Intent

At Ellison Boulters we provide a high-quality EYFS education giving children a secure and confident start to their school life. We are committed to nurturing a lifelong love of learning alongside the aims of the EYFS statutory framework. We strive for high standards, consider the development of the whole child and seek to foster resilience and independence. 

We aim to provide the essential knowledge that children need to prepare them for their future success and to give children the best possible start in their early education. We provide inviting classrooms, indoors and out, to stimulate learners and engage them in developing the three ‘Characteristics of Effective Learning’ as set out within the EYFS.

Implementation

At Ellison Boulters, we ensure that all children experience the seven areas of learning set out in the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework through a balance of adult lead teaching and child initiated play.

There are seven areas of learning and development. The prime areas are:

•         Personal, Social and Emotional Development

•         Physical Development

•         Communication and Language

The Specific areas are: 

•         Mathematics

•         Literacy

•         Understanding the World

•         Expressive Arts & Design

We place a great emphasis on learning through play and direct practical experiences led by the interests of our children. Learning is organised so that the curriculum is delivered through a combination of adult led activities and continuous provision opportunities, encouraging children to develop their learning independently through discovery, exploration, curiosity and challenge.

We recognise that children have a thirst for new experiences and knowledge, and should be provided with opportunities to engage their inquisitive minds. Therefore, we provide stimulating and motivating continuous indoor and outdoor provision, that follow children’s interests, to support learners in investigating and developing their skills.

Whilst the children’s interests are at the heart of what we do, we follow a progressive curriculum through three overarching themes: Ourselves, Our Community and finally Our World. This concept secures children in the familiar before extending their knowledge and skills to the local area and then beyond.

British Values play a fundamental part of our curriculum and everything we do; we focus on promoting the more general concepts within the Early Years Foundation Stage and understand that the children’s development within these areas is key to promoting the values in the long term.   

At Ellison Boulters we believe all children learn best when they feel secure, safe and happy. Our teaching and practice is led by the four guiding principles.

The Principles are:

1. That every child is unique

• That every child can learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships

• That children learn and develop best in enabling environments

• That children develop and learn in different ways

The Characteristics of Effective Learning are threaded through, and central, to all learning in the EYFS curriculum. Emphasis is placed upon playing and learning, active learning and thinking critically.

Children are provided with plenty of time to engage in ‘exploration’ throughout the variety of experiences, which is carefully planned to engage and challenge them in the provision. The curriculum is planned for the inside and outside classrooms and is planned in a cross-curricular way to enable all aspects of the children’s development.

Impact

At Ellison Boulters, we aim to ensure that all children across the EYFS achieve their full potential by providing a broad and balanced curriculum. Our creative and balanced provision of learning experiences enables our children to develop as happy, motivated, and independent learners. We strive to ensure each child makes a very good level of progress through to the Early Learning Goals at the end of Reception from their individual starting points at the beginning of the year. All children get the best possible start to their school life and develop the knowledge and skills needed to succeed as they continue their learning journey into Key Stage One.