Curriculum Intent and Learning Journey from F1 - F2

The Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum

Intent

At Manor Park Infant and Nursery School we believe play underpins all development and learning for young children. We aim to work collaboratively with parents and carers to encourage independent, enthusiastic learners who thrive and reach their full potential. It is our intent that children who enter the EYFS begin their life-long learning by developing physically, verbally, intellectually, creatively, socially and emotionally. Learning Together, Success Forever.

To ensure that all children make outstanding progress, it is our intent that we take into account each child’s starting points and their needs as they begin their learning journey. Through a highly thought-out curriculum which encompasses our core values of Respect, Kind, Ready, Safe, High Expectations.

Implementation

At Manor Park Infant and Nursery School we follow the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework. This is made up of four overriding principles which our early years curriculum is based on.

Our nursery provision is based on the Early Years Foundation Stage, which sets the standards for learning, development and care for children from birth to five. It stresses the importance of providing well-planned experiences based on children’s spontaneous play, both indoors and outdoors.

Unique Child – Every child is unique who is constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured.
Positive Relationships – Children learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships.
Enabling Environment – Children learn and develop well in enabling environments, in which their experiences respond to their individual needs and there is a strong partnership between practitioners, parents and carers.
Learning and Development – Children develop and learn in different ways. The framework covers the education and care of all children in early years provision, including children with special educational needs and disabilities.

Learning is organised so that the curriculum is delivered through a balance of adult-directed and uninterrupted child-initiated learning which ensures the best outcomes for children.

Quality first teaching led by the educators across all areas of the curriculum. The educator-led activities are planned to teach, revisit, and deepen the learning of new skills and knowledge, across all seven areas of learning. The children are then more likely to retain information in their long-term memory. Children are also able to make links with the different areas of learning and life. We aim for our children to ‘know more, do more and remember more’.
Child-initiated learning is carefully planned and organised continuous and enhanced provision, which enables children to demonstrate the characteristics of effective learning both indoors and outside. We recognise that children have a thirst for new experiences and knowledge, as such they are provided with opportunities to engage their inquisitive minds. Child initiated learning encourages children to develop their learning independently, through discovery, exploration, curiosity, and challenge. We understand that play is an integral part of learning. Play is fundamental to learning, and helps children understand themselves and the world around them.

The learning experiences within our Early Years are linked to the seven areas of learning and development. These areas are split into three prime areas and four specific areas. The three prime areas are considered the most essential and are the first steps towards the healthy development and future learning of our children. These include:

Communication and language development involve giving children opportunities to experience a rich language environment; to develop their confidence and skills in expressing themselves; and to speak and listen in a range of situations.
Physical development involves providing opportunities for young children to be active and interactive, and to develop their co-ordination, control, and movement. Children must also be helped to understand the importance of physical activity, and to make healthy choices in relation to food.
Personal, social and emotional development involves helping children to develop a positive sense of themselves and others; to form positive relationships and develop respect for others; to develop social skills and learn how to manage their feelings; to understand appropriate behaviour in groups; and to have confidence in their own abilities.

As children grow and make progress in the prime areas, this will enable them to naturally develop skills within the four specific areas. These are:

Literacy development involves encouraging children to link sounds and letters and to begin to read and write. Children must be given access to a wide range of reading materials (books, poems, and other written materials) to ignite their interest.
Mathematics involves providing children with opportunities to develop and improve their skills in counting, understanding and using numbers, calculating simple addition and subtraction problems; and to describe shapes, spaces, and measures.
Understanding the world involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community through opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places, technology and the environment.
Expressive arts and design involve enabling children to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials, as well as providing opportunities and encouragement for sharing their thoughts, ideas and feelings through a variety of activities in art, music, movement, dance, role-play, and design and technology.

The curriculum is planned through a series of topics that reflect and respond to the children’s interests, offering experiences in all areas of the curriculum and which carry equal importance to provide a broad and balanced curriculum with opportunities for play and child-initiated activities.

We recognise and support the unique differences in children and develop their self-confidence by building on what they can do. We also encourage children to become decision makers and problem solvers who can plan, carry out their chosen activities and later reflect on their play. Children are encouraged to play individually and in cooperation with other children and adults.

Impact

Our curriculum and its delivery ensure that children, from their own starting points, make good progress. Children in our Early Years, on average, arrive with much lower starting points than national figures. During their time with us, children make rapid progress towards the national expectation for a good level of development at the end of their time in Reception. Children develop their characteristics of learning and are able to apply this to a range of situations, making links and explaining their ideas and understanding.

Children are confident to take risks and discuss their successes and areas for development ‘even better if’s’ with educators, drawing on their experiences to improve or adjust what they are doing. We use a variety of documentation tools across the EYFS, which capture the children’s learning journey and progress. Summative assessments are made three times per year and formative assessments are an integral part of our planning process. Regular moderation with the EYFS team, whole class team and cluster EYFS practitioners ensure we are confident with our overall judgements.

Observations via Tapestry are used to support these judgements and parents are informed through parental meetings at least 3 times per year and when interventions are deemed necessary to support the individual child.

Children will be actively engaged in learning, and their enjoyment of this learning will be apparent to all, as they demonstrate resilience, independence and have confidence in their abilities. Our assessment judgements have been moderated both in school and externally with local schools. We also take part in local authority moderation, which has validated our school judgements.

Through our effective ‘smooth transition’ programme, we endeavour for our children to be ‘Reception Ready’ learners and ‘Year One Ready’ learners, with positive attitudes to learning, who are ready to embrace the next stage of their learning journey, and all that the curriculum offers. We believe our high standards are due to our carefully planned environment, enriched enquiry-based curriculum, and quality-first teaching. We consistently receive positive feedback from parents and external evaluators, including LA advisors.

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