EYFS Curriculum
The Characteristics of Teaching and Learning
We provide many opportunities for children to learn through child-initiated play and adult led activities. We always take into account the children’s interests and the ways that children learn and reflect these in their practice.
The three characteristics of effective teaching and learning are:
- Playing and exploring – children have the opportunity to investigate and experience a range of activities and are encouraged to ‘have a go’
- Active learning – children concentrate and develop resilience when they encounter difficulties, and enjoy their achievements
- Creating and thinking critically – children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for completing tasks
EYFS Framework
We follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Framework. This sets the standards for the learning, development and care of every child. The areas of learning have been organised into three prime areas of learning and four specific areas of learning. We also use 'Development Matters' to support our curriculum planning.
Prime Areas
Communication & Language
There is a huge emphasis placed on the development of children’s communication and language skills and ensuring the learning environment is language rich. We place a strong emphasis on quality interactions between children and staff. Children’s language is built effectively by interactions with adults that are interested in what they are doing and who echo back what they say with new added vocabulary. Children are provided with lots of opportunities to embed new language through a range of contexts such as role play, storytelling and rich conversations.
Personal, Social & Emotional Development
Our children learn how to understand their own feelings and those of others through the supportive and warm relationships they have with the adults in our setting. They are supported in managing their emotions and behaviour and learn how to cope when they encounter challenges. Our children have lots of time for free-flow play which enables them space and time to learn how to make good friendships, co-operate and, with the support of others, resolve any issues that arise in the moment.Our children to learn how to look after their bodies and manage personal needs independently. Our
Physical Development
Our children have access to climbing equipment, large physical development resources and space to be active and take risks. Children have a weekly PE lesson, led by our ELMs sports coaches, where they are supported to develop their core strength, stability, balance, spatial awareness, co-ordination and agility. Children develop their hand eye co-ordination and precision skills through exploration of areas such as funky fingers, small world, construction and creative areas. Our children practise using lots of different small tools to develop hand strength, control and confidence, which impacts on their writing later on.
Specific Areas
Literacy
Our curriculum is designed to develop a life-long love of reading. Our children hear a range of stories, nursery rhymes and songs each week and our curriculum is centred around weekly key texts. Our children develop language comprehension through lots of book talk and discussions about the world around them. All children have access to inviting book areas to enable them to independently spend time looking at books.
We have daily phonics lessons which follow the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Programme where children learn to decode words using their phonic knowledge.
Children have access to a range of resources to encourage mark making indoors and out, the children have an opportunity to write on a large scale with a range of textures, including whiteboards, with chalk and in sand. Children learn to apply their phonics learning to their writing to enable them to write simple captions and sentences.
Mathematics
Mathematical ideas are explored through stories and are focused around a child’s contextual understanding and real-life experiences. We use the MyMastery Ark Curriculum+
Adult focus sessions aim to build number sense and children are encouraged to look for patterns and relationships. Our learning environment provides lots of opportunities for our children to build and apply their understanding of number through the use of a range of manipulatives. It also enables them to explore, investigate and develop their understanding of shape, space and measure as well as problem solving. Children explore maths concept through play, both inside and outside and quality interactions with staff enable them to consolidate and extend their understanding.
Understanding the World
Our curriculum is designed to enable children to make sense of their physical world and their community. Through the exploration of key texts, our children develop an understanding of our diverse world, seeing themselves - as well as others - in the books they read.
The children explore the outdoors and focus on the changes that can occur over time, with a particular focus on the weather and seasons. They learn about different cultures and religions. We have weekly RE sessions (following the LDBS curriculum) and we also celebrate a range of festivals from children’s cultural backgrounds.
Through visits to places in our local community, such as the library, garden centre and parks and meeting important members of our community, such as a dentist, nurse, Rabbi, vicar, our children develop important knowledge and new vocabulary.
Expressive Arts & Design
Our children have regular opportunities to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials. They are encouraged to develop their own ideas and talk about what they make, design and paint. We have regular cooking sessions, enjoying both the making and the eating!
Music is important part of EYFS, whether it be though singing routine songs or joining together to sing a new song linked to an event or theme. Children have free access to musical instruments which they explore and play. Children explore sounds and make their own music.