Curriculum

In our Foundation Stage, our Nursery and Reception children acquire and develop their skills alongside each other. We follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum. This framework sets the standards for the learning, development and care of your child. Within the framework, there are 3 prime areas:

Communication and language;

Physical development;

Personal, social and emotional development.

These prime areas are essential for building children’s capacity to learn, form relationships and thrive in their learning. To support our children with these prime areas we regularly use Makaton signs to help with their spoken language and make communication and social interactions easier. We also use a scheme of work called Jigsaw, to ensure our children grow a sense of identity and self-esteem and to develop their emotional intelligence.

There also an additional 4 specific areas:

Literacy;

Mathematics;

Understanding the World;

Expressive arts and design.

 

Literacy in the early years includes talking about books, print in the environment, early mark making and writing, as well as sharing books and reading. In our Foundation Stage, we focus on a book on a two week cycle, this allows us to reflect on the characters and the story by retelling it in different forms, such as sequencing the story, using a story teller’s hat or using props such as puppets. Every day the children share write parts of the story in small groups and once a week they mark make/write for directed piece of work. As a team we actively promote the importance of mark making or writing in a variety of different context and for different purposes using a wide range of media. This is supported by the development of linking sounds to letters, which we do through daily phonics sessions, using both Jolly phonics and Actiphons.

                                          

 

Mathematics is taught based on features of Mathematics Mastery. The principles are based on a concrete-pictorial-abstract- cycle of learning. This scheme of work allows the children to gain a deep understanding of maths, by breaking down maths objectives into smaller steps and placing a greater focus upon teaching for fluency, reasoning and problem solving. Within the environment, we provide opportunities for children to develop their understanding of number, measurement, pattern, shape and space by providing an extensive range of contexts in which they can learn through exploration, practise and solving problems.

 

Knowledge and understanding of the world is related to children’s everyday lives and what they observe in the wider world. By providing meaningful experiences, such as visits from local nurses, postmen and policeman we help the children to develop a sense of their local community. We also regularly undertake investigations to encourage children’s interests and curiosity. These experiences inspire our children to observe, predict, explore and problem solve independently.