EYFS Intent

At the Whinless Down Academy, the Early Years curriculum is designed to provide every child with the very best start to their education. We recognise that the Early Years are a crucial period in a child's development, laying the foundation for lifelong learning and success. Our curriculum is ambitious for all children and is carefully sequenced and progressive, while also being responsive to children's interests, children's developmental or SEN needs, as well as those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Our curriculum is designed to provide first-hand experiences which fully engage learning, in order to create independent and confident learners and build resilience and ambition. Play is at the heart of our curriculum because we truly believe that young children learn best through active engagement and exploration.

Our enabling environment, alongside skilful, high-quality adult-child interactions, take into consideration the children’s starting points, build on prior learning and maximise every learning experience. We create a language-rich environment where story-telling, singing and conversation expand vocabulary and deepen understanding. We seek to create a sense of fascination and enjoyment in learning through high-quality continuous provision, both inside and outside, offering uninterrupted play and sustained thinking. We nuture kind, respectful and confident individuals, who understand their feelings, build positive relationships and regulate their behaviour.

We work collaboratively with parents and other settings and professionals to provide the best possible start to school life. We place great value on the development of children as individuals and provide them with the knowledge, skills and understanding they need to become curious lifelong learners. They can only do this through our ability to embed the learning habits of the Characteristics of Effective Learning, alongside our school values.

EYFS Implementation

Our EYFS curriculum is implemented through a carefully constructed balance between high quality continuous provision and adult-directed teaching. The curriculum is planned in line with the requirements of the EYFS Statutory Framework and Development Matters, within broad topics, but with the flexibility to follow the children’s interests and foster independence. Coverage across all 7 areas of development, both prime and specific, ensures a range of learning that deepens children’s knowledge, skills and understanding. In order to aid the early development of our children, we strongly believe that they should focus on the three prime areas first. As children grow and progress, the prime areas will support them to develop skills in the four specific areas.

Our implementation ensures a daily routine that builds security and independence, alongside high expectations of all learners. Children are given considerable time to explore the well-planned and challenging continuous provision and apply taught skills independently. These opportunities are scaffolded and extended by skilful adults, who know the children’s individual next steps. Adults interact skilfully, modelling and expanding language and extending thinking. A stimulating, enabling environment is at the centre of EYFS practice.

Reading and phonics are at the heart of our curriculum. We deliver daily and systematic phonics though Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised. Implementation includes:

Daily whole class phonics sessions with clearly sequenced progression.

• Keep up interventions to ensure no one falls behind.
• Decodeable reading books matched to the children's phonic knowledge.
• Frequent re-reading, to build fluency, prosody and confidence,
• Ongoing assessment to inform responsive teaching

Reading is prioritised through:

• Daily story time and high-quality texts.
• Explicit vocabulary teaching.
• A language-rich environment.
• Book talk and comprehension discussions.
• 3 reads a week with an adult.

We use Drawing Club as a key vehicle to develop imagination, vocabulary and writing. Through Drawing Club children

• Engage deeply in high quality texts.
• Develop ambitious vocabulary.
• Create detailed drawings linked to narrative.
• Write captions, phrases and simple sentences with purpose.

Maths is delivered through White Rose Maths, ensuring coherence and progression. Implementation includes:

• Daily focussed maths sessions.
• Development of secure understanding of numbers to 10 and beyond.
• Subitising and number bond fluency.
• Practical hands-on exploration within provision.
• Mathematical talk embedded into practice.

Regular assessment allows staff to systematically check for knowledge, skills and understanding; identify and respond to misconceptions quickly and provide real-time verbal feedback.

EYFS Impact

The impact of our EYFS curriculum is measured through progress towards the Early Learning Goals, as set out in the EYFS Statutory Framework. Our curriculum ensures that we make strong progress from their individual starting points and that they are well-prepared for Year 1.

At the end of EYFS, our Whinless Down Academy children:

• Are ready for the next stage in school life, with the knowledge, skills and understanding they need to fully participate in Key Stage 1.
• Most children will have met the Early Learning Goals, making good progress from baseline.
• Understand and can demonstrate some of the school values.
• Are independent and inquisitive learners.
• Show an understanding of early mathematical concepts in line with their age and stage of development.
• Apply good phonic knowledge; reading a range of words, tricky words and simple sentences fluently.
• Write simple sentences independently, using their phonic knowledge and spelling some common exception words correctly.
• Demonstrate the Characteristics of Effective Learning.
• Listen attentively in a range of situations.
• Developed better communication skills so they can express their ideas in well-structured sentences and use an increasingly wide and ambitious vocabulary.
• Build positive relationships with others and manage their own behaviour and emotions effectively.