Welcome to Early Years

At St Barnabas and St Paul’s Primary School, we provide our children with a curriculum that is designed to be flexible, engaging and exciting so that the children’s needs, passions and interests are embraced. Oracy, language development and reading are at the heart of our curriculum and as the children begin their journey at our school, learning starts with a curriculum based around quality texts. Through our reading centred approach, we hope for the children to have a love of reading, develop their spoken language and improve their understanding and comprehension.

The curriculum is designed to recognise children’s prior learning and experiences, influenced by their home and community. We provide a wealth of first-hand learning experiences to fill the gaps from pupils’ backgrounds, allowing the children to become successful, confident learners who are able to access a broad and balanced curriculum.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) marks a critical time in a child’s early development. All early years’ providers must comply with the Government’s Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage, which sets out the standards for learning, development and care for children aged 0-5. The Framework identifies seven areas of learning and development, divided into prime and specific areas of learning.

The prime areas are:

• Communication and language (giving children opportunities to experience a rich language environment; to develop their confidence and skills in expressing themselves; and to speak and listen in a range of situations).
• Physical development (providing opportunities for young children to be active and interactive; and to develop their co-ordination, control, and movement. Children must also be helped to understand the importance of physical activity, and to make healthy choices in relation to food).
• Personal, social and emotional development (helping children to develop a positive sense of themselves and others; to form positive relationships and develop respect for others; to develop social skills and learn how to manage their feelings; to understand appropriate behaviour in groups; and to have confidence in their own abilities).
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The specific areas are:

• Literacy (reading and writing – encouraging children to link sounds and letters and to begin to read and write).
  Mathematics (counting, understanding and using numbers, calculating simple addition and subtraction problems, describing shapes, spaces and measure).
• Understanding the world (guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community through opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places, technology and the environment).
• Expressive arts and design (enabling children to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials, as well as providing opportunities and encouragement for sharing their thoughts, ideas and feelings through a variety of activities in art, music, movement, dance, role-play, and design and technology).

We ensure learning encompasses the Characteristics of Effective Learning.. These are:

• 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.

By the time they reach the end of the EYFS stage, children should have achieved the 17 Early Learning Goals, which encapsulate the knowledge, skills and understanding they should have at the end of the academic year in which they turn five. Our carefully sequenced, progressive curriculum enables  our children to develop the knowledge they need to transition to Year One.

Take a look at our planning documents located in the planning section of this page.