Welcome to the new Early Years Foundation Stage page. This is where you will be able to find lots of useful information about our EYFS at Spurcroft Primary School.

Mrs Rhian Davey, School Leadership Team

Our Early Years Vision

Inspiring curious, confident and capable learners from the very beginning. 

At our school, we believe that the Early Years are the foundation for a child's future learning. We want every child to feel safe, happy, valued and excited to come to school, while developing the knowledge, skills, confidence and independence they need to thrive.

Our Early Years curriculum provides a carefully planned balance of explicit teaching, purposeful play and child-led learning. We recognise that young children learn in different ways and that both structured teaching and opportunities to explore, investigate and play have an important place in their education.

Teaching and Learning

Our approach is a carefully balanced hybrid pedagogy.

Children take part in structured, high-quality teaching sessions in areas such as phonics, mathematics, communication and language, and our wider curriculum topics. These sessions give children the essential knowledge, vocabulary and skills they need to become successful learners.

Children then have opportunities to apply, practise and extend their learning through our carefully planned continuous provision. Our learning environment is designed to encourage children to explore, investigate, problem-solve, create and collaborate.

We value child-led play, recognising that it provides children with important opportunities to develop independence, imagination, resilience and social skills. Adults carefully observe children's interests and learning, knowing when to step in to model, question and extend learning and when to give children the space to think and explore for themselves.

Our aim is for children to move seamlessly between being taught, practising, applying and extending their learning.

Communication and Language at the Heart of Our Curriculum

Language is at the heart of everything we do.

We place a strong emphasis on developing children's vocabulary and communication skills because we know that being able to communicate effectively is fundamental to learning, relationships and emotional wellbeing.

Throughout the day, children are given rich opportunities to talk, listen, question, explain, describe and share ideas. Adults model high-quality language, introduce new vocabulary and engage children in meaningful conversations.

Stories, rhymes, songs, role play, discussions and everyday interactions provide opportunities for children to hear and use language in a range of contexts.

We want our children to become confident communicators who can:

• listen carefully and respond to others;
• express their thoughts, ideas and feelings;
• develop and use a wide vocabulary;
• speak confidently in sentences;
• ask and answer questions;
• explain their thinking;
• take part in conversations;
• develop friendships and positive relationships.

We recognise that strong communication skills are also essential for developing social and emotional skills. As children develop the language to express their needs, feelings and ideas, they become increasingly able to cooperate, negotiate, solve problems and build positive relationships.

Reading and Phonics

We want every child to develop a love of books, stories and reading.

Children experience a rich range of high-quality texts, stories, rhymes and poems, helping them to develop vocabulary, imagination and a lifelong love of reading.

Our systematic phonics teaching of the Read, Write, Inc Programme gives children the knowledge and skills they need to become successful early readers. Children are encouraged to apply their phonics knowledge throughout the day, including within our continuous provision and independent writing opportunities.

Mathematics

We want children to develop a secure understanding of early mathematical concepts and, importantly, to enjoy mathematics.

Through a combination of structured teaching, practical experiences and purposeful play, children develop their understanding of number, quantity, pattern, shape, space and measure.

We encourage children to use mathematical language, explain their thinking, solve problems and apply what they know in everyday situations.

Learning Through Our Curriculum

Our curriculum provides children with rich and meaningful experiences across all areas of learning.

Topics, stories and real-life experiences encourage children to develop their understanding of people, communities and the world around them. We want children to be curious and inquisitive—to ask questions, investigate, make connections and develop their own ideas.

Our continuous provision reflects the learning that has been taught and gives children opportunities to revisit and deepen their understanding.

Growing in Confidence and Independence

We place a strong emphasis on personal, social and emotional development.

Children are supported to understand and manage their emotions, develop friendships, cooperate with others, resolve disagreements and become increasingly independent.

We encourage children to have a go, persevere when things are difficult and celebrate their successes. We want them to develop the confidence to make choices, take appropriate risks, solve problems and learn from their experiences.

Our outdoor provision provides further opportunities for children to develop their physical skills, coordination, independence, resilience and confidence.

Every Child Matters

We have high expectations for every child and recognise that children arrive at school with different experiences, strengths and starting points.

