INTENT

At Katesgrove Nursery we recognise the fundamental role a child’s early years has in shaping the person and learner they become. Our EYFS curriculum is designed to lay strong foundations so that the children develop the characteristics of an effective learner as well as having the knowledge and skills to be ready for the next stage in their learning. We provide pupils with a safe and stimulating environment that will allow them to thrive. We aim to develop curiosity and nurture children into becoming independent and resilient learners.

IMPLEMENTATION

Children build knowledge and skills through a carefully balanced provision of both adult directed and child initiated activities.

Crucially important to the delivery of the curriculum is the ability for children to deepen, widen, revisit and remember their experiences and maximise the breadth of their learning opportunities. This is implemented and achieved through the carefully planned environment, allowing children to explore through independent learning. 

IMPACT

All children will leave Nursery with a developing sense of self and an understanding of being part of a team. They will have developed a love of learning and perseverance in the event of challenge, which can be observed by focusing on their levels of engagement, commitment and resilience. Progress of all children is monitored carefully across all the areas of learning and steps are taken to fill any gaps in knowledge and skills swiftly and precisely. Development of the whole child is the impact of our carefully planned curriculum.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

A UNIQUE CHILD - Observing how children are engaging with their learning informs our next steps in teaching and identifies their specific individual needs in order to provide them with the environment and experiences to nurture their development, resilience and confidence.

POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS – Through building positive relationships children learn to be brave and independent.  All adults model the skills, behaviours, attitudes and language needed to make and maintain respectful relationships. Children feel safe and happy, they flourish in a calm and kind environment where there are high expectations for behaviour and clear communication skills are employed.

ENABLING ENVIRONMENTS - A carefully planned environment allows to children to experience exciting, engaging and rich learning opportunities. Children are able to work through relevant and progressive learning opportunities using independent exploration both indoors and outside.

COMMUNICATION LANGUAGE AND READING - Reading is at the heart of the EYFS curriculum. Children listen to, read and talk about a wide range of quality books and rhymes. Through these planned activities children practice using their listening and communication skills and join in with repeated phrases, rhymes, acquiring new vocabulary whilst building on their existing knowledge of the world around them

THE CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE LEARNING

In EYFS we refer to the Characteristics of Effective Learning. Understanding the importance of these and the ways that children display learning behaviours is central to our observation of children and key to ensuring that all children make progress throughout all the areas of learning.

The Characteristics of Effective Learning are:

• Playing and exploring – engagement Finding out and exploring Playing with what they know Being willing to “have a go”                                   
• Active learning – motivation Being involved and concentrating Keeping trying Enjoying achieving what they set out to do
• Creating and thinking critically- thinking, Having their own ideas, Making links and Choosing ways to do things

Our curriculum is comprised of the Prime Areas and the Specific Areas of learning. The Prime areas and Specific areas are intrinsically interconnected.

The Prime areas are entirely fundamental and they are:

• Communication and Language
• Personal, Social and Emotional Development
• Physical Development

The Specific areas build on the key knowledge and skills of the Prime Areas of learning.

The Specific areas are:

• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding the World
• Expressive Arts and Design

RETRIEVAL PRACTICE

Remembering, revisiting and applying our knowledge and skills is key to how children move progressively in their learning and development.

In Nursery we practice our early reading skills daily using daily stories, rhymes and poems. We carefully select quality, core texts and additional stories, rhymes, non-fiction texts and poems to teach new and exciting vocabulary providing challenge and extension whilst also allowing continuous opportunities to repeat and revisit language and vocabulary that is familiar to them.

The Curriculum is carefully sequenced so that prior knowledge is remembered and applied and new learning can be added and consolidated.

We practice our mathematical skills daily through direct teaching and child led activities. Number is linked to shape and to pattern. Learning is sequenced so that children become confident with number recognition, corresponding shape and the entire story of each number. We progress through numbers from 1-5 initially.

MONITORING PROGRESS

On entry to Nursery at Katesgrove Primary school, reliable and specific ‘on entry’ data is collected from all children to gain an understanding of each child and their next steps.

We use Tapestry (a digital learning journal) to record each child’s achievements and development. This is shared with their families and carers. These events are captured in the form of observations that are linked to the areas of learning and development and the characteristics of effective learning. ‘Wow’ moments are recorded on Tapestry to demonstrate learning and progress.

Target Tracker is used to log each child’s achievements and our curriculum plan and intent is used to inform each child’s next steps in learning.

STATUTORY AND NON-STATUTORY GUIDANCE FOR STAFF

Statutory Framework for EYFS                                                                       

Development Matters