Early Years Foundation Stage
Our exciting curriculum will provide a range of high-quality learning experiences through carefully planned and structured, play-based learning that is set alongside upon the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum. This foundation allows pupils to become ready for more formal learning opportunities that will be phased in through year 1.
This covers the three prime areas of:
- Communication and language
- Physical development
- Personal, social and emotional development
These elements are represented across the four specific areas of:
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Understanding world
- Expressive arts and design
Early Literacy Skills
We strongly believe that a curriculum with a foundation of talking before writing is essential to unlock attainment for our pupils and accelerate their progress. A focus on literacy, and in particular language development, will place our pupils in the best possible position to gain full access to the wider curriculum from the earliest age.
Early Mathematical Skills
Our teaching is highly practical and interactive to help inspire a love of mathematics from the earliest age. Children have many opportunities to build mathematical understanding through exploration, problem solving, discussion and practical experience including manipulatives such as Base 10 and Numicon.
Developing a secure sense of number is vitally important and sets children on a path towards mathematical confidence in later life. In the Early Years Foundation Stage we incorporate mathematics learning into play to help children make the abstract become concrete.
E3L; Excite, Explore, Excel
We promote the Characteristics of Effective Learning (Playing and Exploring, Active Learning and Creative and Critical Thinking) by providing all children with a range of rich and meaningful first-hand experiences through our inspiring E3L themes such as: Let’s Pretend, Through the Window, Toy Story and Snap, Crackle and Pop.
Our children in EYFS are given opportunities to engage in “direct” learning experiences both indoors and outdoors and we encourage them to access materials independently and to have pride in their work, make sensible choices about their learning, as well as have high expectations of themselves and others.
Technology for Learning in Early Years
As with much of the Early Years curriculum, the use of technology will focus on experience. Pupils in EYFS will experience a wide range of different technologies and use them across a range of different activities. They experiment with how different technologies work and what they allow them to do. For example, microphones and simple audio and video recording devices; tablet devices and simple programmes and basic programmable toys. They are also able to visit and use the Immersive Room to enhance their learning and experience places such as Deep Space, the Rainforest and the Ocean.