EYFS Goals

We aspire for all children to achieve our aspirational goals by the end of their Reception year. By achieving these goals, children are developing the skills needed to support their journey into Year 1.

Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum Goals 

EYFS Curriculum

Early Years Curriculum Overview

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Policy

Our Reception classes follow the curriculum as outlined in the Early Years Foundation Stage statutory framework.

The EYFS framework includes 7 areas of learning and development that are equally important and inter-connected. 3 areas, known as the prime areas, are seen as particularly important for igniting curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, and for building children’s capacity to learn, form relationships and thrive. 

The prime areas are:

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

The prime areas are strengthened and applied through 4 specific areas:

• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding the world
• Expressive arts and design

During the Reception year, we aim to provide children with experiences to help them develop the characteristics of effective learning.  These characteristics pave the way for how they approach learning throughout their school career.  The characteristics of effective learning are as follows:

• Playing and Exploring (engagement) - Children will enjoy finding out and exploring, playing with what they know and being willing to have a go.
• Active Learning (motivation) - Children will be involved and concentrate, keep trying and enjoying achieving what they set out to do.
• Creating and Thinking Critically (thinking) - Children will have their own ideas, make links and choose ways to do things.

Our Core Values of Respect, Resilience and Aspiration compliment the characteristics of effective learning.

Reception Bears Curriculum Newsletters

A Day in the Life

What does a typical day look like in our Reception classes? 

A Day in the Life of a Year R Child at the Federation of Bedenham and Holbrook Primary Schools

Planning for Learning

We plan activities and experiences for children that enable children to develop and learn effectively. We aim to provide a full range of fascinating, motivating and valuable experiences, which are relevant, purposeful, and rewarding in order for the children to receive a broad and balanced curriculum. 

Young children learn most effectively through play and first-hand experiences. Well-planned guided and free play, both inside and outside, is an important way in which young children learn with enjoyment and challenge.

In order to do this, staff take into account the individual needs, interests, and stage of development of each child in their care, and use this information to plan a challenging and enjoyable experience. Where a child may have a special educational need or disability, staff consider whether specialist support is required, linking with relevant services from other agencies, where appropriate. NHS therapy pack materials are used to provide targeted support. 

In planning and guiding children’s activities, staff reflect on the different ways that children learn and include these in their practice. Topics are fluid, reacting to children’s interests and ideas. Throughout the year, key seasons and celebrations are planned in, but topics are spontaneous as ideas arise. 

The Federation has a set of six aspirations that we have identified for our children to achieve by the end of the year. These are plotted out across the year and the curriculum planned and tailored to ensure that all children can meet them and be successful in their foundation year at primary school:

• To be able to retell a story using learnt vocabulary and a range of props
• To be able to express their wants, needs, likes and dislikes in appropriate ways whilst giving reasons
• To participate in a ball game with friends
• To problem-solve and play games using numbers, shapes and measures
• To understand and talk about the life cycle of a plant or animal using language from text read
• To perform to others with confidence

Teaching the Curriculum

Each area of learning and development is implemented through planned, purposeful play, and through a mix of adult-led and child-initiated activities. Staff respond to each child’s emerging needs and interests, guiding their development through warm, positive interaction.

As children grow older, and as their development allows, the balance gradually shifts towards more adult-led activities to help children prepare for more formal learning, ready for Year 1.

Alongside opportunities to learn through planned, purposeful play in the continuous provision there are also structured teaching times.  At the beginning of the year structured teaching is delivered in small groups. Towards the end of the Reception year, some sessions are taught as a whole class or in larger groups.

Daily phonics sessions are delivered following the Department for Education-validated phonics programme, Little Wandle. 

Daily Maths sessions are planned using White Rose materials.  This is a spiral curriculum that introduces children to maths concepts again and again, whilst building upon them.

We use the Kinetic Letters programme to teach handwriting.