Early Years

At Wreay C of E Primary School we strive for all children to succeed and become confident and independent learners, building on prior learning and starting points as well as their experiences at home. Working together in close partnerships with parents and carers throughout their time in our Early Years Foundation Stage class, we aim to provide the best possible start to their learning journey. We aim to create a positive, safe and nurturing environment where all children feel valued and respected as individuals. We believe strongly in the importance of relationships and place great value on communication between our staff, parents/carers and other important people in children’s lives.

For children in their nursery and reception years we follow the Government’s 2021 Early Years Foundation Stage Framework (EYFS). The early learning goals are the knowledge, skills and understanding that children should have at the end of the academic year in which they turn five. The following seven areas of learning and development, which a split into prime and specific categories, shape our activities and experiences:

Prime areas:

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

Specific areas:

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

Through our challenging, stimulating, and creative curriculum and environment, we offer children the opportunity to develop into independent, confident, inquisitive and resilient learners in all areas of the EYFS curriculum. We aim for all children to leave EYFS feeling prepared and with an enthusiasm for the next step in their learning as they move into Key Stage 1.

We want all children to thrive in our EYFS class, within the school community and in the wider world. We understand that children may come from different social and economic circumstances and work to identify and address any inequalities to enable all children to have equal access to the curriculum and experiences offered.  

We understand that children in the Early Years learn best through a careful balance of child-initiated play and direct teaching experiences which build upon their interests and what they already know. Our timetable is carefully planned so that children have access to a range of whole class and adult-led group teaching as well as sustained periods of time for them to apply their learning in continuous provision.

This is delivered through a holistic curriculum which maximises opportunities for meaningful cross-curricular links and learning experiences as well as promoting the unique child by offering extended periods of play and sustained thinking following children’s interests and ideas. We value imagination and creativity and seek to create a sense of enjoyment and fascination in learning through our vibrant continuous indoor and outdoor provision, alongside trips and visitors to school.

Our aim in the EYFS is to build strong foundations rooted in academic success as well as moral and spiritual development, so that ultimately our pupils can be successful in all they do, go on to be active citizens of society and be happy, curious life-long learners. 

CUSP Early Foundations 

Foundational knowledge: What pupils should know and be able to do throughout the EYFS and how this will support their development and prepare them for Key Stage 1.

Opportunities and experiences: How this foundational knowledge can be learnt through play and through guided activities that will allow pupils to explore, experiment with and think hard about new and important concepts

Structured Story Time: Core texts that will introduce key language, ideas and themes that pupils will need to access the foundational knowledge, built into a framework that uses all that we know about effective literacy instruction

White Rose Maths

Early mathematical knowledge is an essential foundation stone of every child’s educational journey. Our lively and colourful early years maths resources help children explore mathematics in engaging and inspiring ways. They encourage development of the core maths skills that make up the early years curriculum.

Early years maths is broken down into blocks of learning and from blocks into easy, logical steps. We use games, colourful graphics, video and real world examples of maths in action to nurture an enjoyment of the subject at an early age. We let children explore mathematical concepts with curiosity and without a fear of making mistakes.