Purpose of Study (based on the EYFS Statutory Framework)

We aim to provide motivating first-hand experiences whilst encouraging children to build resilience, ambition and a lifelong love of learning. We work with parents and carers to build on the wealth of knowledge and skills children already have when they arrive in school. Over the year, we support children to be fully ready for the next stage of their education. We recognise that all children are unique; we celebrate and welcome differences within our school community. Our curriculum is child centred, covering all seven EYFS Areas of Learning. Our curriculum reflects the fact that children learn through play, by adults modelling, by observing each other and through adult-guided learning.  The emotional, social, communication and learning needs of the children are at the heart of all we do. We ensure there is a balance between indoor and outdoor learning giving children the opportunity to practise new skills, learn more and do more. Our whole school ‘Be Proud’ values are embedded in the curriculum helping children to be proud of themselves, their learning and their school. 

School Curriculum for EYFS

Knowledge and skills build through a progressive curriculum, carefully planned to provide children with learning opportunities and challenges.

The curriculum is taught

through engaging experiences (with adult modelling), by children observing each other and through adult-guided learning.

The Curriculum exposes children to opportunities and experiences that they might not have had outside of school, allowing them to develop and deepen their knowledge and skills.

Children develop skills in the Prime and Specific Areas of Learning. Key skills include:

-Demonstrating the ability to problem solve, express ideas and offer explanations

-Communicating their needs

-Regulating emotions

-Demonstrating strength, balance and co-ordination when moving

-Applying new vocabulary in a variety of contexts

-Enjoying sharing books

-Sharing and collaborating with others

-Sitting and listening attentively

-Using the toilet and managing hygiene needs independently

-Dressing themselves (including managing own fastenings)

-Holding a pencil correctly and having the foundations of a fluent handwriting style

-Using cutlery and scissors with control

-Acquiring phonic and reading skills (ready to begin Phase 5 as they enter Year 1)

-Having a deep understanding of numbers to ten, and beyond 

 EYFS

We provide real life experiences through both indoor and outdoor learning, visiting locations within the local and wider community and inviting visitors into school.

To lay the foundations of a broad and balanced curriculum, we provide experiences relating to the wider world (cultural, historical, scientific, geographical and expressive.) This includes learning about British Values and the core values of the school.

We provide continuous provision opportunities (indoors and outdoors) across the curriculum which incorporate challenge.

The EYFS Statutory Framework aims to ensure that all pupils:

Educational Programmes

The educational programmes are high level curriculum summaries which set out what should be taught in settings for each area. They must involve activities and experiences that enable children to learn and develop, as set out under each of the areas of learning.

Communication and Language
The development of children’s spoken language underpins all seven areas of learning and development. Children’s back-and-forth interactions from an early age form the foundations for language and cognitive development. The number and quality of the conversations they have with adults and peers throughout the day in a language-rich environment is crucial. By commenting on what children are interested in or doing, and echoing back what they say with new vocabulary added, practitioners will build children's language effectively. Reading frequently to children, and engaging them actively in stories, non-fiction, rhymes and poems, and then providing them with extensive opportunities to use and embed new words in a range of contexts, will give children the opportunity to thrive. Through conversation, story-telling and role play, where children share their ideas with support and modelling from their teacher, and sensitive questioning that invites them to elaborate, children become comfortable using a rich range of vocabulary and language structures.

Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Children’s personal, social and emotional development (PSED) is crucial for children to lead healthy and happy lives, and is fundamental to their cognitive development. Underpinning their personal development are the important attachments that shape their social world. Strong, warm and supportive relationships with adults enable children to learn how to understand their own feelings and those of others. Children should be supported to manage emotions, develop a positive sense of self, set themselves simple goals, have confidence in their own abilities, to persist and wait for what they want and direct attention as necessary. Through adult modelling and guidance, they will learn how to look after their bodies, including healthy eating, and manage personal needs independently. Through supported interaction with other children, they learn how to make good friendships, co-operate and resolve conflicts peaceably. These attributes will provide a secure platform from which children can achieve at school and in later life.

