EYFS

Curriculum Overview

The Foundation Stage Curriculum

The Foundation Stage begins when children enter pre-school provision. This includes Child-minders, Nursery, Pre-school and Playgroups. The last year of the Foundation Stage is often referred to as the Reception year.

The Foundation Stage curriculum consists of seven learning areas:

Prime Areas

Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Physical Development
Communication and Language

Specific Areas

Literacy
Mathematics
Understanding the World
Expressive Arts and Design

Teaching and Learning in the Foundation Stage

At Oliver’s Battery Primary School we believe that children learn best when provided with a rich environment which has been carefully planned to support the children’s interests and current stages of development. The children are encouraged and supported to follow their own interests and fascinations through play. This time is called Discovery Time. Resources are provided to enable open ended play and natural resources are used whenever possible. We encourage the children to be independent and they are able to collect resources for themselves and use them in their own ways. The outdoors is just as important as the indoors, the children are able to move freely between the two on a daily basis during Discovery time. We also encourage children to use this space whatever the weather!

Teaching in the Foundation Stage is predominantly delivered through joining children in their play, enhancing their play with new ideas and resources. Directed teaching is also delivered to the whole class, small groups or individual children when appropriate.

The Foundation Stage at Oliver’s Battery is led by an Early Years Leader with substantial experience and expertise. Prior to working at Oliver’s Battery she worked for the Local Authority as an Early Years Advisor.

Assessment at the end of the Reception year

The EYFS Profile summarises and describes children’s attainment at the end of the EYFS. For each area of learning, teachers must judge whether a child is meeting the level of development expected at the end of the reception year (expected) or not yet reaching this level (emerging). The assessment uses the Early Learning Goals (ELGs). The ELGs describe what most children are expected to achieve by the end of the Reception year.

In order to determine whether a child is in line with age related expectations, we engage in a thorough and ongoing range of assessment procedures, covering all areas of learning. The majority of observations are made when the child is engaged in independent learning.

The profile identifies the child’s learning needs for the next stage of school, helping Year 1 teachers plan an effective and appropriate curriculum for the child. Each child’s attainment against the ELGs is shared with parents as part of their written end of year report.

A Good Level of Development (GLD) is achieved when a child meets expected levels across all the aspects of the Prime areas (Communication & Language, Personal, Social & Emotional Development & Physical Development) as well as the aspects of Literacy and Mathematics by the end of Reception.

The expectation of the school is that we constantly strive to close any gaps and help children to make accelerated progress. Good progress is achieved for most children through the quality first teaching in the classroom and the curriculum we offer.

For some children, additional booster teaching or Personal Learning targets are needed to fine tune the support they receive. This additional support is coordinated by our Assistant Headteacher for Inclusions and the class teacher. Parents are included in this process.

The Early Learning Goals are:

Prime Areas

Area of Learning	Aspect	Early Learning Goal
Communication and Language (C&L)	Listening, Attention and Understanding	Listen attentively and respond to what they hear with relevant questions, comments and actions when being read to and during whole class discussions and small group interactions. Make comments about what they have heard and ask questions to clarify their understanding. Hold conversation when engaged in back-and-forth exchanges with their teacher and peers.
Communication and Language (C&L)	Speaking	Participate in small group, class and one-to-one discussions, offering their own ideas, using recently introduced vocabulary. Offer explanations for why things might happen, making use of recently introduced vocabulary from stories, non-fiction, rhymes and poems when appropriate. Express their ideas and feelings about their experiences using full sentences, including use of past, present and future tenses and making use of conjunctions, with modelling and support from their teacher.

