Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum

For children in our Reception Class

Children need opportunities to move and to explore their surroundings through all their senses, to talk with adults and to play with them, engaging with new people and situations, and learning new skills. Our Early Years builds on children’s experiences at home. We use Development Matters (non-statutory guidance material) to support implementing the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. There are seven areas of learning and development. All areas of learning and development are important and inter-connected. Three areas are particularly crucial for igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, and for building their capacity to learn, form relationships and thrive. These three areas, the prime areas, are:

• communication and language;
• physical development; and
• personal, social and emotional development.

We also support children in four specific areas, through which the three prime areas are strengthened and applied. The specific areas are:

• literacy;
• mathematics;
• understanding the world; and
• expressive arts and design.

The areas of learning are delivered through planned, purposeful play with a balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities. Learning takes place both in the classroom and outdoors. Staff work flexibly, based on the level of development of individual children. Each half term topics are chosen that will develop knowledge, skills and understanding in each of the seven areas.

Ongoing assessment (also known as formative assessment) is an integral part of the learning and development process. Our Early Years team know the children’s level of achievement and interests, and shape teaching and learning experiences for each child reflecting that knowledge. In their interactions with children, practitioners respond to their own day-to-day observations about children’s progress and observations that parents and carers share. Each week a small number of children are chosen to be a focus child. During each child’s focus week, quality interactions and learning experiences are reflected on and used to inform next steps. These reflections are also shared with parents via Tapestry, an online journal.

EYFS Progression of Knowledge and Skill

Half-termly Overviews - COMING SOON