EYFS Curriculum

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Welcome to Caedmon Primary School Early Years Foundation Stage.

At Caedmon Primary School we aim to provide high quality care and education for all children. We focus on creating a secure and nurturing environment where children are keen to come into school each day. We endeavour to plan and deliver stimulating learning experiences that run alongside an inviting learning space where children are encouraged to develop their skills to become inquisitive, creative and resilient learners.  We want every child to feel valued and know that their individual personalities are respected as part of our school family.

We aim to prepare children to reach the Early Learning Goals at the end of the Foundation Stage and ensure children make good progress from their starting points. At the end of a child’s time in Reception we strive to support their transition into Key Stage 1.

 

Curriculum Intent

Our curriculum is built around the Early Years Statutory Framework and the Programmes of Study whilst taking into account the Development Matters framework.  We provide a broad and balanced curriculum and have designed a sequenced and progressive format to ensure that new learning builds on prior knowledge to enable our pupils to know more and remember more. Our curriculum is inspiring and challenging, in order to offer pupils opportunities to grow as unique individuals as well as learners.

Our curriculum is designed to reflect local history, geography and people. It provides a base around which teachers develop exciting and stimulating learning experiences to promote the development of pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills. Lessons are enhanced by visits, visitors or experiences to stimulate and engage children and provide exciting opportunities for our pupils to deepen their understanding.

We actively promote the Caedmon Characteristics to ensure our pupils enjoy learning and that they are prepared to move into Year 1 where we will continue to prepare them for life in modern Britain:

• Respect others
• Be well mannered
• Be friendly
• Be happy
• Never give up
• Work hard
• Be confident and try new things
• Be well behaved
• Work well with others
• Enjoy and be interested in learning

We also offer our pupils new and exciting experiences through a range of extra-curricular activities that are designed to build resilience, confidence and self-esteem.

Please click here to see the Nursery Medium Term Planning for Autumn.

Please click here to see the Nursery Medium Term Planning for Spring.

Please click here to see the Nursery Medium Term Planning for Summer.

Please click here to see the Reception Medium Term Planning for Autumn.

Please click here to see the Reception Medium Term Planning for Spring.

Please click here to see the Reception Medium Term Planning for Summer.

Curriculum Implementation

The Foundation Stage team work closely with the children, helping them to learn to adapt from the home environment to the new and challenging experiences of school.  Our team support children to foster new relationships with their peers and help them to learn to work together, in order to share, co-operate and to solve problems.

What will your child learn?

The EYFS is made up seven areas of learning. These are:

Three Prime Areas

• Communication and Language
• Physical Development
• Personal, Social and Emotional Development

Four Specific Areas

• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding the World
• Expressive Arts and Design

Each area is of equal importance and is dependent on each other. When a child enters the Nursery, the main learning focus surrounds the three prime areas. Then, the four specific areas are introduced to extend learning and development. Each area is delivered through a balance of adult led and child initiated activities. We use each area to plan a broad and balanced, interesting and exciting curriculum for your child in order for them to become lifelong learners.

We recognise that children will learn most effectively when they are healthy, safe and secure, when their individual needs are met and when they have positive relationships with the adults who care for them. We aim to provide a setting that encompasses a safe and stimulating environment where children are able to enjoy learning and grow in confidence that helps them to achieve their fullest potential.

Teaching in Foundation Stage is practical and playful with support and challenge from adults during whole class sessions, small group sessions, and when working 1:1 with individuals. There is a combination of adult-led, teacher taught sessions alongside opportunities for children to learn through play in the continuous provision. Alongside the 7 areas of learning, we spend time reflecting on the different ways that children learn and consider how to best use this knowledge to support each child with their individual learning. The focus of the ‘Characteristics of Effective Learning’ is on how children learn rather than what they learn; therefore we strive to support the children to develop the skills that they will continue to draw upon throughout their development and school career.

Starting the school day

At Caedmon Primary School, we open our Nursery doors at 8.40am. All parents are invited in with their child to help them to take off their coat, find their name and find a ‘busy job’.  Due to Covid-19 restrictions, we are unable to invite parents into Nursery at present. This is also the time to have a quick conversation with the staff in the Nursery and to pass on any messages that the staff might need to know e.g. if your child has been ill, if your child is upset, if they have achieved something to celebrate at home or a change in circumstances. If you would like a longer discussion with a staff member, please make an appointment and we will be happy to talk to you after the children have gone home.