Physical Development
Physical activity is vital in children’s all-round development, enabling them to pursue happy, healthy and active lives6. Gross and fine motor experiences develop incrementally throughout early childhood, starting with sensory explorations and the development of a child’s strength, co-ordination and positional awareness through tummy time, crawling and play movement with both objects and adults. By creating games and providing opportunities for play both indoors and outdoors, adults can support children to develop their core strength, stability, balance, spatial awareness, co-ordination and agility. Gross motor skills provide the foundation for developing healthy bodies and social and emotional well-being. Fine motor control and precision helps with hand-eye co-ordination, which is later linked to early literacy. Repeated and varied opportunities to explore and play with small world activities, puzzles, arts and crafts and the practice of using small tools, with feedback and support from adults, allow children to develop proficiency, control and confidence.

Literacy
It is crucial for children to develop a life-long love of reading. Reading consists of two dimensions: language comprehension and word reading. Language comprehension (necessary for both reading and writing) starts from birth. It only develops when adults talk with children about the world around them and the books (stories and non-fiction) they read with them, and enjoy rhymes, poems and songs together. Skilled word reading, taught later, involves both the speedy working out of the pronunciation of unfamiliar printed words (decoding) and the speedy recognition of familiar printed words. Writing involves transcription (spelling and handwriting) and composition (articulating ideas and structuring them in speech, before writing).

Mathematics
Developing a strong grounding in number is essential so that all children develop the necessary building blocks to excel mathematically. Children should be able to count confidently, develop a deep understanding of the numbers to 10, the relationships between them and the patterns within those numbers. By providing frequent and varied opportunities to build and apply this understanding - such as using manipulatives, including small pebbles and tens frames for organising counting - children will develop a secure base of knowledge and vocabulary from which mastery of mathematics is built. In addition, it is important that the curriculum includes rich opportunities for children to develop their spatial reasoning skills across all areas of mathematics including shape, space and measures. It is important that children develop positive attitudes and interests in mathematics, look for patterns and relationships, spot connections, ‘have a go’, talk to adults and peers about what they notice and not be afraid to make mistakes.

Understanding the World
Understanding the world involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community. The frequency and range of children’s personal experiences increases their knowledge and sense of the world around them – from visiting parks, libraries and museums to meeting important members of society such as police officers, nurses and firefighters. In addition, listening to a broad selection of stories, non-fiction, rhymes and poems will foster their understanding of our culturally, socially, technologically and ecologically diverse world. As well as building important knowledge, this extends their familiarity with words that support understanding across domains. Enriching and widening children’s vocabulary will support later reading comprehension.

Expressive Arts and Design
The development of children’s artistic and cultural awareness supports their imagination and creativity. It is important that children have regular opportunities to engage with the arts, enabling them to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials. The quality and variety of what children see, hear and participate in is crucial for developing their understanding, self-expression, vocabulary and ability to communicate through the arts. The frequency, repetition and depth of their experiences are fundamental to their progress in interpreting and appreciating what they hear, respond to and observe.

 IMPACT (What children will have learned)

 The level of development children should be expected to have reached by the end of the EYFS is defined by the early learning goals (ELGs).

Communication and Language

ELG: Listening, Attention and Understanding

Children at the expected level of development will:

• Listen attentively and respond to what they hear with relevant questions, comments and actions when being read to and during whole class discussions and small group interactions.

• Make comments about what they have heard and ask questions to clarify their understanding.

• Hold conversation when engaged in back-and-forth exchanges with their teacher and peers.

 ELG: Speaking

Children at the expected level of development will:

• Participate in small group, class and one-to-one discussions, offering their own ideas, using recently introduced vocabulary.

• Offer explanations for why things might happen, making use of recently introduced vocabulary from stories, non-fiction, rhymes and poems when appropriate.

• Express their ideas and feelings about their experiences using full sentences, including use of past, present and future tenses and making use of conjunctions, with modelling and support from their teacher.

 Personal, Social and Emotional Development

ELG: Self-Regulation

Children at the expected level of development will:

• Show an understanding of their own feelings and those of others, and begin to regulate their behaviour accordingly.

• Set and work towards simple goals, being able to wait for what they want and control their immediate impulses when appropriate.

• Give focused attention to what the teacher says, responding appropriately even when engaged in activity, and show an ability to follow instructions involving several ideas or actions.

