Early Years
“The research is clear: a child’s early education lasts a lifetime.”
Bold beginnings
At Primrose Lane Primary School, we have carefully designed our Early Years curriculum to provide our children with a secure, happy, and safe childhood, laying the essential foundations for their future educational journey. We believe in creating a rich learning environment that fosters independence, resilience, and problem-solving skills in our young learners. Our curriculum aims to instil in children the importance of staying healthy, understanding emotions, and developing skills to manage them effectively.
Our Early Years curriculum lays a robust foundation for our pupils, equipping them with essential skills, knowledge, and values that will support their growth and development. Our vision is to cultivate a love for learning, foster independence, and instil a sense of curiosity and resilience in our young learners. We aim to nurture well-rounded students who are confident, capable, and ready to embrace the challenges of their educational journey.
Guiding principles
Within the EYFS framework there are four guiding principles which shape our practice.
These are:
- every child is a unique child, who is constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident, and self-assured
- children learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships
- children learn and develop well in enabling environments with teaching and support from adults, who respond to their individual interests and needs and help them to build their learning over time. Children benefit from a strong partnership between practitioners and parents and/or carers.
- children develop and learn at different rates. The framework covers the education and care of all children in early years provision, including children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
We place a strong emphasis on working collaboratively with families to create a sense of community, where every child feels valued and supported. Our curriculum is designed to give each child the best possible start in their educational journey, ensuring that learning takes place both inside and outside, regardless of the weather conditions. We celebrate and encourage the uniqueness of every child, fostering positive relationships and a sense of belonging within our school community.
Characteristics of Effective Learning
At all times, we consider the characteristics of effective learning which promote positive attitudes to learning, an enthusiasm for knowledge and the confidence to become successful learners.
Weaving throughout the EYFS curriculum at Primrose Lane are the three characteristics of effective learning.
- 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
- These elements underpin how we reflect on each child’s development and adjust our practice accordingly. Supporting children in their individual learning behaviour and observing the context of children’s play is essential.
We tailor our provision and lessons to meet the individual needs of each child, supporting them to keep up and not to catch up.
EYFS learning and development requirements
Our curriculum encompasses the seven areas of learning and development. All areas of learning and development are important and inter-connected.
Three areas are particularly important for building a foundation for igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, forming relationships, and thriving.
These are called the prime areas:
- communication and language
- physical development
- personal, social, and emotional development.
Four areas help children to strengthen and apply the prime areas.
These are called the specific areas:
- literacy
- mathematics
- understanding the world
- expressive arts and design.
Throughout their time in Nursery and Reception, our children partake in an ambitious curriculum which is designed in a sequential way to ensure progress towards the end of reception goals. These goals are defined as Early Learning Goals (ELGs). The descriptors for these can be found at the end of the document.
The level of development expected by the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is defined by the early learning goals (ELGs), which guide our teachers in making holistic judgements about each child's readiness for Year 1. Our curriculum is aspirational, aiming to nurture well-rounded individuals who are equipped with the skills and knowledge to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.
Our Early Years curriculum aligns seamlessly with our whole school curriculum at Primrose Lane, by providing a strong foundation in the Early Years, we ensure that every child at our school has the opportunity to develop holistically, setting them up for success in their future educational endeavours.
