EYFS - Curriculum

The Intent, Implementation and Impact of our Curriculum 

Intent

Leaders construct a curriculum that is ambitious and designed to give all pupils the knowledge, self-belief and cultural capital they need to succeed in life. The EYFS curriculum is coherently planned and sequenced, giving clear progression through the seven areas of learning. It is a broad and balanced curriculum which builds on children’s knowledge and ability, towards cumulatively sufficient skills for future learning. There is a specific focus on the Prime Areas, ensuring that children build on their personal and physical development, acquire a wide vocabulary, communicate effectively and secure a firm knowledge of phonics. This gives them the foundations for learning, especially in preparation for them to become confident and fluent readers and writers. The school’s approach to teaching early reading and synthetic phonics is systematic and ensures that children learn to read words and simple sentences by the end of Reception. The school has the same academic ambitions for all children. For children with particular needs, such as those with SEND, their curriculum is designed to be ambitious and to meet their individual needs.

Implementation

Children benefit from meaningful learning across the EYFS curriculum, which is delivered through a mixture of Child Initiated Learning and Adult Led Activities. The EYFS pedagogy is play-based, creating a continuous provision within the indoor and outdoor environment, giving an extensive and varied opportunity for children of all abilities, to learn and progress successfully.Staff create an environment that supports an ambitious, coherently planned and sequenced curriculum. The resources are chosen to meet the children’s needs and promote learning and investigative skills. Staff are knowledgeable about the seven areas of learning. They manage the EYFS curriculum and pedagogy in relation to the learning needs of their cohort. Staff are expert in teaching systematic, synthetic phonics and ensure that children practise their reading from texts that match their phonics knowledge. In order to encourage and excite children, staff read a variety of books in a way that engages children, introducing new ideas, concepts and vocabulary. Staff present information clearly to children, promoting appropriate discussion about the subject matter being taught. They communicate and interact closely in order to check children’s understanding, identify misconceptions and provide clear explanations to improve their learning. In so doing, all staff respond and adapt their 
teaching as necessary. Staff are knowledgeable about the teaching of early mathematics. They ensure that children have sufficient practice to be confident in using and understanding number, shape, space and measure. The mathematics curriculum provides a strong base for more complex learning later on. EYFS teaching is designed to help children remember important strategies, which in turn, supports children to integrate new knowledge and understanding of larger and more complicated concepts, later in their education. Teaching and learning are reflected through summative assessment and individually recorded observations. Each child’s progression is documented in the HfL 
EYFS Development Matters proforma. The teacher uses their professional judgement and assessment criteria to consider the overall development of each individual child. 
All assessment criteria are through baseline, observations and adult led activities. This is closely monitored by staff and leaders.The curriculum and care practices promote and support children’s emotional and physical development. Leaders and staff are particularly mindful of the youngest and most vulnerable children’s needs. Staff give clear messages to children about why it is important to eat, drink, rest, exercise and be kind to one another. They teach children to take managed risks and challenges as they play and learn, supporting them to be active and physically challenged. Staff provide information to parents concerning their children’s progress, in line with the statutory requirements of the EYFS. They help parents support their child’s learning at home, including ways to teach phonics and details about the school’s method of teaching reading.

Impact

Children develop detailed knowledge and skills across the seven areas of learning in an age-appropriate way. Children develop their vocabulary and use it across the EYFS curriculum. By the end of Reception, children use their knowledge of phonics to read accurately and with increasing speed and fluency. Children are ready and prepared for the next stage of their education. They have the knowledge and skills they need to benefit from what school has to offer when it is time to move on. By the end of Reception, children achieve well, particularly evident of those children with lower starting points. By the end of Reception, children have the personal, physical and social skills they need to succeed in their education. Majority of children achieve the Early Learning Goals, particularly in mathematics and literacy. Children enjoy, listen attentively and respond with comprehension to familiar stories, rhymes and songs that are appropriate to their age and stage of development. Children develop their vocabulary and understanding of language across the seven areas of learning. Children demonstrate their positive attitudes to learning through high levels of curiosity, concentration and enjoyment. They listen intently and respond positively to adults and each other. Children are developing their resilience to setbacks and take pride in their achievements. Children are beginning to manage their own feelings and behaviour, understanding how these have an impact on others. They are developing a sense of right and wrong.