Quality of Education EYFS

Attainment on Entry

Attainment on entry to YR is generally slightly below typical for pupils of this age, with the general profile of the intake being around 30% demonstrating skills and knowledge typical for their age in the prime areas. Around 50% of our intake comes from a private preschool nursery located on the school site, with the other 50% of pupils coming from a range of preschools in the area.

Quality of Education

Intent

Our Early Years curriculum has been developed to be ambitious and relevant to all learners, to ensure that all pupils are equipped with the necessary skills to enable them to progress successfully into KS1, whatever their starting point. Both indoor and outdoor provision is organised to provide challenge and excitement for pupils, offering extensive opportunities for them to practise and embed key mathematical, writing and reading skills that have been taught through focussed sessions and through carefully planned activities in the 3 prime areas and 4 specific areas, inter-connecting the areas of learning to ensure retention of information through continual review and application.

Our phonics programme begins in YR, with pupils following the school Read, Write Inc scheme, which supports the development of early reading skills. Teachers aim to develop a love of reading and an understanding of key stories (plot, theme, settings) to support children’s understanding of narrative. Enhancements in the continuous provision provide opportunities for pupils to explore stories and apply phonics learning, as well as being supported through focus taught sessions led by the teacher. Development of vocabulary is a priority across school, but especially in EYFS, with staff placing emphasis on the modelling and challenge of language use for all pupils. Early mathematics learning is through the Number Sense and Mastering Number programmes, which is aimed at developing mastery in the EYFS context. Pupils are fully immersed in the number they are learning, looking at number bonds, coins, different representations and structures, as well as introduction of shape and measure, ensuring complete grasp of the concept. This style of learning bridges the gap between EYFS and the KS1 curriculum, enabling pupils to be fully ready for the challenge of Y1 at transition.

Across the EYFS curriculum, there are many links made with the whole school curriculum, for example the use of Charanga, Jigsaw and the Teach Computing curriculum, as well as the use of the sports coaches to deliver PE sessions, which build continuity throughout the school. The Personal Learning and Thinking Skills that are the cornerstones of the whole school curriculum, are also implicit in our EYFS curriculum. EYFS leaders have worked with subject leaders across the school to ensure that key concepts are planned into the EYFS curriculum, giving a coherent and cohesive start to the curriculum knowledge that children will build on throughout the school.

Implementation

Teaching in EYFS is of a high standard, with all adults leading learning within the provision having a clear understanding about the expected outcomes for pupils. The EYFS lead (and class teacher when not on maternity leave) in YR has an EYFS background and shares a clear vision with the school leaders about the pedagogy in EYFS and the expectation for the EY curriculum and outcomes. Both staff and leaders have a deep knowledge of the end points for pupils in YR and also the need to prepare pupils for the next stage in their education, ensuring not only the subject knowledge, but the personal learning skills such as independence, perseverance and the development of executive functioning skills to enable pupils to develop self regulation. EY staff have in depth knowledge about developmental stages of learning and are able to use this knowledge to successfully support children’s development in all areas of learning, whatever their starting point on entry.

The EY curriculum is delivered through a mix of adult directed and child-initiated activities, as well as some direct teaching though whole class learning opportunities. Adults are skilled in intervening within the provision, to develop and enhance learning through play, using opportunities to model or challenge to extend thinking. The characteristics of effective learning are modelled and met. Well planned, creative use of continuous provision ensures that pupils engage in purposeful play, applying skills and therefore integrating different aspects of learning. This ensures longer term memory of the learning taking place eg at the rolling snack table pupils have different challenges linked to the learning that week/topic/half term–pupils sign in to practise writing of their name; pupils then have to pay using the number of coins linked to the number of the week; set the table for the amount of children linked to the number of the week; and whilst eating snack use the conversation starter pictures to discuss what they can see, which could be linked to phonics or numbers/shapes, or even the class topic eg Autumn to encourage recall of information, as well as developing oracy and social skills.

