EYFS - Reception Classes
Early Years - Reception Classes: Intent, Implementation and Impact
Intent
Our curriculum nurtures each child’s innate readiness, ability and eagerness to learn. It gives children the best possible start to their school life by developing them socially, emotionally, physically and academically in an environment which values cultures, communities and individuals. We develop children who are curious, resilient, confident and independent in their learning. We believe that every child is unique and brings their own experiences with them and our curriculum reflects this. We believe that a balance of child-initiated play, play and learning which is facilitated by adults helps to secure outcomes. We understand that the Early Years provides a secure foundation for learning experiences to be built on.
We build positive and warm relationships with our families.
Most of all, our children love to come to school every day.
Implementation
From their first day in Reception, children learn basic skills – what to do and when to do it.
They know how to sit correctly for story time and what to say when they are given their fruit. Simple routines teach them good manners and to consider others.
We work together with parents to develop early literacy skills. Our Reception team provide engaging activities and model the language and vocabulary. Developing communication skills and vocabulary are a high priority. We use a combination of observations and assessments to plan for a rapid increase in vocabulary. As a result, gaps in children’s language and communication are reduced. By the time children leave the Reception, they are ready for Year 1.
Children learn to say new words and talk about stories using full sentences.
Pupils look forward to sharing their books and their reading skills with their families when they go home.
Whole class and small group teaching of early reading through the Read Write Inc programme supports children to link their understanding of the letters and sounds to early writing experiences.
Teachers use the unit planning to support developing pupils’ understanding of the language in texts, which has an impact on the pupils’ ability to use language well.
We deliver whole class teaching for short periods of time, such as shared story time, direct teaching (for example of maths), songs and rhymes, discussions and shared learning.
Oracy is a high priority and pupils learn how to use sentence stems to help them to develop ideas.
We use the Early Years Framework and Birth to 5 Matters to support us in planning the curriculum for our pupils and this is revised each year for each cohort.
Reception children have fun exploring the activities. We continue to adapt our indoor and outdoor environments as we observe the children’s interests as they progress through the year.
Children learn how to manage and discuss their feelings. Our outdoor environment enables physical play to develop core muscles, for example through climbing equipment. They develop independence through assessing risks and managing space safely. Children are able to spend time outside in all weathers. They flourish with the experience of the mud kitchen and sensory opportunities in the water tray.
Maths is introduced through Mastering Number. Pupils learn to sing songs about numbers. Children can play with numbers on cards and shapes. Children develop a deep appreciation for the basics such as counting and the order of numbers and appreciate patterns. Children enjoy using concrete resources to build their understanding of mathematical concepts.
Teaching in Reception is organised through a range of approaches and provides a balance of child-initiated and adult-led activities.
We plan focussed activities where adults work with a small group of children at a time. We will adapt the activity to meet the needs of every child participating.
The Reception team understands that parents are their child’s primary caregivers, and we believe in creating a strong partnership between home and school. We hold parents' workshops and parent meetings. Parents can share photographs of their child’s learning journey. Parents receive regular updates from the school through Google Classroom, Evidence me, reading records and, most importantly, the Reception gate at home time!
Impact
Our Early Years Curriculum ensures that children make good progress from their individual starting points. We continue to reflect on our curriculum to meet the needs of all our learners, including those who are disadvantaged or who are identified with SENd.
Formative assessments are updated each half term on Sonar Tracker to track the progress of each child. Children develop their characteristics of effective learning and are able to apply their knowledge to a range of situations, making links and explaining their ideas and understanding.