At Christ Church Primary School, our philosophy is to nurture every child’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, developing both skills and confidence as they take their first steps on their own unique journey of lifelong learning. We do this through the high- quality teaching of an exciting curriculum and purposeful play where adults model, scaffold and extend children’s learning.
Our school vision is at the heart of our curriculum where we want our children to feel good about themselves, enjoy learning and achieving and become positive members of the community.
Intent
Our intent is that children enter the next stage of their education ready to tackle new challenges with confidence and a positive mindset. We want to engage our pupils in a stimulating environment carefully organised and managed by adults, but with opportunities for it to be led by the children’s interests, providing a curriculum responsive to individual starting points and needs. We encourage our children to take the lead in their own learning, developing confidence to explore new ideas, think about problems, take risks, make links and seek challenge. We aim for high levels of engagement, curiosity, collaboration and cooperation, and for children to become highly adept at managing their own behaviour in the classroom and in social situations. Children will be able to express themselves with confidence in a meaningful way, respecting the opinions and values of themselves and others.
Implementation
As a mixed Year 1/ Reception class our learning is framed by the Year 1 curriculum. This allows us to have a structure and a ‘hook’ which we use to make links with EYFS progression of skills and planned opportunities to give the children experiences to enrich their learning. We are also led by the children’s interests and by their particular needs. Through direct teaching, small group adult led activities, observation in play and regular practitioner discussion we have a clear understanding of the needs of the children and use this to feed back into planning and delivering a dynamic EYFS curriculum.
We follow the EYFS Statutory Framework. Within this framework there are four guiding principles which shape our practice. These are:
1. Every child is a unique child, who is constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident, and self-assured.
2. Children learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships.
3. Children learn and develop well in enabling environments with teaching and support from adults, who respond to their individual interests and needs and help them to build their learning over time. Children benefit from a strong partnership between practitioners and parents and/or carers.
4. Children develop and learn at different rates. The framework covers the education and care of all children in early years provision, including children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Our curriculum encompasses seven areas of learning and development. All areas of learning and development are important and inter-connected. Three areas are particularly important for building a foundation for igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, forming relationships, and thriving.
These are called the prime areas: Communication and language • physical development • personal, social, and emotional development.
Four areas help children to strengthen and apply the prime areas, these are called the specific areas: Literacy • mathematics • understanding the world • expressive arts and design
Throughout their time in the Reception Year our children follow an exciting curriculum which is designed in a sequential way to ensure progress towards the end of reception goals. These goals are defined as Early Learning Goals (ELGs) and are shown in the PDF document below.
As previously outlined our curriculum incorporates learning through play, learning by adults modelling, by observing each other and through guided learning and direct teaching. It is also important to highlight that our plans are flexible to allow us to respond quickly to children’s new interests and/or needs.
Weaving throughout the EYFS curriculum at Christ Church there are three Characteristics of Effective Learning.
- 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 These elements underpin how we reflect on each child’s development and adjust our practice accordingly. Supporting children in their individual learning behaviour and observing the context of children’s play is essential.
