Welcome to our Early Years Foundation Stage – Little Acorns

Intent 

In our Early Years Foundation Stage at North Scarle Primary School, we are committed to giving our children the best possible start to school life. We strongly believe that every child can and should succeed. Our unique curriculum grows from the child to their community, and then the wider world. By building strong, supportive relationships with the children and providing a safe, nurturing and exciting learning environment, we enable the children to flourish and achieve their potential.

Implementation 

Our enabling indoor and outdoor environment and warm, skilful adult interactions support children as they link learning to their play and exploration. Children learn through carefully planned, developmentally-appropriate, play-based activities with opportunities to explore and follow their own interests. Alongside child-initiated learning, we carry out topic based, adult-guided tasks. In addition to this, each day we have guided Read Write Inc phonics and Mastering Number maths lessons and Drawing Club. 

Our curriculum is carefully planned in a cross-curricular way, to enable all aspects of development across the seven areas of learning:

• Personal, Social and Emotional Development
• Communication and Language
• Physical Development
• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding the World
• Expressive Arts and Design

We use the DFE Development Matters document to help us plan and design our effective Early Years curriculum.

‘Play is essential for children’s development, building their confidence as they learn to explore, relate to others, set their own goals and solve problems. Children learn by leading their own play, and by taking part in play which is guided by adults.’ - EYFS Statutory framework. 

Impact

Children will have a Good Level of Development and reach the Early Learning Goals. Children will develop their Characteristics of Effective Learning and apply these to a range of situations, making links and explaining their understanding. Children will be confident to take risks and discuss their successes and failures, drawing on their experiences to become resilient learners. Children will become happy, well-rounded individuals and members of our school community. Children will have a love of learning and a natural curiosity about the world around them.

Characteristics of Effective Learning:

• Playing and exploring – children investigate and experience things, and ‘have a go’
• Active learning – children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties, and enjoy achievements
• Creating and thinking critically – children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things.