About the EYFS

Our vision is for all pupils to receive quality early years education. Through a creative, inclusive and engaging curriculum, we aim to provide all children with the skills and motivation to become lifelong learners.

The EYFS at Pipworth Primary School, consists of a Nursery Class and two Reception class. The nursery class can offers places for children either receiving the universal 15 hour funding or up to 30 hours for working parents who are entitled to additional funding.

Our Team is made up of highly trained Early Years practitioners and teachers. We have dedicated intervention specialists who support children with the skills and knowledge they need to meet developmental milestones.

Our main priority in the EYFS is speaking and listening skills. We support children using a range of tailored interventions, visuals and signing so they can communicate with peers and adults.

Pipworth Community Primary School understands that children develop rapidly during the early years – physically, intellectually, emotionally and socially and we therefore plan a provision that extends their knowledge, skills, understanding and confidence. We plan an exciting curriculum that ensures that the early years’ experience builds on what children already know and can do, which encourages a positive attitude and disposition to learning.

 Our EYFS classrooms have designated outside learning areas. The outdoor areas include: outdoor kitchens, water/sand world, story/writing/ reading den and a role play area, maths area & large construction space. Outdoor play is highly valued and activities outside compliment and reflects indoor provision.

The Early Years Foundation Stage

The EYFS is based on four guiding principles:

• A Unique Child
• Positive Relationships
• Enabling Environments
• Learning and Development

Enabling Environments

The environment plays a vital role in supporting and extending the children’s development. We aim to create an attractive, welcoming and stimulating learning environment, which will encourage children to explore, investigate and learn through first-hand experience.  We also aim to make it a place where children feel secure and confident and are challenged to develop their independence. Activities are planned for both the inside and outside environment.  Children have the freedom to move between the indoor and outdoor classroom during child-initiated learning time.

Children have access to a wide range of equipment including construction materials, role play equipment, small world, sand and water equipment, art materials, musical instruments, ICT equipment, mark making materials, counting equipment, books, larger outdoor equipment and specialist PE equipment. All areas are carefully planned to reflect learning needs, the theme and children’s interests.

Learning and Development

Effective learning and development is supported through:

• the partnership between staff and parents that helps our children feel secure at school and to develop a sense of well-being and achievement;
• the understanding that staff have knowledge of how children develop and learn and how this must be reflected in their teaching;
• the range of approaches that provide first hand experiences, give clear explanations, make appropriate interventions, and extend and develop the children’s play, talk and other means of communication;
• the carefully planned curriculum that help children achieve the Early Learning Goals by the end of EYFS;
• the provision for children to take part in activities that build on and extend their interests and develop their intellectual, physical, social and emotional abilities;
• the encouragement for children to communicate and talk about their learning, and to develop independence and self-management;

Play and Exploration

We support children’s play and learning through planned play activities, through observation of child initiated or adult led play activities and then provide the most effective learning opportunities. Adults support their learning through play, carefully intervening when appropriate, getting involved with the play and modelling by example to extend the play. EYFS staff have knowledge of initiatives such as ‘sustained shared thinking’, Communication Friendly Spaces and ‘learning through play’.

Areas of Learning and Development

The EYFS is made up of seven inter-connected areas of learning and development. The three prime areas crucial for building foundations are:

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

These are strengthened and applied via the four specific areas:

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

These 7 areas provide a framework for the EYFS curriculum. All areas are delivered through a balance of adult led and child initiated activities and through our provision we attempt to provide activities which cover a range of learning areas and offer the opportunity for deep play experiences.

The revised EYFS curriculum also places high emphasis on the importance of practitioners recognising and understanding the ways in which young children learn in order to support them as effective learners. These characteristics of effective learning are an integral part of the three prime and four specific areas of learning and describe the skills, attitudes and approaches to learning which can be nurtured in the EYFS.

The characteristics of effective learning are:

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