Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

At St Barts, we offer a curriculum that is rich in wonder. We work hard to provide a stimulating environment that provides exciting opportunities, promotes challenge, exploration, adventure, and a real love of learning. We aim for our children to be confident and independent and to believe in themselves, developing the ability to interact positively with others. We seek to provide quality and consistency so that every child in our care makes good progress and no child gets left behind.

Warm and positive relationships between staff and children, consistent routines and strong relationships with parents are key. We recognise the crucial role that early year’s education must play in providing firm foundations upon which the rest of a child’s educational journey is successfully based. Our belief is this is most effective through learning and development opportunities based around the needs and interests of each individual child.

Intent

We provide high-quality EYFS education, giving children a secure and confident start to their school life, underpinned by our Christian Cultures driven by our Christian Vision: Believe. Belong. Become (Romans, 12:4-6) These are at the heart of everything we done. We are committed to nurturing a lifelong love of learning alongside the aims of the EYFS statutory framework. We strive for high standards, consider the development of the whole child, and seek to foster resilience and independence. We aim to provide the essential knowledge that children need to prepare them for their future success and to give them the best possible start to their early education. We recognise that each child is unique; constantly learning that they can be capable, confident, and self-assured.

The EYFS curriculum encompasses our Christian Cultures:

• Fall down seven times, stand up eight
• Ooomph!
• Diversity is the one thing we all have in common
• If you see someone without a smile today, let them borrow yours
• Manners open doors
• Telling the truth even if your voice shakes because nothing you confess will make me love you less

We carefully plan our EYFS curriculum to meet the following aims:

• Foster a love of learning which inspires curiosity.
• Provide experiences of awe and wonder.
• Ensure all children have access to high quality learning opportunities.
• Provide parents/carers with the opportunity to develop their child’s learning at home.
• Develop knowledge and understanding of the community and wider world.

Implementation

At St Bartholomew's EYFS we believe that engagement is the key to learning. Happy, excited children who enjoy what they are doing learn well. Our careful and proactive planning is extremely thorough and involves the children's ideas and responds to their individual interests. We offer a spacious, vibrant unit with a high-quality team of expert staff and excellent resources. We are incredibly proud of our outdoor environment which includes a garden, and several purpose build outdoor learning facilities which enhance our teaching and learning.

There are three prime areas of learning in the early years framework:

• Personal, social, and emotional development
• Physical development
• Communication and language

There are also four specific areas of learning:

• English
• Mathematics
• Understanding the World
• Expressive arts and design

We focus particularly strongly on these areas in our pre-school year to build a sound basis for learning in EYFS. This is implemented through:

• Quality first teaching across all areas of the curriculum.
• Stimulating learning environments indoors and outdoors.
• Well planned and organised continuous provision which allows children to learn through play.
• A carefully planned balance of adult-led and child-initiated learning opportunities.
• Strong parental partnerships which empower parents to support their child’s learning at home.
• Systematic approaches to teaching reading, to ensure all children learn to read.
• High quality phonics teaching is started as soon as children begin reception.
• Opportunities for children and families to develop a love of reading.
• Planned opportunities for outdoor learning through ‘Forest Schools’ and in the outdoor classroom.
• We promote a love of learning through real life experiences and opportunities to build on prior learning.
• Encourage a healthy lifestyle through regular PE teaching; promotion of healthy eating; skills-based cookery sessions; daily self-service snack time.
• Teach independence and risk-management through the Protective Behaviours programme.

Impact

The impact of our EYFS curriculum, practices and pedagogy are reflected by:

• High levels of engagement and motivation demonstrated from children which supports them to become lifelong learners.
• Confident and capable readers who demonstrate a love of reading.
• Evidence of strong links with parents.
• Children who demonstrate the characteristics of effective learning and are well prepared for the next stage in their learning.
• Children who feel happy and safe and enjoy coming to school.
• All children who access a balanced and challenging curriculum regardless of their background, needs or abilities.
• Children who make strong progress from their starting points and are offered a broad curriculum which meets each child’s unique needs. 
• Adults who support children and who are well trained and passionate about providing the best education for every child.