Area of Learning	Aspect	Early Learning Goal
Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED)	Self-Regulation	Show an understanding of their own feelings and those of others, and begin to regulate their behaviour accordingly. Set and work towards simple goals, being able to wait for what they want and control their immediate impulses when appropriate. Give focused attention to what the teacher says, responding appropriately even when engaged in activity, and show an ability to follow instructions involving several ideas or actions.
	Managing Self	Be confident to try new activities and show independence, resilience and perseverance in the face of challenge. Explain the reasons for rules, know right from wrong and try to behave accordingly. Manage their own basic hygiene and personal needs, including dressing, going to the toilet and understanding the importance of healthy food choices.
	Building Relationships	Work and play cooperatively and take turns with others. Form positive attachments to adults and friendships with peers. Show sensitivity to their own and to others’ needs.

Area of Learning

Aspect

Early Learning Goal

Physical Development

(PD)

Gross Motor Skills

Negotiate space and obstacles safely, with consideration for themselves and others.
Demonstrate strength, balance and coordination when playing.
Move energetically, such as running, jumping, dancing, hopping, skipping and climbing.

Fine Motor Skills

Hold a pencil effectively in preparation for fluent writing – using the tripod grip in almost all cases.
Use a range of small tools, including scissors, paintbrushes and cutlery.
Begin to show accuracy and care when drawing.

Specific areas

Area of Learning	Aspect	Early Learning Goal
Literacy (L)	Comprehension	Demonstrate understanding of what has been read to them by retelling stories and narratives using their own words and recently introduced vocabulary. Anticipate (where appropriate) key events in stories. Use and understand recently introduced vocabulary during discussions about stories, non-fiction, rhymes and poems and during role play.
	Word Reading	Say a sound for each letter in the alphabet and at least 10 digraphs. Read words consistent with their phonic knowledge by sound-blending. Read aloud simple sentences and books that are consistent with their phonic knowledge, including some common exception words.
	Writing	Write recognisable letters, most of which are correctly formed. Spell words by identifying sounds in them and representing the sounds with a letter or letters. Write simple phrases and sentences that can be read by others.

Area of Learning	Aspect	Early Learning Goal
Maths (M)	Number	Have a deep understanding of number to 10, including the composition of each number. Subitise (recognise quantities without counting) up to 5. Automatically recall (without reference to rhymes, counting or other aids) number bonds up to 5 (including subtraction facts) and some number bonds to 10, including double facts.
Maths (M)	Numerical Patterns	Verbally count beyond 20, recognising the pattern of the counting system. Compare quantities up to 10 in different contexts, recognising when one quantity is greater than, less than or the same as the other quantity. Explore and represent patterns within numbers up to 10, including evens and odds, double facts and how quantities can be distributed equally.

Area of Learning	Aspect	Early Learning Goal
Understanding the World (UtW)	Past and Present	Talk about the lives of the people around them and their roles in society. Know some similarities and differences between things in the past and now, drawing on their experiences and what has been read in class. Understand the past through settings, characters and events encountered in books read in class and storytelling.
	People, Culture and Communities	Describe their immediate environment using knowledge from observation, discussion, stories, non-fiction texts and maps. Know some similarities and differences between different religious and cultural communities in this country, drawing on their experiences and what has been read in class. Explain some similarities and differences between life in this country and life in other countries, drawing on knowledge from stories, nonfiction texts and (when appropriate) maps.
	The Natural World	Explore the natural world around them, making observations and drawing pictures of animals and plants. Know some similarities and differences between the natural world around them and contrasting environments, drawing on their experiences and what has been read in class. Understand some important processes and changes in the natural world around them, including the seasons and changing states of matter.

Area of Learning	Aspect	Early Learning Goal
Expressive Arts and Design (EA&D)	Creating with Materials	Safely use and explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques, experimenting with colour, design, texture, form and function. Share their creations, explaining the process they have used. Make use of props and materials when role playing characters in narratives and stories.
Expressive Arts and Design (EA&D)	Being Imaginative and Expressive	Invent, adapt and recount narratives and stories with peers and their teacher. Sing a range of well-known nursery rhymes and songs. Perform songs, rhymes, poems and stories with others, and (when appropriate) try to move in time with music.

Year R Aspirational Curriculum 2024-5

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