Intent
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum sets the standards that all Early Years providers must meet to ensure that children learn and develop well, and are kept healthy and safe. It promotes teaching and learning to ensure children are ready for the next stage of school, providing the children with a broad range of knowledge and skills creating the right foundation for good future progress through school and life.
We provide an engaging, topic-based curriculum that maximizes opportunities for meaningful cross-curricular links and learning experiences, as well as promoting the unique child by offering extended periods of play and sustained thinking.
We recognise that oracy feeds into all areas of the EYFS Framework and good oracy not only improves academic outcomes but is a life skill to ensure success beyond school. Therefore, there is a strong emphasis on the prime areas of learning of Personal, Social and Emotional Development and Communication and Language Development when a child enters our Early Years setting.
We aim to develop children’s thinking and understanding which in turn promotes self-confidence, resilience and empathy which supports their well-being. Our enabling environments and skillful adult interactions support the children as they begin to link learning to their play and exploration right from the start.
By the end of Reception year, our intent is to ensure that all children make at least good progress from their starting points and are equipped with the skills and knowledge to have a smooth transition into Year 1.
Implementation
Each half term, EYFS staff introduce a new topic to provide inspiration for learning; each week we have texts that are linked to the topic, and all teaching is based around these texts to enable purposeful learning, including relevant activities in our provision and our wider curriculum.
Children learn through a balance of child-initiated and adult-directed activities. The timetable is carefully structured so that children have directed teaching during the day. The timetable can change throughout the year to take into consideration the changing needs of the children, particularly in Nursery, where there will be a heavy emphasis on the prime areas during the first term. These directed teaching sessions are followed by small-focused group work. This enables the staff to systematically check for understanding, identify and respond to misconceptions quickly and provide real-time verbal feedback which results in a strong impact on the acquisition of new learning.
Impact
Through a carefully planned EYFS curriculum, the children are able to successfully transition into Year 1 by meeting the following aims:
Develop communication skills necessary for learning and life, promoting enjoyment, high expectations and standards in Reading, Writing and Mathematics.
Foster a love of learning which inspires curiosity. They are highly motivated to succeed and achieve, and are equipped with all the personal skills to do this. All children will have accessed high quality learning opportunities.
Develop knowledge and understanding of the community and wider world.
Ruth Miskin Sound Pronunciation Guide
Learning Resources
BBC Bitesize Early Years