EYFS

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) – Reception year

In Reception at St Werburgh’s Primary school we provide a play-based curriculum, which offers a mix of child directed, adult guided and adult directed learning opportunities.

The curriculum across the EYFS is based on the principles of Birth to 5 matters.

https://birthto5matters.org.uk/

An important part of our Reception learning space, is the enabling environment. This is set up to support individual interests, to provide continued rehearsal of already learnt skills, as well as to challenge children in their play. The role of the adult is to observe, assess and teach in the moment as well as to target children with pre planned next steps.

A day in the life of Reception children at St Werburgh’s Primary

Each day the children have a balance between adult directed and child led learning. The day is structured to include discrete teaching of phonics, maths and daily, well planned story time.
The environment is organised to enable children to independently access a range or resources and experiences. This is called ‘Continuous Provision’. Many resources are open ended and allow children to play, investigate and problem solve alone or with their peers. Adults observe then interact in a variety of ways, including, enhancing provision with a resource that will scaffold and challenge next steps in learning. They support language development through extending talk with questioning and a sustained shared thinking approach.

Focus children

In Reception, across the year, children will have 3 opportunities to be a ‘focus child’. We select up to 4 children per week, and when it is their turn, they start the week by sharing photos from home, with the class. This approach allows the child to share things that are special to them and helps to build their confidence with talking to an audience. This special time starts the week for the ‘focus children’ to be observed more closely and supported in continuous provision with next steps in learning. The following week, the teacher meets families to share successes and talk through next steps. This meeting also allows time for parents to share information about their child.

EYFS Concept Map

Rationale of chosen concepts:

Community – Community is incredibly important to us at St Werburghs. We have a diverse community and value all members of our school family. We have children come to us with a range of experiences. We carefully foster a sense of belonging, celebrating and considering the unique child. Through our curriculum, we want to give the children mirrors to see themselves and windows to the outside world and the experiences of others. We ensure that our curriculum adapts each year to reflect the cultures and festivals of each cohort so that all children feel valued, included and connected to the world around them.
Location and Place – Through our exploration of location and place children will be able to develop their understanding and their sense of the world around them. This will start with their classroom and school and develop into their local area, city and the wider world around them. This will form the foundation for their geographical awareness and understanding and support their sense of identity and the context of where they live.
Chronology – Chronology enables children to make sense of the past, understand change over time, and see how their own lives are part of a bigger story. It supports historical understanding and helps them begin to grasp cause and effect, continuity and change as well as similarity and difference, which are essential to becoming thoughtful, informed members of their communities.
Growth and Change – The Reception year is a time of growth and change as we welcome children to the school and support them in their development throughout the year. Exploring growth and change helps children understand how humans, animals and plants develop and change over time. It supports their future learning in science and encourages curiosity, care and responsibility for the living world, while also reflecting their own personal and academic development.

CoT&L focus

Autumn terms

Spring terms

Summer terms

Playing and exploring – Finding out and exploring

Active learning – Being involved and concentrating

Creating and thinking critically – Having their own ideas

Playing and exploring – Playing with what they know

Active learning – Keep trying

Creating and thinking critically – Making links

Playing and exploring – Be willing to ‘have a go’

Active learning – Enjoying what they set out to do

Creating and thinking critically – Working with ideas

Key:

Bold – key events and celebrations

Italic – retrieval links

Golden threads: Similarities and Difference, kindness, respect & responsibility, and celebrations.
Concepts:	Community including celebrations	Location and place	Chronology	Growth And change	Core texts: Term 1
Term 1 – 8 Weeks (3 or 4 weeks settling in)	Building relationships – kindness Who are we? Me and my family Celebrations – Harvest	The classroom The school Their Home	Routines/visual timetables Days of the week Introducing timers	Seasons Coming to school Health and self care (washing hands/clothing/toileting) Human body – parts of the body.	What makes me a me -Introduces concepts of self, similarity and difference. In every house on every street – Exploring families and similarities and differences of their own families. I am almost always kind – introduces the characteristic of kindness. The body book – Introduces UW exploration of bodies, focusing on body parts. Other books: Come over to my house The dark The colour monster/worrysaurus
Term 2 7 weeks	Community	Location and place	Chronology	Growth	Core texts: Term 2
Term 2 7 weeks	Racial prejudice/discrimination. Celebrations and Community (Christmas, Hanukkah,, Bonfire Night) Self Regulation – emotions/behaviour. Fairness and kindness. . Christmas Nativity play	Autumn walk – landmarks and journeys. Human and physical features of the environment. Different environment – city / countryside	Days of the week Me as a baby. Months of the year – birthdays.	Seasons – Autumn Human body – senses. Animals hibernating & animal body parts. Primary and secondary colours. Names of instruments.	Standing up to racism – Builds on being kind – explores racial prejudice/discrimination. Squirrels that squabbled – relationships with others, Autumn and seasonal change. Gingerbread Man – Trust. Introducing characters from traditional tales. Learn about the countryside – links to animals Celebrations around the World exploring festivals and celebrations.. (Christmas, Hanukkah, Diwali, Bonfire Night) Other books: My Hair Pumpkin Soup Traditional tales
Term 3 – 6 weeks	Community	Location and place	Chronology	Growth	Core texts: Term 3
Term 3 – 6 weeks	Communities we belong to PSED – resilience/motivation New Year. Lunar New Year. Art Festival (CUSP)	Different environment – beach/city/village	Personal History Before me. Calendars	Seasons – Winter Humans – health and self care, food, teeth. Online safety Materials EAD – tools and fixings	Mr Wolf’s pancakes – Kindness, food, materials/changes Luna Loves Art – Techniques and colours (Jabari Tries) William B’s things that go – Travelling and environments. EAD – Materials, tools and fixings. The Wonder? – Art and imagination (Art Festival) Other books: Celebrations around the world (Lunar new year) Chicken Clickin’ – Online safety
Term 4 – 6 weeks	Community	Location and place	Chronology	Growth	Core texts: Term 4
Term 4 – 6 weeks	Kindness – natural world, responsibility Easter World book day Ramadan/Eid Pancake day	Different countries – environments Natural world Name and locate a different country. Know facts about different country	Chronological language – first/ last/ before/ after	Seasons – Spring Plants – new life Animals – linked to different countries	Mrs Noah’s Garden/ Errol’s Garden/ Extraordinary Gardener – Plants, the Natural world, Shu Lin’s Grandpa – Exploring another country. Anansi and the golden pot – Exploring another country Other books:
Term 5 – 5 weeks	Community	Location and place	Chronology	Growth and change	Core texts: Term 5
Term 5 – 5 weeks	Respect and responsibility	Revisit city and countryside Maps, atlases and globes.	History – Past Roy Hackett	Human lifecycles Plants continued Music – changing sounds	Martha maps it out – Maps and sense of place Winnie the Pooh helps the Bees – facts about bees, responsibilities to others. Story Orchestra Journeys and imagination. Other books: Standing up to racism (revisit) The same but different too What happened to you? Other books: Each Peach Pear Plum
Term 6 – 7 ½ weeks	Community	Location and place	Chronology	Growth	Core texts: Term 6
Term 6 – 7 ½ weeks	Respect and responsibility Teamwork Managing relationships Self regulation PSED – transition and trying new things	New Class	Overview of the whole year	Animal life cycles UW – humans healthy eating	Tad – life cycles and change Clean Up -Responsibilities in the Community. Environmental change. It’s a no money day – money week and charities Other books The invisible