Reception doors open at 8.45am. The children in Reception line up on the KS1 playground. They are brought into class by their class teacher who will greet them before taking them in. If you have anything you would like to discuss, please approach a teacher and we can make an appointment for a more convenient time.

Home Time

Morning Nursery doors open for home time at 11.40am.

Afternoon Nursery doors open for home time at: 3.15pm.

Reception doors open for home time at: 2.55pm.

During home time, it is our responsibility to make sure each child goes home with their correct adult. Please be patient with teaching staff when they are seeing children out. Each child will be called by name when the teacher recognises their adult; they will then be watched while walking to their adult. Please contact the office if anyone different is coming to collect your child. If someone comes that we do not recognise, we will ring home to make sure the adult is allowed to pick that child up. If no one arrives to collect your child, we will try to contact you using the contact details that you have provided us with. The child will stay with the class teacher or with a member of the office staff until the correct adult has been to collect them. If you are going to be late for any reason, please ring the school and explain your circumstances and we will be happy to hold on to your child until you can collect them.

A typical day in Nursery

We have a flexible timetable that allows us to follow the children’s interest and ideas, but a typical day would be:

• Welcome and self registration
• Phonics Group Time
• Indoor and Outdoor Learning Time
• Milk, Snack and Story time
• Indoor and Outdoor Learning Time
• Circle Time
• Home Time

A typical day in the Reception class

We also have a flexible timetable that allows us to follow the children’s interest and ideas, but a typical day would be:

• Welcome and registration
• Topic and Writing Time
• Indoor and Outdoor Learning
• Snack time/Traditional tales/Poems/Rhyme time
• RWI
• Lunchtime
• Brushing our teeth 
• RWI
• Indoor and Outdoor Learning time
• Maths Time
• Indoor Outdoor Learning Time
• Circle and Story Time
• Home Time

Outdoor learning

All the staff here in the Early Years value and understand the importance of Outdoor Learning to very young children, therefore, our children have access to the continuous outdoor provision each day, all year round. Our outdoor classroom includes a walk in sand pit, a reading hut, a construction area, a mud kitchen, a big small world area, a games area and a role play area. It is very important that you send your child to school with a thick, warm (and, if you can, waterproof) coat, a pair gloves, a hat, a scarf and in the summer months a sunhat and sun cream. Please do not send your child to school in open toe sandals as we use our water collection each day.

Snack time

The Nursery children take part in a structured snack time where they are provided with a carton of milk and a healthy snack each day. They can also bring their own water bottle to school each day. The Reception children also sit for a structured snack time where they are provided with a healthy snack and can have a drink from their own water bottle.

Baking

The children in Nursery cook or bake each week, this is done in Mrs White’s Kitchen. The children really enjoy the process of taking ingredients, putting them together and eating a finished product. We ask each family for a voluntary contribution of 50p a week in order to fund the baking or, if you prefer, you can pay for a full term upfront. As we bake each week, it is important that you keep us up to date with your child’s food allergies or any special dietary needs.

Impact

From their individual starting points, we aim for all children will make at least good progress academically, emotionally, creatively, socially and physically. Knowledge, understanding and skills will be secured and embedded so that children attain well, alongside developing a sense of themselves, so that they are well prepared for Key Stage 1. We strive to ensure that many of our pupils reach the Early Learning Goal at the end of Reception and that the vast majority of our pupils make excellent progress from their starting points.

At Caedmon Primary, we identify children’s starting points and plan experiences to ensure progress. We measure and monitor the impact of our curriculum through talking to pupils and their carers, spending time looking at pupils work, observing their learning experiences and analysing data and progress for every pupil. Evidence of children’s learning in Nursery and Reception ( including: some observations, work samples, photographs and contributions from parents) are kept in the children’s ‘Special Books’ which teachers, parents and children use to reflect on individual experiences and progress. Our assessment judgements are moderated both in school and externally with other schools in our Trust.

Alongside the areas of learning, pupils will have developed their ‘Characteristics of Effective Learning’ and are able to apply their knowledge to a range of situations making links and explaining their ideas and understanding. Children are able to take risks and discuss their successes and failures with adults, drawing on their experiences to improve or adjust what they are doing. Pupils will have been supported to make sense of the world around them; developing tolerance, compassion, respect and an understanding of others. By the end of Foundation Stage we aim for children to be well rounded, happy, inquisitive and successful learners, who are good role models both for our school community and their local community.