act as a foundation for Primary Spanish.

Throughout the day, the children have regular access to their Early Years outdoor play area. The Early Years Department uses the outdoor area as an additional classroom and carefully plans activities and resources so the children can enjoy their time outdoors exploring whilst continuing their learning.

Phoenix International School uses the Forest School philosophy as part of the Early Years and Primary curriculum which helps to enhance children’s personal, social and physical development.   

The children take part in Physical Education lessons at various times during the school week where they enjoy a variety of different sports, games and yoga.

8:50 Lesson 1 Lesson 2 Lesson 3 Lesson 4 Lesson 5 Lesson 6 4pm
Monday Register LITERACY/PHONICS ACTIVIITES NUMERACY ACTIVIITES Break PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELPOMENT ACTIVITES PE Lunch ICT/FOREST SCHOOL TOPIC/STORY TIME Tutor time
Tuesday Register LITERACY/PHONICS ACTIVIITES NUMERACY ACTIVIITES Break SPANISH COMMUNICATION AND LANGUAGE ACTIVIITES Lunch UNDERSTANDING THE WORLD ACTIVITES TOPIC/STORY TIME Tutor time
Wednesday Register LITERACY/PHONICS ACTIVIITES NUMERACY ACTIVIITES Break EXPRESSIVE ART AND DESIGNS ACTIVITIES SPANISH Lunch PE TOPIC/STORY TIME Tutor time
Thursday Register LITERACY/PHONICS ACTIVIITES NUMERACY ACTIVIITES Break COMMUNICATION AND LANGUAGE ACTIVIITES SPANISH Lunch PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELPOMENT ACTIVITES TOPIC/STORY TIME Tutor time
Friday Register LITERACY/PHONICS ACTIVIITES NUMERACY ACTIVIITES Break PE UNDERSTANDING THE WORLD ACTIVITES Lunch EXPRESSIVE ART AND DESIGNS ACTIVITIES TOPIC/STORY TIME Tutor time

Our Staff

Whilst Phoenix International School has a vast range of resources available, we believe the biggest asset to our school is our staff team.  We invest a lot of time selecting and screening the best professional carers to look after your children.  Our Early Years team are all either Early Years Specialists, qualified teachers or nursery nurses with years of experience working in the Early Years sector.

Phoenix International School encourages the Early Years team to develop their knowledge and professional skills as part of the staff appraisal process.  We hold regular staff meetings and encourage our team to attend internal and external training courses in order to keep up to date with changes and developments within the Early Years sector.

At Phoenix International School we pride ourselves on having small numbers of children in our classes and keeping a high ratio of adults to children.  This helps us to:

  • Create a safe and secure environment for your child.
  • Give time and attention to each individual child and their family.
  • Facilitate planning to incorporate all children’s interests and developmental needs.
  • Help children to experience and benefit from the activities we provide.
  • Allow children to explore and be adventurous in a safe manner.

Working in partnership with parents

Our Early Years department aims to work in close partnership with our parents. Good communication between staff and parents enables us to inform each other of relevant matters concerning your child.  We appreciate being informed of any changes at home that might affect your child and will treat anything you tell us in strict confidence.  

The Early Years team is always available to communicate informally with families at the end and the beginning of each day when children are dropped off and collected.  At the end of a session, we will hand your child over to an adult whom you have authorised to collect your child.  Any changes to these arrangements should be communicated to the class teacher, or to the office at the earliest opportunity.  You will be invited to attend parents’ evenings where we can discuss your child’s progress as well as the regular use of Tapestry.   If you have any questions or concerns, we are always willing to meet with you to help in any way possible.   

Phoenix International School enjoys sharing the exciting learning that the children have participated in throughout their school day.  We post daily social media posts on our Facebook page during term time.  

We enjoy celebrations, awards ceremonies and weekly assemblies and for parents to see their children in school as much as possible.  This includes our Busy Bees awards ceremony every Friday at 3.50pm in the playground for parents to watch.  Our Early Years stars also love to join in our frequent school productions.  

At Phoenix International School we want you and your child to feel both welcome and valued.  

