Early Years at St Luke’s
Early Years Curriculum Rationale
At St Luke’s we want our children to feel safe, encourage their dreams and potential and show them that there should be no limit to what they can achieve. This starts right here in Early Years, where we share our core values, “Where children flourish, are happy and succeed. Living their life to the full.” As we follow the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum, we encourage positive relationships in a rich and varied learning environment, where children can be themselves, have fun and feel safe at all times.
Children require unique opportunities tailored to their needs and through meaningful, purposeful play they thrive and learn as they go. We provide an environment where they feel respected, listened to and cared for. Whilst we have a lot of fun along the way we provide clear boundaries and routines from the outset that encourage the children to strive to achieve the best they can and feel safe and confident in doing so.
The EYFS curriculum is all about paving the foundational steps for children to continue throughout their education in our school. Our early years setting provides a broad range of learning experiences providing the children with the skills and knowledge to help them flourish, be happy and succeed as they continue their journey throughout St Lukes. One of our main goals in EYFS is to develop the children’s ‘Cultural Capital’, by doing things such as tailoring their education to their interests, bringing in local community figures and taking trips to local landmarks and points of interests, encouraging them to become a good citizen and aware of the wider world and society. We also aim to ensure that children leave the EYFS with a good fluency of reading at their age-appropriate level, creating a love of reading at a young age.
Curriculum Intent
In EYFS at St Lukes, the curriculum is designed to recognise children’s prior learning from their previous settings and their experiences at home, provide first hand learning experiences, whilst allowing the children to build resilience, ambition and integrity.
Every child is recognised as a unique individual and we celebrate and welcome differences within our school community. The ability to learn is underpinned by the teaching of basic skills, knowledge, concepts and values. We provide enhancement opportunities to engage learning and believe that our first experiences of school should be happy and positive, enabling us to develop a lifelong love of learning.
Many children attending St Lukes CE are from disadvantaged backgrounds and we are aware that Communication and Language support is a key factor in promoting learning and wellbeing for all children but especially for those from a disadvantaged background. WellComm assessments are used throughout school and a high percentage of staff are WellComm trained and have Elklan level three accreditation so we can ensure all children are screened and appropriately supported, taking every opportunity to do so:
‘They give priority to developing children’s language skills. For example, children enjoyed learning about the importance of vegetables. They learned new words following a recipe to make pea soup in the outdoor kitchen.’ EYFS comment Ofsted 2020
Throughout their time in Reception, the children develop a sense of belonging to our school community, ready for transition into year 1 the following academic year. They have the confidence and skills to make decisions and self-evaluate, make connections and become lifelong learners.
Our enabling environments and warm skilful adult interactions, support the children as they begin to link learning to their play and exploration right from the start. We believe that high-level engagement ensures high-level attainment. We therefore provide an engaging curriculum that maximises opportunities for meaningful cross-curricular links and learning experiences, as well as promoting the unique child by offering extended periods of play and sustained thinking.
We intend to:
- Work in partnership with parents and carers to encourage independent, happy learners who thrive in school and reach their full potential from their various starting points.
- Understand and follow children’s interests and provide opportunities throughout our EYFS curriculum to support learning, consolidate and deepen knowledge and ensure children meet their next steps.
- Create an indoor and outdoor environment which supports learning.
- Prepare children to achieve a Good Level of Development (GLD) and the Early Learning goals at the end of the Foundation Stage and ensure children make at least good progress from their starting points.
- Support transition into KS1.
Curriculum Implementation
Throughout EYFS at St Luke’s, we follow the Early Years Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage, updated September 2021, by the DfE. This framework specifies the requirement for learning and development in the Early Years and provides prime and specific areas of learning we must cover in our curriculum.
