EYFS Leader: Miss N Wibberly
For any more information on Stone St. Marys’ EYFS Curriculum, please contact the office.
Our aim at Stone St. Mary’s C of E Primary School is to support, foster, promote, and develop the prime and specific areas. We do this by providing a supportive, high-quality play-based learning environment for the children to thrive by caring, growing and shining together.
Intent
We pride ourselves on listening to children and those who care for them and using this information to personalise each child’s learning. We believe that every child is unique and should be treated so, allowing them the opportunity to develop and learn in a nurturing environment where play and learning is one. We fully understand that young children are experiencing and learning in the here and now, at Stone skilful adults take these moments and use them to make a difference. Learning is fun and challenging. We strongly believe in first-hand experience, valuing the importance of the outdoor environment and the development of children’s thinking and problem-solving skills. We strive to equip children with a love of learning and a natural curiosity. We are committed to giving our children the best possible start to their school life, teaching them skills which ensure their well-being now and success in the future.
Implementation
Our curriculum follows the Early Years Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage 2021. The statutory curriculum is supported by Development Matters 2021. Through our knowledge of each child and formative assessments the EYFS team plan exciting and engaging activities that will move the children’s learning forward.
Stone St Mary’s Reception creates its own unique blend of whole class, guided, adult-directed play and child-initiated play activities independent on the nature and needs of the class of individuals. Each half term, the EYFS team introduce a new theme to provide inspiration for learning, whilst providing the flexibility for children to follow their own interests and ideas. These themes have been selected to build upon a child’s existing knowledge of the world, broaden their understanding of the wider world and complement the whole school topics and educational practices by making links to foundation subjects.
Our inclusive approach means that all children learn together, however we also use a range of additional interventions to support, enhance and scaffold children who may not be reaching their potential or to help move on children who are having difficulties making progress. We provide effective and focused intervention for those children who are finding learning challenging and are not on track to meet expectations at the end of the year. This will be provided in an inclusive way and support from parents is also enlisted at an early stage to ensure that the children have every chance to achieve the Early Learning Goals. We place a high value on a positive and active teacher-parent relationship and strive to establish this link early in a child’s school life. In addition to the whole school events, we arrange a number of stay and play visits, workshops, parents’ evenings and events to encourage parents to engage with their child’s learning.
Timetable- Our timetables are designed to create balance between whole class tasks, child initiated and adult-led play-based learning. We aim to give the children enough time to engage and be involved in their learning. We value the importance of outdoor learning and fully recognise the benefits it has. Our timetables can be found on the EYFS Year Group Page.
Reading- Reading is at the heart of our curriculum and our aim is to encourage a love of reading right from the start. The aim is to expose children to a range of quality books that not only develop a love of reading, but have been chosen specifically to develop their oracy, vocabulary and comprehension. The books on our EYFS Reading Spine are embedded in our provision through activities and story sessions. The books are kept on display for children to access independently. Through this, children begin to internalise new vocabulary, language patterns and begin to retell stories.
Phonics-In line with school policy we use the Little Wandle Phonics program to teach phonics. We deliver discreet phonics sessions daily and aim for the children to practice and apply these skills during real and meaningful activities.
Maths- We follow the White Rose Maths Scheme of work which is divided into 3 weekly units. High quality learning environments and meaningful interactions with adults, support children in developing mathematical thinking and discussion. Pupils learn through games and tasks using concrete manipulatives and pictorial structures and representations which are then rehearsed, applied and recorded within their own child-led exploration. Children in Reception have daily adult-led maths inputs to develop fluency, revisit key concepts and address misconceptions.
Impact
The impact of the EYFS curriculum is reflected in having well rounded, happy and confident children transitioning into Year 1. Our children are often amazing role models for others in school. Most of our children make more than the expected steps progress from their starting points.
We strive to ensure that our children’s progress across the EYFS curriculum is good from their varied starting points. Evidence in children’s learning journeys, photographs and videos on Google Classroom support all areas of the EYFS curriculum. The impact of our curriculum is measured by assessment procedures which allow us to measure outcomes. We measure the percentage of pupils achieving age related expectations throughout the academic year, put supportive interventions in place if and when needed. Class teachers use observations to make formative assessments which inform future planning and ensure that all children build on their current knowledge and skills at a good pace. Summative assessment compares children attainment to age related expectations using month bands in Development Matters. This is tracked using Arbor to ensure rates of progress are at least good for all children, including vulnerable groups such as those with SEND, disadvantaged or summer born children.
Our assessment judgements have been moderated both in school and externally with local schools and others in our trust. The impact of our curriculum will also be measured by how effectively it helps our pupils develop into 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. We endeavour for pupils to be Key Stage 1 ready and have our school values embedded by the time they leave reception, preparing them for their future.
SEND Information
We enhance learning opportunities by providing a sensory room and specialist provision to enable children to self-regulate and access learning. We regularly review and evaluate provision plans for children. These plans set individual targets for children and are reviewed termly. We work in partnership with parents to ensure the children that need extra with any SEN provision and decision making. Staff receive regular, ongoing CPD training to ensure consistent practice across EYFS.