What Life is Like in EYFS?

Our Reception classes provide a unique, nurturing, play rich environment where children can develop positive characteristics of effective learning: to grow  in confidence, curiosity and independence.  Our teaching and learning wraps around each child, offering a balance of child led exploration as well as carefully planned adult guided learning.

Each day includes opportunities for children to investigate, create and problem solve across our impressive indoor and outdoor spaces. Our highly engaging areas are designed to spark imagination and help children build skills at their own pace. 

The Prime Areas of Learning: Communication and Language; Personal, Social and Emotional Development; and Physical Development sit at the heart of everything we do. Through rich conversations, supportive relationships and active play, children develop the confidence and social skills they need to thrive.

Alongside this, the Specific Areas of Literacy, Mathematics, Understanding the World and Expressive Arts and Design are woven throughout daily routines.  We begin every day with phonics lessons, followed by our Daily Mile (our much loved movement break in our Adventure playground).  Pupils have short inputs of teaching on the carpet (as a whole class) in the mornings and afternoons; at times, pupils will work with our skilled teachers in small groups and for the vast majority of the time pupils ‘ Explore & Learn’! During these times, staff facilitate learning, perhaps through a well placed statements such as, ‘I wonder…’ or through skilled questioning.

As a school we have taken the decision not to use a sharing platform for photos; instead staff continually observe pupils and through our daily interactions we ensure we value all children's interests, so learning is responsive and enhancements made are timely, inclusive and meaningful.  Above all, we aim to create a warm community where every child feels valued, secure and excited about learning.

Throughout the year we offer a range of enrichment activities designed to extend learning beyond the classroom and bring the curriculum to life, such as a local walk to a postbox and trips farther afield by coach.

We use Google Classroom to communicate our weekly round up of key learning.  We share some of our ‘many’ photos here!  Parent workshops are run throughout the year to provide an overview of teaching and learning and tips on how to support pupils with learning at home.  

Data Headlines and Comparisons