EYFS Curriculum

Welcome to our Early Years Foundation Stage.  This is the beginning of your child's learning journey at St. Aelred’s Catholic Primary School. The EYFS is a very important stage as it prepares children for all their future learning and successes. We believe that each child has the right to learn and develop in a happy, active, exciting, challenging and secure environment.

During this very important year your child’s teacher will be Mrs. Klays in Reception Class and Mandy in the Nursery. We have an amazing team of teaching assistants who work with the whole class, in small groups and 1:1. We will work in partnership with you to care for and educate your child. We aim to offer new opportunities to your child to help draw out their ability and potential, helping each individual to grow and develop in preparation for the future.

The Early Years Foundation Stage at St. Aelred’s consists of a Nursery class and a Reception class. We have a Thinking Room, an Exploring Room with wet and carpeted area and a large safe and secure outside learning environment.

Our Catholic Faith is at the heart of everything we do. Your child will learn about many different faiths; that Jesus loves us all; and that we are special. We all endeavor to treat everyone with love and respect, just as Jesus did.

The Foundation Stage Curriculum consists of the Characteristics of Effective Learning which promotes thinking skills, motivation and independence.

• playing and exploring – children investigate and experience things, and ‘have a go’ (you can support your child by, for example, making sure they encouraging them to try out new experiences and asking open-ended questions that might stimulate their curiosity);
• active learning – children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties, and enjoy achievements (allow your child to play independently – avoid leading your child’s play, and don’t let them engage for too long in passive activities like watching TV); and
• creating and thinking critically – children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things (when your child is playing, provide some challenges and allow them to be inventive – try leaving fewer toys for them but add a few unknown objects for them to use… don’t forget how much fun a cardboard box can be!).

The prime areas are:

• Personal, social and emotional development (making relationships; self-confidence and self-awareness; managing feelings and behaviour)
• Communication and language (listening and attention; understanding; speaking)
• Physical development (moving and handling; health and self-care)

The specific areas are:

• Literacy (reading; writing)
• Mathematics (numbers; shape, space and measures)
• Understanding the world (people and communities; the world; technology)
• Expressive arts and design (exploring and using media and materials, being imaginative)

These seven areas are used to plan your child's individual learning. We encourage your child to work through adult-directed tasks and self-chosen activities. The role play area, outside classroom, and a wide range of exciting, purposeful activities linked to the half termly topic, are used to encourage independence, enjoyment and learning through play.

We encourage independence in safe, caring and well-planned areas of provision, both indoors and out. Further information about the EYFS curriculum can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2