EYFS
Intent:
At St Barnabas CofE Primary, we have high expectations for all children. We aim for all groups of children to make progress across a broad balanced curriculum and be ready for the next stage of their education, achieving good outcomes.
Our aims are, to develop lifelong learners in a learning environment that is happy, provides high quality care, promotes independence, supports emotional well-being, celebrates and promotes individuals interests and fascinations. These aims begin by getting to know our children, what they know and can do.
Implementation:
A carefully designed and sequenced curriculum has been developed using, the new EYFS Educational Programmes for each area of learning, Curriculum Maestro, recent research and additional guidance. It identifies key skills and knowledge for children to be taught term by term, deepening learning and enabling them to achieve the early learning goals at the end of the EYFS phase. Identified skills and knowledge that children learn and master in EYFS, are prerequisite to those that will be encountered in Key Stage One. Regular reflection and development will ensure ongoing development to meet the learning needs of each cohort.
Through high quality texts, fiction and non-fiction, a broad balanced curriculum is facilitated. A curriculum enhanced through a range of first-hand practical experiences, within and beyond school.
High quality learning environments are in place indoors and outdoors, facilitating early years pedagogy. They provide opportunity for children to practise, consolidate and apply ongoing and new learning, across all areas of learning and the characteristics of effective teaching and learning.
Across the daily routine, practitioners ensure children have a balance of child-initiated and adult-led activities. It is recognised that young children learn by, taking part in activities guided by knowledgeable adults and lead their own learning sensitively supported by practitioners. During the summer term, the balance of learning is developed to support smooth transition within EYFS and into Key Stage One.
Practitioners engage with parents at points of transition, within home learning and the observation process. The school SENCO ensures rapid response to children identified personal needs. Integrated services are used to maximise children’s learning potential.
Across EYFS, we set realistic and challenging expectations that meet the needs of our children. We achieve this by planning to meet the needs of boys and girls, children with special educational needs, children who are more able, children with disabilities, children from all social and cultural backgrounds, children of different ethnic groups and those from diverse linguistic backgrounds.
The seven areas of learning in EYFS are:
- Communication and Language
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development
- Physical Development
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Understanding the World
- Expressive Arts and Design
The characteristics of effective teaching and learning are:
- Playing and Exploring
- Active Learning
- Thinking and Creating Critically
Impact
Formative assessment, day-to-day observations of learning, are integral part to the learning and development processes in EYFS. Staff observe pupils to identify their level of achievement, interests and learning styles. These observations are used to identify and shape future / next steps in learning. Practitioners also take into account observations shared by parents and/or carers.
Practitioner best-fit assessment judgements are regularly externally moderated to ensure accuracy.
Children make good progress from their starting points and parents are regularly informed about children’s attainment and progress throughout the year.
If you would like any further information about our curriculum, please contact the school office.