Intention

What are we trying to achieve?

Our starting point is and always will be the children. We aim for our children to be; successful learners, responsible and rights respecting citizens and confident individuals. We are a Rights Respecting School and this underpins our school ethos.

Provision is shaped by the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum requirements 2021, which sets standards for the learning, development and care of children from birth to 5 years old. Practitioners support the learning of children in order for them to develop intellectually, creatively, physically, socially and emotionally and promote learning experiences appropriate to the child’s stage of development. Staff are responsive to the needs of all learners; any gaps in learning are identified through observations of learning interactions, both planned and spontaneous, leading to a curriculum that is engaging, exciting and brings “the world” to the children of St. Benedict’s.

Developing children’s language is a key priority in the EYFS, we believe that language opens the gateway for future learning opportunities and is the basis from which all other subjects evolve.
 

Implementation

How do we organise this?

Learning across the EYFS follows a thematic approach closely linked to a text. This approach allows children to learn and expand new vocabulary, make links and use and apply this language across the curriculum. Children have daily opportunities to work with adults on guided focussed tasks as well as explore and investigate through carefully planned continuous provision alongside opportunities to initiate their own learning. Children have an integral role in shaping the EYFS provision. The outdoor spaces provide further opportunities for learning experiences.

Our curriculum builds upon the characteristics of effective learning, providing open ended problem solving activities linking to a theme and underpinned by developing children’s personal, social and emotional needs.

Children follow the Letters and Sounds Programme to support knowledge and understanding of phonics and work through each phase progressively.

Impact

How do we know it is successful?

Learning is checked, reviewed and developed by all practitioners and forms part of the whole school monitoring programme. Observations of children’s learning form a key part of assessment across the EYFS. Children’s next steps are identified and addressed through targeted support.

Learners have the opportunity to share, highlight and celebrate new learning and language with a range of audiences. Children are able to answer a “Big Question” about their learning which draws together key vocabulary and concepts learnt each half term. Children across the EYFS have a chance to look at their journals to reflect on past learning.
 

Long Term Planning Overviews
Communication and Language
Expressive Arts
ICT
Knowledge and Understanding the World
Literacy
Maths
Physical Development
PSED RR and British values