EYFS: Curriculum

Intent:

At Mordiford our aim is to create a nurturing, inspiring and challenging learning environment which promotes inquisitive learners and makes learning irresistible. Positive and encouraging relationships which support, enhance, and invite a child’s curiosity, promote confidence and individual competency to flourish, regardless of backgrounds, circumstances or needs.

It is our intent that all children entering EYFS are given equal opportunities to develop physically, verbally, cognitively and emotionally in order to progress through their lifelong learning journey.

To ensure children make outstanding progress at Mordiford we recognise that parents / carers are children’s first educators and strive to develop close relationships with them and take into account the starting points of all children.

Implementation:

At Mordiford we design our curriculum with some key principles in mind.

Unique child – As our school motto states we ‘Treasure each individual’ at Mordiford. We therefore use the strengths and interests of each child to allow them to feel excited and intrigued by their learning. We recognised that children learn at their own pace and in their own way and we aim to create a stimulating, child-centred curriculum that builds upon and caters for the needs of all learners.

Enabling Environments – Children learn and develop well in enabling environments, in which their experiences respond to their individual needs, so we aim to provide stimulating outdoor and indoor learning environments that are innovative and thought provoking in order to promote inquisitive learners. Resources are presented to the children in an engaging manner to ignite their innate enthusiasm for learning.

Positive Relationships – Children learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships.We model the behaviours we want them to adopt, we help children understand the class and school rules, so they make good choices. We embed our school values of love, compassion and respect through everything we do and the behaviours we role-model.

Impact:

We aim for all children to make a smooth transition onto KS1 with a good level of development (GLD) in all areas required in the Foundation stage profile. We in particular place a great emphasis on the prime areas of learning and promote a love of Reading for pleasure, which then in turn will support excellence in reading and writing. The impact of our curriculum is measured through timely intervention, effective questioning, and supportive scaffolding to ensure learning opportunities are continuously purposeful and allow progression. Classroom practitioners 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. 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.

At Mordiford Primary School we believe that the early years are vital in laying the foundations for future learning. Children join us with a range of prior experiences from home and pre-school settings. We plan our Early Years’ provision around these experiences and the children’s interests to create a stimulating, child-centred curriculum that builds upon and caters for the needs of all learners. We also recognise that parents are children’s first educators and strive to develop close working relationships with all of our families.

The Reception team at Mordiford Primary School promote excellence in early education, enabling all children to achieve success in their early years. We aim to develop creative, imaginative and independent lifelong learners through carefully planned play based opportunities.

Our early year’s practitioners are highly skilled in facilitating a variety of learning opportunities through timely intervention, effective questioning and supportive scaffolding to ensure learning opportunities are continuously purposeful. Young children are fascinated by their surroundings and at Mordiford Primary School we pride ourselves on our stunning location and outdoor environment which we utilise creatively, for example through weekly Forest School sessions, to provide stimulating outdoor and indoor learning environments. Environments that are innovative and thought provoking in order to promote inquisitive learners. Resources are presented to the children in an engaging manner to ignite their innate enthusiasm for learning. Natural and open ended resources are utilised, allowing our children to stretch their creative muscles in their own unique ways.

The Early Years Foundation Stage Framework

All early years providers must comply with the Government’s Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage, which sets out the standards for learning, development and cares for children aged 0-5. The Framework identifies seven areas of learning and development, divided into prime and specific areas of learning.

The prime areas are:

• Communication and language (giving children opportunities to experience a rich language environment; to develop their confidence and skills in expressing themselves; and to speak and listen in a range of situations).
• Physical development (providing opportunities for young children to be active and interactive; and to develop their co-ordination, control, and movement. Children must also be helped to understand the importance of physical activity and to make healthy choices in relation to food).
• Personal, social and emotional development (helping children to develop a positive sense of themselves and others; to form positive relationships and develop respect for others; to develop social skills and learn how to manage their feelings; to understand appropriate behaviour in groups; and to have confidence in their own abilities).

The specific areas are:

• Literacy (reading and writing – encouraging children to link sounds and letters and to begin to read and write).
• Mathematics (counting, understanding and using numbers, calculating simple addition and subtraction problems, describing shapes, spaces and measure).
• Understanding the world (guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community through opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places, technology and the environment).
• Expressive arts and design (enabling children to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials, as well as providing opportunities and encouragement for sharing their thoughts, ideas and feelings through a variety of activities in art, music, movement, dance, role-play, and design and technology).

Over the course of the Reception year, the children work towards the achievement of the 17 Early Learning Goals (attached below), which encapsulate the knowledge, skills and understanding that is expected of them. Through focused teaching and planned, purposeful play opportunities, children learn, discover, practise and refine their skills in literacy and mathematics, and find out about themselves and their environment. They learn how to control themselves and their actions and begin to understand the need for the rules that help them make sense of and interact with the world. They are encouraged to think creatively and independently.

Early Years staff undertake ongoing observations which inform the completion of the Foundation Stage Profile for each child. This is a national assessment tool and allows teachers to summarise children’s progress towards fulfilment of the Early Learning Goals. These regular assessments also enable teachers to plan and deliver learning opportunities according to pupils’ needs. We also actively encourage parents to contribute their own observations to support the completion of the profiles.

EYFS Statement of Intent

Useful Documents

The links below allow you to access the EYFS Statutory Framework and the Development Matters curriculum guidelines.
The EYFS Statutory Framework is a set of standards for the learning, development and cares all schools must follow.
The Development Matters guidelines support us to implement the statutory curriculum requirements in Reception.

http://www.foundationyears.org.uk/eyfs-statutory-framework/

http://www.foundationyears.org.uk/files/2012/03/Development-Matters-FINAL-PRINT-AMENDED.pdf

Preparing your child for starting school

https://hungrylittleminds.campaign.gov.uk/#3

https://www.pacey.org.uk/parents/toolkit/

Parents Guides

https://www.foundationyears.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/What-to-Expect-When-2018.pdf

The links below allow you to access the EYFS Statutory Framework and the Development Matters curriculum guidelines.

The EYFS Statutory Framework is a set of standards for the learning, development, and care all schools must follow.

The Development Matters guidelines support us to implement the statutory curriculum requirements in Reception.

http://www.foundationyears.org.uk/eyfs-statutory-framework/

http://www.foundationyears.org.uk/files/2012/03/Development-Matters-FINAL-PRINT-AMENDED.pdf

In order to support correct letter formation, we use theRead Write Inc letter rhymes and pictures. Below is are two links to a copy of these, which will help at home.

http://www.thebellbird.cambs.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Letter-formation-chart.pdf

http://www.copenhagen.islington.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Read-Write-Inc-Phonics-sound-list-and-rhymes.pdf

It is important that children are encouraged to pronounce the ‘pure’ sounds in a word. Here is a link to the helpful video to support you with using ‘pure’ sounds at home:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlTw0oiLNys

Below is also a list of useful websites to support learning at home (free resources):

http://www.phonicsplay.co.uk/
https://www.teachyourmonstertoread.com/
http://www.ictgames.com/
http://www.topmarks.co.uk/Search.aspx?Subject=37
http://www.crickweb.co.uk/Early-Years.html
http://www.primaryinteractive.co.uk/early.htm