Intent
Our curriculum is ambitious and designed to give children, particularly the most disadvantaged, the knowledge, self-belief and cultural capital they need to succeed in life.
Our curriculum is coherently planned and sequenced it builds on what children know and can do. Any sequences given are sequences of learning and not planning. They are not always intended for the entire class group but for each individual child based on their starting points and where they are at that moment in time both academically and emotionally. The purpose of the pathway is to establish where the child is and where they are going next.
Our curriculum is implemented through interactions with children during planned and child-initiated play and activities, communicating and modelling language, showing, explaining, demonstrating, exploring ideas, encouraging, questioning, recalling, providing a narrative for what they are doing, facilitating and setting challenges. This could be as a result of consciously sequenced planning or by making the best use of spontaneous teachable moments.
We ensure that all children acquire a wide vocabulary, communicate effectively and secure a knowledge of phonics.
We are passionate about the 7 priorities of early reading and phonics within the EYFS –see reading and phonics policy.
We understand that each child is unique and learns and develops at different rates. Particularly the most disadvantaged children and those with SEND who may need a curriculum which is ambitious while still meeting their needs.
Implementation
Our curriculum meets the needs of the EYFS and is sufficiently challenging for all our children.
Our staff are knowledgeable about the 7 areas of teaching and learning, child development and individual children.
We engage children and teach them in a way that is both exciting and stimulating and introduces new concepts
The three prime areas of learning underpin everything that happens in our early years settings:
- communication and language
- physical development
- personal, social and emotional development
The four specific areas are intended to help children to strengthen and apply the prime areas.
The following characteristics of effective teaching and learning will weave through everything that happens in our setting:
- playing and exploring
- active learning
- creating and thinking critically
We understand the importance of personal, social and emotional development including whether children feel safe, are secure, stimulated and happy. Clear messages are modelled to ensure children understand the importance of living a healthy life.
.The EYFS is very much a part of the whole school and as a school we are passionate about early reading and phonics- see reading and phonics policy and phonics overview for the whole school approach to the teaching of reading and phonics.
Staff are also knowledgeable about the teaching of early mathematics- see school mathematics policy and planning.
We understand the importance of formative assessment in the EYFS. We always ensure that we identify misconceptions, respond and adapt teaching as necessary.
We strive to provide enabling environments with teaching and support from adults who have strong positive relationships with our children. We understand the importance of involving and regularly reporting parents, carers, professionals and specialists in deciding how best to support our children and move their learning forward. This includes a remote learning platform throughout the EYFS.
Impact
By the end of reception children:
- Will have detailed knowledge across the 7 areas of learning.
- Will use their knowledge of phonics to read both accurately and fluently.
- Will be Year One ready.
- Will achieve well, particularly those with lower starting points.
- Will chive the Early Learning Goals.
- Will have a love of reading, songs and rhymes and will be able to respond to these with comments, questions and answers.
- Will be able to use the characteristics of learning effectively.
- Will be beginning to manage their own feelings and behaviours and will be developing a sense of right and wrong.
Click here to view our Early Years Vision