Early Years -

Curriculum intent, implementation & impact

Intent

Our intent is to provide a rich, inclusive and stimulating learning and teaching curriculum, within an environment that allows children to fully develop their learning.  
Our intention is to support, nurture, encourage and teach our children to be: 

Resilient:  Be a happy, engaged and resilient learner - who has a love of learning and a growth mindset 

Problem solvers:  Be a confident learner, knowing that I can do things for myself and also where and when to ask for help too. 

Effective and confident communicators:  Be able to express myself effectively using verbalisation (English or home lang) /signs/ gestures or visuals and develop this with effective support to ensure I build clarity and extend the vocabulary I understand and can use.

Kind:  Have a strong sense of belonging and secure relationships. Begin to learn about those around me, understanding that everyone is special in their own unique way.  Co-regulate and work towards self-regulation and being able to successfully interact with those around me.

Curious:  Notice and be curious about everything around me, making connections, noticing similarities and differences, recalling previous experiences and showing imagination and creativity. 

Courageous: Be confident and secure with making a wide range of choices in their learning and be able to take risks to further extend their learning.

We fully acknowledge the requirements for promoting the learning and development of children as set out in the EYFS statutory framework.

We intend for our children to make significant progress from their starting points, with those with SEND needs or from disadvantaged groups to make the most progress.

We intend for children to reach a good level of development by the end of their reception year.

Implementation

Staff have very big hearts at Blaise. We adore our children and want the very best for them.

Transition is an ongoing process and starts very early. Staff are dedicated to meeting and learning about their new children and families as early as possible. Finding out about each child’s uniqueness is key.

We make strong relationships with children, ensuring that we spend as much time as possible alongside them in their play and we make strong relationships with families, moving from home visits to talking informally each day and setting up regular meetings through the year.

We are mindful that some children arrive in our EYFS with varied experiences; we value and nurture each child’s existing cultural capital and ensure that we plan exciting experiences through the seven areas of learning we plan.

Equity is important to us, and we have a ‘focus child’ approach. The biggest resource we have is ourselves and we therefore ensure that we spend the most amount of time supporting the learning of the children who need us the most. We discuss the needs of all learners but prioritise time as a team to reflect on the journeys of focus children.

Planning of our curriculum is initially linked to progression documents and overviews such as Birth to Five. However, planning weekly, daily and in the moment is much for meaningful as we consider the needs of the wider group and individuals, providing new activities and provocations linked to needs and interests. Our curriculum offer is cross curricular as all areas of learning are interconnected to support the most learning. We think carefully about our offer across the play continuum and prioritise play, especially when it is supported by responsive adults and quality interactions. Group times are very concise and inclusive with plenty of visuals and opportunity for whole group joining in rather than turn taking.

We constantly notice and reflect upon learning daily and respond to summative assessment too. We use Wellcomm to enhance our communication and language offer.

Impact

Our children are confident and enthusiastic learners. They are good communicators and are great problem solvers who show courage, resilience, curiosity and kindness. They have a strong foundational learning to build upon. (Linking strongly with the characteristics of effective learning including Bristol’s emotional and well-being strand).

Children reach their full potential – communicatively, cognitively, emotionally, creatively, socially and physically. Through the implementation of our curriculum, children’s knowledge, understanding and skills will be secured and embedded so that they will attain highly and are fully prepared for their continuing learning journey.

Resilient:  I am a happy, engaged and resilient learner - who has a love of learning and a growth mindset 

Problem solver:  I am a confident learner, knowing that I can do things for myself and also where and when to ask for help too. 

Effective and confident communicator:  I can express myself effectively using verbalisation (English or home language) /signs/ gestures or visuals and develop this with effective support to ensure I build clarity and extend the vocabulary I understand and can use.

Kind:  I have a strong sense of belonging and secure relationships. Begin to learn about those around me, understanding that everyone is special in their own unique way.  Co-regulate and work towards self-regulation and being able to successfully interact with those around me.

Curiosity:  I notice and am curious about everything around me, making connections, noticing similarities and differences, recalling previous experiences and showing imagination and creativity. 

Courage: I am confident and secure with making a wide range of choices in their learning and be able to take risks to further extend their learning.

Our children make significant progress from their starting points. Children with SEND, EAL and from disadvantaged groups make accelerated progress.

Children reach a good level of development by the end of their reception year. 

We do not stop caring when they leave Reception…transition is strong across the school and we work very closely to support their journey into Key Stage 1.