Our EYFS curriculum in driven by the interests of our children and is informed by educational research and pedagogy, alongside advice from experts in the field.
With a combination of direct teaching and play based learning, we will scaffold the children to work from adult-lead to adult-initiated and ultimately child-initiated learning/application whilst continually considering the outlined research.
Our curriculum is influenced by the research of Rosenshine and Vygotski, among others. We typically follow Vygotsky’s (1978) zones of proximal development teaching our children, moving from the learner cannot complete the learning task to the learner can complete it with guidance through to the learner completing it unaided.
Implementation of Values and Virtues
Our values and virtues will be introduced to the children on a half termly basis, in the autumn term, we will explore responsibility and honesty. In the spring, respect and ambition and in the summer curiosity and gratitude.
Phonics, Handwriting, Maths
Phonics, Handwriting, Writing and Maths will be taught using whole-school carefully researched approaches; Read Write Inc., Kinetic Letters, Talk for Writing and Maths Mastery respectively. All of these approaches are based in sound pedagogy and are appropriate to the age and developmental stage of our children. It is important that all learning and our school curriculums start from the Early Years therefore, these approaches run throughout the whole school.
Early Reading
Early Reading is a crucial skill, it has been recognised by many educationalists as a key component to learning. Phonics is a large part of this in the early years, but reading is so much more than simply being able to decode words. When teaching reading, we want to promote a love of books and an understanding of the text. Children will hear multiple stories, poems and nursery rhymes every day, we will read class novels, picture books and non-fiction texts. We will use the Scarborough Reading Rope to weave together the skills needed to become a reader:
Reading for pleasure will be promoted in variety of ways. There will be books in all areas of the provision, story play and storytelling, weekly library books and sharing children’s and teacher’s favourite books.
Learning Journey
To ensure that all areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage are covered in an engaging and stimulating way, we have designed this journey through the Reception year but it will evolve with our children.
|
Autumn 1 |
Autumn 2 |
Spring 1 |
Spring 2 |
Summer 1 |
Summer 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Favourite Things Toys Families Food Books Activities |
Light and dark Dark Den Light Boxes Sources Of Light Candles Stars Festivals Of Light Stars Planets Astronauts Space Travel |
People Who Help Us Dental hygiene, visits from the Dentist, Police, Fire Engine. Thank you letters Large teeth, toothbrushes |
Traditional Tales Animals Dinosaurs Mythical Creatures |
Growing Growing Plants Conditions Needed For Growth Life Cycles Changes In Plants And Animals Mini-Beasts And Bugs |
The Seaside Towns, Cities, Countryside, Forests, Beaches, Ponds, Lakes, Rivers, The Sea |
The detailed learning within these areas is linked allowing for best practise cognitive science. retrieval practice and interleaving to become a part of daily teaching and learning.
Our Community
Community involvement is an essential part of our curriculum as we celebrate local traditions and learn new skills to enable the children to take an active role in events throughout the year.
Throughout their time in EYFS, the children develop a sense of belonging to our school community, ready to transition to Year 1.
Intent
“If you have built castles in the air , your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.” Thoreau
At Stanton Cross Primary School, the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) will provide a curriculum that:
- Stimulates enjoyment, enquiry and explanation.
- Enables children to become knowledgeable, adaptable and confident.
- Provides opportunities for children to develop an awareness of themselves, others and the world they live in.
We will implement this through:
- Reading being at the heart of our curriculum. In EYFS, children will be taught early reading through rigorous teaching of the Read Write Inc programme.
- An inclusive curriculum that is driven by the interests of our children; igniting their curiosity through adult interactions, the environment and high quality experiences.
- A learning environment that supports and celebrates learning and the partnership between home and school.
- A curriculum that combines direct taught sessions with hands on play experiences. Our pupils are supported and challenged by the adults working with them in whole class sessions, small groups and on a 1:1 basis. We focus on modelling expected behaviours and helping children to participate in purposeful play for learning.
The impact of this will be:
- Children that are inquisitive and who discuss, show and apply their learning in a variety of contexts.
- Children that feel valued and that they are part of a bigger school family and community.
- Children that achieve against Early Learning Goals, providing staff with successes and areas to focus on in year 1.