EYFS Intent, Implementation and Impact

Curriculum Intent

At Wooden Hill Primary and Nursery School, we recognise the importance of giving children the best start to their education in order to build a secure foundation for future learning and development. We want children to develop a love of learning and skills needed to succeed in an ever-changing world.

Our curriculum is designed to encourage independent, inquisitive, resilient and happy learners. Every child is recognised as a unique individual. We consider children’s prior learning and various starting points to develop a holistic and engaging curriculum which interlinks across all areas of the EYFS. Our curriculum has been designed to enable children to succeed through cooperative and collaborative learning principles, offering a range of extended child-led play and sustained shared thinking. As such, there is a strong emphasis on the prime areas of learning: personal, social and emotional development and Communication and language. We work in partnership with parents, carers and other settings to provide the best possible start at Wooden Hill Primary and Nursery School, ensuring each individual reaches their full potential.

We acknowledge and promote children’s interests and strive to embed them in the curriculum to engage, excite and motivate – making learning relevant and meaningful. Our aim is to provide the knowledge and experiences to develop a sense of awe and wonder that captivates each child. We want children to see themselves as individuals and valued members of their own families, school and local community. We want children to learn that places and people are not all the same, each having similarities and differences which should be celebrated. We aim to develop children’s play skills, perseverance and ability to interact with one another – showing resilience, tolerance and respect for others whilst having confidence in their own abilities.

We recognise that children will learn most effectively when they are healthy, safe and secure, when their individual needs are met and when they have positive relationships with the adults who care for them. We aim to provide a setting that encompasses warm and supportive relationships between adults and children so that children will be able to enjoy learning and grow in confidence to help them to achieve their potential.

By the end of the Reception year, our intent is to ensure that all children make at least good progress from their starting points and are equipped with the skills and knowledge to have a smooth transition into Year 1.

Curriculum Implementation

Our EYFS curriculum follows the statutory guidance, EYFS Framework 2024 and is supported by the Development Matters guidance 2023. The ‘Characteristics of Effective Learning’ are also central to all planned learning experiences in our EYFS curriculum. The emphasis is on learning through play, direct practical experience and led by the interests of our children. There is a combination of adult-led and teacher-taught sessions, as well as a wealth of stimulating continuous provision. These opportunities encourage children to develop their learning independently through discovery, exploration, curiosity and challenge. Adults scaffold learning through skilful interactions and effective questioning. Our learning environments are well-resourced, stimulating and exciting but (most importantly) relevant to the needs and age/stage of our children. The internal and external environments are designed to allow children to access both resources and the curriculum independently. All environments are adapted regularly to meet the developing needs of the children, providing support and challenge to all.

Our curriculum has half-termly overarching topics that the children are immersed in, which offers a deeper learning focus. In planning our EYFS curriculum, we have considered what we want our children to learn, know and do.

We prioritise creating a ‘language-rich’ environment through the use of open-ended provision (both indoors and outdoors) through songs, nursery rhymes, stories and providing time for quality interactions between adults and peers. Staff ensure that interactions are positive and progressive, allowing children to flourish and become confident communicators. We use the well-regarded ‘Poetry Basket’, ‘Helicopter Stories’ and ‘Talk for Writing’ approaches to enhance communication, vocabulary and expressive skills.

Reading is at the heart of our curriculum. Children follow the rigorous and highly successful ‘Read, Write Inc’ programme so that they meet good outcomes for reading. Our curriculum includes carefully selected high-quality texts to both expose our children to ‘tier two ambitious vocabulary’ and promote a love of reading.

To aid in our mathematics teaching, we use the ‘White Rose’ resources. Our maths curriculum and mastery approach supports children as they learn about numbers, counting, problem-solving, pattern, shape and spatial reasoning through games and activities that help them to develop positive attitudes towards maths and an enthusiasm for learning.

Our wider curriculum is taught through the specific learning areas ‘Understanding of the World’ and ‘Expressive Arts and Design.’ EYFS staff have a good understanding of how Early Learning Goals (ELGs) feed into the National Curriculum through our robust planning and CPD opportunities. In reverse, colleagues throughout the school are also aware of the key ELGs that link to each foundation subject and the progression of the subject. Exciting, purposeful and contextual activities are planned to build on children’s natural curiosity. For example, building a boat for their favourite toy enables them to think like a ‘Scientist’ and ‘Engineer’ as they explore a range of materials and test out their own ideas.

Children are provided with sustained periods of time to engage in continuous provision through a variety of experiences carefully planned to engage and challenge them. The curriculum is designed for both the inside and outside classrooms; equal importance is given to learning in both areas. Experiences are cross-curricular, to enable all aspects of children’s development, including the characteristics of effective teaching and learning. We hold children's interests and fascinations in high regard and children have the freedom to follow interests and engage in sustained play. During continuous provision, adults are committed to supporting children in play, working together to contribute ideas and coming to conclusions together. We enable children to learn to be more curious and find their own solutions, while learning about each child’s understanding and knowledge. This sustained, shared thinking allows us to meet the needs and interests of all children and move learning forward through challenging their thinking. Developing communication and language skills underpins everything that we do, so adults spend lots of time deep in conversation with children.

We are committed to ensuring our curriculum meets the needs of the children. Through ongoing assessment, we are able to see which children are engaged in their learning, meeting expectations and making progress. Staff spend time evaluating how children are learning through talking to the children, working with them and during play.

The EYFS team meet for regular meetings to discuss children’s development, paying particular attention to children who are not meeting the expected level of development. A discussion will then follow about what we know about the individual child and discuss interventions, scaffolds and strategies to support the child.

Parents are valued as first educators, and every effort is made to work in partnership with them. We share information about our curriculum via our school website and through parent workshops. Parents are encouraged to share their child’s achievements through Tapestry, and these are celebrated within school. Weekly updates on what we have been learning about (as well as strategies to try at home) are shared. Examples of experiences that include and inform parents are stay-and-play sessions, phonics workshops, reading records, Tapestry, story sessions, celebration events and an open-door policy.

Curriculum Impact

At Wooden Hill Primary and Nursery School, all children will experience a curriculum that provides exciting and enriching learning experiences and opportunities. We aim that by the end of Foundation Stage at Wooden Hill Primary and Nursery School, our children will have developed the foundational knowledge and skills required for everyday life and lifelong learning. We believe the children at Wooden Hill Primary and Nursery School will be happy, inquisitive and successful learners who have bright futures. By revisiting concepts, skills and knowledge, they will know more and remember more.

By the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage, all children will have reached their personal best and have achieved at least good progress across all areas of learning, aiming for a good level of development (GLD). Impact is also evident through our successful transitions into Year 1. EYFS staff have a strong understanding of how ELGs link to the National Curriculum, and (through our robust planning and delivery across the spectrum of subjects – both core and foundation) children leave the EYFS stage with the skills, knowledge and confidence to continue their learning journey.