Practicalities

  • Phoenix International School is open Monday to Friday from 8.50 to 15.50pm during the school term time.
  • Hot lunch can be ordered and paid for in the restaurant or you can provide a packed lunch if you prefer.
  • Please provide plenty of healthy snacks and water for the day.
  • School uniform is worn in the Early Years (Please see the uniform list for details).
  • Please apply sun cream before school when the weather is warm. Each child needs to have a bottle of labelled sun cream (so that it can be reapplied regularly) and a sun cap for school.
  • Flip flops, sandals and crocks are not allowed at school due to health and safety.
  • Please label all items of clothing with your child’s name.
  • Please provide a small box (Shoe box sized) with a spare set of clothes, shoes and some wet wipes just in case of accidents or spillages.

UNIFORM

Early Years, Reception and Primary

  • Royal blue polo shirt with logo
  • Royal blue (name of colour: Royal) sweatshirt with logo
  • Royal blue or black zip-up fleece (not hoodie) with logo allowed in the winter in addition to the sweatshirt
  • Black trousers, mid-length shorts or knee length skirts
  • Black or white socks/tights when wearing shorts/skirts
  • Plain black or white trainers/shoes.  Only subtlelogos are allowed.
Early Years, Reception and Primary

PE Kit

  • White polo shirt with logo (Primary students are allowed to wear the royal blue polo shirt)
  • Black shorts, jogging bottoms, leggings or PE skirt
  • Plain black or white trainers/shoes with black or white laces.  Only subtlelogos are allowed.
PE Kit

Please note:

  • Leggings and jogging bottoms are only allowed on PE days
  • All aspects of the uniform are compulsory

The above can be purchased from Unifortel, the uniform shop opposite the Parque de las Naciones in Torrevieja.  It is on the left as you turn from the roundabout.  The uniform shop will sew the logo onto shirts bought from elsewhere.

Please note that all girls and boys with longer hair should always have their hair tied back for school.  Extreme hair cuts and/or colours are discouraged.  Earrings must be studs or small sleepers, and we encourage no other jewellery to be worn for health and safety reasons.

If your child wears any form of religious symbol (ie a cross), and is not allowed to remove it for religious reasons, please make an appointment with the Head of School to discuss this.

Class Annual Fees Monthly Fee Deposit Registration
Early Years €3950 €395 €395 €250

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

 

Annual fees are divided into ten equal instalments and are payable for all ten months of the year (September to June inclusive) with no exceptions.  This is regardless of any periods of study leave, school holidays, government enforced school closures, events or examination timetables finishing early.

A non-refundable registration fee is payable per family at the time of completing your child´s application form.

We cannot guarantee a place until the registration fee is paid.

A non-refundable deposit must also be paid upon enrolment.

Payment is due at the latest by the first of each calendar month, after the fifth day there will be 5% added to the school fees.  Non-payment of fees by the twelfth of each month will result in your child being excluded from school until payment of all debts is made.  

School fees include €15 per month towards materials.  

A retention fee of €100 is payable in May to reserve your child’s place in the next academic year.  The retention fee will be deducted from your invoice in September.

If your financial arrangements prevent you from making regular payments on or before the first of each month, please make an appointment with the school office to formalise a regular payment plan.

Sibling discount – For families with two or more children we offer a discount of 10% on the monthly school fees.  The 10% discount is deducted from the net amount (not including the materials portion of the fee).  Any default on the terms and conditions listed will result in the sibling discount being withdrawn permanently.  Sibling discount does not apply to a family with one or more students in college.

One full calendar months’ notice must be given in writing if your child is leaving the school.  Your deposit will be used to cover the next payable month.  If you give notice in July, August or September, your deposit will cover September fees.

In the event we owe you fees from the balance of your deposit, these will be paid to you by no later than the end of the notice period.

In the event that you owe school fees, we will provide you with an invoice to be paid in full immediately upon giving notice.

You MUST purchase all required uniform items.

In the event of non-payment of school fees, students will not be allowed to attend school until such time as payment in full is received.

Changes to these terms and conditions can be made from time to time.  Any changes will be notified to parents in writing giving one month’s notice before they take effect.

Notification of these terms and conditions given in writing by email will constitute your agreement to them.