Our Curriculum

Foundation Stage

The EYFS is based upon four principles:

· A unique child

· Positive relationships

· Enabling environments.

· Learning and development

 The EYFS is for children from birth to five years of age. All children begin school with a wide variety of experiences and learning and it is the role of the adults working in the foundation stage to build upon these prior learning experiences. This is done through an approach to learning which values the contributions made by parents and carers and develops each child as an individual.

Aims

It is every child’s right to grow up safe, healthy, enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution and with economic well-being. The overarching aim of the EYFS is to help young children achieve these five outcomes.

We will provide a broad and balanced curriculum that will enable each child to develop personally, socially, emotionally, spiritually, physically, creatively and intellectually to their full potential. Each child is valued as an individual and teaching and learning is based on the understanding that children develop at different rates.

At Norfolk Community Primary School, we aim to:

• Provide a safe, challenging, stimulating, caring and sharing environment which is sensitive to the needs of the child including children with additional needs.
• Provide a broad, balanced, relevant and creative curriculum that will set in place firm foundations for further learning and development in Key Stage 1 and beyond.
• Use and value what each child can do, assessing their individual needs and helping each child to progress.
• Enable choice and decision making, fostering independence and self-confidence.
• Work in partnership with parents and carers and value their contributions ensuring that all children, irrespective of ethnicity, culture, religion, home language, family background, learning difficulties, disabilities, gender or ability.
• Provide opportunities whereby children experience a challenging and enjoyable programme of learning and development.
• Provide experiences for all children, whatever their needs, which are inclusive rather than parallel.
  Learning and Development
  Learning and development is categorised into three prime areas of learning:

• Communication and language.
• Physical development.
• Personal, social and emotional development.
  Additionally, there are four specific areas of learning:
• Literacy.
• Mathematics.
• Understanding the world.
• Expressive arts and design.
  Achievement of these prime and specific areas of learning is by:
• Playing and exploring.
• Active learning.
• Creating and thinking critically.

Literacy
In the Foundation Stage children are given opportunities to:
Speak and listen and represent ideas in their activities;
Use communication, language and literacy in every part of the curriculum;
Become immersed in an environment rich in print and opportunities to communicate.

Reading
We aim for all children to read with confidence, fluency and understanding; to have an interest in the written word and read for enjoyment and to use a range of independent strategies to self-monitor and correct. We use the reading scheme Read, Write, Inc. throughout the school. This is a phonics based scheme and builds confidence in reading, spelling and key words. Children are encouraged to take a book of appropriate level home as often as possible and to give depth to their reading the 'home' books are phonics and non- phonics based but most are not RWI based.
 
Observation, Assessment and Planning
Good planning is the key to making children’s learning effective, exciting, varied and progressive.
Effective learning builds on and extends what children know and can already do. Our planning shows how the principles of the EYFS are put into practice and is always informed by observations we have made of the children, in order to understand and consider their current interests, development and learning needs. All staff who work in the Foundation Stage are involved in this process.
The planning within the EYFS is based around the children’s interests. These plans are used by the EYFS team as a guide for weekly planning. However, we may alter these in response to the needs of the children. We make regular assessments of children’s learning and we use this information to ensure that future planning reflects identified needs. Assessment in the EYFS takes the form of long, short and recorded observations and this involves the teacher and other adults as appropriate. These observations are recorded and used to inform children’s attainment.  
Learning Through Play
Children learn through carefully planned play activities and staff will decide when child-initiated or adult-led play activities would provide the most effective learning opportunities. Every child will have opportunities to learn in the indoor and outdoor learning environments during the day.
Staff use observations of the children engaged in learning through play to identify the Characteristics of Effective Learning the children are displaying as part of their learning when engaged in play activities.
The Characteristics of Effective Learning focus on the child’s attitudes and dispositions towards their learning.
Playing and exploring – engagement
Finding out and exploring
Playing with what they know
Being willing to ‘have a go’
Active learning – motivation
Being involved and concentrating
Keeping trying
Enjoying achieving what they set out to do
Creating and thinking critically – thinking
Having their own ideas
Making links
Choosing ways to do things