The Early Years Foundation Stage is a crucial development phase in a child’s learning and development and lays the foundations for all future learning. It is therefore important that the learning opportunities, environment and pedagogy we offer aligns with the statutory framework but also reflects the community in which our children live and the needs and starting points of all of our children.
In order to achieve these aspirations, we have designed an age appropriate curriculum which focusses on the essential knowledge that children need at specific stages within their early years journey. We believe this will fully prepare our children for their next phase in their education.
Essential knowledge is continually assessed by all adults who know the children and this informs the more formal assessment check points which can be completed up to seven times across the Early Years Foundation Stage. The information provided from these assessments is used to narrow potential gaps and assess the impact of the curriculum. If children are not on track then teachers will use Development Matters to identify why and what is needed to get them back on track.
Our Pedagogy aims to provide a stimulating and engaging environment that supports all of our children to:
- Have the opportunity to thrive
- Know more and remember more
- Build resilience and self-regulation
- Develop executive functioning skills
- Reduce cognitive load
We achieve this through working with parents, providing a learning environment that matches children’s needs and interests and by modelling and engaging in quality interactions with the children. We also value the importance of the child’s voice and their interests.
Across the federation we work as a team to provide an inclusive, nurturing approach to developing resilient learners. Staff gain an in-depth knowledge of every child and support them on their learning journey.
