Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

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Vision

We will all achieve our very best by loving learning, remaining inquisitive, showing resilience and by developing Christian values within our community

Curriculum Intent

The school’s vision is central to the curriculum. Sale and Davys curriculum addresses the requirements of the National Curriculum and is extended through an enriched curriculum which promotes the school’s vision of loving learning, remaining inquisitive, showing resilience and developing Christian values. Collective Worship and the schools house system are strongly interwoven into all aspects of the curriculum, giving children opportunities, responsibilities and experiences that will help them in later life. School leaders have ensured that the curriculum is broad and incorporates themed weeks such as ‘Arts Week’, ‘Science Week’, ‘Sports Week’, ‘Fair Trade’ Week and ‘Global learning days.’ These all help to address gaps in pupils’ knowledge and skills and equip pupils with the education they need, within the context of their local area ie water safety, Bikeability, global learning and mental health awareness to enable pupils to succeed in life. The curriculum is fully inclusive for all children and provides challenge for the more able.

Progression grids are in place for all subjects and these clearly state what children need to know by the end of the year and key stage. Medium term plans consist of a sequence of lessons that build on what has been taught before and have clear learning outcomes which will be built upon in future learning experiences.

Early Years Foundation Stage Intent

At Sale and Davys Primary School we believe it is vitally important that children experience a fun, nurturing and supportive start to their school life. In the early years foundation stage we build the firm foundations for successful future learning experiences through encouraging curiosity, independence, resilience and promoting a love of learning. As part of a Church school, children are encouraged to develop their spiritual understanding through shared Worship and Celebration experiences. In the early years foundation stage children begin their journey to become readers, writers and mathematicians through strong, systematic teaching and learning experiences. They learn how to interact with each other, develop their sense of self and begin to understand where they fit in the Sale and Davys School community and the wider world. They learn the vital lessons of how we behave towards others, how to engage with learning and how to follow routines. Positive experiences which enable them to grow in understanding and knowledge preparing them to successfully continue their learning journey into Key Stage 1 and beyond.

Implementation

· A carefully planned curriculum is in place ensuring full coverage of the statutory and non-statutory requirements.

· The EYFS curriculum provides the opportunities for children to develop knowledge, skills and understanding while fostering the development of the characteristics of effective learning.

· Ensuring children’s safety is paramount. We have all appropriate risk assessments in place and all staff that are paediatric first aid trained. We also carry out direct teaching and reinforcement activities regarding safe behaviour; i.e. equipment use, choking hazards, tripping hazards. etc.

· Our teaching model includes Whole Class inputs, guided learning activities and learning consolidation through continuous provision activities. We also use a Learning Journey Wall and Floor books to revisit and recap previous learning enabling children to ‘Know more, Remember more.’

· Prime Areas of learning are vitally important to a child’s development. Opportunities to develop in these areas are present everyday through both direct teaching sessions and continuous provision activities.

· Through Indoor and Outdoor Continuous Provision children develop knowledge and skills in all 7 areas of the EYFS curriculum. Each learning area has an ‘I can’ board which outlines the main focus of the area at that time. TA prompt boards in each area provide vocabulary and questions for staff to use to explore the provision with the children and indications of ways to extend the learning in these areas. Continuous provision activities are regularly changed in line with the weekly topic and in response to the needs and interests of the children.

· Guided learning activities are taught in differentiated groupings and delivered by either the Teacher or the Teaching assistant.

· We recognise and encourage a positive attitude towards reading through our daily practice. A love of reading is promoted through the use of Core texts in our topic learning and through daily shared sessions which include songs, actions, rhymes and stories.

· We teach distinct Phonics sessions using Little Wandle Letters and sounds.

· The teaching of Reading focuses on 3 core strands of learning.

1. Reading skills are taught through the use of picture books, pictorial discussion activities and Little Wandle guided reading sessions.

2. Phonetic knowledge and blending skills taught through phonic and guided reading continues sessions.

3. Key words recognition practice is taught through phonic sessions, guided reading and continuous provision activities.

These elements are interwoven in order that children develop a positive ‘can do’ attitude to reading at an early age.

· We teach handwriting in a systematic manner. Using the models outlined in the Little Wandle Letters and sounds scheme. Handwriting is taught everyday from the beginning of the reception year and incorporates spelling and dictation practise as we progress through the year. This is reinforced through guided writing activities and continuous provision opportunities.

· Maths is taught in discreet sessions using concrete, pictorial and abstract methodology. The Maths curriculum is based upon the White Rose scheme and

covers all the requirements for maths while also providing opportunities to extend more able pupils. Reasoning skills are developed through guided learning activities and continuous provision opportunities.

· We carry out formative and summative assessment throughout the year. Children are formally assessed at four points in the year tracking their progress from Baseline to the Early Learning Goals.

Children are observed, and assessed daily to identify next steps and to inform future planning.

· We value highly the relationship we have with parents. We therefore have an open door policy every morning and evening and offer parent meetings three times a year. We also offer information meetings to assist parents to support their child’s learning.

It is important that children develop a strong understanding of numbers so that all children develop the necessary building blocks to excel mathematically. Children should be able to count confidently beyond 10, develop a deep understanding of numbers to 10, the relationships between them and the patterns within those numbers. Through frequent opportunities to count and engage in number tasks using a variety of equipment and apparatus children will build on their mathematical knowledge and vocabulary. Alongside this, our curriculum provides rich opportunities for children to develop their special reasoning skills across all areas of mathematics including shape, space and measures. 

We want our children to be inquisitive, to spot patterns, to make links, to be confident enough to have a go – even though it might be wrong and to develop a love of learning of mathematics.