 ELG: Managing Self

Children at the expected level of development will:

• Be confident to try new activities and show independence, resilience and perseverance in the face of challenge.

• Explain the reasons for rules, know right from wrong and try to behave accordingly.

• Manage their own basic hygiene and personal needs, including dressing, going to the toilet and understanding the importance of healthy food choices.

 ELG: Building Relationships

Children at the expected level of development will:

• Work and play cooperatively and take turns with others.

• Form positive attachments to adults and friendships with peers.

• Show sensitivity to their own and to others’ needs.

 Physical Development

ELG: Gross Motor Skills

Children at the expected level of development will:

• Negotiate space and obstacles safely, with consideration for themselves and others.

• Demonstrate strength, balance and coordination when playing.

• Move energetically, such as running, jumping, dancing, hopping, skipping and climbing.

 ELG: Fine Motor Skills

Children at the expected level of development will:

• Hold a pencil effectively in preparation for fluent writing – using the tripod grip in almost all cases.

• Use a range of small tools, including scissors, paint brushes and cutlery.

• Begin to show accuracy and care when drawing.

 Literacy

ELG: Comprehension

Children at the expected level of development will:

• Demonstrate understanding of what has been read to them by retelling stories and narratives using their own words and recently introduced vocabulary.

• Anticipate – where appropriate – key events in stories.

• Use and understand recently introduced vocabulary during discussions about stories, non-fiction, rhymes and poems and during role-play.

 ELG: Word Reading

Children at the expected level of development will:

• Say a sound for each letter in the alphabet and at least 10 digraphs.

• Read words consistent with their phonic knowledge by sound-blending.

• Read aloud simple sentences and books that are consistent with their phonic knowledge, including some common exception words.

 ELG: Writing

Children at the expected level of development will:

• Write recognisable letters, most of which are correctly formed.

• Spell words by identifying sounds in them and representing the sounds with a letter or letters.

• Write simple phrases and sentences that can be read by others.

 Mathematics

ELG: Number

Children at the expected level of development will:

• Have a deep understanding of numbers to 10, including the composition of each number.

• Subitise (recognise quantities without counting) up to 5.

• Automatically recall (without reference to rhymes, counting or other aids) number bonds up to 5 (including subtraction facts) and some number bonds to 10, including double facts.

 ELG: Numerical Patterns

Children at the expected level of development will:

• Verbally count beyond 20, recognising the pattern of the counting system.

• Compare quantities up to 10 in different contexts, recognising when one quantity is greater than, less than or the same as the other quantity.

• Explore and represent patterns within numbers up to 10, including evens and odds, double facts and how quantities can be distributed equally.

 Understanding the World

ELG: Past and Present

Children at the expected level of development will:

• Talk about the lives of the people around them and their roles in society.

• Know some similarities and differences between things in the past and now, drawing on their experiences and what has been read in class.

• Understand the past through settings, characters and events encountered in books read in class and storytelling.

 ELG: People, Culture and Communities

Children at the expected level of development will:

• Describe their immediate environment using knowledge from observation, discussion, stories, non-fiction texts and maps.

• Know some similarities and differences between different religious and cultural communities in this country, drawing on their experiences and what has been read in class.

• Explain some similarities and differences between life in this country and life in other countries, drawing on knowledge from stories, non-fiction texts and – when appropriate – maps.

 ELG: The Natural World

Children at the expected level of development will:

• Explore the natural world around them, making observations and drawing pictures of animals and plants.

• Know some similarities and differences between the natural world around them and contrasting environments, drawing on their experiences and what has been read in class.

• Understand some important processes and changes in the natural world around them, including the seasons and changing states of matter.

 Expressive Arts and Design

ELG: Creating with Materials

Children at the expected level of development will:

• Safely use and explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques, experimenting with colour, design, texture, form and function.

• Share their creations, explaining the process they have used.

• Make use of props and materials when role playing characters in narratives and stories.

 ELG: Being Imaginative and Expressive

Children at the expected level of development will:

• Invent, adapt and recount narratives and stories with peers and their teacher.

• Sing a range of well-known nursery rhymes and songs.

• Perform songs, rhymes, poems and stories with others, and – when appropriate – try to move in time with music.