We have a curriculum that is child-centred and that is based upon creating exciting experiences and topics which engage the children. Each half term, EYFS staff introduce a new theme to provide inspiration for learning, whilst providing the flexibility for children to follow their own interests and ideas. Children learn through a balance of child-initiated and adult-directed activities. We encourage active learning to ensure the children are motivated and interested. We take time to get to know children’s interests and their likes to support learning and encourage their ‘Cultural Capital’.
All areas of the EYFS curriculum are followed and planned for to ensure there is a broad, balanced and progressive learning environment and curriculum. The children will learn new skills, acquire new knowledge and demonstrate understanding through the seven areas of the EYFS curriculum.
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development,
- Physical Development,
- Communication and Language,
- Literacy,
- Mathematics,
- Understanding the World,
- Expressive Arts and Design
These 7 areas are used to plan children’s learning and activities. Planning for this curriculum is designed to be flexible so that children’s unique interests are supported.
The timetable is carefully structured so that children have directed teaching during the day. The timetable changes throughout the year to take into consideration the changing needs of the children. These sessions are followed by small focused group work. This means the teacher can systematically check for understanding, identify and respond to misconceptions quickly and provide real-time verbal feedback which results in a strong impact on the acquisition of new learning.
Children are provided with plenty of time to engage in ‘exploration’ throughout the variety of experiences carefully planned to engage and challenge them in the provision. The curriculum is planned for the inside and outside classrooms and equal importance is given to learning in both areas.
A vital aspect in the development of essential knowledge and skills is the use of Continuous Provision. This means that children are using and developing taught skills throughout the year on a daily basis. Continuous Provision practise and principles begin in EYFS and support children to develop key life skills such as independence, innovation, creativity, enquiry, analysis and problem solving. During the school day, children will have an opportunity to work independently, work collaboratively with their friends and with members of staff.
Children are provided with plenty of time to engage in ‘exploration’ throughout the variety of experiences carefully planned to engage and challenge them in the provision. The curriculum is planned for the inside and outside classrooms and equal importance is given to learning in both areas.
Staff in the EYFS make regular observations of the children’s learning to ensure their next steps are met. These are collected in each child’s online learning journey, through Tapestry. We regularly assess where the children are, using ‘Development Matters’ and then ensure our planning, adult interaction and learning environment; including continuous provision, support children to reach their next steps. We will include interventions for groups or individuals if and when necessary.
Children in EYFS learn by playing and exploring, being active, and through creative and critical thinking which takes place both indoors and outside. Our outdoor areas are used all year round and in all weather conditions. We ensure activities support the Characteristics of Effective Learning to ensure learning takes place. These are:
- Playing and Exploring – children investigate and experience things, and have a go;
- Active Learning – children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties, and enjoy achievements;
- Creating and Thinking Critically – children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas and develop strategies for doing things.
Our inclusive approach means that all children learn together, but we have a range of additional intervention and support for children who may not be reaching their potential, or are showing a greater depth of understanding and need further challenge. This includes, for example, sessions for developing speech and language, social skills, emotions, fine motor skills, phonics, and mathematics.
Curriculum Impact
We strive to ensure that our children’s progress across the EYFS curriculum is good from their varied starting points. We also strive for children to achieve a Good Level of Development and many of the Early Learning Goals at the end of Reception, and to be as close as possible to National Expectations. Evidence in children’s Learning Journals and Tapestry, support all areas of the EYFS curriculum.
The impact of our curriculum is measured by assessment procedures which allow us to measure outcomes against all schools nationally. We measure the percentage of pupils achieving age related expectations and that are on track for GLD throughout the academic year. We then put supportive interventions in place if and when needed. Class teachers use observations to make formative assessments which inform future planning and ensure that all children build on their current knowledge and skills at a good pace.
Summative assessment compares children’s attainment to age related expectations using Development Matters. The EYFS staff regularly have meetings to discuss children’s progress to ensure rates of progress are at least ‘good’ for all children, including vulnerable groups such as those with SEND, EAL, disadvantaged or summer-born children. Our assessment judgements have been moderated both in school and externally with local schools and others in the Arch Alliance.