Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
Through our EYFS curriculum, we aim to enable children to succeed through cooperative and collaborative learning principles to become confident, motivated and independent learners who thrive in our diverse world. They are supported to solve problems, resolve conflicts and reflect on their own learning and actions. We have high expectations and aspirations for our children, but we also recognise their unique starting points. We support them to be resilient, reflective and self-aware and our practices encourage independence, excellent learning behaviours and high levels of wellbeing and involvement as well as promoting culture capital and British values.
Our EYFS curriculum and environment are carefully designed to ensure it makes a positive contribution to pupils’ Spiritual Moral Social and Cultural development. We recognise that pupils’ personal development plays a significant part in their ability to learn and to achieve and we endeavour to support and nurture their development in this area. In addition, we ensure our curriculum includes explicit teaching and learning related to human values (e.g. respect, diversity, equality, tolerance, kindness) and responsible citizenship.
In Nursery, there is a strong focus on the Prime Areas and Characteristics of Effective Learning. As a result, pupils leave our Nursery setting with well- developed play skills, self-confidence, awareness of the feelings of others and strong communication skills. They are curious and independent learners who are confident to select and direct their own learning. In Reception, we ensure the emphasis on developing the Prime Areas is continued, with an additional emphasis on developing Literacy and Maths knowledge and skills. Our curriculum offers a wealth of opportunities to consolidate and deepen children’s knowledge and understanding to enable them to achieve the end of Reception expectations (ELG’s) as set out in the ‘Statutory Framework’. In addition to the Prime and Specific areas of learning, our curriculum recognises that the ‘Characteristics of Effective Learning’ underpins all seven areas of learning and development and play a central role in becoming an effective learner, which is an essential aspect of EYFS.
|
How we plan and teach the EYFS Curriculum at Eldwick Primary |
|
The teaching of our EYFS curriculum reflects the four overarching principles in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). Every child is unique and individual and will make progress at different rates. In order to thrive, learn and develop, they need to have opportunities to create positive relationships with others and explore environments that stimulate their curiosity. These principles underpin all aspects of teaching and learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Our long- and medium-term plans are carefully curated to ensure they meet all aspects of the EYFS Statutory Framework. Knowledge and skills are taught, at the relevant age stage, and children have sufficient opportunities to develop, and build on, key skills. Where knowledge, skills, vocabulary, or focus texts are revisited across EYFS, this is with specific intent. Our EYFS Curriculum ensures learners are ready for the next stage of education. Our long-term plans set out the knowledge and skills that pupils will gain at each stage, with a clear sequence from, and into, other year groups and this is shared with all key stakeholders in school. In addition, the teaching of key vocabulary is also explicitly mapped out. We provide a curriculum, within an ambitious and progressive framework, that provides children with the knowledge and understanding to reach their full potential, However, our curriculum is also flexible enough to be adapted to meet the needs of specific children and their interests and passions. Teaching and learning is based around topics and/or focus stories. These stories are carefully chosen to reflect a range of genres and the diverse world that we live in and provide a meaningful context in which to anchor learning opportunities. We understand that, to learn well, children need to approach opportunities with curiosity, energy and enthusiasm and that effective learning must also be meaningful to a child, so they are able to use what they have learnt and apply it to new situations. For this reason, the majority of our learning experiences are based on first hand experiences and/or utilise our extensive school grounds. |
|
Knowledge and vocabulary rich |
Sequenced and coherent |
|
Our EYFS curriculum is knowledge- and vocabulary-rich, with learning developed through meaningful and engaging play experiences. Vocabulary is explicitly identified, taught, and recorded to ensure children build a strong language foundation. |
Our EYFS curriculum is sequenced and coherent, ensuring that children enter and leave Reception having made at least good progress from their individual starting points. By the end of Reception, pupils are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed for a smooth transition into the next year group. Our EYFS curriculum provides sufficient opportunities for language development and self-awareness, allowing children to confidently articulate their needs, wants, experiences, and opinions, and to embrace the expectations of the Key Stage One curriculum |
|
Pedagogy |
|
|
