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EYFS Curriculum
At Holy Rood Catholic Primary School, we follow the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum. It is called the Foundation Stage as it gives a solid ‘foundation’ from which to build upon your child’s learning. We believe in providing a secure foundation for future learning and development for each and every child, taking their starting point into consideration. We continuously encourage and nurture children to be independent, curious, creative and resilient learners who show respect for each other, their communities and the environment which God created for us.
Our aim is to make every child’s learning experience exciting and enjoyable by delivering a creative and stimulating curriculum, based on the skills and outcomes highlighted in the Early Years Framework. Wherever possible, learning will be linked to the interests of the children as well as providing insights and experiences of the wider world around them. Further to this, our teaching and learning approach aims to develop children’s communication skills, ensuring that they know how to appropriately express themselves, share their opinion and feel heard.
We recognise the importance of not only building a strong foundation of learning, but also strong foundations of positive relationships between the child, their family and the school. Through this, we aim to ensure that pupils feel valued as an individual created by God, are empowered to meet their own needs and enjoy their learning experience whilst achieving the Early Years Learning Goals (ELGs).
The Seven Areas of Learning in the Early Years
Both Nursery and Reception follow the Early Years Curriculum which is split into seven areas of learning.
There are 3 prime areas of learning. Three areas are particularly important for building a foundation for igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, forming relationships and thriving. These prime areas are:
- Personal, social and emotional development (which is all about getting along with others, sharing and taking turns)
- Communication and Language (speaking and listening)
- Physical development (this includes pencil control)
Children are also supported in four Specific Areas, through which the three Prime Areas are strengthened and applied. The Specific Areas are:
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Understanding the World
- Expressive Arts and Design
We teach these areas through a balance of adult-led activities and child- initiated learning (CIL). This ensures appropriate differentiation and challenge for all children. During CIL, children have access to a variety of areas both within the classroom and in the outdoor area to support their learning and develop their curiosity. These areas are enhanced with ‘Can you ..?’ questions to further challenge and stretch children’s learning. In addition, children are able to select from a range of free-access resources to enable them to relate their learning to their own interests.
Phonics in the Early Years
In EYFS, the children are introduced to phonics through the Letters and Sounds programme. This is supplemented by teacher’s own assessments of their class and, for some children, with a smaller group intervention programme. Phonics is also taught discreetly through Nursery rhymes, singing and stories.
30 Hour places in Nursery
Nursery places are offered on a 15 hour basis. There are a limited number of 30 hour places available depending on eligibility.
For further information on 30 hours childcare please go to www.childcarechoices.gov.uk.
