EYFS

Early Years Foundation Stage Statement

Curriculum Leader: Mrs N Kennedy

Our Vision:-

At St. Aidan’s CE Primary School we are committed to helping children have the best possible start in life by providing a provision full of rich learning. These opportunities are based around the development of respect for themselves, others and the world and the building of rewarding relationships, which lead to consistently high outcomes for all children in our Reception class. Our school motto that we live by within our school family is for children to ‘live every moment in the light of God so that they can be the best they can be,’ ‘laugh and seek joy,’ ‘love beyond words showing care and respect’ and ‘learn to grow as Jesus taught us.’ We aim for our children feel happy, safe, nurtured and valued and therefore ready to learn.  We provide quality, meaningful, broad and balanced learning that meet their needs and interests in a context relevant to them as unique individuals who learn in different ways and at different rates. In the EYFS we ensure that the opportunities we provide are inclusive for all and that every child has the right to achieve their full potential.

We achieve this through:

• Focusing on the needs of the children, their learning and care - We begin to know our children from the start of their transition process from their pre-school setting so that quality, meaningful, broad and balanced learning can be provided in a context that is unique to the individual. A cycle of continuous evaluation is completed by classroom practitioners to ensure children progress holistically, indivual needs are met and to plan next steps to enable children to achieve and succeed. We facilitate many of our learning opportunities through the interests of our children. 
• Enabling children to recognise their own value, that of others and their place in the world - We aim to help our children be the best that they can be. Through our everyday interactions, PSED and development of values and mindfulness we help our children to recognise their own feelings and be able to regulate them appropriately. This enables them to build an understanding of themselves and others, helping them to successfully build relationships with the people around them. We encourage our children to take responsibilty for their own actions and care about each other and the world around them. 
• Encouraging exploring and taking risks - Children are encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning and actions when learning through the indoor and outdoor learning environment, on the playground and within Forest School. They are encouraged to challenge themselves and take risks in a safe and supported environement. They are encouraged to explore the learning environment and ask questions. We encourage a 'growth mindset' that promotes challenge and sustained effort and is therefore resilience building. We see mistakes and challenge as positive learning experiences. 
• Ensuring a responsive, adaptable approach to learning which recognises the importance of effective teacher-led and child-led opportunities -We use observations and quality interactions to inform next steps in learning and develop sustained understanding. We ensure there is a balance between teacher led and child led learning opportunities based on a responsive approach to the child as an individual i.e observations and interactions are used as a starting point in order to take learning forward.  
• Ensuring strengths are developed and development gaps are closed in order to raise attainment - We carefully plan our teacher-led sessions and environement to ensure child-led opportunities promote and build on strengths as well as developing skills in areas where gaps have been identified for individuals, groups and cohorts. 
• Focusing on the Characteristics of Effective Learning which provide the foundations for future success
• Developing children’s individual spirituality through promoting a sense of awe and wonder
• Developing children’s independence, autonomy and collaborative learning skills - We plan a learning environement that provides provision that encourages and promotes children's independence, autonomy and collabrotive learning skills. Children are actively encouraged to revisit and build on previous learning and skills so that new learning and skills can be embedded and mastered. They are able to work with others, problem solve, lead learning and discuss their ideas. 
• Providing learning experiences that are word rich so that a love, understanding and use of language is developed - We put talk, communication and language at the heart of all learning. Children are exposed to word rich learning experiences giving them opportunities to hear, understand and use words and language. These opportunities vary from quality interactions during teacher-led and child-led learning, story, rhyme, song, discrete teaching and learning of new vocabulary, drawing club, book work, talk interventions etc.  
• Providing practical, play-based learning experiences based on quality interactions that lead to sustained understanding
• Promoting a wider curriculum which allows all children to succeed and develop cultural capital - Children are given opportunities and experiences that develop a wider understanding that they may not otherwise experience in their immediate environments. These experiences may vary from visits and visitors, story, visual and audio representations, use of equipment and resources, practical and physical experiences. 
• Ensuring practitioners’ accurate knowledge and understanding of child development, attainment is used to inform next steps in learning
• Working with parents to develop a shared, valued approach to their children’s learning
• Working collaboratively with wider agencies to support individuals and their families, share good practice and enhance provision

Curriculum

The foundations of our children’s learning are based on the EYFS statutory framework (2024), Development Matters, the non-statutory guidance for Early Years Foundation Stage (2023) and Birth to 5 Matters (2021). The reception class teacher and team provide a curriculum that steers learning through children’s passions and interests and topic themes that provide the foundations of knowledge and skills for later learning. There are seven areas of learning and development in the Early Years Foundation Stage, three prime areas and four specific areas;

Delivery of the curriculum:

• Continuous Provision
• Daily direct teaching sessions in Literacy, Phonics (Active Learn Bug Club), Maths and Curriculum focus.
• Adult guided writing activities linked to the whole class text.
• Adult guided Maths activities linked to daily learning objectives, taught during maths direct teaching sessions.
• Reading and Writing opportunities in most areas of the provision.
• Home Learning to support the next steps in learning.
• Targeted Number activities, phonics activities and Speech and Language groups.
• Early intervention in reading and maths.
• ’We will..’ focus. A class learning priority based on an identified class need.
• Curriculum enrichment opportunities.

Continuous Provision:

Children are able to choose their ‘Learning Time’ through Continuous Provision. They have allocated times to go inside or outside and are encouraged to visit every area of learning, independently at least once. The children are encouraged to complete the ‘learning of the day’. The inside space covers all seven areas of learning within the EYFS curriculum and is designed to ensure children access all areas of learning through play. We ensure that the continuous provision is engaging, challenging and provides opportunities to be independent as well as collaborate with others. Each area of the provision has ‘I can’ stands which are directly linked to a learning objective. These ‘I can’ stands ensure that the children are accessing purposeful, meaningful learning opportunities in every area of the provision.

Forest School:

The Reception class visit Forest School weekly for one half term a year. This is led by a trained forest school leader and develops rich learning, spiritual, social and emotional development opportunities.

Assessment and Reporting

• Monitoring of each child will take place through regular observations, discussion, photographs, record keeping and planned assessments.
• Informal assessments to gauge individual children’s abilities will take place at the start of the year (NFER baseline assessments)
• Summative judgements based on the Early Learning Goals are made and submitted. 
• An end of year report summarising the achievements is given to parents.
• The information discussed with Year 1 teachers so that they can continue to help the children to achieve and support access to the KS1 curriculum.
• All planning and assessments are rigorously monitored by Senior Leadership each term. Moderation judgements and discussions of pupil observations are used to support pupil progress and intervention, e.g. continuous provision resources and external support, ensuring value for money in EYFS and also to aid smooth transitions for pupils from pre-school, inter-schools, and into year one.
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Equal Opportunities

Children will be encouraged to develop a positive attitude towards people of different ethnic groups, cultures, beliefs, gender and ability. We are an inclusive school and all areas of the curriculum will be available irrespective of race, gender, gender orientation, ability, ethnicity and social circumstance.

SEN

Work will be differentiated to meet the needs of all pupils and pupils with Special Educational Needs may be given support from other adults/agencies. Support will be identified on Individual Pupil Profiles and Targeted Learning Plans.

More information can be gathered by following the links below.

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