In addition to the maths teaching which takes place daily, the implementation of the national Mastering Number programme means that the pupils engage in a daily focus session around number, as well as holding regular ‘maths meetings’ where they recap facts/knowledge eg days of the week, telling the time, recognition of coins etc. This ongoing revisiting of key learning and knowledge means that children are able to recall facts accurately and quickly, and therefore are able to apply to different contexts both in adult directed tasks and independently in the provision.

Early reading is taught through all areas, and staff ensure that children are read aloud to each day, developing a love of books and stories. Our home/ school reading books are directly matched to the phonics stage the child is working at ensuring that pupils have the opportunity to practise sounds learned in class/groups. In addition to this, pupils take home a sharing book for them to read with an adult, developing their understanding of story and building language exposure, whilst encouraging a love of reading from an early age. Family learning sessions are held throughout the year to ensure that parents understand and support the need to develop children as readers.

The school rules of Ready, Respectful and Safe are started in YR, and the Christian Values are also introduced to pupils. We believe that this early integration into the school culture and ethos is essential in developing in pupils the personal development, attitude and character that we expect in our pupils. Staff and pupil relationships are excellent and staff in YR are particularly attuned to the needs of the pupils for comfort and care, using their expertise to balance this with developing a safe and secure environment which enables children to take risks and become independent and confident learners.

In the last two years, significant changes have taken place in school to allow the Reception class to move to a different classroom, which means they can now access the outdoor area at the front of the school to develop the quality of the outdoor provision offered. This decisive action has enabled the outdoor learning for EYFS to be improved dramatically, offering more opportunities for development of the prime areas of learning. The outdoor education mirrors the indoor provision, allowing pupils’ to develop their understanding of specific concepts linked to writing, reading and mathematics, but on a larger scale, and apply their learning to real life experiences. For example, children learning about shapes can then use the outdoor provision to explore and search for shapes in nature using the shape hunters, applying their learning about shape properties to identify them in different contexts. Outdoor provision also offers opportunities for pupils to problem solve and work collaboratively eg when using the water wall. Pupils work with staff to complete a daily risk assessment of the outdoor provision, developing their understanding of safety and ability to keep themselves safe.

Impact

Early Years provision in school is excellent, as recognised by both internal and external monitoring and moderation. Despite relatively low starting points, GLD has risen steadily over the last 3 years: 2017 – 63%, 2018 – 73%, 2019 – 80%, 2020 – 83% (TA - Covid), 2021 – 76% (TA - Covid) 2022 –83% with pupils demonstrating increasing readiness for Y1 and the challenges of the National Curriculum. This is especially evident in the rise in children meeting the PSC standard, which has risen from 33% in 2016, to 100% in 2022.80% (20/25) of pupils reached the ELG for reading and writing in 2022, with 84% achieving GLD for maths, which shows the direct impact of the number sense programme.

Pupils make excellent progress in the significant areas of PSED, CL, UW, EAD and PD, due to specific enhancements in the provision and targeted homework packs for identified children eg activities to develop fine motor skills.

Pupils who are disadvantaged achieve as well as other pupils, where there are no additional factors eg SEND or EAL, due to effective, early interventions for both academic and social and emotional skills and unwaveringly high expectations for all pupils to achieve their best. Pupils with SEND make good progress from their individual starting points and the EYFS leader works closely with the SENDCo to identify additional needs and to adapt teaching and resources to meet them quickly. This leads to early intervention by outside agencies where necessary eg Speech and Language, school health or the child development centre for further referrals.

N/B - This year the EYFS lead is on maternity leave, and has worked closely with the teacher providing the maternity cover, ensuring that a comprehensive transition took place to ensure the continued excellence in the EYFS throughout this year. Leaders are working closely with the temporary member of staff to provide support and ensure that the quality of education in EYFS remains of the highest standard.