EYFS

Intent

At Sunnyside Primary Academy, our EYFS curriculum is carefully designed to recognise and build upon each child's prior learning, whether it comes from previous settings or experiences at home. We work closely with parents, carers, and other professionals to ensure every child receives the best possible start to their education. Our goal is to help each child develop into a resilient, independent learner who values their own thoughts and ideas, while respecting the ideas of others.

We believe that learning should be engaging and that children learn best when they are actively involved in exploring their environment and are able to make connections in their own learning. Our curriculum offers a balance of structured activities and child-led play, promoting both academic and personal growth. It is carefully planned providing a sequential progression of skills. Through meaningful play, exploration, and adult-guided learning, we aim to provide our youngest learners with a strong foundation that will support them throughout their educational journey.

Striving for Excellence:

• Engagement: We ensure that every child has access to a broad and balanced curriculum that meets their individual needs and interests. High levels of engagement lead to high levels of attainment.
• Personal Interests: We plan learning experiences that build on the children's natural interests and strengths, supporting them as they develop essential skills across all areas of learning.
• Vocabulary Development: Communication is at the heart of our approach. Adults model new vocabulary and give children the opportunity to practice and use this language in a variety of contexts throughout the curriculum.
• Community Building: We view parents as vital partners in their child's learning and encourage communication through regular updates, parent sessions, and a celebration of learning experiences beyond the classroom.
• Cultural Diversity: We celebrate the diverse backgrounds of our children and ensure that learning is enriched by exploring a variety of cultures, traditions, and beliefs.
• Enrichment and Experience: We are committed to providing a rich and diverse range of experiences and opportunities that foster curiosity, creativity, and holistic development in our early years curriculum.

Implementation

In the Foundation Stage, we follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Framework, which is structured around seven areas of learning and development. These areas are interconnected, but we focus on three Prime Areas as the foundation for all learning:

• Communication and Language
• Physical Development
• Personal, Social, and Emotional Development

These Prime Areas help children build the skills and confidence they need to succeed. The other four Specific Areas of learning strengthen and apply these prime areas:

• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding the World
• Expressive Arts and Design

Characteristics of Effective Learning:
We ensure that learning is meaningful and engaging by focusing on three key characteristics:

• Playing and Exploring: Encouraging children to investigate, experiment, and ‘have a go’ at new things.
• Active Learning: Supporting children as they focus on tasks, solve problems, and persist despite challenges.
• Creating and Thinking Critically: Helping children develop their own ideas and make connections between different pieces of learning.

Learning Through Play:
Play is central to learning in the EYFS. Children learn through both child-initiated play and adult-led activities. This combination allows for exploration, problem-solving, and the development of relationships. Learning is not confined to the classroom but extends to the outdoors, where equal value is given to both indoor and outdoor experiences.

Each term, children explore a new topic that serves as a starting point for their learning. These topics inspire play, investigations, and conversations and provide opportunities for the children to build new knowledge. The topics are:

• Autumn 1: All About Me
• Autumn 2: Space
• Spring 1: Superheroes
• Spring 2: Dinosaurs
• Summer 1: Minibeasts
• Summer 2: Fairy Tales

Literacy and Reading:
At Sunnyside, we place a strong emphasis on literacy and the development of reading skills. Every day, children are exposed to a range of high-quality texts during story time. These texts support the development of language, vocabulary, and comprehension. We use the Little Wandle Phonics Program to ensure that children build phonetic awareness from their very first days in Reception.

Mathematics:
We follow the Mastering Number program alongside objectives from the Development Matters document. Children engage with mathematical concepts through games, practical activities, and hands-on resources. We help children build a solid foundation for understanding numbers, shapes, and patterns in the world around them.

Understanding the World and Expressive Arts:
Our curriculum also includes Understanding the World and Expressive Arts and Design. Through purposeful activities, children explore their environment, develop creative skills, and learn about the world’s diversity. The use of subject-specific language and vocabulary is encouraged in both areas, ensuring that learning is both meaningful and contextual.

Support for All Learners:
We believe that all children learn best when they are supported to reach their full potential. This includes children who may need additional support to catch up or those who demonstrate a deeper understanding and need further challenge. Our curriculum is designed to offer support for children facing challenges in physical development through tailored activities that promote strength, coordination, and motor skills. We provide interventions tailored to each child’s needs, whether for speech and language development, social skills, or academic support in areas like phonics and mathematics.

Impact

By the end of Reception, our aim is for every child to make good progress from their starting points, gaining the skills and knowledge necessary for a smooth transition into Year 1. We measure this progress through ongoing observations and assessments, ensuring that we provide targeted support where needed.

Assessment:
Assessment plays a crucial role in understanding how children are progressing. Through continuous observations, we track individual children’s achievements and identify areas where additional support may be needed. Children's progress is captured in 'Special Writing' books, which showcase their development in writing over the year.

At the end of the Reception year, children are assessed against the Early Learning Goals. These are split into Emerging or Expected levels. Children who meet the Expected level in all Prime Areas, as well as in Literacy and Mathematics, are considered to have achieved a Good Level of Development (GLD).

We also conduct regular internal and external moderation to ensure our assessments are accurate and consistent. These assessments help us identify the next steps in each child’s learning, ensuring they have a solid foundation of skills and attitudes to build on as they move forward.

Conclusion

Our Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum at Sunnyside Primary Academy aims to nurture confident, independent, and resilient learners who are ready for the challenges of the future. By providing a broad, engaging, and culturally rich curriculum, we lay the groundwork for a love of learning that will continue throughout their school journey. Through collaboration with parents and a focus on individual needs, we strive to ensure that every child can achieve their full potential.