Early Years & Foundation Stage Learning and Development

Early Years Foundation Stage

Curriculum Intent, Implementation and Impact

The Early Years Foundation Stage is the period of education from birth to 5 years.

At All Saints Primary School, the EYFS is made up of a Nursery and a Reception class.

INTENT

In EYFS at All Saints, the curriculum is designed to recognise children’s prior learning, provide first hand learning experiences, whilst allowing the children to build resilience, ambition and integrity. Every child is recognised as a unique individual and we celebrate and welcome differences within our school community. The ability to learn is underpinned by the teaching of basic skills, knowledge, concepts and values. We provide enhancement opportunities to engage learning and believe that our first experiences of school should be happy and positive, enabling us to develop a lifelong love of learning. Community involvement is an essential part of our curriculum as we celebrate local traditions, learning new skills to enable the children to take an active role in events throughout the year. Throughout their time in EYFS, the children develop a sense of belonging to our school community, ready for transition into Reception and Year 1 the following academic year.

They have the confidence and skills to make decisions and self-evaluate, make connections and become lifelong learners.

We intend:

• To work in partnership with parents and carers to encourage independent, happy learners who thrive in school and reach their full potential from their various starting points.
• To understand and follow children’s interests and provide opportunities throughout our EYFS curriculum to support learning, consolidate and deepen knowledge and ensure children meet their next steps.
• To create an indoor and outdoor environment which supports learning.
• To prepare children to achieve a Good Level of Development (GLD) and the Early
• To support transitions from home to Nursery, Nursery to Reception and Reception into KS1.

IMPLEMENTATION

We recognise that children will learn most effectively when they are healthy, safe and secure, when their individual needs are met and when they have positive relationships with the adults who care for them. We provide a setting that encompasses a safe and stimulating environment where children are able to enjoy learning and grow in confidence that helps them to achieve their potential.

In our EYFS classes, there is a strong emphasis on our school values: Love, Respect, Responsibility, Friendship, Loyalty, Honesty and Determination. We embed these values through a well-planned, progressive curriculum that allows the children to learn new skills and develop their knowledge and understanding so that they can apply this learning to child-initiated activities and continuous provision.

Each half term, children will cover several topics. These topics are introduced to our children in a creative way through memorable and immersive first hand experiences. Their learning is developed through a series of adult led activities and child initiated exploration that build skills, knowledge and understanding within that topic. Within these topics, we aim to facilitate the children with a wealth of vocabulary which allows them to make comments about what they have seen and heard, and ask questions to clarify their understanding. At the end of each topic, children are given the opportunity to evaluate their learning and celebrate their achievements by reflecting in our ‘floor book’. This celebration is often shared with parents and carers and other family members.

Throughout Nursery and Reception, our children are assessed in relation to their progress towards Development Matters and the Early Learning Goals. These judgements are made on the basis of accumulative observations and in-depth knowledge of the children acquired through ongoing assessments. Next steps are taught in the moment during continuous provision and adult led activities to ensure children are challenged. Half termly learning journey reports are shared with staff and children to ensure children are on track to achieve a good level of development and to highlight interventions to close gaps in learning and to identify next steps. End-of-year assessments are finalised during the summer term, summarising each child’s development at that point against the Early Learning Goals and Development Matters.

IMPACT

Our children will be actively engaged in their learning, which will be apparent in their daily provision.  All children will have experienced a well-balanced and fully inclusive curriculum that provides exciting, enjoyable and enriching learning experiences and opportunities for them to learn through our local area and people, educational visits and practical experiences.  Our children will be able to express a deep familiarity with new knowledge and vocabulary from well planned activities that allow the children to play and explore, be active and solve problems.

We know that by the end of Foundation Stage at All Saints Primary School, our children will have developed the essential knowledge and skills required for everyday life, and lifelong learning. The children show this through their enthusiasm to learn, self-esteem, knowledge and skills. This is evident in the children’s half- termly learning journeys, termly tracking and our floor books. We strive to ensure that our children’s progress across the EYFS curriculum is good from their varied starting points. We also strive for children to achieve a Good Level of Development and many of the Early Learning Goals at the end of Reception, and to achieve on track against Development Matters for children in Nursery. The children’s progress is regularly shared with parents and carers where we discuss their achievements, next steps and how parents can facilitate this at home. All of which contributes to our in-depth knowledge of each individual child. We believe the children at All Saints Primary School will be happy, inquisitive and successful learners who will develop the building blocks for a bright and successful futures.

Curriculum Information

Our team are passionate about promoting the Characteristics of Effective Learning which support our children in becoming self-motivated learners who embrace challenge and are inspired by the adventure of learning.  This is used in conjunction with the Early Years Prime and Specific areas of development to ensure that each child is exposed to a broad and balanced curriculum.

“The characteristics of effective learning describe factors which play a central role in a child’s learning and in becoming an effective learner”.

(Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage)

They are:

• playing and exploring – children investigate and experience things, and ‘have a go’
• active learning – children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties, and enjoy achievements
• creating and thinking critically – children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things

By the end of Reception, children should have attained the ELG (Early Learning Goal) in all seven areas of learning. The seven areas of learning are split into the prime and specific areas.

 We design our Early Years Curriculum to be tailored to children’s needs and interests. Click the links below to see our Long Term Plans. Please see our Nursery and Reception class pages for more information and to view our medium term plans.

 If you would like to find out more about our EYFS, please do not hesitate to contact the school.