EYFS

The Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage sets the standards for learning, development and care for children from birth to 5 years.

Intent

At Eythorne Elvington Community Primary School, we are passionate and dedicated to the principle of all our children becoming confident, ambitious, resilient, empathetic, and successful learners. That journey begins within our EYFS classroom, where we aim to develop a lifelong love of learning and strive for all our children to reach their full potential, regardless of social experiences.

Our EYFS curriculum has been designed with our school values at the heart of everyday practice:

CONFIDENCE / AMBITION / PERSEVERANCE / EMPATHY / SUCCESS

Children are encouraged to succeed through collaborative and co-operative learning principles, through a balance of adult-led and child-initiated learning experiences.  As such, there is a strong emphasis on the Prime Areas of Learning: Personal, Social and Emotional Development and Communication and Language, including Oracy.

We provide a carefully planned and engaging curriculum that maximises opportunities for meaningful, cross-curricular learning experiences.  This provides our children with the knowledge and skills to prepare them for each stage in their learning journey.

Implementation

Prior to children starting their school journey at Eythorne Elvington Primary School, the class teacher spends time speaking to the child’s parents and previous settings, alongside effective transition sessions in the term before children begin school to gain an understanding of each child.   During the children’s first term in Reception, all staff use ongoing observations and assessments to identify starting points for each child across all areas of learning.  We use this information to monitor the progress of each child and put in place additional support for those children who may be at risk of not meeting the age expected standards (Early Learning Goals) by the end of their reception year. 

Additionally, we conduct the RBA (Statutory Reception Baseline Assessment) in the children’s first six weeks of starting school.  This assessment focuses on ‘Language, Communication and Literacy,’ and ‘Mathematics.’  The purpose of this assessment is to show progress from Reception to the end of Key Stage 2.

Each half term, EYFS staff introduce a new theme to inspire our children to discover and learn about the world around them, whilst still allowing for children to follow their own interests and ideas.  At the beginning of each term, new vocabulary, which the children will hear and be encouraged to use within their learning, is identified and shared with parents.

Our children learn through a balance of child-initiated and adult-directed activities which have been carefully planned to ensure all children’s needs are met.   Teacher led activities are structured to ensure that children’s previous learning is revised, new concepts are taught, and children are given opportunity to practise and apply their learning, both with an adult and during their child-initiated -learning.  Direct teaching is planned from previous observations from both adult-directed and child-initiated learning to ensure a clear progression for each child within the class.  Our cross curricular opportunities ensure that children develop the ability to make connections between their learning and draw upon their past experiences to support them.

Continuous provision not only supports the children’s next steps but embeds teacher directed learning, allowing children to practise and apply their growing knowledge and skills.  Our outside learning environment is planned to support the term’s theme which mirrors and embeds learning that takes place within the classroom.   Children are encouraged to learn purposefully, co-operatively, to challenge themselves and be reflective about their learning.

Each child has an online learning journal (Tapestry) where we share our learning journey throughout the year and celebrate progress with children’s parent’s.  Successes at home are equally celebrated in school using this portal. 

Impact

Through our consistent approach to teaching and dedicated staff, where children are encouraged to always persevere, children make good progress from their starting points.  Most of our pupils are ready for the next stage in their education as they move from Reception into Key Stage1.   Additionally, the impact of our curriculum is shown every day when we see the sheer joy of children recognising their successes and achievements.  

EYFS staff have a good understanding of how the Early Learning Goals link to the National Curriculum and we endeavour to ensure to that our children leave Reception with the knowledge, skills and confidence to continue their journey as readers, writers, mathematicians, historians, scientists, artists and geographers.