St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary School

EYFS

Our Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum encourages active learning to ensure all children are motivated and interested in the learning process. We take time to get to know children and their interests.

Through our EYFS curriculum we aim to:

  • Work in partnership with parents and carers to encourage independent, happy learners who thrive in school and reach their full potential from their various starting points
  • Understand and follow children’s interests and provide opportunities throughout our EYFS curriculum to support learning, consolidate and deepen knowledge and ensure children meet their next steps
  • Create an indoor and outdoor environment which supports learning
  • Prepare children to reach the Early Learning Goals at the end of the Foundation Stage and ensure children make good progress from their starting points
  • Support transition into KS1

Parental Engagement

We value the role of parents and carers in the development of their children’s education. We keep parents informed and we meet regularly to ensure children’s transition into school and through the EYFS is happy and successful so that all children can reach their full potential. We do this by holding regular workshops, parent consultations and ensuring daily communication through the Class Dojo platform.

EYFS Curriculum

All areas of the EYFS curriculum are followed and planned for to ensure there is a broad, balanced and progressive learning environment and curriculum.  The children will learn new skills, acquire new knowledge and demonstrate understanding through the seven areas in the EYFS curriculum: 

  • Personal, Social and Emotional Development
  • Physical Development
  • Communication and Language
  • Literacy
  • Mathematics
  • Understanding the World
  • Expressive Arts and Design 

These 7 areas are used to plan children’s learning and activities. Planning for this curriculum is designed to be flexible so that a child’s unique needs and interests are supported.

Daily guided activities are set up and planned that cover different areas of the EYFS curriculum and allow children to develop their next steps in learning.  Areas of need and next steps are identified for all children to ensure good progress is made.  There are also a range of stimulating and engaging activities which the children can access independently and a variety of opportunities for child-initiated learning.  In planning and guiding children’s activities, we reflect on the different ways that children learn and reflect these in our practice.

Characteristics of Effective Learning

We ensure activities support the Characteristics of Effective Learning to ensure learning takes place. These are:

  • playing and exploring - children investigate and experience things, and ‘have a go’
  • active learning - children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties, and enjoy achievements
  • creating and thinking critically - children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things

Children in the EYFS learn by playing and exploring, being active, and through creative and critical thinking which takes place both indoors and outside.  Our outdoor areas are used all year round and in most weather conditions.

Staff make regular observations of the children’s learning to ensure their next steps are met. A broad and balanced range of child initiated and adult led learning can be found in each child’s Learning Journey.  We regularly assess where the children are using the Development Matters framework and then ensure our planning, adult interaction and learning environment support children to reach their next steps.

Staff support transition into Key Stage 1 by arranging visits to their new class, meeting the teacher and ensuring the environments are similar at the end of Reception and the start of Year 1.

Assessment

  • We strive to ensure that our children’s progress across the EYFS curriculum is good from their varied starting points. We also strive for children to reach the Early Learning Goals at the end of Reception and to be near National expectations
  • Evidence in children’s Learning Journeys support all areas of the EYFS curriculum
  • Class teachers use observations to make formative assessments which inform future planning and ensure that all children build on their current knowledge and skills at a good pace
  • Summative assessment compares children’s attainment to age related expectations using month bands in the Development Matters. This is tracked to ensure rates of progress are at least good for all children, including vulnerable groups such as those with SEND or who are disadvantaged
  • Assessment judgements are moderated both in school and externally with local schools

Reception Baseline Assessment (RBA)

The RBA is an age-appropriate assessment of early mathematics and literacy, communication and language. It is delivered in English and is administered within the first six weeks of a pupil starting reception. The assessment has two components, each consisting of practical tasks using physical resources. There is an online scoring system for the practitioner to use as the pupil engages with the tasks. The RBA will be used to create school-level progress measures for primary schools, which will show the progress pupils in a school make from reception until the end of key stage 2.

Further information for parents regarding the RBA can be found below:

2022 information for parents reception baseline assessment.pdf