Intent (What we want to achieve)
We strive to ensure our Early Years setting is an environment that thrives on excitement, curiosity and discovery. We believe that every child deserves the best possible start in life and the support to fulfil their potential. A child’s experience in the Early Years has a lasting impact on the rest of their life, and we endeavour to provide opportunities for children to make the most of their abilities and talents.
The EYFS is based on four overarching principles:
▪ Every child is a unique child, who is constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured.
▪ Children learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships.
▪ Children learn and develop well in enabling environments, in which their experiences respond to their individual needs and where there is a strong partnership between practitioners and parents and/or carers.
▪ Children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates.
At Meppershall Church of England Academy and our Pre-School, we strive to demonstrate a whole-school commitment to the EYFS statutory framework to achieve high-quality provision in the Early Years, giving children the opportunity to fulfil their full potential. Children are presented with an appropriate curriculum that is designed to challenge and inspire while allowing them to be successful. They are supported by a staff team of highly qualified and experienced professionals. Our team supports your child in every aspect of their development to ensure academic attainment, but above all, happiness and wellbeing.
Implementation (How we are going to do it)
Our Early Years curriculum is split into seven main areas.
The three prime areas are:
▪ Communication and Language – Children have the opportunity to experience an environment that exposes them to rich language. They develop the skills and confidence to express themselves, speak clearly and listen in a range of situations. They are also encouraged to develop their understanding of language through questioning and the exploration of new vocabulary.
▪ Physical Development – All children are provided with opportunities to develop coordination, control and movement of their bodies through exercise and fine motor activities. Children are taught the importance of physical activity and making healthy choices in relation to food and lifestyle.
▪ Personal, Social and Emotional Development – Children are encouraged to form positive relationships with peers and adults and to develop a positive sense of self. They are encouraged to try new activities and discuss their feelings. Children learn to understand the rules and expectations of our Early Years settings and why these are important. They are supported to adjust their behaviour to a range of situations and encouraged to respond positively to changes in routine.
There are also four specific areas, through which the three prime areas are strengthened and applied:
▪ Literacy – Children are taught to link sounds and letters and begin to read and write. They are supported to engage in reading across a wide range of contexts, igniting a passion and love for reading.
▪ Mathematics – Children have practical, hands-on experiences of counting, understanding and using numbers, and solving number problems. They also explore 2D and 3D shapes and learn language associated with size, weight, capacity, position, distance, time and money through everyday experiences.
▪ Understanding the World – This area helps children make sense of the world around them. It encourages exploration of their environment—both natural and built—learning about people and communities, noticing change over time, experimenting with objects and materials, and building knowledge through first-hand experiences. This develops curiosity and early scientific, historical and geographical understanding.
▪ Expressive Arts and Design – Children are given opportunities to explore a range of media and materials in many different ways. They are encouraged to share their own ideas through art, music, movement, dance, role-play, and design and technology.
In our settings, we meet the needs of all children through:
▪ Planning opportunities that build upon and extend children’s current knowledge, experiences and interests while developing self-esteem and confidence.
▪ Using a wide range of teaching strategies based on children’s learning needs.
▪ Providing a safe and supportive learning environment in which the contributions of all children are valued.
▪ Using resources that reflect diversity and are free from discrimination and stereotyping.
▪ Monitoring children’s progress and providing support where necessary.
Our Early Years settings are organised to allow children to explore and learn securely and safely. Children learn through a balance of child-initiated and adult-directed activities. The timetable is carefully structured to include directed teaching sessions followed by small, focused group work. This enables teachers and practitioners to check understanding, identify misconceptions and provide real-time verbal feedback.
Classrooms provide environments where all learning areas can be explored, with resources accessible to children independently. Our Early Years settings have dedicated outdoor spaces that provide enriching environments for development. Outdoor learning offers opportunities to explore, use the senses and be physically active, often on a different scale to indoor learning.
Impact (Evaluation of success)
All children and their families are welcomed and valued at Meppershall Church of England Academy and our Pre-School. Children are respected as individuals and have equal access to our provision. All children are encouraged to achieve their personal best, and planning is differentiated to meet the needs of all groups and abilities.
Assessment considers contributions from a range of perspectives to ensure that any potential needs are identified at the earliest opportunity. Early identification enables staff to support children effectively, and any concerns are always discussed with parents or carers. Ongoing formative assessment is central to our practice. Observations of children’s interactions with activities and peers provide the majority of evidence to support development, alongside information from parents and carers about progress at home. Summative assessments are also used to demonstrate growing confidence across curriculum areas.
At the start of the Reception year, all children undertake a Reception Baseline Assessment in line with government expectations. This is a short, one-to-one assessment that feels like playing games, talking and looking at pictures. There is no pass or fail, and no pressure. It assesses early language and communication skills and early maths understanding. The assessment helps teachers plan learning appropriately, track progress to the end of Year 6 and understand individual children’s starting points for the cohort of children.
During the final term of Reception, the EYFS Profile is completed for each child. This provides a well-rounded picture of a child’s knowledge, understanding, abilities and readiness for Year One. It includes ongoing observations, relevant records, and discussions with parents, carers and other professionals. Children’s development for the profile is assessed against the Early Learning Goals in all subject areas. Practitioners indicate whether children are working at ‘expected’ levels or are ‘emerging’. We recognise that children develop in individual ways and at different rates, and planning is adapted to ensure appropriate challenge and support for all.
Planning also identifies opportunities to introduce a more formal lesson approach to prepare children for transition into Year One. Children who achieve the Early Learning Goals are provided with opportunities that ensure they are stretched and supported to reach their full potential.
Roles and Responsibilities
-Link Governor – Forms positive relationships with children, staff and parents/carers and gains regular insights through visits and events.
-Subject Leadership – The Early Years Leader oversees planning, provision and data analysis to ensure high-quality learning experiences and progress for all children.
-SLT (Monitoring and Support) – The Senior Leadership Team supports and challenges the Early Years team and oversees data to ensure high standards of teaching, learning and achievement.
-Whole Staff – Staff develop caring, respectful and professional relationships, recognising the importance of secure relationships in children’s learning.
-Parents – Parents are recognised as children’s first educators, and their contributions are valued and encouraged.
We support this partnership through:
▪ Individual home visits prior to starting school, allowing discussions around interests, medical needs and questions.
▪ Opportunities for parents to speak with teaching staff, governors and PTFA members.
▪ Open communication regarding any concerns.
▪ Informal meetings on Early Years provision, Reading and Maths.
▪ Formal termly consultations and written end-of-year reports.
▪ Regular updates via ClassDojo.
▪ Invitations to stay-and-play sessions, school productions and collaborative activities throughout the year.