Intent
Our Early Years Curriculum strives to offer our children a well-balanced, exciting and broad curriculum that provides excellent opportunities and experiences to help them on their journey to becoming a lifelong learner. We aim to develop emotionally literate children who can understand and articulate their feelings. We recognise that a language-rich environment, alongside thoughtful adult interactions, is crucial for young children to develop their communication and language skills, including expanding their vocabulary. We believe that our children are capable of great achievements and we develop this through having high expectations and promoting a strong sense of independence. Each academic year begins by liaising with preschool providers to explore children’s unique needs and different starting points. From here, a flexible EYFS curriculum enables them to follow the path of their learning journey at a point that is suitable for their stage of development. Christian values underpin all aspects of our teaching and learning; the high aspirations and expectations of the EYFS team ensure that every child is given a firm foundation for ‘learning minds and caring hearts’.
Implementation
Our Curriculum is based on the new EYFS Framework. ‘Development Matters’, which is used to support planning and delivery. The EYFS Framework specifies the requirement for learning and development in the Early Years and provides the prime and specific areas of learning and the characteristics of effective learning which must be covered.
Prime Areas: Personal, Social and Emotional Development · Physical Development · Communication and Language development
Specific Areas · Literacy · Mathematics · Understanding the World · Expressive Arts and Design
Throughout all of these areas of learning and at the heart of the EYFS curriculum are the ‘Characteristics of Effective Learning’. We strive to develop the key characteristics of ‘Playing and Learning’, ‘Active Learning’ and ‘Thinking Critically’ in order to give the children the skills that they will continue to draw upon throughout their time at our school. Our Early Years Curriculum develops children’s knowledge, skills and understanding through a combination of both play-based learning and more focused teacher-led sessions. Pupils learn to share, work independently and play with others. A vital aspect in the development of essential knowledge and skills is the use of continuous provision. This means that children are using and developing taught skills throughout the year on a daily basis and supports them to develop key life skills such as independence, innovation, creativity, enquiry, analysis and problem solving.
Impact
Children demonstrate high levels of engagement in activities, developing their speaking and listening skills, enabling them to access more areas of the learning and communicate to both adults and children. They develop skills across all areas of the curriculum including literacy, mathematics and physical development, using these skills in different ways. Providing access to a wider sense of the world around them allows them to draw on these experiences during interactions with others and link this to new learning. Children develop their characteristics of learning and are able to apply their knowledge to a range of situations by making links and explaining their ideas and understanding. Children are confident to take risks and discuss their successes and failures with adults, drawing on their experiences to improve or adjust what they are doing. Children leave our EYFS as well-rounded individuals who embody our values and carry with them the knowledge, skills and attitudes which will make them lifelong learners and valuable future citizens.
