Our Early Year’s curriculum aims to teach all children the skills and knowledge in order that they reach the seventeen Early Learning Goals described in the Early Years Foundation Stage. We want children to have a love for learning and learn how to become a resilient learner. We teach skills through a range of methods including child-initiated learning, whole class teaching, group teaching, investigations and problem solving together, and independently. As many activities as possible are play-based; however, there is also a need for direct teacher-led activities to ensure children gain essential knowledge and skills from their teacher. All activities are modelled, and children are given sufficient time, support and resources to repeat and practise them.

Personal Social and Emotional Development

We strive to enable children to be safe, happy, confident individuals. We also encourage self-regulation as much as possible and introduce rules and boundaries through modelling good behaviour and reflection time. We teach the children the Boxford CEVC School Learning Values and these are displayed within the classroom setting. These values underpin our whole curriculum and teaching style throughout the Reception year. These values then follow on throughout the school.

Physical Development

Our outdoor environment, wooded area and large playing field enables us to make the most of the outdoors and we encourage children to play outside as much as possible. Our intention is that children learn how to take measured risks and they are given access to our whole playground and wooded area. We encourage children to learn about nature and look after their environment. There is a comprehensive PE curriculum, which includes Dance, Athletics, Gymnastics and Games. Children are taught about the importance of regular exercise and healthy eating, and are encouraged to join in with whole-school sports initiatives such as our half-termly intra-school competitions.

Communication and Language

Children are encouraged to listen and communicate appropriately. We enhance the classroom and outdoor garden area to reflect the topic learnt. Each topic encompasses enhancements to the learning environment that include role-play areas, small-world play and story-making tables to encourage the children to act out scenarios and discuss concepts being learnt. This helps children learn and use new vocabulary introduced through the topics. Children are encouraged to ask questions and contribute to whole-class and group discussion whenever possible.

Reading

We aim to teach children to read and develop a love of books as soon as they arrive at Boxford CEVC School, and books are used to teach topics, support phonics and to enhance our whole curriculum.

We follow a systematic approach to phonics teaching. Phonics lessons are taught daily. They read reading books each week based on the phonics phase being taught. Teachers read stories to children from high-quality age-appropriate texts at every available opportunity. These books are then used to enhance the learning environment and reading area. Children who need extra help with phonics are targeted in the provision by key members of staff.

Writing

We introduce writing straight away, and teach handwriting alongside daily sounds. Each child has a handwriting book where they are taught a pre-cursive style. Guided writing activities are also taught in groups. These include writing topic words, lists, captions and short narratives. Guided writing activities are based on the topic being taught and the class book is often used as a basis for writing. Children are also encouraged to write in the provision in the role-play area, writing area, maths area, book corner and outdoors. The children are provided with a range of pencils, pens, and other media to encourage them to write as much as possible. We hope to inspire children to write independently after they have been introduced to writing skills in their guided writing sessions.

 

Mathematics

Children are taught maths through guided group work and whole-class activities. We also use maths enhancement activities in the different areas in the classroom, including the outdoors. The main aim of the maths curriculum is to teach children to be confident in themselves as mathematicians. The first term’s topic introduces sorting and matching, completing basic patterns and comparing objects. From here, we concentrate on number, with the aim that children have a better understanding of one digit numbers before they move on to place value, calculation and arithmetic later in the year. Children also learn shape, space and measure skills and knowledge through guided work and as activities in the enhanced provision. Children who need extra help with mathematics are targeted in the provision by key members of staff.

Knowledge and Understanding of the World

We strive to give children knowledge about the world around them and the rest of the world. Science is taught through most of our topics. For example, we observe ice and investigate how ice melts and forms through real hands-on experiences. The children explore forest school throughout the school year.

Geography is taught, including maps and countries of the world. Similarly, we introduce the children to history learning through photos, books and media. We look at old and new buildings and how buildings have changed over time within the local area. We teach RE throughout the year based on celebrations including, The Diwali story, The Christmas story and the Easter Story so that children are introduced to different belief systems.

Expressive Arts and Design

At Boxford CEVC School, we want children to sing songs, make music, dance and perform. Music is taught explicitly as well as being supported by the continuous provision available to the children. Children are encouraged to play imaginative games and make up stories, songs and dances.

In art, children are taught how to safely use and explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques, experimenting with colour, design, texture, form and function. We study different artists and child-initiated art activities are encouraged during continuous provision. In Design Technology, we experiment with different ways we can join materials, we use junk modelling to make animals as well as try sewing a bookmark. We endeavour that children leave Reception with good art and Design Technology skills, as well as encouraging them to use their own ideas and techniques in their art and design work.

Assessment

We measure a child’s attainment at the end of the year and whether they are on track/not on track to meet the Early Learning Goal (ELG) in each of the 7 areas of learning. Over the course of the year, we use our knowledge of the children to identify those that may not yet be on track to reach these end-of-year-goals. We use non-statutory guidance (such as Development Matters) to help identify the level at which children are attaining.

Professional dialogue between ourselves, wider school staff and parents will also influence and guide judgements. Interventions are flexible and ever-changing, based on the needs of the cohort. We use regular phonic assessments to match and inform our teaching. Parent consultations are held in the Autumn and Spring Term and a written annual report is sent out during the Summer Term.

Using our knowledge of our children, we are able to quickly identify gaps in individuals’ learning and provide opportunities for personalised or group sessions to address any misconceptions promptly. Our next steps are addressed in the moment through verbal feedback and modelling. When an adult is interacting with a child during independent learning, they talk to the children using a series of effective questioning to ask what that child knows and identify an area for development.

By the end of the year, we intend that all children have moved their learning on, relative to their starting position. They should be ready to access the Key Stage 1 curriculum and for those who are behind age-related expectations, they will have had opportunities to access personalised learning intended to narrow the gap.