The Early Years Foundation Stage Framework 2023 sets out the standards for learning, development and care for children in the Foundation stage.

 

Intent

At Broadmeadow we understand that every child is unique and it is our aim to provide them with the skills, knowledge and understanding they need to prepare them for the challenges beyond. Our intent in the EYFS is to build strong foundations and resilience, so that our children can grow to become happy, independent, life-long learners and successful members of society. We value working in partnership with parents and carers to ensure that the children in our EYFS achieve their very best from their various starting points.

It is our intent that every child develops a sense of belonging to our school community and that our values of respect, aiming high, community and being kind are at the heart of all our teaching and learning. We aim to develop positive relationships with all children in our care so that they feel safe, secure and ready to learn.

Our enabling environments and warm, skilful adult interactions support the children as they begin to link learning to their play and exploration right from the start. We believe that high level engagement ensures high level attainment. We therefore provide an engaging curriculum that maximises opportunities for meaningful cross-curricular links and learning experiences, as well as offering extended periods of play and sustained thinking.

We intend that our EYFS staff have a good knowledge of how our curriculum feeds into the Key Stage One curriculum and how the EYFS curriculum prepares the children and lays the foundations for Key Stage One learning. By the end of the Reception year, our intent is to ensure that all children make at least good progress from their starting points and are equipped with the skills and knowledge to have a smooth transition into Year one.

Implementation

Our curriculum and learning experiences are designed to provide children with the broad range of knowledge, vocabulary and skills that build firm foundations and connections that are needed for future learning.

Our curriculum delivers learning across the seven areas of learning. Three Prime Areas; Communication and Language, Physical Development and Personal, Social and Emotional Development and four specific areas; Literacy, Mathematics, Understanding the World and Expressive Arts and Design. Our curriculum is characterised by milestones based on the non-statutory curriculum guidance ‘Development Matters.’ This ensures that the coverage, breadth and depth of learning is present for all children at Broadmeadow. We ensure that skills and knowledge are carefully sequenced from Nursery and through Reception to enable the children to achieve the Statutory Early Learning Goals at the end of their Reception year.

Each half term, EYFS staff introduce a new theme to provide inspiration for learning, whilst providing the flexibility for children to follow their own interests and ideas. We equally value learning opportunities both indoors and outdoors. These stimulating learning environments are filled with a rich array of open-ended and easily accessible resources where children will learn through a balance of both adult-directed and child-initiated activities.

The characteristics of effective learning: playing and exploring, active thinking and creating and thinking critically are embedded throughout our continuous provision. Our skilled EYFS staff carefully plan learning opportunities to ensure that children develop and apply their newly acquired skills by encouraging children to play and explore, to investigate and experience things, to problem solve and to develop and link their own ideas.

Our timetables are carefully structured and change throughout the year to take account of the changing needs of the children as they develop. Our inclusive approach and quality first teaching means that all children learn together, but we have a range of additional intervention and support for children who may not be reaching their potential, or are showing a greater depth of understanding and need further challenge.

Regular monitoring of teaching and learning by SLT and the EYFS leader ensure staff develop

good subject. The EYFS leader ensures staff receive CPD specific to Early Years to develop their practice and pedagogy. 

Impact

Children in our early years arrive on average with much lower starting points; many are working below age related expectations when they join us.  During their time in our EYFS, children make very good progress and the majority meet the national expectation for GLD at the end of the Reception year. All children get the best possible start to their school life at Broadmeadow. 

Click on the link below for further information about expectations for EYFS pupils.