EYFS at Heworth CE Primary School

Intent

In the EYFS we aim to support all of our children to develop into confident, happy and independent learners. Through a nurturing environment, the children are enabled to develop the necessary skills, knowledge and attitudes to flourish. We endeavour to provide motivating, first-hand experiences whilst encouraging children to build resilience, ambition and a love of learning.

Implementation

• We follow the revised EYFS Framework and Development Matters.
• Collaborative planning ensures Long and Medium Term plans outlining progression across the 7 areas of learning in order for children to meet the expected level of development by the end of Early Years.
  
• Short term plans are based on the needs and interests of the children to ensure equality and opportunities for all.
• Our children learn through a compliment of child-initiated and adult-directed activities in addition to more formal guided learning.
  
• Children have extended opportunities for play based learning both indoors and outdoors.
• ELS Phonics is taught daily.
  
• Whole class teaching inputs are interspersed throughout the day.
• We build strong partnerships with parents and carers and value their contributions.

Impact

At Heworth, children in Early Years demonstrate high levels of engagement in both child- initiated and adult-directed activities. By placing emphasis on developing their speaking and listening skills we enable them to access more areas of learning and communicate with adults and other children effectively.

Children develop their characteristics of effective learning and are able to apply their knowledge to a range of situations, making links and explaining their ideas and understanding. Children develop a sense of the wider world around them and draw on these experiences during interactions with others, linking this to new learning. Children are confident to take risks, demonstrating our school value of courage and persevere in all they do. Most importantly, our children become willing and confident to ‘have a go’.

From their own unique starting points we strive for all children to achieve age related expectations, make excellent progress academically, morally, socially and spiritually. At Heworth, all children are provided with the very best foundations to enable them to flourish.