EYFS Curriculum

A Love of Learning from the Very Beginning

At St Werburgh's & St Columba's Catholic Primary School, our Early Years curriculum provides children with a rich, ambitious and carefully sequenced foundation for future learning. Guided by our mission to Love, Learn and Laugh, we nurture confident, curious and independent learners who are excited to explore the world around them.

Building on children's experiences from a range of nursery and pre-school settings, our Reception curriculum is designed to develop the knowledge, skills and vocabulary children need to thrive academically, socially, emotionally and spiritually. Through a blend of purposeful play, first-hand experiences and high-quality teaching, we ensure every child is supported and challenged to achieve their full potential.

Our Learning Environment

Children learn within our two Reception classes, the Rainbow Room and the Sunshine Room, where stimulating indoor and outdoor environments encourage exploration, creativity and independence. Every area of provision is carefully planned to support children's learning across all areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum and beyond. Each class is supported by a Teaching Assistant every day.

Our experienced EYFS team work closely with families and pre-school settings to ensure a smooth transition into school, helping children feel safe, secure and confident from their very first day. 

Our Curriculum

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Framework sets out the standards for the learning, development and care of children from birth to five.

Our curriculum is designed around the seven areas of learning and development, ensuring children develop the knowledge, skills, understanding and attitudes they need to prepare them for Year 1 and for lifelong learning - you can view our curriculum at the bottom of this page.

Prime Areas of Learning

The three prime areas form the foundations for all future learning:

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

These areas are developed through meaningful interactions, rich vocabulary experiences, collaborative play and opportunities to build confidence and independence.

Specific Areas of Learning

The four specific areas strengthen and apply children's learning:

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

Through engaging themes, quality texts, practical investigations and purposeful experiences, children deepen their knowledge and make connections across their learning.

How Children Learn

We recognise that young children learn best when they are actively involved in meaningful experiences. Our curriculum combines direct teaching with opportunities for exploration, investigation and independent discovery.

Children learn through:

• High-quality adult-led teaching
• Purposeful play and exploration
• Continuous provision indoors and outdoors
• Practical, hands-on experiences
• Collaborative learning with their peers
• Carefully planned enhancements linked to children's interests and next steps

Our skilled practitioners extend learning through high-quality interactions, questioning and modelling, helping children develop increasingly sophisticated language and thinking skills.

Reading, Writing and Phonics

Developing a love of reading is at the heart of our EYFS curriculum and we use high quality texts to engage and enthuse our children. We incorporate Drawing Club to bring stories to life, encouraging children to talk, imagine, draw and write as they develop the language and literacy skills needed for future learning.

 Children join in with daily phonics lessons using the government accredited Essential Letters and Sounds scheme, where they learn to recognise sounds, blend words for reading and segment words for writing. Alongside this, children are immersed in high-quality stories, rhymes, songs and conversation throughout the day, helping them develop rich vocabulary and a lifelong enjoyment of books.

You can find out more about our approach to teaching phonics here

Mathematics

Our mathematics curriculum is developed with the NCTEM teaching sequence, which develops children's understanding of number, pattern, shape, space and measure through practical experiences and problem-solving opportunities. We encourage children to develop a deep "number sense" and fluency to help understand how numbers and our number system work.

Daily mathematics teaching, together with carefully planned continuous provision, ensures children build strong mathematical foundations and develop confidence in applying their understanding independently.

Physical Development and Outdoor Learning

Physical development is a key aspect of our curriculum. Children have daily opportunities to develop their gross and fine motor skills both inside and outdoors.

Through activities such as climbing, balancing, riding bikes, digging, construction, throwing and catching, children develop strength, coordination, resilience and confidence. Our forest sessions provide additional opportunities for active learning, challenge and risk-taking in a safe environment.

Assessment and Progress

Our EYFS team continually assesses children's development through observation, discussion and ongoing interactions. This allows us to celebrate achievements, identify next steps and ensure every child receives the support and challenge they need.

Children take part in two statutory assessments during Reception:

• Autumn Term - Reception Baseline Assessment 
• Summer Term - Early Years Foundation Stage Profile

Parents and carers are kept informed through Class Dojo, parent consultations and end-of-year reports, ensuring a strong partnership between home and school.

Our Curriculum in Action

• Children learn through play, exploration and discovery.

• A strong emphasis is placed on communication, language and vocabulary development.

• Daily phonics and mathematics teaching provide firm foundations for future learning.

• Carefully planned indoor and outdoor environments support all seven areas of the EYFS curriculum.

• High-quality interactions help children think deeply, solve problems and express their ideas confidently.

• Independence, resilience and confidence are developed through meaningful learning experiences.

• Learning is carefully sequenced to ensure children are well prepared for Year 1.

• Strong partnerships between home and school support every child to flourish.

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