Early Years Foundation Stage

Introduction

At Longworth Primary School our curriculum is underpinned by our vision and values and is designed to meet the needs of our pupils. The children experience a purposeful, broad, balanced and engaging knowledge-based curriculum. This is delivered through thematic, cross-curricular, practical and creative approaches.

Curriculum Intent for EYFS

We aim to provide a broad and rich curriculum that:

• Nurtures the needs of each individual child and allows children to learn in a way that suits their individual need
• Encourages a love of learning
• Stimulates ‘curious minds’ to actively investigate, explore the world, develop independence and solve problems
• Encourages resilience and perseverance
• Proactively encourages good physical and mental health
• Promotes kindness to self and others
• Builds children’s Cultural Capital using experiences and visits to create memorable moments of awe and wonder
• Encourages a love of books placing quality texts at the centre of our learning
• Is progressive and sequential throughout the Early Years and ensures children are ready for Key Stage 1
• Enables parents to act as a key partner in their child’s education

Core Values and Principles

At Longworth Primary School we follow the new Early Years Foundation Stage Framework (2021). Within this framework there are four guiding principles which shape our practice.

These are

• Every child is a unique child, who is constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident, and self-assured.
• Children learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships.
• Children learn and develop well in enabling environments with teaching and support from adults, who respond to their individual interests and needs and help them to build their learning over time. Children benefit from a strong partnership between practitioners and parents and/or carers.
• Importance of learning and development. Children develop and learn at different rates. The framework covers the education and care of all children in early years provision, including children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Learning Environment

We create an Early Years environment that enables learning through positive relationships, quality interactions, responsive provision, both continuous and enhanced. Children have a Key person whilst in Fox Cubs a relationship which is very important in facilitating the child’s next steps in development and learning.

At Longworth Primary School our learning environments are:

• Active
• Reflective
• Consistent

Areas of learning and development

In the Early Years the Statutory Framework for the early Years Foundation Stage sets out seven areas of learning and development. All areas of learning and development are important and inter-connected. All areas are important for building a foundation for igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, forming relationships, and thriving in their learning.

Prime areas:

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

Specific areas:

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

The Early Years Foundation Stage Statutory Framework 2021 can be found here

We encourage the children to become effective learners through skilful planning and implementation of the Characteristics of Effective Teaching and Learning:

• Playing and exploring - children investigate and experience things, and ‘have a go’
• Active learning - children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulty and enjoy achievements.
• Creating and thinking critically - children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing thingsI