EYFS

Early Years Foundation Stage

Intent

At Milverton Community Primary and Pre-School, we aim to provide the highest quality care and education, giving every child the very best start to their learning journey. We create a safe, nurturing and inspiring environment where children feel happy, valued and confident to explore, learn and grow.

We recognise that every child is unique and develops at their own pace. Through strong relationships with families, we work together to help each child reach their full potential and become a confident, independent learner.

Our Early Years curriculum is built around the principles of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS):

• A Unique Child
• Positive Relationships
• Enabling Environments
• Learning and Development

We provide a broad, ambitious and engaging curriculum that supports children's development across the seven areas of learning and development.

Prime Areas

• Communication and Language
• Personal, Social and Emotional Development
• Physical Development

Specific Areas

• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding the World
• Expressive Arts and Design

Through these areas, children develop the knowledge, skills and vocabulary they need to thrive both now and in the future.

Implementation

In our Pre-School, practitioners focus on building strong foundations in the three prime areas of learning. Developing language and communication is at the heart of everything we do, helping children to broaden their vocabulary, express their ideas and build positive relationships with others. Alongside this, children are provided with exciting opportunities to explore all seven areas of learning through carefully planned experiences and play.

In Reception, learning is brought to life through a balance of child-initiated exploration and skilfully guided adult-led experiences. We believe that play is a powerful vehicle for learning, enabling children to develop curiosity, creativity, resilience and problem-solving skills whilst building confidence and independence.

Our indoor and outdoor environments are carefully designed to inspire learning and reflect children's interests and developmental needs. We make full use of our beautiful school grounds as a valuable extension of the classroom, providing rich opportunities for exploration, discovery and first-hand experiences.

Our staff know the children well and use regular observation, assessment and interaction to respond to their emerging interests and next steps in learning. Warm, supportive relationships and consistent routines help children feel secure, enabling them to take risks, challenge themselves and become increasingly independent.

We value the vital role that parents and carers play in their child's development and work in close partnership with families to support learning both in school and at home.

Impact

Children leave our Early Years setting as happy, confident and enthusiastic learners who are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

Through our ambitious curriculum and nurturing environment, children develop strong communication skills, independence, resilience and a love of learning. They make good progress from their starting points and acquire the knowledge, skills and vocabulary needed to be successful in Year 1 and beyond.

Assessment is an ongoing part of our daily practice. Through observations, interactions and careful monitoring of learning, staff identify children's achievements and next steps, ensuring that support and challenge are matched to individual needs. At the end of Reception, teachers use their professional knowledge of each child to make a holistic judgement against the Early Learning Goals and determine their readiness for Key Stage 1.

Our school values of We Care, We Aspire and We Belong are woven throughout the Early Years curriculum. As a result, children develop not only academically but also socially and emotionally, becoming kind, respectful and confident members of our school community who are ready for future learning.