We provide an inclusive environment where every child is supported to participate, succeed and develop a strong sense of belonging. We work closely with families and other professionals to ensure that children receive the support they need.

We believe that every child can learn, every child can make progress and every child deserves to feel successful.

Working in Partnership with Families

We recognise that parents and carers are children's first and most important educators.

We value strong partnerships with families and encourage parents and carers to share in their child's learning journey. Through reading together, talking, playing and exploring the world around them, families can make a significant contribution to children's development.

We aim to create an open and welcoming relationship with families, celebrating children's achievements and working together to support their next steps.

Ready for the Future

Our aim is that, by the end of Reception, children will have developed the knowledge, skills, confidence and independence they need to take their next steps into Year 1 and beyond.

We want our children to leave the Early Years as:

Confident communicators.
Curious explorers.
Kind and caring friends.
Independent learners.
Resilient problem-solvers.
Successful early readers and mathematicians.
And, above all, children who love coming to school and love learning.

We teach. We talk. We play. We explore. We inspire. We grow.

Giving every child the strongest possible start to their educational journey.

Our Early Years Classes:

Our Themes This Term

Our wider curriculum is brought to life through engaging themes, providing meaningful contexts for children to develop knowledge, vocabulary and skills across the Early Years curriculum.

Let's Explore

Let's Explore encourages children to become curious about the world around them. Through exploration and discovery, children develop their understanding of people, places, nature and the environment.

The theme provides opportunities to explore:

• Understanding the World – exploring our environment, noticing changes, observing living things and developing an understanding of the world around us.

• Communication and Language – learning and using new vocabulary to describe what children see, hear, touch and experience.

• PSED – developing confidence, curiosity, independence and the ability to work alongside others.

• Physical Development – developing coordination and control through indoor and outdoor exploration.

• Mathematics – using mathematical language and concepts such as size, shape, position, quantity and pattern within real experiences.

• Literacy – enjoying stories, non-fiction texts, rhymes and songs linked to exploration and discovery.

• Expressive Arts and Design – representing children's experiences through art, music, movement, role play and imaginative play.

The theme provides a rich opportunity for children to ask questions, investigate, make observations and talk about their discoveries, while developing the vocabulary they need to make sense of the world.

Build It Up

Build It Up develops children's curiosity about construction, materials, design and how things work. It encourages children to become problem-solvers, designers and creative thinkers.

Through this theme, children have opportunities to:

• explore and compare different materials and their properties;

• investigate how structures are made and how they can be strengthened;

• design, build, test and improve their own creations;

• develop an understanding of shape, space, size and measure;

• use mathematical language when comparing, counting and describing structures;

• develop fine and gross motor skills through construction and practical activities;

• work collaboratively, sharing ideas and solving problems together;

• develop vocabulary linked to construction, tools, materials and positional language;

• express their ideas through drawing, modelling, making and imaginative play.

Build It Up also provides particularly strong opportunities for communication and social development. Children are encouraged to explain their ideas, listen to the ideas of others, negotiate, cooperate and work together to achieve a shared goal.

Learning Through Our Themes

Our themes provide a context for learning rather than a checklist of activities. We use them to introduce children to new experiences, concepts and vocabulary, while ensuring that the full breadth of the Early Years curriculum is covered.

Key learning is taught explicitly and then revisited through our continuous provision. For example, children may learn new vocabulary during a whole-class session and then use those words independently during construction, role play, outdoor exploration or small-world play.

Adults use children's interests and ideas as starting points for further learning, extending conversations and helping children to make connections between different areas of the curriculum.

In this way, our themes provide a strong foundation for knowledge, vocabulary and skills, while our continuous provision gives children the opportunity to apply, revisit and deepen their learning through purposeful play.

Read Write Inc. Phonics

To teach children to read and write, we follow Read Write Inc. Phonics (RWI), a DfE-validated systematic synthetic phonics programme. RWI provides a consistent, structured approach to developing early reading and writing skills and is used across our school to support progress for every child.

Learning to Read and Write

Children learn the sounds represented by letters and groups of letters and are taught how to blend these sounds together to read words. They then apply their growing phonic knowledge when reading carefully matched Read, Write, Inc Storybooks.

