EYFS Curriculum Intent

At, St Maria Goretti Catholic Primary school, we provide a high-quality EYFS education giving children a secure and confident start to their school life. We are committed to nurturing a lifelong love of learning alongside the aims of the EYFS statutory framework. We strive for high standards, consider the development of the whole child and seek to foster resilience and independence.

We aim to provide the essential knowledge that children need to prepare them for their future success and to give children the best possible start to their early education.

We provide inviting classroom environments indoors and outdoors to stimulate learners and engage them in developing the three ‘Characteristics of Effective Learning’ as set out within the EYFS-

• 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.

We carefully plan our EYFS curriculum to meet the following aims:

• Foster a love of learning which inspires curiosity.
• Provide experiences of awe and wonder.
• Ensure all children have access to high quality learning opportunities.
• Provide parents/carers with the opportunity to develop their child’s learning at home.
• Develop knowledge and understanding of the community and wider world.

Implementation

• Quality teaching across all areas of the curriculum.
• Stimulating learning environments indoors and outdoors.
• Well planned and organised continuous provision which allows the children to learn through play.
• A carefully planned balance of adult-led and child-initiated learning opportunities.
• We promote a love of learning through real life experiences and opportunities to build on prior learning.
• Strong parental partnerships which empower parents to support their child’s learning at home.
• Systematic approaches to teaching reading to ensure all children learn to read, using Red Rose Letters and Sounds.
• High quality phonics teaching is started as soon as children begin in nursery and continues throughout Reception.  
• Opportunities for children and families to develop a love of reading.

Impact

• We strive to ensure that our children’s progress across the EYFS curriculum is good from their varied starting points.
• We also strive for children to achieve a Good Level of Development and many of the Early Learning Goals at the end of Reception, and to be as close as possible to National Expectations.
• Evidence in our Floorbooks and writing journals (Reception), Sparkle books (Nursery), and shared with parents on class dojo, support all areas of the EYFS curriculum.
• The impact of our curriculum is measured by assessment procedures which allow us to measure outcomes against all schools nationally.
• We measure the percentage of pupils achieving age related expectations and that are on track for GLD throughout the academic year, and put supportive interventions in place if and when needed.
• Class teachers use ongoing observations to make formative assessments which inform future planning and ensure that all children build on their current knowledge and skills at a good pace.
• Summative assessment compares children’s attainment to age related expectations using month bands in Development Matters. This is regularly tracked to ensure rates of progress are at least good for all children, including vulnerable groups such as those with SEND, EAL, disadvantaged or summer born children.