Intent

Our early years curriculum lays a secure foundation for future learning. We engage children in learning from the very start and expect our children to leave us as happy, confident and skillful communicators who are curious about the world around them.

Children enter in a positive, caring and welcoming atmosphere where they feel secure, yet are challenged to achieve their best. We provide a high level of wellbeing and this in turn leads to high levels of child development and the ability to create and think critically. We provide opportunities throughout our EYFS curriculum to support learning, consolidate and deepen knowledge and ensure children meet their next steps. Community involvement is an essential part of our curriculum as we celebrate local traditions and learn new skills to enable the children to take an active role in events throughout the year. We work in partnership with parents and carers to encourage independent, happy learners who thrive in school and reach their full potential from their various starting points.

Implementation

We have a curriculum that is child-centred and that is based upon first hand experiences and topics which engage and stimulate the children. We encourage active learning to ensure the children are motivated and interested. We take time to get to know children’s interests and their likes to support learning, resulting in a personalised, flexible curriculum.

All areas of the EYFS curriculum are followed and planned for to ensure there is a broad, balanced and progressive learning environment and curriculum. A vital aspect in the development of essential knowledge and skills is the use of continuous provision. Children use and develop taught skills throughout the year on a daily basis. Continuous provision practice and principles begin in EYFS and support children to develop key life skills such as independence, innovation, creativity, enquiry, analysis and problem solving. During the school day, children have an opportunity to work independently, work collaboratively with their friends and with members of staff.

Impact

At Greasbrough Primary our Early Years children demonstrate high levels of engagement in activities, developing their speaking and listening skills, enabling them to access more areas of learning and communicate to both adults and children. They will have developed concentration, resilience, cooperation and most importantly become willing and confident to ‘have a go’.

Children will develop a wider sense of the world around them and draw on these experiences during interactions with others and link this to new learning. They will also be able to apply their knowledge to a range of situations making links, by explaining their ideas and understanding. Children will be confident to take risks and discuss their successes and failures with adults drawing on their experiences to improve or adjust what they are doing.

From their own starting points, we expect all children, even those at risk of disadvantage, to achieve age related developmental milestones and our curriculum expectations, to make excellent progress academically and socially to give them the best foundations to prepare them for lifelong learning. We challenge pupils and push them to exceed their limits.

How we learn in EYFS

Daily guided activities are also planned to cover different areas of the EYFS curriculum and allow children to develop their next steps in learning. Through observation and discussion, areas of need and next steps are identified for all children to ensure good progress is made. Staff in the EYFS make regular observations of the children’s learning to ensure their next steps are met. Bespoke personalised learning and interventions for groups or individuals of children are also implemented and monitored on a daily basis.

To support our wider curriculum, we provide regular opportunities for parents and carers to come into school and work with their child, share their work and celebrate successes. We keep parents informed and we meet regularly with them to ensure children’s transition into school and through the EYFS is happy and allows them to reach their potential with the support needed. This includes transition days, nursery or home visits, stay and play sessions, parent workshops, first hand experiences, reports and parent meetings.

Parents have the opportunity to meet with new teachers and visit their child’s new learning environment. We also support the transition into Key Stage 1 for both child and parents. We prepare children for Year 1 with visits to their new class and meeting the teacher.