EYFS Curriculum

Our EYFS department is the final stage of the Early Years journey that our children began in nursery and pre-school settings. We follow the play based curriculum which children are familiar with from our feeder settings. This is progressively strengthened to challenge every child to strive towards excellence in achieving the Early Learning Goals at the end of Reception.

We have two inspiring classrooms, a garden and an outdoor space.  Mrs McLintock and Mrs Brereton teach in the Rainbow Room and Mrs Chesworth and Mrs Marchant teach in the Sunshine Room.  Each class is supported by a Teaching Assistant each day.

Our EYFS team are experienced in supporting our youngest learners on their transition into school, and we ensure each child’s transition is as smooth as possible.  We liaise with all pre-schools during the Summer Term and visit each child and their family at home in the week prior to starting school.

Once the children are settled well into school, we introduce our daily routines:

Morning Missions
As the children come into school in the morning, after self-registering and organising their belongings, they are encouraged to settle to our independent Morning Missions.  These are often fine motor, letter formation or simple number or investigation activities.

Phonics
We teach phonics daily in Reception and follow Essenial Letters and Sounds.  These sessions include the introduction of a new sound and tricky words, learning how to blend (sound out) words and segment (spell) words.

Daily Whole Class Teaching
In addition to our daily phonics we have a topic based session every morning and a Mathematics session every afternoon.   

Busy Times
Our children experience learning through a balance of adult led activities and learning through their independent play.  Adult led activities cover all aspects of the Foundation Stage curriculum.  Adults support children’s independent play either by playing with the children or providing resources to extend their learning.  Children are encouraged to complete independent challenge activities which support their next steps in learning.

Physical Development
In addition to fine and gross motor provision within the environment both inside and out during busy times, children look forward to our daily ‘Big Toys’ session on the playground.  This provides all children with the opportunity to take risks through activities such as digging, riding bikes, balancing, climbing, throwing and catching.

Curriculum

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework is a government document that all schools and Ofsted-registered early years providers in England must follow. It sets standards for the learning, development and care of every child from birth to 5 years old. The standards ensure each child will learn and develop well and that they are kept healthy and safe. 

Teaching and Learning

The EYFS framework outlines seven areas of learning and development and educational programmes. There are three prime areas of learning, which are particularly important for your child’s development and future learning:

Communication & Language, Personal, Social & Emotional Development, Physical Development

There are four specific areas of learning, through which the prime areas are strengthened and applied:

Literacy       Maths        Understanding the World       Expressive Art and Design

Our EYFS teachers also use their knowledge of each child's needs and interests to plan challenging and enjoyable activities and experiences. The EYFS framework identifies the essential role of play in your child’s development. It is through both child-led play and play guided by an adult that your child will develop confidence and relationships with others. Through a balance of independent play and carefully planned adult led activities, our EYFS teaching team will support children to extend their vocabulary and develop their communication skills.

The EYFS framework identifies three characteristics of effective teaching and learning:

Playing and Exploring        Active Learning        Creating and Thinking Critically

A greater focus on teaching specific skills will occur as children progress through their reception year, which will help them to prepare for Year 1.

EYFS practitioners use their professional knowledge to understand each child’s level of development. If they have any concerns about your child's progress, they will discuss these with parents and carers. Our Parent's Evenings take place in November and February and teachers write an end of year report for each child. Updates about learning opportunities and activities are posted on Class Dojo which each family has login details for.

Two formal assessments take place during the Reception Year:
• Reception Baseline Assessment (at the start)
• Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (at the end of the EYFS)

Our Reception Yearly Overview and Detailed Progression of skills is available to download at the bottom of this page.

Files to Download