Early Years

The EYFS Curriculum

The aim of our curriculum is to build strong foundations so that our pupils can go on to excel at secondary school and become happy and curious lifelong learners. The children in our Nursery and Reception classes follow the revised Early Years Foundation Stage Framework. This lays a secure foundation for future learning that is planned around the individual needs and interests of the child.

Our curriculum is based on the three Prime Areas of learning and development as cited in the framework: Communication and Language, Physical Development and Personal, Social and Emotional Development.

These prime areas are particularly crucial for igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning and for building their capacity to learn, form relationships and thrive. There are then a further four Specific Areas; Literacy, Mathematics, Understanding the World and Expressive Arts and design, through which the three Prime Areas are strengthened and applied.

Our children have access to a stimulating and challenging environment that has a strong emphasis on learning through play and first hand experiences. Our planning is based on the principle that children learn most effectively when they are interested and motivated by the activities they engage with. At Ashleigh, we recognise that children have their own learning styles and that they learn and develop in different ways.  Our children learn by playing, exploring, being active, and through creative and critical thinking which takes place both indoors and outdoors.

Our skilled and experienced staff members plan an effective balance of child initiated and adult led learning opportunities; this ensures developmentally appropriate differentiation and challenge. Interactions are planned to ensure that skills, knowledge and vocabulary are taught progressively and in a meaningful and purposeful way. Links are made to previous learning and the world in which we live in and no opportunity is missed to take learning further.

Throughout the Foundation Stage the children are monitored using the Early Years Outcomes. A record is kept of each child’s development which is shared with parents through Tapestry, an app we use across our Trust. Parents can contribute to these observations by recording moments they have with their child, also on the Tapestry app.

Learning to read through phonics is a key part of the Early Years curriculum; you can find out more about our approach here.

Please click on the links below to view our yearly overviews which illustrate the skills and knowledge taught over our two year rolling programme.