The books are closely matched to the sounds children have been taught, enabling them to experience success and develop accuracy, fluency, expression and comprehension. Children are encouraged to read with a storyteller's voice, developing a love of reading alongside the technical skills needed to become confident readers.

As well as reading, children use their phonic knowledge to support their spelling and writing. They are taught to hear sounds in words, represent them with the appropriate graphemes and gradually develop increasing independence in their writing.

A Structured and Personalised Approach

Children work in progress groups, allowing teaching to be closely matched to their current phonic knowledge and stage of reading development. Our Reading Leader regularly assesses children's progress and reviews groupings so that children receive the appropriate level of challenge and support.

This means that children are able to progress through the phonics programme at a pace that is appropriate for them, with additional support provided where needed and opportunities for rapid progress where children are ready.

From Sounds to 'Special Friends'

When children begin the programme, they learn the sounds that correspond to individual letters. Once these sounds are secure, they progress to learning more complex sounds represented by two or three letters.

In Read Write Inc., these are referred to as 'Special Friends'.

Children learn to recognise these sounds quickly and use them as an essential tool for reading and writing. They develop the ability to:

• recognise and say the sounds represented by letters and groups of letters;
• blend sounds to read unfamiliar words;
• read familiar words with increasing fluency;
• apply phonics when spelling and writing;
• develop comprehension and understanding of what they read;
• read with increasing confidence, accuracy and expression.

Developing a Love of Reading

Phonics is an essential part of learning to read, but reading is about much more than decoding words.

Alongside our phonics programme, children enjoy a rich range of stories, poems, rhymes and high-quality texts. We develop children's vocabulary and comprehension through discussion, storytelling and shared reading, helping them to understand, enjoy and talk about books.

Our aim is for every child to become a confident, fluent and enthusiastic reader, equipped with the skills and love of reading they need to succeed throughout their education.

We read. We talk. We listen. We practise. We succeed.

Home-School Learning

We believe that learning continues beyond the classroom. In Early Years, our home-school learning is designed to consolidate the learning children experience at school, develop important skills through everyday experiences and give families opportunities to be part of their child's learning journey.

We keep home learning practical, purposeful and enjoyable. Our aim is not to create additional pressure for families, but to provide opportunities for children to talk, read, practise and share their learning with the important adults in their lives.

Book Bag Books and Storybooks

As children develop their phonics knowledge and can confidently blend sounds together to read words, they will begin bringing home Book Bag Books.

These books are carefully matched to each child's current phonics stage and contain words using the sounds they have already been taught. This means that children can practise their phonics independently and experience the success of reading books that are appropriate for their current level.

We change Book Bag Books regularly and encourage children to share their book with an adult at home every day for around five minutes.

Repeated reading helps children to develop:

• phonics knowledge;
• accuracy when reading words;
• fluency and confidence;
• expression when reading aloud;
• vocabulary and comprehension;
• and, importantly, a love of reading.

Children will also have opportunities to bring home Storybooks to share with an adult. These provide a wonderful opportunity for families to enjoy stories together, talk about characters and events, introduce new vocabulary and develop children's understanding and enjoyment of books.

We encourage parents to read to their child as well as listen to them read, as both experiences are important in developing successful readers.

Tapestry

Our online Tapestry Journal provides another way for families to become involved in their child's learning.

Each week, we share practical, skill-based activities that children can complete at home. These activities are designed to complement our learning in school and may focus on areas such as communication and language, mathematics, physical development, independence or our current curriculum theme.

We encourage families to upload photographs or short videos of children taking part in these experiences. This gives us an opportunity to see children's learning beyond the classroom and provides valuable opportunities for children to talk about their experiences, develop their vocabulary and share their achievements with their friends.

We regularly celebrate children's home learning in class. Children love talking about what they have done, listening to their friends and sharing their experiences with others.

Learning Together

The most valuable home learning in Early Years is often found in everyday experiences.

Talking together, sharing a story, cooking, counting objects, going on a walk, visiting somewhere new, helping with household tasks or simply asking children questions about their day can provide rich opportunities for learning.

We particularly encourage families to talk, read, listen and explore together.

By working in partnership, home and school can provide children with consistent opportunities to develop their communication, vocabulary, independence, confidence and love of learning.

Small moments at home can make a big difference to children's learning.