Our Intent, Implementation and Impact for Early Years Foundation Stage

The Early Years Foundation Stage is the period of education from birth to 5 years. In our Foundation Stage we have provision for children aged 3 – 5 years. We have our Nursery, known as the Robins and three Reception Classes, the Kingfishers, the Owls and the Woodpeckers.

Intent - this is what we want our children to learn - our vision for them as learners

At Wolsey House Primary School, it is our aim to ensure that every child in our Foundation Stage receives the early years provision that they deserve and the best possible start to their education. We aim to create a learning environment where all children feel safe and confident so they can explore, play and learn.

We aim to develop positive relationships which support, enhance and stimulate a child’s curiosity, confidence and individual competency to flourish regardless of backgrounds, circumstances or needs. We aim to work in partnership with parents and carers to encourage resilient, independent, enthusiastic learners who thrive and reach their full potential from their various starting points.

We believe that children’s early learning experiences deeply affect their future. Therefore, it is our ultimate aim to ensure that their early years in our school are positive, memorable, exciting, ambitious and engaging. We aim to provide motivating first-hand learning experiences whilst encouraging our children to build resilience, ambition and a positive attitude to learning.  

We advocate a play based approach to learning, with a balance of child-initiated and adult-led learning. We provide our children with a curriculum that is designed to be flexible, engaging and exciting so that their unique needs, passions and interests are embraced. Our curriculum is designed to recognise children’s prior learning from previous settings and their experiences at home and use this as a starting point for their learning. We strive to create an indoor and outdoor learning environment which encourages curiosity and self-exploration whilst also supporting learning. We aim to ensure that all children develop the vital skills that they need to achieve and to succeed in life. We want our children to be effective, independent learners with inquisitive minds who make progress in all areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

At Wolsey House Primary School, every child is recognised as a unique individual and we celebrate and welcome differences within our school community. The ability to learn is underpinned by the teaching of basic skills, knowledge, concepts and values. We believe that a child’s first experiences of school should be happy and positive, enabling us them to develop a lifelong love of learning.

Implementation - this is how we teach our children

At Wolsey House Primary School, our curriculum follows the Early Years Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage, which was updated 2021. This document specifies the requirements for learning and development in the EYFS and provides the prime and specific areas of learning we must cover in our curriculum.

The learning experiences within our Early Years are linked to the seven areas of learning and development outlined in the framework. These areas are split into three prime areas and four specific areas. The three prime areas are those which the children should develop first and are considered most essential for the healthy development and future learning of our children. These include:

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

As children grow and make progress in the prime areas, this will help them to naturally develop skills within the four specific areas. These are:

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

Children in EYFS benefit from meaningful learning across the curriculum and staff plan experiences and opportunities for communication, sustained shared thinking and physical challenge to build on existing skills, which takes place both indoors and outside. These activities and experiences take into account the Characteristics of Effective Learning to ensure that purposeful learning takes place. These characteristics are:

• 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

The Early Years Statutory Framework and Development Matters underpins our curriculum and planning. Our curriculum and planning covers the seven areas of learning and development, to ensure a broad, balanced and progressive learning environment and curriculum. We have an appropriate balance between adult led, which includes whole class, small group and 1:1 activities and child-initiated activities. This balance of activities ensures that every child learns and leaves with appropriate skills to succeed in Key Stage One.

Within our EYFS, we regularly assess where the children are, through accurate and detailed observations. These provide us with information for immediate and future planning, not only for our individual classes but also for individual children’s next steps in their learning. Observations enable us to ensure learning is embedded and consistent and that all children continue to make progress within our EYFS. Our ongoing assessments ensure our planning, adult interaction and learning environment; including continuous provision, support children to reach their next steps. We will include interventions for groups or individuals if and when necessary. 

Tapestry is used to build online learning journeys to celebrate the children’s learning and progress over time. Evidence of learning is also recorded with Nursery and Reception “Big Books” which document the childrens learning experiences over the academic year.

We provide regular opportunities for parents and carers to come into school and work with their child, share their work and celebrate successes. We keep parents informed and we meet regularly with them to ensure children’s transition into school and through the EYFS is happy and allows them to reach their potential with the support needed. These opportunities include; information evenings for new parents, transition days, nursery or home visits, stay and play sessions, parent workshops, family days, special events such as “Wolsey House Christmas by Night” and our “Easter Eggstravaganza”, Nursery teddy bears picnic, Tapestry learning journey, achievement certificates, reports and parent consultations as well as more frequent informal communication to suit individual families.

Our Foundation Stage team work tirelessly to ensure that children are surrounded by a kind, caring and happy environment which helps them develop the same skills in their journey through school. It is a positive place to be where resilience, perseverance and successes are celebrated and every child feels valued and respected.

Impact - this is what they have learnt - the knowledge and skills developed through our Curriculum

Our children have varied and diverse starting points. Therefore, we have high expectations to ensure that all children make ‘good progress’ across all of the areas of the EYFS curriculum. Progress is evident in their Tapestry learning journey, busy books and from data collected throughout the year. We measure progress and children’s learning across the year through formative and summative assessment which are based on the teacher’s knowledge of the child, their learning journeys, photographs and videos on Tapestry. We strive for children to reach the Early Learning Goals at the end of Reception and to be at least in line with National Expectations.

The impact of our curriculum is also measured by how effectively it helps our pupils develop into well rounded individuals who embody our school values and carry with them the knowledge, skills and attitudes which will make them lifelong learners and valuable future citizens. We endeavour for pupils to be Key Stage One ready and have our school values embedded by the time they leave Reception, preparing them for their future. Their individuality is valued and the unique child has every opportunity to achieve and excel, based upon their own personal strengths, interest and core values whilst learning in EYFS, and in the future.

By the end of the Foundation Stage we aim for children to:

• Have good communication skills, both written and verbal. Our children also listen respectfully and with tolerance to the views of others,
• Take pride in all that they do, always striving to do their best,
• Demonstrate emotional resilience and the ability to persevere when they encounter challenge,
• Develop a sense of self-awareness and become confident in their own abilities,
• Be kind, respectful and honest, demonstrating inclusive attitudes and have a sense of their role in our wider society.