Our staff are dedicated  to providing a broad and stimulating curriculum through which every child has the opportunities and support to develop a strong foundation to start their learning journey.

The Foundation Stage curriculum is designed to provide all children with a well planned and resourced curriculum to take your child’s learning forward and to provide opportunities for all to succeed in a friendly and caring atmosphere.

It is used to ensure that continuity and progression are promoted for your child right the way through to the end of reception class. The curriculum content is mainly skill based with new activities and ideas introduced through a thematic approach.

The curriculum following the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) developmental matters and principles  is split into 7 areas of learning (3 Prime Areas and 4 Specific Areas).

Prime Areas

Personal, Social and Emotional Development involves helping children to develop a positive sense of   themselves, and others; to form positive relationships and develop respect for others; to develop social skills and learn how to manage their feelings; to understand appropriate behaviour in groups; and to have confidence in their own abilities.

Communication and Language Development involves giving children opportunities to experience a rich  language environment; to develop their confidence and skills in expressing themselves; and to speak and listen in a range of situations.

Physical Development involves providing opportunities for young children to be active and interactive; and to develop their co-ordination, control, and movement. Children must also be helped to understand the   importance of physical activity, and to make healthy choices in relation to food.

Specific Areas

Literacy Development (Reading and Writing) involves encouraging children to link sounds and letters and to begin to read and write. Children must be given access to a wide range of reading materials (books, poems, and other written materials) to ignite their interest.

Mathematics involves providing children with opportunities to develop and improve their skills in counting, understanding and using numbers, calculating simple addition and subtraction problems; and to describe shapes, spaces, and measures.

Understanding the World involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community through opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places, technology and the environment.

Expressive Arts and Design involves enabling children to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials, as well as providing opportunities and encouragement for sharing their thoughts, ideas and   feelings through a variety of activities in art, music, movement, dance, role-play, and design and technology.

For more information on The Early Years Framework go to EYFS Statutory Framework and Developmental Matters.

We are passionate that the children learn about their world at a local, national and global level and the impact they can have on their present and their future. We give them the confidence to flourish as active learners, providing first hand experiences through play, discussion and collaboration. We plan purposeful and progressive learning activities for indoors and outdoors and also acknowledge and promote the potential for learning through unplanned events that arise.  

 

OUR CURRICULUM: 

  • Is knowledge based with teaching and learning through a thematic approach to the seven areas of learning
  • Fosters a love of reading through exploring high quality texts
  • Has an emphasis on focused language and vocabulary acquisition
  • Focuses on early phonic knowledge acquisition through the Essential Letters and Sounds Phonic Scheme (DfE validated)
  • Provides a strong foundation for early maths (linked to whole school mental maths and National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics NCETM)
  • Is progressive and includes purposeful transition links with the National Curriculum
  • Values learning opportunities outside in the forest area, garden and EYFS outdoor areas
  • Encompasses our academy values and our vision for high quality early learning
  • Promotes learning opportunities through children’s individual interests 
  • Provides opportunities to practise, consolidate and recall learning
  • Equips children to recognise and make connections with prior and new learning
  • Enriched through additional after school clubs available to children in reception

EYFS Policy

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