We know how essential meaningful play is for a child's development, building their confidence as they learn to explore, to think about problems, and relate to others and it is how young children learn best and we ensure each area of learning and development is implemented through planned, purposeful play and through a mix of adult-led and child-initiated activities. We recognise that oracy, not only improves academic outcomes, but is a life skill to ensure success beyond school, in life and future employment. Oracy develops children’s thinking and understanding, which in turn promotes self-confidence, resilience and empathy which support the child’s well-being. We are committed to providing a caring, friendly and safe environment for all of our EYFS pupils, so they can learn in a relaxed and secure atmosphere. Our enabling environments and warm, skilful adult interactions support the children as they begin to link learning to their play and exploration right from the start. We believe that high level engagement ensures high level attainment. We therefore provide an engaging curriculum that maximises opportunities for meaningful cross-curricular links and learning experiences, as well as promoting the unique child by offering extended periods of play and sustained thinking. We understand that children develop in different ways and development is not a linear or automatic process. It depends on each unique child having opportunities to interact in positive relationships and enabling environments that encourage their engagement and recognise their strengths and through following children’s interests and ideas, we foster a lifelong love of learning both in and outside of school. We believe all children have agency and curiosity to learn, and will interact with other people and the world around them in different ways. Understanding these different ways of knowing about the world is central to understanding who children are and how best to support their development.
|
|
|
Skills based |
Ambitious and accessible |
|
Strong focus on the development of gross motor skills, fine motor skills, speech and language skills, cognitive and intellectual skills, and social and emotional skills. Learning is ambitious yet accessible, with careful consideration given to the clearly defined end-of-year expectations. These expectations are agreed in collaboration with Year 1 to ensure continuity and progression. |
Complexity of texts Pitch of model texts End of year expectations Agreed end of year points with Year 1 and 2. Assessment checkpoints founded on research but adapted to reflect the high expectations of our children. |
|
Assessment |
|
|
Our curriculum is taught and assessed in order to support pupils to build their knowledge and to apply that knowledge as skills. At Eldwick Primary we recognise that assessment plays an important part in helping the school to recognise children’s progress, understand their needs, plan activities, and assess the need for support. Assessment is evidence-informed, using research-based assessment checkpoints that are adapted to reflect the high expectations we hold for our children. Assessment practices align with statutory guidance and key research. The school ensures that EYFS staff actively engage children, their parents and other adults who have significant interaction with specific children in their assessment processes to provide a well-rounded picture of their development and attainment. Assessment in EYFS is a mixture of formative and summative methods, which recognises the things that the children do well and informs both future planning and areas to develop. Assessment outcomes are moderated within EYFS, and by the EYFS Assistant Head, at the end of each assessment window and this information is discussed with SLT at Pupil Progress meetings. The head teacher also moderates EYFSP data. All of these procedures ensure assessment outcomes are robust and correct.
|
|
|
Diverse |
Evidence informed |
|
A diverse range of topics, focus texts, themes, voices, and media are carefully selected, with Eldwick’s reading scheme promoting books as both mirrors windows, enabling children to see themselves reflected while also exploring the wider world. |
Statutory Framework Development Matter EEF: Early Years Toolkit Birth to Five years (Nov 2022) Ofsted’s Best Start in Life: A Research Review for Early Years (November 2022). |
|
Valuing Parents and Carers |
|
|
Our EYFS curriculum is designed to recognise children’s prior learning, both from previous settings and their experiences at home. We work in partnership with parents, carers and other settings to provide the best possible start ensuring that children are nurtured, challenged and supported to reach their full potential from their various starting points. We recognise that children learn and develop in different ways, and at different rates. This also enables us to work collaboratively, with parents and carers to identify next steps and ensure early identification of need. Parents will be kept up-to-date with their child’s progress and development, and the EYFS Assistant Head will address any learning and development needs in partnership with parents. We use the online platform, Tapestry, to communicate with families about their child’s learning at school, next steps and achievements. This is a reciprocal process where achievements at home and school are shared and celebrated.
|
|