Early Years

Our curriculum follows the new Early Years Foundation Framework supported by the Birth to 5 and Development Matters documents. It covers the 3 prime areas of learning and the 4 specific areas of learning.

Prime areas – communication and language, physical development and personal, social and emotional development.

Specific areas – literacy, mathematics, understanding the world and expressive arts and design.

We strive to ensure a purposeful balance between child initiated and adult-led learning to prepare children for their next stage of education. Children in EYFS learn by playing and exploring, being active, and through creative and critical thinking which takes place both indoors and outside. Our outdoor areas are used all year round and in most weather conditions. We ensure activities support the Characteristics of Effective Learning to ensure learning takes place.

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.

Phonics –

Children participate in daily structured phonics sessions to develop their reading and writing skills. We follow the’ Little Wandle’ scheme of work. Pupils are given engaging texts that are carefully matched to their phonic ability.

Reading –

Pupils participate in daily ‘Reading Practise’ sessions with books matched to their phonic ability therefore increasing fluency and confidence when reading. Daily stories and rhymes are shared for pleasure and enjoyment and children are encouraged to join in with repeating refrains. Children access the school library weekly and are encouraged to pick books to share at home. Children have their own ‘Book Nook’ attached to their classroom with a variety of fiction and non-fiction reading materials, story baskets and puppets to enhance their reading experience.

Writing –

Children  have access to activities in areas of provision which develop their fine motor skills in preparation for mark making and then writing, they are taught how to record the sounds they learn (Grapheme – phoneme correspondence). Children have many opportunities both indoors and outdoors to mark make and write. 

Maths –

Children in the Early Years are prepared for the National Curriculum by developing a solid conceptual understanding of number, shape, space and measure. We place a strong focus on subitising skills and conservation of number using concrete objects, models and images. Pupils also have the chance to explore and apply their understanding during Continuous Provision. The NCETM scheme- teaching for mastery, is used as a supportive framework for long term planning. Pupils are encouraged to make links and solve problems using their maths skills

Wider Curriculum-

Exciting, purposeful and contextual activities are planned to build on children’s natural curiosity. Experiences and opportunities to follow children’s interest are an integral part of the learning taking place on a day to day basis. 

Partnerships with families- 

Good relationships between ourselves and our families are important factors at Lakeside. We recognise that a successful child has a supportive family behind them and strong links and open communication between home and school plays a huge part in this. Opportunities for parents to be part of their child’s learning and be able to celebrate their achievements are shared  through ‘Tapestry’, ‘Google classroom’ , ‘Twitter’, newsletters, parent consultation evenings, reports and daily conversations held with Early Years staff.

Our children have varied and diverse starting points. Baseline assessments are completed in the first few weeks at school so each child’s progress can be tracked throughout the year, enabling staff to put in support, interventions or challenges to further learning as and when appropriate.  

Class teachers use observations to make formative assessments which inform future planning and ensure that all children build on their current knowledge and skills at a good pace.We have high expectations to ensure that all children make ‘good progress’ across all of the areas of the EYFS curriculum striving for children to reach the Early Learning Goals by the end of Early Years. Children will be prepared and ready to transition into Key Stage 1, equipped with the knowledge and skills expected of them in Year 1.